Forecast: Sunny with 40% chance of Thunderstorms high of 77° Low of 56°

Lakes: Alice, Kawishiwi River, Trapline, Beaver, Smite, and Adams

Total Miles Traveled: 10.2

I wake up at 5:30 walk out to the edge of the lake, there is a gorgeous fog rolling off the lake it is still overcast. A Bald Eagle that was in the tree 10 yards to my left swoops down in front of me and glides across the lake. I am content to watch it as I know I have no chance of getting the camera out in time.

It starts to drizzle a bit and I am excited! I get to try out my new CCS tarp that I had gotten a week before the trip. So I set it up myself (the others are still asleep) with no problems. Luckily I had cut my cords according to Kanoes Method and I have to tell you that is genius! Worked Great! Thanks Kanoes!

I then took a straight 6.6 foot branch that Bill had found and used it for the center utilizing the tennis ball method that Bumabu showed me before the trip. Then of course it stops raining! Oh well. I pull out my journal and start writing; I look to my left and see a Bald Eagle feather on the ground. I leave it be as I know it was illegal to even poses a feather when they were protected.

I have my breakfast of fresh eggs and hash browns as the others wake up. Bill has a Cliff Bar and Paul some Mountain House scrambled eggs.

We load up and head up the Kawishiwi. The first 20r portage is decent. The next one is 70r and is a little more challenging; I grab the canoe on this one and am stopped halfway by a down tree. I slide the canoe to Bill on the other side and he takes it down the rest of the way. The paddle up the Kawishiwi is beautiful; the sun is out the rock formations are inspiring and the waters calm. We see 2 other canoes the whole time. This is the solitude we are longing for. We head into Trapline and we can tell by the portages this is an area less traveled. We hit Trapline and the water lily’s are in full bloom. I was able to take some really good pictures along the way. The lily pads themselves carpet the lake. We hit the portage from Trapline to Beaver and discuss our options. Our ultimate goal is Adams, but debate on the route. Paul seems to think that the 50r to Smite and the 40r to Adams will be easier than the 90r from Beaver to Adams due to the elevations shown on the Map. So I agree. Paul grabs the rear seat for some more rear seat time and learning to navigate. I take the middle so I can help him out. We head up into Beaver and Paul is learning the maps as we take a couple of minor detours before he figures it out. Overall he does very well with the navigating. I know when I first learned, my detours were a lot bigger!

We hit the 40r portage from Beaver into Smite and Paul takes the canoe. Takes 5 steps and his left foot sank about 6 inches into the mud. He has to pull hard on his foot and his sandal straps breaks so he is standing with one foot up a pack and a canoe. Quite funny to see actually. I throw on my pack quickly and transfer the canoe to my shoulders. Our decision to take this route couldn’t have been more wrong. The portage is very overgrown and hard to maneuver between the trees. I then come to a rock that is 4’ difference in elevation and have to crawl up it with the canoe and my pack. Good thing I had the legs zipped to my shorts! That had to be one of the most exhausting portages I have done to date. But the satisfaction in its accomplishment is unmatched also.

We are able to float the canoe through the last portage into Adams and head for the one Island campsite on Bumabu’s recommendation. He was right, great little spot. Well shaded, nice rocks on perimeter to dry clothes out on. We go for a swim and hang out for a while.

I put up my CSS tarp as we have decided to stay for 2 nights. Can’t find a long enough stick for the center pole. Of course Bill reminds me we should have hung on to the one from Alice, but oh well. I decide to use the method I saw in the forums by PJ by attaching a line to the center of the tarp up to a tree. Worked great! Thanks PJ!

Tonight is Paul’s night to prepare dinner and he pulls out the freeze dried Mountain House. Beef Stroganoff, one of their better offerings. He also had the blue berry cheesecake for desert. Was more of a yogurt, but sure tasted good!

We got a nice fire going and pulled out the deck of cards and played some Gin. I also pulled out the Jiffy Pop, managed to set the bottom on fire, but the top was still good enough to eat.

At about 8:30 we start to hear a group coming into Adams and they are singing Christmas Carols of all things. They head toward our island and see us, the group leader then informs the girls they need to quite down as they are not the only ones on the lake. They paddle to the eastern shore and set up camp. We here them a couple times but nothing to bother us. Just teenagers being teenagers.

The stars start to show at 9:30 and we turn in. Again the weather is nice, I spend the first half of the night sleeping on top of my sleeping bag.