The sun rises as I paddle through Beaver, where I’m briefly accompanied by a croaking raven. I make short work of Trapline, and am able to paddle down the sneaky riffle that vexed me going upstream two days prior. It’s a beautiful morning for paddling, but I am eager to make time while the winds are favorable, especially through the wide open expanses of Malberg, Koma, and Polly. Right away, I feel the headwind slowing me down on River, but I soon reach the dreaded double beaver swamp portage to Malberg. Now that I know what’s coming, I make quick work of it, though the cold morning air has my hands working just a bit slower this morning when loading and unloading. On Malberg, I speak to another human for the first time in four days. Some men are set up on a southerly campsite above the lake, enjoying their morning coffee by the fire, and hail as I pass. They say they caught a few walleyes last night, the first of their trip. It’s been over two hours since I left Fisher, and my stomach is positively rumbling as I dream of supplementing my evening meal with a fried fish filet. Even though my eyes are glued to the map, I battle a bit of confusion in finding the correct bay to turn south toward Koma. But after a few minutes I figure it out, and once at the landing, spend a few moments taking in the waterfall rushing into Malberg.

After a very straightforward portage, I reach Koma Lake, and another paddle across wide open water awaits me. The winds remain light, so I make steady progress. At the landing, I wait to let a group of 2 or 3 canoes pass, then continue down the portage to the first of the Polly ponds. I’m very hungry by this point and want to stop to eat my breakfast, but one look at my map shows that Polly is the last of the big water I’ll face today, and I want to keep moving to avoid dealing with too much wind there. While the prospect of windy paddling keeps me moving, I nearly always find something interesting on each portage, especially during my empty handed walk back for the canoe. On the portage from Koma to the first pond, I see a tree that is thick with white flowers, which I later learn to be a Saskatoon. I also snap a quick photo of an interesting plant that I later learn to be a twinflower.

Also, somewhere in these pond portages, I spot a lovely little common blue violet in full bloom. This portage also “features” a huge chest high tree that required crawling under. I watch with amusement as another canoeist deftly balances the canoe on top of the tree, scoots under, then easily mounts the canoe back onto his shoulders to continue, and attempt to do the same.

The ponds themselves don’t have any remarkable features, though a two foot garter snake suddenly slithering across the path between the two ponds jolts me from any lethargy I’m feeling. After the ponds, I reach Polly and notice the wind is blowing steadily from the south, but not too strongly. I’m thankful that my route toward the Phoebe River takes me down the more sheltered eastern end of the lake, and hug the shore as much as possible to lessen the impact of the wind and waves. All of the larger stretches of water today (Kawishiwi, Malberg, Koma, Pollly) have surprised me with how vast they are, and how quickly the wind can negatively affect my travel. I am very, very glad I didn’t paddle away from Fisher yesterday in the gusty winds of the late afternoon!

As I paddle south down Polly, a couple calls out to me as they pack up their campsite to ask where I’m headed, and I say I’m going to Hazel today. The portage into the Phoebe River has a rocky landing and an uphill start, and then another (even longer) garter snake startles me as I carry the pack across. Otherwise this is a relatively easy path, but I am very happy to return with the canoe and finally allow myself a well-earned breakfast break to the side of the landing. As much as I love the beauty of Boundary Waters lakes, traveling solo as a rookie in the wind has given me a great appreciation for river travel! The couple I saw on Polly portages into the river, also bound for Hazel. They probably sensed a bit of weariness on my part and offered to share their campsite on Hazel if need be when I got there, which is so kind of them. We chat for a bit about our trips before they paddle onward down the river.

The four short sections of the Phoebe River between Polly and Hazel are wide and easily navigable. The portages, however, are a bit rough. The first portage on the river is short but features a challenging landing on a sloping rock right beneath a large rapids with some current to deal with. Portage number two also has a rocky landing, and some rocky areas to deal with near the end, which is merely a prelude to the nasty landing that drops you off in a significant current with multiple large rocks to dodge. This would be difficult walking in lower water, though it isn’t much fun in high water either. The third portage isn’t too bad, but also has a rocky landing. The final portage for the day into Hazel is unremarkable for a change, and I am very eager to reach a campsite and rest. Of course, I’ve arrived just in time for my afternoon tussle with the wind. The couple I met previously is settled in the site nearest the portage, so I need to make my way safely across the increasing whitecaps to the eastern site, which appears to be open. The presence of my portage friends from earlier in the day eases my anxiety just a bit, though I know I’ll likely have an audience for this final leg of today’s journey. Within four strokes of paddling away from the portage, I know I’m in for a rodeo. Unlike my experience on Fisher though, I know the problem and resolve to fix it, immediately. In calm morning waters, I had been traveling with my canoe pack further aft near the yoke for improved speed. But in these windy conditions, I knew it needed to be as far forward as possible for stability. I paddled near the shore and hopped right out into knee deep water to re-adjust the load, then continued across the lake, staying close to the shore until I felt confident enough to make my run for the site. The paddle goes smoothly, and I can’t help but feel accomplished at how much I’ve learned about paddling in the wind as a solo canoeist.

My home on Hazel features a lovely smooth sunning rock by the water, which I quickly take advantage of, enjoying my afternoon limeade and lunch of chicken curry quinoa while my bare feet dry out. After lunch, I struggle to find much firewood in spite of paddling to several secluded shores near the site. But I am able to make it work and soon return to set up my hammock in an open area between a spruce and a cedar. Overall the campsite is a bit rough and brushy with a mix of cedar, spruce, and jack pine. But the fire grate is nicely situated near the lakeshore offering a panoramic view of Hazel, which scores high in terms of seclusion. This is the buggiest site I’ve camped at so far, but fortunately sleeping off the ground in my hammock helps avoid the worst of the ants and other insects. After another evening journaling by the fire, it’s time for bed. When gazing at the map, I am surprised to see that while there will be fewer portages tomorrow, it will have more portage rods and paddle distance than any other on my trip thus far. This necessitates another early departure to avoid wind and to arrive at the more trafficked areas near Sawbill early in the afternoon on the Friday of Memorial Weekend. Good night, sweet wilderness.

Paddle distance: 10.8 miles|Travel time: 9 hours, 55 minutes [paragraph break] Portages: 12+2 beaver swamps|Portage distance: 675 rods, 2.1 miles [paragraph break] Hazel campsite: 3.5 stars [paragraph break] ~Fisher Lake, Beaver Lake, Trapline Lake, River Lake, Malberg Lake, Koma Lake, Polly Ponds, Lake Polly, Phoebe River, Hazel Lake