We woke to a beautiful still morning on Saganaga and tore down camp as the sun rose. We ate breakfast on the water (breakfast bars) and had an easy paddle to the ranger station in Cache Bay. It was quite peaceful paddling so early in the morning with the sun rising behind us. Arriving at the ranger station, we tied our canoes to the dock and obtained our permit at the self-issue kiosk.

Continuing on we headed towards the river channel that leads to Silver Falls. The easy paddle continued and I even caught a nice lake trout trolling that blue and silver Wiggle Wart just north of the ranger's island. I was just about to comment to Jan and Kyle that I had never seen Cache Bay so calm when (you guessed it) the wind picked up and so did the waves. A strong wind out of the southeast quickly got Cache Bay rolling. Luckily, we were close to the channel and took solace that we reached it safely.

The river channel above Silver Falls is a neat area. A rock wall flanks you on the north side and you can almost hear the sounds of the famous battle that occurred there years ago. Soon enough the roar of Silver Falls took over and it was time for our first portage.

The portage starts with a rocky climb with the falls on your left. A few short trails at the start provide some great views of the falls. Silver Falls is always impressive and at high water it is just awe inspiring. The last remains of winter remind us just hold cold the water is that is thundering by. After carefully stepping down a steep rock ledge, the remainder of the portage is mostly downhill and rocky. Some recent dead falls make the portage a little more challenging than usual. The gentle glisten of the sun on the calm waters of Saganagons Lake greets us at the end of the portage.

We made our way across the current below Silvers Falls and headed north into Saganagons. Instead of taking the pullover short cut directly towards the portage to Slate Lake, we decided to paddle and fish our way around the peninsula and take the long way. We didn't catch any fish, but it was a great morning for a paddle. These smaller bays and lakes really do protect you from the big waves and wind that can be occurring at the same time on a larger lake. We stopped at the "Kitchen Site" on Saganagons for a break. It has a great fire pit with large counter top type stones and a great sitting bench. A nice tent area is in the back down a short trail to a grassy meadow. When I stayed at this site in 2003, Kerry Leeds, the previous owner of Tuscarora Outfitters remarked, "Oh, you stayed at tick meadow!" I don't remember having any issues with ticks back then, but it still remains a humorous comment to this day.

We pressed on towards Slate Lake and after a short up and over 5 rod portage we were there. Slate like southern Saganagons had rock cliffs on both sides making for stunning scenery. Aside from forgetting my fishing rods at the portage and having to back track a little, we pretty much paddled through Slate Lake towards the creek leading to Fran Lake.

We were able to paddle the creek almost the whole way to Fran Lake. Right at Fran were a few low beaver damns that we pulled over and lined our way past. We stopped for lunch at the campsite on the far end of Fran Lake. We discussed our game plan for the day and decided it would be best to take advantage of the nice weather and make a push for Other Man Lake. Being 5 portages and 4 small lakes away, we figured we could be there by dinner time.

The 74 rod portage out of Fran Lake to a small unnamed lake was a difficult uphill climb. After a quick paddle we were on the 18 rod portage into Bell Lake. This one was much easier and through a swampy pine and cedar forest. A soft pine and moss carpet is always nice change after a rocky portage. It should be noted though that this portage is on the south side of the creek rather than the north side as both Fisher and McKenzie Maps indicate.

Bell Lake was an enjoyable paddle down a long narrow lake. The sun was still shining brightly and it was starting to get breezy again. In fact, the wind seemed to be swirling and switching directions every few minutes. On the horizon to the north was the explanation. Dark clouds were off in the distance coming from the north. The 21 rod portage out of Bell to another unnamed lake was similar to the portage at the other end of Bell. It also followed a small creek. After a another short paddle we found ourselves on one of the toughest little 4 rod portages you may ever find. Straight up hill. Our effort was rewarded with a view of several small waterfalls alongside.

Next was another unnamed lake and the last one before Other Man Lake. Strangely, this lake is very shallow at first with a greenish tint and once you pass through the narrows the last little bit of the lake is very deep and a jet black color.

The 39 rod portage into Other Man Lake can be a bugger. It starts with a steep uphill climb that leads to a huge rock face that you must traverse the crest of. Going down the other side of this rock face leads to a deep thigh sucking bog. There are several logs that have been laid across it, but balancing on these can be tricky. Jan and Kyle were able to make it across unscathed, but I managed to sink up to my knees a couple times. Good times!

As we launched onto Other Man Lake the wind picked up (again) and it started to rain. We made our way to the 5 star island campsite and arrived around 6pm. We set up camp in the rain and had dinner under the rain tarp. It rained all night and got windier and colder as the night progressed. The weather front from the north had arrived. Too wet for a camp fire tonight. Going to bed wet and cold makes for a miserable night. Good thing for spare clothes.