My buddy Lt. Dan & Roxi (his significant other) had made it up to Babbitt last night and while we’d gone out to eat, his daughter Jodi her husband Cory and her step kids Eathan & Nora had stopped in and left a note informing us all to meet at the Hog Creek entry point by 11:00 this morning. With those clandestine instructions, we had our marching orders.

Besides the carry down to the creek, there will likely only be one true portage today, so, getting a noonish start isn’t too disconcerting. However, 2 other separate groups are starting their trip at the same time, so the parking lot is buzzing with activity. We chose to hang back and let them go ahead.

Aurora insisted on carrying our canoe down to the landing and I happily obliged her. She did a great job - even down the long stairway but she felt she hadn’t because the canoe kept slipping down her shoulder a bit necessitating an occasional readjustment. I told her it’s just like riding a bike, you just need to keep doing it and then eventually it will be like second nature.

Jodi also carried one of their canoes down and insisted I take a photo of her and her dad. She too had started carrying a canoe when she was about Aurora’s age, and we had taken a picture of them both back then. Now they were reenacting that scene from long ago.

Still brimming with excitement, we load up and set off. The first portage is only a few hundred yards downstream, but there is a good-sized beaver dam just prior to reaching the landing. Since we are heading downstream, we are mostly able to paddle through this one. Trying to minimize the workload for Lt. Dan & newbie Roxie, I erroneously think it will be easier to line the canoes down versus doing the portage. In my other trips through here it has been the case, but today the second set of rapids proves to be more of a workout than actually just doing the portage. But we get through without too much delay and get to see a large garter snake swim across the creek.

Aurora & I take the lead followed by Jodi & Nora as we wind our way through the narrow twisting creek. The paddle on this creek always seems interminable to me, fatiguing my patience. I’m not sure what it is, maybe it’s just me but, more so than other tiny creeks through the BWCA this one seems to languish on and on. Perhaps because there’s no decent spot to pull off and usually there have been minimal wildlife (even tiny birds) sightings?

Once at the lake, I make note that both the groups ahead of us are heading up the west side of the lake. While waiting for the rest of our crew to catch up, it’s also encouraging to see 3 separate groups coming off the lake and returning via the creek. I was hoping that the site just past the creek entry would be vacant. Not so much that I wanted to stay there but, just as a good spot to pull off and get out of the canoes & rest a bit. Unfortunately, the disheartening site of tents and people milling about compel us to paddle on.

Our initial game plan was to grab one of the northern sites closer to the Perent River. But the fact that the other 2 groups already headed in that direction and with racing whitecaps coming out of the northeast, we choose to paddle up the NE side of the lake to minimize our time battling waves. Plus, there are more campsites in that direction.

It’s a real struggle to get up and around the corner on the east side of the lake but, once we do, the many islands begin to provide wind breaks and safer paddling conditions. Alas, as we paddle our way up the eastern seaboard, to our collective dismay we soon discover all the campsites we pass by are currently occupied.

Finally, just past the largest island on the eastern shoreline, Aurora & I happen upon a vacant campsite. While it is certainly a welcome relief from battling persistent pushy waves, the lackluster amenities & proximity to the site on the north tip of the large island leave both of us hoping for something better. Jodi & Nora pull in behind us as we finish our cursory inspection.

The waters to the north are nowhere near as tempestuous as what we’ve just paddled through, so before the others arrive, we tell Jodi we’re going to paddle up and check out the remaining 2 sites on the north end of the lake before we commit to this campsite.

Aurora isn’t too enthused and, after seeing the first one occupied, I must eat a little crow. But alas! The northern most site is vacant. While this is not a destination site, it is quickly agreed upon that this site will be more hospitable to our large crew, and we head back to share the good news.

Before stealthily reaching the campsite where the rest of our crew is catching their breath, I drop Aurora off so she can hop out and walk into camp to give the weary travelers an unexpected surprise. No one is too eager to have to paddle again but, upon arrival, all agree that this site is superior and are efficiently tasked with getting camp setup.

There is plenty of room here for us to spread out and set up our five tents and multiple hammocks. The kitchen area is quite accommodating with a nice log bench right in front of the fire grate, although there’s not a great view of the lake from here. However, the gently sloped rock shelf shoreline extends along a narrow but prolonged swath out in front of camp and provides excellent expansive views of the lake and makes for ideal exploration for our curious kids. And being that this is the northernmost site, it’s unlikely we will get many/any intrusions from other paddlers.

Aurora, Ethan & Nora head out to try some fishing after camp is set up and they are soon joined by Cory & Jodi. While they do manage to catch a few fish, of course the exaggerated tales told in camp give little indication of how it actually went. Still, as the evening progresses, everyone is enjoying the wonders of the wilderness, the good company & food, and ever so grateful to have our home base established here and be done fighting the whitecaps for the day.

~Perent Lake

It rained most of the evening and although the sun has now risen, the air temperature remains cool (that’s about as charitable as it can be stated). Hot drinks are savored under the CCS tarp as irresolutely the wheels of breakfast preparation are set in motion. It’s a slow-moving morning as light showers and gusts of wind sporadically accentuate the already unseasonable miserably cold weather.

It’s early August but I don’t know if we broke 50 degrees today! Couple that with the intermittent showers & wind that persisted throughout, and it’s easy to understand that everyone just stayed in/near camp all day. Lots of nap time and the kids made LT. a “healthy” natural meal with whatever plants they could scrounge up around camp. FYI: He wasn’t impressed. Still, this is the first trip I’d done with Lt. Dan & Jodi in several years, so we had fun reminiscing about some of our past adventures. And since nothing much happened here today, I thought I’d take this opportunity to share the sordid details of one of those ‘not to be forgotten’ past trips when we camped on Disappointment Lake.

We (LT. Dan, his kids John & Jodi, his cousin Charlie, and my buddy Kelly & myself) were fortunate to have grabbed the SE most site on Disappointment Lake on that windy day. Apparently, the last open site on the lake as several parties came by shortly after (and throughout the day) asking if/when we planned on leaving and said all other sites were full.

I believe this may have been one of the very first trips with my Hilleberg tent. As we were all getting set up LT. Dan quipped, “So, how much did you spend on that tent?” I don’t remember the exact cost, but I believe I said something to the effect of, “Several hundred dollars.” LT Dan then exclaimed, “Holy shit! I got mine at a garage sale for a couple of bucks. Sure, it doesn’t have the factory poles, but how big a deal is that anyway? It’ll keep us dry. Why would you spend so #%^*ing much money on a tent?!” I absorbed his verbal assault without commenting.

We had a great time fishing and exploring throughout the trip. On the day before we would be leaving, we paddled back to see Cattyman Falls. After getting across the portage to Jitterbug Lake, John was trying to hop into my canoe and instantly sunk up to his equator, Charlie grabbed him before we lost him altogether! After paddling across the lake, we proceeded to take the next portage into Adventure Lake. John was walking ahead of everyone else and as he walked the trail; a couple of long, mud caked pinecones fell out of his pants' legs. Since it literally looked exactly like that, Charlie was quick to quip, “That sinkhole must’ve literally scared the shit out of you John!”

We had a thoroughly enjoyable time at the waterfall; John was mercifully able to rinse off, and then we had a much less memorable trip back to Disappointment Lake. However, once we put back in on Disappointment it was evident that the wind was really blowing out of the east. As we were about to round the last corner before camp, I told John to paddle with everything he had on the right side otherwise we wouldn’t make the turn once we started coming around the big point. We struggled mightily but made it. Kelly & Charlie paddled like mad-men and made it as well. Lastly, Lt., Dan & Jodi come out from behind the point and just got blown to the other side of the lake. They joined us in camp a couple hours later after circumventing the better percentage of the southern lakeshore!

Those winds were crazy, and they only intensified as evening fell. Per my usual routine, I inevitably had to crawl out of my tent to relieve myself at 0’dark thirty. The winds were really howling but, I took satisfying solace in the fact that my Hilleberg tent was rock solid. There also wasn’t a cloud in the sky and the moonlight was stunning. It also served to illumine LT. Dan’s tent across the way. I couldn’t help but notice that every time the wind blew, (since it had the wrong poles) his tent would go ‘flat’, and I could clearly discern 4 heads getting incessantly slapped in the face by the exceedingly loose tent wall.

Early the next morning, I inquisitively questioned LT. Dan about how he had slept, adding that the cherry red coloring on his forehead didn’t look like sunburn. After he wearily admitted it didn’t go so well last night, I then inquired, “How much would you have paid for a decent tent last night?!”

Below I've attached some old photos I unearthed from that fateful trip.

Ultimately, while it was cold today, we had a great time sharing these old stories and the communal belly laughs helped ensure that no one froze. Still, the way Lt. Dan was walking around barefoot all day; you'd never know that it only reached about 50 degrees for a high temperature!

~Perent Lake

Another gloomy morning but, it’s a little warmer than yesterday and promises to not be as rainy. After being cooped up in camp for most of the day yesterday, most of us are itching to get out on the lake today. So, Aurora & I man the Black Pearl, while Cory, Jodi & Nora hop in their big white canoe.

It still misting a bit as we set out and overall, it’s far from ideal paddling conditions, but it’s not anywhere near as taxing as the day we came in; and our newfound freedom from camp is enough motivation to persevere onward west across the lake. As we near the mouth of the Perent River, another group is also headed that way so, we pull into the nearby campsite to give them some time to make their way down river a bit to avoid possible congestion at the portages.

The landing at this site is narrow, and the camp itself is pretty tight and overgrown. Maybe room for a couple of tents and not much in the way for convenient tarp or hammock options. I guess it would serve as a good staging spot for a solo/duo before tackling the Perent River but, other than that, I feel it leaves a lot to be desired.

There’s a nice sandy beach at the mouth of the Perent River, and we linger there before tackling the portage. The portage is level but overgrown which camouflages the occasional knobby boulder encountered along the way. It appears the group we waited for just walked their canoes down the mild rapids.

I always like the juxtaposition of river paddling especially after just coming off a large lake. The river typically affords a much more intimate experience, and it seems my senses are always heightened and appreciative in narrower waterways. After slowly drifting to the next portage, we discover an inconvenient boulder landing and an even more overgrown though level trail. It sports an equally inconvenient landing on the other (western) end but does put us on the water at a charming little pool just below a scenic set of rapids.

Cory hooks into a little walleye almost immediately, and we hang out here for a while picking up a few more small fish. Once the bite is done, we paddle downstream to the next portage. The vote is just to hike it as no one wants to put too many portages behind us; realizing full well that we’d have to do them all again to get back. Much like the previous trails, this one is also on the north side of the river; it’s fairly level and overgrown with tight bouldery landings. However, this one skirt pretty close to the river's edge so, it may be challenging (or even untenable) in high water. Cory catches a couple more fish on the way back, and then we get back out onto the lake. Once there, we are determined to stop at our original target site, if it’s unoccupied, when we pass by.

As we paddle up to site #1002 on the large peninsula before the lake totally opens up, we note the elevated rock shelf isn’t conducive to providing a convenient harbor canoe landing and lack of a canoe storage area appears to be another chink in the armor. The fire grate area is somewhat exposed but otherwise this is an outstanding site that sports several nice tent pads, an awesome view, is garnished by a ring of mature cedar trees, and an ideal shoreline birch provides a scenic shady sanctuary to lounge in. The openness of the surrounding forest makes exploration and firewood gathering very effortless. We bask here awhile, pondering what might have been and taking time to savor the solitude and ‘quiet noise’ of our wilderness surroundings.

After paddling our way back to camp, we share the tale of our adventures with Dan, Roxie & Eathan and hear about their day too. Cory got a lot of fish cleaning experience this trip as another tasty fish fry helps supplement our copious evening meal, and we all languish in camp for a while afterwards.

Eventually our collective spirits are stirred and everyone, but Jodi & Nora, decide to head out on the lake to try some fishing and enjoy the tranquil evening that God has graced us with. Aurora & I get no further than a couple hundred yards or so from camp when we hear what sounds like a schoolgirl screaming. I erroneously surmise that it is Lt. Dan finally hooking into a fish; only later discovering it was Nora & Jodi taking a “polar bear” plunge into the lake. While it is a beautiful evening, it is still quite cool.

Fishing success mostly alludes us tonight, but we are entertained by the local busy beaver swimming to & froe hauling branches to its hut. The silver lining of it having been so cool is that the bugs have been virtually a non-existent factor as we gratefully bask under our Creators spectacular sunset on our lazy paddle back to camp.

One of the traditions Jodi has incorporated into her trips, which really came in handy yesterday during all the rain & wind, is a fun little game called “Pass the Pig.” Since it's our last night, most of us are up for another game. The premise of the game is to get 100 points. You get points by having the 2 (game pieces) pigs land in various positions. There are a multitude of different scoring positions the 2 pigs can end up in, but the most typical position they ‘usually’ land in cancels out all points accumulated during your current turn. Once you pass the pig, then all the points you’ve accumulated to that point are saved. You can certainly choose to keep rolling but, if you roll the most typical position, you lose everything you accumulated on your current turn and then you must also pass the pigs. Hopefully that verbose explanation does a decent job laying out how to play? Anyways tonight Aurora goes on a truly epic run and, in one turn, gets all 100 points and wins the game! Quite the wild nightcap and memorable finish to our last evening together.

~Perent Lake

The weather pattern changed this morning, and we awake to a glorious sundrenched blue sky. There’s no big rush as we pack up after breakfast and get headed out. Another bonus is that there is no wind to deal with either. So, our paddle out is at a slow deliberate pace stopping to watch a large merganser family, and Jodi and the kids dare to stop at a small island to then jump into the lake. Lt. Dan didn’t participate in this last endeavor.

Soon we’re winding our way back up Hog Creek to the parking lot. Once there we motor down the road to the Trestle Inn to grab some food & drinks. Of course, Lt. Dan has to try the “Trainwreck - with casulties”. From there we say our goodbyes and part ways.

For those who might be interested. Jodi put together a video trip report of out adventures. She has her own youtube channel and does a great job putting together various trip reports as well as informative "how to" videos about wilderness travel & camping.

Certainly, we had some challenging weather for a mid-August trip, but I feel we managed pretty well. It had been several years since I'd done a trip with Lt. Dan & Jodi and it was nice to reconnect and do one together again. Roxie did awesome for a newbie (especially on the paddle in) and I think she at least enjoyed herself enough so as not to be scarred for life.

For me personally, I marvel at the woman Jodi has become. I never dreamt that the many trips we did together all those years ago would leave such a meaningful, lasting imprint on her and her trajectory in life. She has really taken flight with it, and it warms my heart beyond words to see it firsthand. Not trying to box Aurora in to following the exact same path but, I do hope the trips we've done together (and God willing, continue to do) will have a positive, lasting impact on her as well. I must admit, doing this trip and writing this report has forced me to fondly reminisce about the trips I did with Jodi when she was Aurora's age and have discovered that their demeanors & attitudes about canoeing/camping etc. at those ages were/are quite similar. Still eye has not seen, ear has not heard nor the heart of this man conceived what God has in store for these two beautiful young women. So, going forward I pray we all rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.