Day 3: Breakfast is dehydrated hashbrowns, bacon, and eggs, and a couple mugs of strong coffee from my trusty lexan french press. We discuss pressing on to Winchell, and Jesse flat out refuses to haul any gear one step further, opting to lounge around the island while his dad and I day trip into Winchell. Well, we can do that I guess. We pack up the camera and some lunch and our rain gear, and head for parts unknown. The portages through the Cones are short and easy, and we’re soon on the 147 rod into Cliff. It’s fairly level, a little brushy, but not too brutal. We begin to pass other groups, one of a mom with 2 daughters, the younger of whom is finding all the portaging pretty rough. Cliff is gorgeous! It lives up to it’s name, with several nice cliffs tucked into the hillside, and one big cliff that a bunch of teens are climbing as we paddle by.

2 more short portages and we’re on Winchell- what a nice lake. We paddle across to the campsite directly across from the portage, which is one of the nicest sites I’ve seen. Big granite along the shore for lounging after swimming, very shady and level tent pads, nice kitchen area- this is a site that a large group could use easily. We eat our lunch of triscuits, jerky, chocolate and trail mix up on the rocks, and watch the other canoeists fanning out across the lake, looking for campsites. The first group to get near us is the previously mentioned mom, and we wave her over. We’re just having lunch, and I have a soft spot for parents and young kids. We tell them we’ll be leaving after lunch, and the site is theirs if they want it, which they do.

It’s getting on, and we’ve got a long paddle back to camp, so we get going and arrive back on S Cone with enough time to make dinner. Jesse has been busy gathering wood, a good day has been had by all. Dinner is Alessi chicken soup and brownies, and more coffee, always more coffee.