Monday we broke camp and paddled back up the Moose River. With the high water and current I honestly was expecting worse. Portages were a little more wet on the way out after the Saturday rain/snow. We came across a lost PFD (name Hughes inside) and a blue handheld CB radio on one of the portages (I believe it was the second 20-ish rodder as we were headed upstream-would have been their first short one) and placed both on a stump at the northern end of the portage. We made it from Nina Moose to the car in 2 hours with a pretty leisurely pace-double portaging. Just as we got to our cars it started raining and by the time we arrived in Ely there were snowflakes in the air. We stopped at the Ely Steakhouse for a cold beer and warm meat before the return trip to the Twin Cities.

All in all it was a great trip and I’m glad Clayton and I got to take a trip before he returns to the wild west. As I mentioned earlier I wish I could have put him on some more fish, and I wish our plans hadn’t been altered by the group on Ramshead but we had an enjoyable and memorable trip nonetheless.

New gear reviews:

Frost River Packs; Old No. 7 used as a food pack-all of the Frost River packs are extremely well built. The waxed canvas fabric resists water and dirt. Leather padded shoulder straps, and brass buckles and hand-pounded rivets give the packs nostalgic appeal. Fully loaded with food/cook gear the Old No. 7 gets a little heavy. We did use the waist belt but admittedly were not comfortable using the tumpline. I got two of these packs used but in great condition in the offseason. I expect that they will outlast me.

Woodsman-I LOVE the Woodsman-lots of space, comfy padded leather straps. Comes with tumpline and waist belt neither of which we used. Great pack for a junior camper (with all the same features of the Old No 7-just downsized) 10 years +, or as a day pack. I plan to use mine as a day pack for most future trips. Plenty of room for tarp, rain gear for two, water bottles, water filter, lunch

Chota Quetico Trekkers and Brookie liners-As mentioned above these worked great! No more pussy-footing around the portages. On a warm day/season I can see where the Brookies would get warm and I found my calves sweating a bit. Once wet inside the Brookies do take awhile to dry. I found the standard footbeds in the Trekkers to not offer much. My feet slid around and the cushion could have been better. I replaced the liners with Superfeet and am very happy with the change. Unfortunately the Brookies will no longer be available. The Trekkers will remain available from Piragis as I understand it but not elsewhere.

Orikaso Fold up Big Bowl-I love these things. Great for mixing or eating from. Double as a plate when unfolded. Lick ‘em clean. They take up absolutely no space in the food pack and weigh next to nothing. I plan to bring at least 1 for every paddler in the future (when I am outfitting/leading).