Thursday, June 16, 2022 We woke to some light rain and some heavy wind on this final day. The wind started in a SW direction and eventually turned to a heavy blow from the north. Our goal was to get to Duluth that evening by supper time so we had plenty of time to paddle back to the LIS EP… and we anticipated the wind would slow us down until we got to the river.

After our final breakfast of blueberry quinoa and oats, we packed up our site, said goodbye to our lovely campsite, and paddled across what remained of Shell Lake as the wind began to pick up.

To reiterate on previous reports of the change to the long portage between Lower Pauness and Shell, it appeared that the beaver dam had blown sometime this past year. What, for years, had been a small pond to float across mid-portage, now looks like a wasteland. The blowout has caused down trees across the portage and some very muddy areas where standing water once was. It is quite a different experience than past years – for those traveling this area in the near future, be aware. This didn’t mean the portage was any more difficult, it just looks quite different!

When we arrived at Lower Pauness, the wind was quite remarkable. We had originally planned to take the 40-rod into Upper Pauness, but we decided to duck out of the wind and paddle around to the 8-rod portage. No issues were had at the bottom of the 8-rod, but this is where things became interesting and worth noting to future visitors.

While water has receded in the area, there is still quite a bit of water going through the small set of rapids in that area. We scouted ahead and walked the portage to Upper. To make the issue more complex, the wind was so strong it was creating white caps almost to the very spot where the current picks up into the rapids into Lower. There was a small, but manageable, window of space to get the canoe out onto the water, away from the portage landing and current, and head into the wind. My recommendation to any future paddlers is to make sure to stay close to the submerged vegetation on that south side and give yourself plenty of room to avoid the current near the portage.

We strategized the elements – current and stiff winds. And we made it – but it didn’t go without some elevated anxiety of having to make the maneuver fast and boldly. Again, this didn’t get to the point of being dangerous, but there was an elevated risk with the direction of the wind blowing right into the rapids.

The stiff wind at our backs was a fortunate break once we got onto the LIS river. We passed three other groups coming out – one duo headed in for a 10-day trip, a solo woman, and a group from Camp Voyageur. We made sure to share that the wind was especially difficult once the lake is reached, and we hope all the groups made it safely to a campsite somewhere!

All in all, we had an excellent and memorable trip! The elements were forces to be reckoned with – daily rain, a severe storm, a midnight visit from a bear, heavy wind, an abundance of biting insects—these all just add to the memories that we’ll carry with us even after the canvas packs are cleaned and put back on the shelf for another month.

We found wonderful solitude this trip – and were reminded once again that wild places and public lands need our due diligence for protection and conservation. While our sunburns and bug bites are temporary, tangible souvenirs of our wilderness adventure, the memories we made in the backcountry will be lifelong moments that will stick with us forever.

Until next time, BWCA, I will wait with anticipation for another homecoming.

~Shell Lake, Lower Pauness Lake, Upper Pauness Lake

Lakes Traveled:   Shell Lake, Lower Pauness Lake, Upper Pauness Lake,