At 6:30 I awake to this odd bright light. The sun! It’s a gorgeous morning. The woods are alive with sounds again. I plan to be packed and on the water by 10:00...shooting for the one site on Zenith Lake.

For the first time on this trip I wonder what has happened in the world over the last few days. I don’t dwell on it for long though.

Once again I’m stiff and sore. I take my time breaking camp this morning. On the water at 9:30. A strong west wind is blowing now. The 195 rod to Mesaba Lake is practically flat. At this point, I really needed a level portage for once. The 80 rod to Hug Lake and the 90 rod to Zenith Lake are both uphill hauls. I hit Zenith at 1:00 and per usual for this trip, I decide to push on and tackle the monster.

480 rods! Its turns out to be a very tough up and down struggle. Just when it looks like I'm in for some level ground...boom! Another uphill. This theme repeats its self over and over and over on this portage. I’m able to take the gear pack across the mile and a half non-stop . The canoe/food pack carry is another matter. On three different occasions I have to drop the canoe and pack to take a break. The pack straps and portage pads are really killing my shoulders. A portage this long is as much of a mental challenge as it is a physical one. At some point while carrying the canoe and food I decide to stop looking so far ahead. I pretty much carry head down now...only viewing about forty feet of the trail at a time. It helps to not know what's in store for me. The torture ends after two hours and twenty six minutes. Glad it’s over. After that one, the rest of the way out will be a piece of cake, right? Not exactly....

I cross Lujenida Lake and enter the Kelso River. Kelso becomes a huge, wide expanse of still dormant, yet beautiful wetland. I paddle into Kelso Lake. The wind is strong now, straight out of the south. Reaching the 10 rod portage to Alton I begin to worry a little. I leave the gear and go across to take a look. Yep! Just what I figured...Alton is rolling. OH CRAP! It didn’t look too bad down the western shore so I get every thing over and hit the water. I paddle down to that little peninsula almost directly across from the Sawbill portage. I sit in the calm of that peninsula and pondered the situation for quite awhile. There were white caps...but it wasn’t solid white caps. I consider the water temps. I consider the width I would have to cross. I decide I can do this...if I take my time and not get sideways. I begin the crossing. I end up ferrying the entire width. Water breaks over the bow twice. scary at times, but not as bad as I thought it would be.

Portage into Sawbill. Short paddle to the take out. The trip ends.

10 miles. 7 portages. 8.25 miles on foot...5.5 miles with gear, 2.75 empty.

ONE AWESOME ADVENTURE!

It taught me a lot about myself. One thing it taught me is that I’m out of shape. It also taught me that the right attitude can over come a great portion of that. :)

I lost 10 pounds...that tells me I need to eat more when I'm up there.

random thoughts...

Wool gloves and a stocking caps are golden.

A 16 ounce Nalgene tent pee bottle is not adequate. :)

A 2.75 pound camp chair is well worth the extra weight. (I knew that already though)

Mountainhouse beef stew SUCKS. (didn't know that)

Mountainhouse chili mac ROCKS...as does the lasagna. (knew that)

It IS possible to be too tired to want a cocktail.

It is ALSO possible to be too tired to want to fish.

This was definitely not my last solo. Not in the least. I will soon begin planning one for this fall...one with a little more paddling. Hahaha

Jan