New Trip Report posted by TrailZen

Trip Name: The Best Trip Yet (Well, Mostly).

Entry Point: G

Click Here to View Trip Report

Delightful read! Thank you for including so many details about your trip, cool photos of the flora and fauna, map of your route, and your general observations. The photo of the turtle in the basket made me smile! Congratulations on celebrating another anniversary together...and in canoe country, no less! Glad things turned out with your car.

Again, thank you for sharing. Inspiring report!

Thanks for the kind words, YetiJedi--I enjoy writing trip reports, and appreciate readers' remarks. Including a route segment map for each day's travel lets the readers avoid digging out their Quetico maps and perhaps better enjoy the story. Now it's time to start thinking about the next paddling adventure-Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in January, perhaps.

TZ

Very nice trip report, thanks for sharing. It’s heartwarming to hear about a couple sharing so many paddling trips together.
You mentioned the presence of duff at one of your campsites. Other than a brief stop on an island on Birch Lake I’ve not been to the Quetico. Is it commonplace to have campsites with an ample duff layer in the Quetico. I ask because that island campsite on the Canadian side of Birch did have lots of duff due to lack of traffic. This site just had a different feel to it, one that is lacking in most of the BWCA sites due to overuse.
Lastly, the sunrise photo on Man Lake is really sharp!

You two are tough. That's a lot of miles, by paddle and portage. I like the economy of your trip report: just the right measure of details! Lovely photos too. Thank you.

907Tundra: "You mentioned the presence of duff at one of your campsites...Is it commonplace to have campsites with an ample duff layer in the Quetico...
Lastly, the sunrise photo on Man Lake is really sharp!"

We found the Kenny Lake site a bit 'tired' looking/feeling because the duff layer had almost disappeared. Most of the Quetico sites we've used through the years have had a decent duff layer in tent pad areas, and some, like the Day 4 visit to a favorite site in Trant Lake, have grassy tent pads. Yes, it's mostly dependent on site visitor count.

And I cheat a bit on sunrise and sunset photos by underexposing the shots an f-stop or two.

Thanks for taking the time to read and comment!

TZ

missmolly: "You two are tough. That's a lot of miles, by paddle and portage. I like the economy of your trip report: just the right measure of details! Lovely photos too. Thank you. "

Thanks, missmolly! Not as tough as we once were, and we ended up dropping ~15 miles from our planned route because of the hot afternoons. We still feel that we need 10 days on the water to justify the 2500-plus mile round trip commute, but next year we may have a 12 mile daily maximum mileage or something like that.

Thanks, too, for the comments on photos and content.

TZ

TZ

I really enjoyed the read. Tia and you are inspiration. My wife Molly and I just finished our 10th anniversary trip and hope to have a 51st in canoe country!!

dustycan: "TZ


I really enjoyed the read. Tia and you are inspiration. My wife Molly and I just finished our 10th anniversary trip and hope to have a 51st in canoe country!!"

Thanks, dustycan. Happy to hear that you enjoyed the report, and wishing the two of you many years of anniversary trips!

TZ

Nice read.....perfect content. Gleaned some ideas for future routes. Thanks

Oh, TZ, I always look forward to another one of your trip reports, and this one was the "best yet!" Happy Anniversary!

I always feel like I have gone along on the trip when I read one of your reports. This one was less so, as there is very little of this area that we have actually explored, and we were not as adventuresome or as tough as you and your wife--or at least it is hard for me to remember when we were. A little bit of envy kicks in, too. I always thought we would still be tripping in our mid to late 70's, and while I don't think the timing of us hanging it up at age 68 was wrong, I still do find myself wondering what it would be like to be tripping actively still at 78. Ah, well. Never had any desire to celebrate our December 17th anniversary in the canoe country, though! :-)

Great report, fabulous photos, and I really did enjoy all of it. Especially the flowers and the sunrises/sunsets--but there wasn't anything in this trip report that I would change. Thanks for sharing!

Very nice trip report, TZ. I really enjoyed it.
I appreciate the detailed descriptions of parts of your route.
You took some amazing pictures!!
I like the moonrise, sunset on Agnes and sunrise on Kenny, but the Sunrise on That Man Lake is unreal! Those are the moments I trip for. Amazing picture!

cowdoc: "Nice read.....perfect content. Gleaned some ideas for future routes. Thanks "

Hey, cowdoc--hope retirement is treating you well. If I've reported on any lake or portage that's part of a future route, please drop me a note with questions. Thanks for the kind remarks about this trip report.

TZ

Spartan2: "Oh, TZ, I always look forward to another one of your trip reports, and this one was the "best yet!" Happy Anniversary!


I always feel like I have gone along on the trip when I read one of your reports. This one was less so, as there is very little of this area that we have actually explored, and we were not as adventuresome or as tough as you and your wife--or at least it is hard for me to remember when we were. A little bit of envy kicks in, too. I always thought we would still be tripping in our mid to late 70's, and while I don't think the timing of us hanging it up at age 68 was wrong, I still do find myself wondering what it would be like to be tripping actively still at 78. Ah, well. Never had any desire to celebrate our December 17th anniversary in the canoe country, though! :-)

Great report, fabulous photos, and I really did enjoy all of it. Especially the flowers and the sunrises/sunsets--but there wasn't anything in this trip report that I would change. Thanks for sharing! "

Thanks for the great review, Spartan2. I'm really surprised that you and Spartan1 hadn't visited more of our 2023 route, but glad you could 'come along with us' through the report. As to 'hanging it up at age 68', each of us could face a change in health of some other factor that makes that decision for us, and if that's what your body told you, it was the right decision. We hope to continue through mid-70s, but we never know. I'll always include sunrise/sunset/flower photos in my reports, because they're such an important part of our Quetico experience-happy to share it with you. No, if our anniversary was in December, I don't think we'd share it in Canoe Country!

TZ

OldTripper: "Very nice trip report, TZ. I really enjoyed it.
I appreciate the detailed descriptions of parts of your route.
You took some amazing pictures!!
I like the moonrise, sunset on Agnes and sunrise on Kenny, but the Sunrise on That Man Lake is unreal! Those are the moments I trip for. Amazing picture!"

Thanks for the kind words, OldTripper. Happy to pass along route descriptions, and if you ever have questions about parts of our 2023 route, give me a shout. We often sit and wait through sunsets & sunrises-we never know when a few seconds like on That Man might be displayed. As I've mentioned, I often get a bit more color saturation by shooting at a lower f-stop than the 'automatic' settings choose.

TZ

"Your writing style seems familiar. Would it mean anything to you if I said Joyce Lake, size 14 hiking boots, and a large 1950's style fuel cannister?" :-)

Nearly 5 years ago I introduced myself to you online with the above question. It was a pleasure meeting you and Tia at Deadman's Portage a few weeks ago. It boggles my mind at how the coincidence of being at the same portage at the same time, and how our initial conversation led me to realize that you were "Trailzen and Tia". I'm still smiling about the encounter!

And I very much enjoyed reading your trip report. The photos are fantastic! A friend and I camped on Emerald Lake once many years ago and we had a great time swimming in the emerald colored water.

I definitely need to visit Joyce Lake again just to see if that plastic bottle with your note, and mine added to the backside of that piece of paper, is still wedged in the rocks of the fire pit!

johno: "It was a pleasure meeting you and Tia at Deadman's Portage a few weeks ago. It boggles my mind at how the coincidence of being at the same portage at the same time, and how our initial conversation led me to realize that you were "Trailzen and Tia". I'm still smiling about the encounter!"

...and we're still smiling about the encounter as well, johno! What are the odds? Thanks for the compliments on the trip report and the photos. I've also wondered if the jar and the fifties-style kerosene can are still on the Joyce Lake island campsite, but EVERY time I've been on Joyce Lake we've had weather issues--we were windbound there our first visit and had torrential rains our second, so I decided Joyce doesn't love me any more. We hope all your Quetico trips (three! that's amazing) this summer were great.

TZ

TZ, you are so kind to everyone.

missmolly: "TZ, you are so kind to everyone. "

Thanks! I try to be, and find that usually people are kind to me in return.

TZ

TrailZen: "

johno: "It was a pleasure meeting you and Tia at Deadman's Portage a few weeks ago. It boggles my mind at how the coincidence of being at the same portage at the same time, and how our initial conversation led me to realize that you were "Trailzen and Tia". I'm still smiling about the encounter!"

...I've also wondered if the jar and the fifties-style kerosene can are still on the Joyce Lake island campsite, but EVERY time I've been on Joyce Lake we've had weather issues--we were windbound there our first visit and had torrential rains our second, so I decided Joyce doesn't love me any more.
TZ"

That's too bad as I had great weather the one night I stayed there. Calm winds, a beautiful sunset, wonderful solitude, and a mesmerizing message in a bottle :-)

I understand the fire reached Joyce Lake, but hopefully not too much was burned.

Great report. I was going to take my wife a few months after we got married, but we got smoked out. Now we have a son and another son on the way, so I think it will be a while before I can take her...but this is so inspirational to see. Now I just need to stay in shape so we can travel as long as the two of you have.

Joe

johno: "

TrailZen: "

johno: "It was a pleasure meeting you and Tia at Deadman's Portage a few weeks ago. It boggles my mind at how the coincidence of being at the same portage at the same time, and how our initial conversation led me to realize that you were "Trailzen and Tia". I'm still smiling about the encounter!"

...I've also wondered if the jar and the fifties-style kerosene can are still on the Joyce Lake island campsite, but EVERY time I've been on Joyce Lake we've had weather issues--we were windbound there our first visit and had torrential rains our second, so I decided Joyce doesn't love me any more.
TZ"

That's too bad as I had great weather the one night I stayed there. Calm winds, a beautiful sunset, wonderful solitude, and a mesmerizing message in a bottle :-)


I understand the fire reached Joyce Lake, but hopefully not too much was burned."

The best map of the 2021 fires I can find suggests that like Sarah, the southeast side of Joyce is probably green, while the northwest side shows some pretty serious fire damage. Perhaps someone's trip report will include 2023 detail on Joyce.

TZ

SaganagaJoe: "Great report. I was going to take my wife a few months after we got married, but we got smoked out. Now we have a son and another son on the way, so I think it will be a while before I can take her...but this is so inspirational to see. Now I just need to stay in shape so we can travel as long as the two of you have.


Joe"

Thanks, Joe. Our son was 4 and our daughter was 1 when Tia and I took our first Quetico trip in '79. No, we didn't take them along, but their grandparents had a couple weeks to spoil them them while we played in Canoe Country. Maybe you can be so lucky in a couple years. Both our kids have been on Quetico trips, and our son worked a season at the Charles L Sommers Canoe Base on Moose Lake in the early '90s.

TZ

Great read, TZ, thanks so much for posting. Your loop covered the same general area we did recently but you chose different routing, making us realize how possible it is to do a NEW trip covering similar ground.

I love the maps with routes delineated. As always with your reports, the clear and engaging pictures add so much. And the trip detail will be helpful as we plan to do some of this next year.

Toe flossing duly noted. ;>]

Glad you overcame the potential show-stopper with the car -- how fortunate to find a rental with a rack!

The pot cozy is a great idea -- did you use reflectix or another material?

Thanks again for taking the time to write this, -- Larry

LarryNC: "Great read, TZ, thanks so much for posting. Your loop covered the same general area we did recently but you chose different routing, making us realize how possible it is to do a NEW trip covering similar ground.

I love the maps with routes delineated. As always with your reports, the clear and engaging pictures add so much. And the trip detail will be helpful as we plan to do some of this next year.

Toe flossing duly noted. ;>]

Glad you overcame the potential show-stopper with the car -- how fortunate to find a rental with a rack!

The pot cozy is a great idea -- did you use reflectix or another material?

Thanks again for taking the time to write this, -- Larry


"

Thanks for taking the time to read & review the report, Larry, and glad you enjoyed the maps and photos. Yes, one could do several loops in the same general area, but see different side lakes and portages each trip. And with the western side of Quetico still showing some of the fire damage from 2021, we may again route through the southeast side of the park next year.

Yes, we lucked out with the rental car-the agent I spoke with assured me their full-sized SUVs had roof racks, but they only had rails with no crossbars. The guy checking me out said to look around, and I spotted the Nissan Kicks. The crossbars were a bit short, but adding a 4' 1"x4" board over each crossbar made the canoe super stable.

I made the cozy out of some Mylar-backed bubble wrap, but it's not as effective as Reflectix, and my winter plans include making a new cozy. Maybe I can set a new fuel canister record!

And congratulations on being the first to comment on the toe floss recommendation!

TZ

Thank You for sharing this wonderful adventure. I really enjoyed your details about the trip.

Frenchy: "Thank You for sharing this wonderful adventure. I really enjoyed your details about the trip."

Thanks, Frenchy! Glad you enjoyed the adventure with us.

TZ