Boundary Waters, Trip Reports, BWCA, Stories

The bugs were biting
by TuscaroraBorealis

Trip Type: Paddling Canoe
Entry Date: 06/11/2023
Entry & Exit Point: Kawishiwi Lake (EP 37)
Number of Days: 7
Group Size: 4
Day 6 of 7
Thursday June 15, 2023

As promised, we paddle out immediately after breakfast. No one is enamored with the first portage of the day as we soon discover that there are 2 separate flooded sections along the trail as well as a large, downed tree. The mushy shallow water landing on the river end doesn’t do much to bolster spirits either. However, the utterly immense numbers of tiny tadpoles here is certainly a phenomenon none of us have witnessed before.

Blake hooks into a nice walleye out on River Lake and Aurora is catching some smallmouth bass too. Pulling into the luxurious northern most island campsite nearby, we assess the situation. Do we linger here and continue to fish or, do we proceed on to the pictographs? It’s going to be a long day just getting to Fishdance & back without too many delays so, if we backtrack now, it will likely jeopardize reaching that goal. Both Aurora & Blake want to see the pictographs so we press on with the understanding that they can fish along the way.

There is a bleached-out moose skull propped up on a large boulder at the downstream landing of the short portage east of Fishdance lake and Aurora yanks out one of its teeth as a keepsake as we pass through. Looking at the map, this is definitely one of those sections where our destination seems a LOT closer than the paddling seems to take.

However, we do eventually make the turn south down into Fishdance Lake and the famed cliffs soon come into sight. I can sense the eager anticipation heavy in the air as Aurora & Blake diligently scan the cliff walls for any anomaly. At long last they come into sight and, like so many before us, lingering atop the liquid amphitheater which is presenting us with a glimpse into a different time and culture.

Not too many minutes later, an unavoidable restlessness overcomes us, and we begin the arduous paddle back to camp that none of us is looking forward to. I ponder on the fact that we paddled and portaged all this way just to spend a few fleeting moments gazing upon some painted rocks that I could’ve shown everyone a picture of back home. As it so often does, the age old saying, “It’s the journey, not the destination.” rings so true here. Or, in the spiritual sense I have it similarly said, “The road to Heaven, IS Heaven.” Like so many things in life, the struggles & sufferings are really what usually create or at least illuminate, lasting unforgettable memories. I think if everything in this life always worked out exactly & in the most convenient manner possible, when/where would we ever derive true joy? I think life would devolve into a colorless almost mechanical/robotic existence. Mankind would do well to fully realize this unassailable truth.

None of us want to have to go back across the western portage back into Malberg so we continue east past our previous route. There is a short portage at a narrowing in the Kawishiwi River almost directly north of Malberg that proves to be an incredibly enchanting spot. A mammoth white pine towers over the landing and shades a short set of scenic rapids and the dark pool just below. Blake pulls in a walleye on his first cast while Joel & Aurora soak in the ambiance. I slowly start getting our stuff across hoping everyone can catch their breath a bit before moving on.

Back in familiar waters at the NE portage into Malberg, the kids & Joel take some time to fish at the honey hole - knowing this is our last portage. We’ve still got a fair distance to paddle but, it is kind of a good feeling to have that last portage in the rear-view mirror. Hoping to avoid the mosquito onslaught, after catching a few more fish, we do start making our way back to camp before it gets too late.