Sunday, September 02, 2018: our 46th anniversary. NoName, Isabella, Point, Nest, NoName, North Bay, NoName, Burke, Bailey Bay. 11.5 miles, 8 portages, 1 beaver dam, 1 lift-over.

First really clear night of the trip—nice stargazing. Exited the tent to promising western skies, but had a short warning shower during breakfast. By the time we got on the water, we could hear distant thunder and it started to rain during our portage into Isabella, putting us both in rain gear. Our short time on Isabella found us marveling at the huge bubbles generated by the rain drops—the canoe was surrounded by ping-pong ball sized bubbles on the lake surface! As we portaged into Point thunder seemed to be directly overhead, and we waited for the storm to pass before getting paddling Point. We crossed Point and portaged into Nest, where the rain started again. From 9:00 until 11:00 it rained, and when thunder was part of the mix we huddled on land. When we reached North Bay it was pouring, so we simply waited at the end of the portage. After 20 minutes or so the rain stopped and North Bay was almost glassy. We paddled the north side of Neil Island, and had to lift the boat over a rocky passage to the main body of North Bay. On the portage out of North Bay toward Burke, we met a couple with a dog—until then we'd seen two parties/8 people in seven days, exactly the solitude we seek in Quetico. Stopped for lunch in Burke, then took the Boulevard into Bailey and found the water there also calm—last year we fought wind across Bailey and Inlet Bays and wanted to ensure this year's exit wasn't a six-hour battle against winds and waves. We stopped on Sunday Island and looked through a journal there, but decided to paddle a bit further today in case winds tomorrow are high. Found a nice campsite just before entering Inlet Bay, so we should have minimal 'big water' if winds are strong on tomorrow's exit day. Set up camp, took baths, and had afternoon drinks for our anniversary (redneck mocha for Chuck, bourbon & tea for Tia). Glad we stopped when/where we did, as wind picked up on Bailey shortly after we set up camp. Anniversary dinner was ham & barley casserole. Tia updated her journal, and we read a couple stories from Patrick McManus' “They Shoot Canoes, Don't They?”