Day 8, June 7, 2008
Travel this day was 8.5 miles over Lynx, Little Shell, Shell, Lower Pauness, Upper Pauness, Little Indian Sioux River, and ending at Entry 14 (where it all began) with 6 portages (346 r). On the water 6 AM and our trip was completed at 12 noon. Tonight camp will be made at VNO outfitters in Ely, and supper will be at the Steak House.
It was a restless night for all of us. The wind tore at the tents, but they held fast. Mercifully day break came and I was out of the tent at 4:30 to pay Mother Nature a visit. I woke the crew at 4:45, although they were not really sleeping. I think they were waiting to hear a word from the Old Man, and when they heard, it was all about getting up and out. The wind was still from the SW but not nearly as strong as the previous day. I did not see whitecaps. This was good.
We opted for a quick breakfast of fried SPAM topped with cheese and, of course, our morning coffee. Camp was knocked down, bags were packed, and then we searched for a spot to launch the canoes without beating them to death against the rocks. We loaded the Dagger (royalex hull) first (the green canoe team) and helped Matt and Danielle shove off. Nate and I looked at each other. Well, they didn’t swamp! They were bobbing about and the canoe seemed to be taking the swells nicely. Our turn.
The lines of the Dagger resemble an egg. The lines of the Bell are sharp. The Dagger rolls and bobs with the waves, and the Bell wants to cut them. We loaded with the bow into the swell. I held the canoe off the rocks while Nate hauled the packs and loaded them. After we were in we gently pushed off and let the canoe get its sea legs. Not bad. Lets try and close the distance between canoes. And with that, we set a course keeping the swells a bit off the port bow and generally headed to the west side of Lynx Lake. Once there, we found protection in the lee. Out of the wind, the day just turned into a normal day with no heroics necessary. We hugged the south shores of Little Shell and Shell and had no problems.
The 216 r portage into Lower Pauness was a nice diversion. There is a gigantic beaver dam in the marsh area that held us fascinated with the engineering capabilities of the beaver. I guess because of the beaver dam, there is also a “floating board walk” across some of the bog. I am sure it was not designed that way, but that is the way it is. It is a good thing that the walk was made from heavy square timbers to provide extra floatation.
By the time we made lower Pauness the wind had also shifted to a westerly direction. We had decided on the way in to do the 8 r into upper Pauness rather than the 40 r. The 40 r was a muddy mess on the way in and after this rain it would have been worse. The 8 r gets you there easily and it is much more scenic along the rapids. Be alert if you are entering the 8 from upstream. Hug the bushes on river right or you might find yourself running the rapids.
We now had the best for last with the wind at our backs on the entire length of Little Indian Sioux. It was a beautiful leisure drift upstream, but it was disheartening to pick up the sounds of road equipment. We are heading back to reality, huh? We milked the route and paddled now and then to correct course. The rest of the time used the paddles as sail.
On the LIS we encountered several parties coming in. These folks were working hard for their miles, and I think they were a little envious of our relaxed paddling style. The valley acts as a wind tunnel, and the gusts that swirl around the bends do cause problems keeping the canoe on course. We expected to see a moose, but saw none. We saw a deer and several turtles.
We carried our final load to the entry parking lot at 12 noon. I was a bit amazed that there was a rather large party (2 families with younger children) mulling about the parking lot eating lunch and yet to get their gear down the hill to the river. I thought to myself, you folks are in for a surprise and a long day against the wind.
For us, there were a few traditions remaining. We packed the bags and tied down the canoes, and then drove to a quiet spot away from the entry. There we toasted our good fortune and each other. This was it, now we return to the luxuries of the outside world. But, I am ready for a shower, a steak at the Steak House, a bed, and a roof over my head. I know as we eat tonight, one of us will say, “Where do we go on the next one”.
Pictures: 1) The floating board walk on the 216 r to Lower Pauness Lake; 2) Home stretch on the Little Indian Sioux; 3) Us at Entry 14