Solo Trip Report -- Insula, Hope Lake, North Wilder
by Eglath
Stopped at The Great Outdoors to say hello to the owner (a frequent poster on bwca.com) and chatted for a few minutes. I arrived at the Lake One landing around 8:30am and paddled away by 9am.
No stops along the way (though I ate a Clif bar while walking back for the canoe on the Hudson-Insula portage). Arrived an an island camp in the southern portion of Lake Insula by 3pm. No occupied campsites between entering Insula and arriving at this island.
As usual with the first trip of the year, I have trouble slipping into wilderness-mode right away. That, and I'm quite tired from using muscles I haven't used in over eight months (though I did just paddle and portage over 13 miles solo). I take a 1/2 hour nap to refresh myself. When I get up, it looks like it might rain. I begin fixing dinner -- dark clouds blow through but no rain. I notice two loons floating by as dinner cooks.
I take a few more pictures as long as the camera is out.
I head to the tent at sunset (though the sun sets behind clouds as well as behind the island I'm camped on). I'm awaked by voices a bit later (maybe around 11pm?) and I notice a light shining into camp. When the light hits my tent, I hear a loud expletive from a voice out on the water. By the time I wake up enough to realize it's people looking for a campsite (well after dark), put on clothes and walk down to the water, I notice they've started a fire (and set up camp, one would guess) on the next island east of me -- though no official campsite is on that island. I head back to the tent and go back to sleep. I wake again during the night to quite the thunder storm and downpour, though I stay dry (kind of a trial-by-storm for my new tent).