I unzipped my tent on the lake side and looked out to the east. I fully expected to see a clear sky, but the sky was brilliant red. The little adage of “red sky in morning, sailor take warning” spun around in my head. Surely, we will not get rain again?

Our breakfast of biscuits and gravy slowly energized the system, and I think we made 2 pots of cowboy coffee. This is the first morning in a few days that we were not threatened by impending weather doom….. But still, that red sky? We were on the water before 8 and maybe the canoe gods were smiling on their wayward sons. The section of Kawishiwi before the portage into Malberg was a delight, as was the portage into Malberg. However, the sky just got heavier and heavier, and soon it has got to spring a leak. In anticipation of the leak, Dave and I pulled ashore in the NE narrows of Malberg to pull on our rain pants, while Matt and Nate chafed at the bit to get “down lake”. By Koma, the heavens opened.

Portage trails, just as the day before, took on the look of small creeks. By the time we made the north end of Polly we were dealing with both rain and a rising south wind. Of course we are going south. Why is it that I remember so few days (from many canoe trips) when I had the wind at my back rather than in my face? Under a greasy sky with increasing ominous rumbles, we landed at the first campsite on the north end of Polly. It was a fine enough campsite and offered protection from the south wind. After slogging around the site looking at tent sites, Matt says, “we need to get down this lake now…….. because if this wind picks up, we will pay tomorrow”.

I did not feel like moving, but Matt was right. Thunder rumbles seemed to become more distant, and it was now or never.

On this trip, the lakes were not very complicated, and I had been "dead on" with my “dead reckoning” navigation (an eye on the shore and an eye on the map). Last year, I was a bit “off” on an occasion or two. On the first few days, I was having a hard time reconciling "map scale" to the real world, and sadly became the recipient of many jabs. But I had regained my stature as “true north” on this trip. Before shoving off, I said lets keep the first island to our right and then head to the campsite on the peninsula between the main lake and the east arm. At that point, turn south to keep the shore on our left. Those directions seem rather simple minded, but in driving rain and rolling swells things become confusing real quick.

When we rounded the lee side of the islands we were hit smack in the face with wind, and rain. One thing was good, the rain was warm! One thing was bad, out here, there was no freedom to study maps and handle the canoe. I spotted the camp, kept it to my left and proceeded down lake. Later on, Matthew and Nate said they had completely lost it, and just decided to follow me with no questions asked (Sweet redemption compared to last year!). The going was tough until we hit the protected lee side of the peninsula. By the time we hit the campsite that we called home on day 1, we were ready to stop, and stop we did.

The remaining day was dismal. The wind really cranked up, and trees were going down in the forest outside of our campsite. We waited several hours (watching for weak trees) before putting up our tents. Supper was made in the rain, and at this point we didn’t even try to put up the tarp.

After supper, we lit the candle on Matt’s birthday chocolate cake (bake packer secret recipe), sang happy birthday and Matt opened his present. Matt said, “you mean, we been hauling around bottle (plastic) of beer all this time?” I just smiled. I had wished for a warmer day when the beer would have been really appreciated. But, it was beer. Matt shared, and shortly after the festivities there was nothing left to do, but take protection from the elements.

Before we turned in, we studied the waves. No one was real keen on taking the wind and waves broadside in the morning. We figured that if worse came to worse, we could follow the lake perimeter south for a ways and get around to the west-side portage trail. It was a restless night for all of us. I hate the wind at night even more than during the day.

Photos: 1) Morning at Kivaniva, 2) calm as glass across the Kawishiwi River heading to the east side portage into Malberg, 3) Birthday party at Polly, and 4) the start of another windy night