Sunday, August 23, 2020

Ol' Blue doesn't look so tough sitting empty on the ground but, he would soon regain his old swagger; as we all begin ripping camp down before breakfast. The last of our 96 eggs are scrambled, cooked and distributed among the ranks. Father Brandon relates a story of having eggs over at Bill's home awhile ago. When he asked for ketchup (to put on his eggs) both Bill & Joe pushed away from the table and abandoned the room; leaving Father alone with Judy (Bill's wife) whom apparently considers it an absolute sacrilege to put ketchup on eggs. Out here in the Garden of Eden, free from any marital constraints, Bill now shows his true colors, comes out of the closet and 'picks' the forbidden fruit.

As humid as it has been, we are thankful it is overcast this morning as we push away from our island camp; that ably served as our home away from home this past week. And, the slight breeze easing across Friday Bay helps take the edge off as we begin our southward trek. The portage to Papoose Creek is flat and all the mud holes have dried up. Creek navigation is only hindered by a lone small beaver dam & a preponderance of lily pads and weeds, as the water depth is sufficient throughout. The steep, rocky Niki - Wagosh portage certainly gets our hearts pumping but fortunately it's only 45 rods. We share the Wagosh -Gun trail with a group who is heading north. The summit of the hill about half way across serves as a drop point for a few of us but, we still get everything across this portage without serious delay. A summer wanes, (or is it waxes???) the fleeting vestiges of botanical displays provide some color along the trails.

The sun is starting to break through the clouds as we paddle across Gun Lake. The portages from Gun to Fourtown are about as non-descript and straight forward as a person could hope for and we make quick work of them. We also start encountering several other canoes heading in the other direction. Once we reach Fourtown Lake we take a short snack break before the final push. Wise beyond his years, Father Brandon has waited until now to divulge how many pounds of ice and liquids we lugged up last Monday. No one is surprised by the numbers.

Paddling down Fourtown, the sky is really opening up and the sun is getting to be more of a deterrent. Pulling into the series of portages at the south end we discover we'll be sharing the portage with another group. At the end of the trail one of the women in the other group approaches me and we trade stories of our recent adventures. She also gushes, "It's soooo awesome that you guys brought that older guy along! I'm sure it was a special treat for him." I don't relate this story to Bill.

With stories that are already bordering on folklore, I think Father Drew took it as a challenge to personally accompany Ol' Blue the entire way back? As much of a pain as this pack is, it doesn't hinder our progress and we overtake the group we share these portages with.

Finally, we enter the narrow confines of Pickett Creek. It's a bit more of a struggle going against the current but, by now, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. We slog the last stretch alongside our loaded canoes to the final landing.

It's about 2:30 when we reach the parking lot. I don't have time for long goodbyes, or a quick shower because I need to get to Pine City to pick up Aurora this evening. Dairy Queen drive through in Ely and the long drive. I arrive with only about 20 minutes to spare, and Aurora's first comment is, "Man, it stinks in here!" Whew Indeed.

What a phenomenal trip!

Undoubtedly this was booked as a fishing trip, and we certainly caught our fair share of fish everyday. However, for me, I try not to put all my eggs in one basket in my approach to any trip. And, the camaraderie of like minded men of faith I experienced on this adventure will be a blessed and treasured memory for the rest of my life. I think Henry David Thoreau's comment. "Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing it is not fish they are after" succinctly sums up what I took away from this trip. And, it wasn't the fish. :)

Lastly, I would like to give a big shout out to Father Brandon. For it was he who brought these varied personalities together and, while they all contributed there own unique and special 'flavor' to the mix it was Father Brandon, "The straw that stirs the drink" who masterfully blended all the 'ingredients' to create a truly transcendental recipe of experiencing Christian manhood.