Sunday, May 30, 2010 We slept in a bit today. Can't believe how early it gets light out already! We got up to a pleasant morning sky, had a breakfast of pancakes & oatmeal. Washed down with some hot chocolate & coffee. As we were still shaking the cobwebs out, just down the lake at the high cliffs, a couple of ravens persistantly announced their presence. Their shrill calling back & forth would become the bane of our existence on Cherry. We finally learned to co-exist.
Either Vickie has a short memory, or my powers of persuasion were at an all time high? I convinced her to go back across the Cherry-Hanson portage on a day trip to the South Arm. I reasoned that we should do it right away in the morning instead of later in the evening when we were apt to be more tired. We threw the necessities into her Duluth pack and headed out for the day.
The portage was sooooooo much nicer carrying just the canoe. There was a slight breeze about as we headed SW down Hanson. As we neared the portage to the South Arm we noticed a family of otters were playing in the water. As we approached they went ashore. Boy did they make a ruckus!
The portage starts out with something of a switchback around a number of fallen trees. The trail then straightens out, a very nice path. Then we came to the waterfall area. There wasn't much flowing through the creek, but what an idyllic area. It seemed like we were in an enchanted forest? I half expected to see a Leprechaun or a Unicorn come strolling out from behind one of the many giant cedars at the base of the "falls". Though it had been warm out on the lake, it was cool down here. Both literally & figuratively. We hung out for awhile taking pictures......just absorbing the other-worldly atmosphere. We eventually pressed on and finished our portage to the South Arm.
There is a very nice landing at the South Arm end plus a campsite only a stones throw away as well. There were several minnows swimming very near shore that we watched for a time. We paddled past the portage to Toe and followed the shoreline south towards Eddy Falls. I noticed a canoe just pulling into the Eddy Falls landing so I suggested we go check out the campsite just east of there if it was unoccupied. What a gorgeous site! We explored the site and just relaxed there for about 15 minutes. A great view to the west of the beautiful South Arm presented itself. We could even see fish in the water near shore. Figuring we had spent enough time here so as the people at the falls had moved on? We paddled over & indeed they had left. Yesterday being hot and sticky, we were both already clamoring for a "shower". The water was still a mite cool but it served it purpose. Refreshing both our bodies and souls. I have been here a few times before, but it is still such a beautiful spot.
Feeling both reinvigorated and refreshed, we continued our westward exploration of the South Arm. The wind picked up a bit so we pulled into the beach site on the southern peninsula to stretch & hopefully let the wind die a bit. The wind persisted so we pressed on through the narrows finally making it to the last site on the north side before Thunder Point. The site was definitely nothing to write home about. But since the others nearby were occupied, we pulled off here for lunch. As I was grabbing some water to do dishes, I noticed some ominous looking clouds beginning to roll in. The wind was still blowing pretty good when we pushed off and before too long a light drizzle began to fall. Vickie grabbed our rain gear out of her Duluth pack as the wind & rain began to intensify. Originally I had planned on stopping at Thunder Point and climbing up to see the view. Now I just wanted to get around the point so the wind and rain would be at our backs. We pressed on in some trying conditions until I finally decided we better pull off. It wasn't the best spot, but at least there was somewhat of a clearing to pull the Black Pearl up out of the water. We hunkered down under some small bushes and waited.
As we munched on some trail mix the wind began to calm a bit. Once again I was just hoping to get around the point and either get out of the wind, or have it at our back. The waves weren't quite so bad so we pushed off to try again. It went pretty well at first. Before too long though the wind really picked up. We had to go sideways with the waves or paddle out into the waves, thus getting further from shore. Being sideways was sure suicide and I didn't want to get any further from shore than we already were. I pointed us back towards shore. Vickie noticed what looked like a campsite on shore. It turned out to be the trail up to Thunder Point! Complete with plenty of room to stash the Pearl and some open area under some larger trees for us. It didn't look like the weather was gonna let up anytime soon? I asked Vickie, as long as were here we might as well climb up and see the view? We probably did more complaining about this trail than the Cherry-Hanson portage. It was a tough climb. Likely made tougher by being wet, and foremost on my mind was the fact that we were about as far from our camp as we could've been on our loop. That said the summit was eventually reached. Tired and wet, we looked like a couple of drowned rats in the picture we took. As a consolation, the rain had definitely tapered off. We headed back down hopeful that the worst weather was over.
We rested for awhile once we got back to the bottom. The rain was now just a light drizzle, though not quite as bad, it was still windy. It looked as if the clouds were beginning to break?
We pushed off once again. Like I figured once we got around the point, the wind died. There was a group at the campsite bobber fishing as we passed by. One of those occasions where it's kinda nice to see other people. Knowing they had to endure the same weather we just did. We paddled pretty steady for quite some time. Finally we pulled off at the site just before the narrows on Knife lake. This was also a very nice site. Plenty of large pines for privacy & shade,even had a flat rock table constructed. Onward we paddled. Throught the narrows past the last site (which was occupied) before our portage to Amoeber.
There is a nice landing on the Knife side of this portage. The trail is fairly rocky and has a fair climb but isn't too bad. The island site on Amoeber was occupied, but looked to be a nice site as we paddled by. We exchanged hellos with the group camping there. Just past this site something caught my eye from the large point sticking out into the lake from the NE. It was on the ground, but it looked like a bald eagle? As we got closer, I asked Vickie if she could see it? She confirmed that it was a bald eagle. We were really starting to get close now, when Another eagle I hadn't even noticed took off from atop a nearby spruce tree. Vickie said, "Awwww there it goes." She still had not noticed the one on the ground until I told her. This eagle did no take off. We were as close as we could be to it in the canoe & still it showed no fear. It's been my experience that usually eagles will always take off when you get THIS close. We sat and watched it up close for quite awhile, it never took off. It looked like above its eye it was injured? Finally we paddled around the point. There was a wide trail up to where the eagle was. I got out of the canoe & slowly walked up to see if the eagle was injured or what? Just then it took off like nothing was wrong. I walked over to where the eagle was expecting to find a fish or animal carcass or maybe a young one that had fallen pout of the nest. There was nothing there that I could see to hold that eagles attention for that long. Who knows???
Pushing on towards the Topaz portage, Vickie shrieked! "There's a huge snake swimming alongside the canoe!" I turned just in time to see a beaver dive and slap the water with his tail. Needless to say I laughed a little. The next portage was similar to the previous, maybe not quite as steep? By now the rain had completely stopped and there were patches of blue sky. Topaz was another pretty lake. Although the campsite located there is not one to shoot for. Next was a short little 5 rodder back into Cherry. Nice to be back home. We had a nice supper and it was a very pleasant evening as I got reacquainted with my old pal Mr. Beam and Vickie with her Limon Bacardi. Of course the ravens were happy to see us as well.
Cherry Lake, Hanson Lake, South Arm Knife Lake, Knife Lake, Amoeber Lake, Topaz Lake