Friday, August 26, 2022 Another awesome day in the BW. The water is like glass and just a few clouds. We want to get to Horse or Fourtown lake for camp tonight. The weather report predicts some rain and wind tomorrow so we'd like to be closer to our exit. The plan is to spend a day on one of those lakes and do some fishing. Then have the big fish fry that hasn't happened yet. Another freeze dried breakfast with REAL coffee. Pack all our gear, load the canoes and hit the water Sigh... another day of chasing the tandem... It's quite pleasant out though. The sun is ducking in and out of a few heavy clouds and a very slight breeze. Then I come upon that group of three Trumpeter Swans, What are they following us? Or maybe it's another group. We finish off the 3 1/2 miles to Lower Basswood Falls and check out the area, there's one campsite occupied by...... the three guys we saw entering the PMA with us at Beartrap! I paddle around and see a guy on the Canadian shore, Is that the portage I ask? It certainly is he replies. It's the same guy we saw on the way to Curtain Falls and back yesterday. He complements my paddling stroke and says I got that kayak paddle down. It doesn't compare to his J-stroke but I appreciate the comment. I guess 8 days of practice made me better. He's just coming out from a swim at the base of the falls. He says it's a ritual that he does every year to ground himself. He lives in Seattle but grew up around the BW and has been tripping in there ... oh a couple of hundred times or so. That's how he got the perfect J-stroke. He knows the BW like it's his back yard and is most at home in a canoe seat.

Time for our leisurely paddle up the Horse River. I call l that because it took us so long to get up it. The first section to the first portage was fine, but lots of grasses and brake pads. We hit the first portage and proceed with the routine. Then the suffering and confusion. The water was really low. The map shows three portages. We hit at least 4 more than that. Some places we couldn't see the portage trail and walked through the shallows. Sometimes pulling the boats and sometimes doing the full unload to carry over the rocks. It wasn't the oxbows of the Beartrap but we had to unload and load a lot more. It took us hours and a lot of effort to get up that river. We hit horse lake and are hoping for the site right there. If it's available, we're ready to call it a day. Well it was occupied. .bummer because it's getting on to 4 o'clock. On to Fourtown in a pretty stiff headwind across the lake. Then the same story for the portage there. Low water and some extra portages. We get to Fourtown and take the campsite that's right there at the portage. A nice site but we've been warned that you have people walking through your site while using the portage. Whatever, There's plenty of extra room and a big clearing in the woods. We're so beat after a 9 hour day that we're fine with that. It does have an awesome view from the fire pit/kitchen area. we have our dinner and go to an early sleep. ~Crooked Lake, Horse Lake, Fourtown Lake