Heading back was a little bit of a let-down, but at the same time the thought of a warm shower and bed was beginning to sound really nice with only one more night in a tent. The trip back to Topper was a short but tough one. When we came back to the hill heading up from Mucker, it did seem like it would never end. This was the only time I was really reminding of hiking Montana and Idaho. The ridges of the Border Route generally have gradual elevation changes, but here was the exception.

We took breaks at the bottom and top but were still quite happy to return to Topper by noon and rest all afternoon. After a particularly early dinner, I spent the early evening exploring the shoreline of Topper and then taking the portage down to South Lake. After doing this, I realized why we hadn't seen any canoes on Topper--that is quite an uphill trek to be doing with a canoe and gear!

Distance hiked: ~6.5 miles (5.6 miles with packs)