We got up early today and tore down camp. Our goal was to reach the far end of Ottertrack Lake today. Given the wind conditions so far, we wanted to have an easy out with 2 days to go. It was a quick paddle to the portage into Plough Lake. The portage was flat, but very muddy with many logs to balance on. It was another Shire-like forest. Plough Lake is long and very narrow. We enjoyed paddling without the wind for a change. Plough looks like it contains bass.

The infamous Plough Portage was ahead. The portage was a little tricky to find. It was not at the end of the lake as drawn on the map and the landing was hidden by several tree limbs hanging over the shore. "Grueling" and "felt like pulling a plough" were some of the descriptions we had heard about this 160 rod portage.

The portage started with a slight uphill to the first boggy area. Detours and balancing rocks and logs got you past this part. After a long rocky section the portage merges with a creek. The portage and creek are one in the same the rest of the way to Ottertrack Lake. Hundreds of tree roots make little waterfalls along the way. Aside from the ankle deep mud and water, this part of the portage is not hard being a gradual downhill to the lake. The portage was not as bad as advertised in our opinion, but I can imagine it being a real treat in the heat of summer and with the bugs in full force.

We ate lunch at a campsite on the American side of Ottertrack Lake. There is a cluster of about 4 campsites on the western end of the lake. Ottertrack Lake is lined with cliffs on either side up ahead which explains the abundance of sites at this spot. During lunch the sun hid behind some clouds as a storm loomed on the horizon. We saw another group for the first in 6 days here.

The paddle across Ottertrack was uneventful except for the rain. At least the wind was not blowing. We saw the plaque for Benny Ambrose on the Canadian side and noted the location of his former homestead on the American side across the way. Kyle has read many books on the life residents of this area. It was interesting to hear his stories as we passed by Benny's place.

As we neared the end of Ottertrack Lake we starting scouting out the campsites for a place to stay for the night. An island site on the Canadian side was supposed to be nice, but unfortunately it looked abused and lacked good tent pads. Further down the we stopped at a site on the American side. At first it looked like a winner as it was very spacious with several good tent pads tucked in the woods. We were pretty angry over what we saw next. Someone had recently cut down live trees and hung the limbs between some other trees making a frame for their tarp. These geniuses also cut up the sitting logs next to the fire pit leaving a large stock pile of wood. The final straw was the mound of spaghetti sitting on the bottom of the lake near the landing. What pigs! Disgusted, we pressed on. We ended up finding a cozy little site on a point on the Canadian side very close to Monument Portage. It had two fire pits on either side of the point, plenty of space for fishing from shore, and plenty of tent pads. We settled here for the night.

Along our travels today we checked out a couple of secret lakes that Debbie had marked for us on our maps. I am always ready for a good adventure. They were difficult to get to and will remain secret. We enjoyed the feeling of seeing places that few have seen.

On the way to one of these lakes was long narrow gorge with a cool waterfall. It was at least 100 feet high and fell down the gorge at a steep angle. Another hidden treasure in the Quetico!

We had another nice night at camp. A good fire and good company in God's country make these moments special. Nights like this are one of the many reasons we go through all the effort getting here.

Jan and I fished some more from shore when it finally happened. As soon as the I felt the tug and set the hook one thought crossed my mind, "Walleye?". It felt like a walleye and sure enough it was. I had never accomplished the "Grand Slam" before on a trip. I have been close before. The most amazing part was that one single lure had caught them all. The blue and silver Wiggle Wart had done it. Chipped paint, scratches and all. Even one of the hooks on one of the trebles had been cut off from a bad snag last year.

I guess I should have retired the lure right then and there. After all, I had almost lost it the night before. But greed and visions of more big eyes took over and I cast it a few more times. As destiny would have it the lure was snagged and this time for good. A brief moment of silence ensued and perhaps even a tear was shed before I cut it loose. Sigh.