Sunday, May 31, 2020

We got an early start this morning--the only morning we really strived to do so. And let’s be clear: we left the campsite at 8:20, which others may not exactly consider to be an early start! Luckily the lake was calm as we paddled back across Stuart to the river portage. After the obligatory falls picture, we were on the river.

What a lovely way to exit (or enter) the boundary waters!

The river system was absolutely beautiful and the fact that there is only 1 entry permit per day means that you get it all to yourself as well. All in all it took us 4 hours from our campsite to reach the parking lot.

Along the way, we noted the stream to White Feather Lake, which indeed looked accessible at that time of year. We would have knocked about 2 hours off our exit time if we had camped there last night.

One of the more memorable parts of the journey out was the enormous beaver dam that requires a quick portage. Thing must have been 5 feet tall! Very impressive work by the beavers!

The 430-rod on the way out really wasn’t too bad, considering we had a 720 on the way in! The portage landing was tricky to locate--something just happened to catch our eye as we were paddling right past it.

Back in the parking lot, we were relieved to see the car there, and the joke about whether or not Kyle had left the car at the right location could finally be put to rest. We shuttled our rented canoe back to the outfitter while half of the crew waited at the parking lot. Then it was off to get some takeout from Ely Steakhouse. We ended up getting 4 Bucky burgers (of course), and ate them at a nice little park we found in Ely.

The drive back consisted of us all reading about the events that happened while we were gone and we realized that due to the curfew, Kyle would not be able to get home tonight. So Kyle ended up staying at Craig’s for the night, and would drive home the next morning.

It was a great adventure. And to be honest, I can’t wait to do a PMA again. I’m not so sure my friends agree, so it may be awhile before I convince them to do another PMA trip with me. But considering how busy everyone has said the BWCA was in 2020, it was definitely worth it to go a couple days without seeing a soul. If you have ever considered a PMA, this is a great one to start with as it is rugged, but definitely has defined portages and campsites.

Today's route:

~Stuart Lake