Sunday, June 20, 2010. Disappointment to Snowbank to Ely to Home:

We're up at 7am and after a quick breakfast and a fast take down, we're headed to our pick up location on Snowbank. I troll through all the remaining lakes with no luck at all. My mind is on a hot shower and a soft bed. Pretty bummed I didn’t nab a laker on this trip, but I get over it soon. Planning for your next trip usually begins right after the first one ends, and this is no exception. Spirit of the Wilderness picks us up about noon and I give our remaining leeches to a group just entering. SOTW provides us the hot shower at least. This is when I learn that the Ely Surf Shop has closed...blows my mind. We stop into The Boathouse for some good food and delicious micro-brewed beer. We cheers to a successful trip, then its back home to the cities. This was definitely an adventure of epic proportions and we already have plans to come back mid Sept.

Things learned on this trip:

-I will never again paddle solo unless on a solo trip. Great for gear dispersement and fishing, but too slow to travel and not enough power to fight the wind.

-OTB's are fantastic water boots.
-Perishable foods are a big hassle, and I’m still up in the air if the deliciousness is worth it.
-Iodine takes too long. Gravity water filter for next time.
-Invest in decent rain gear, it's worth it.
-No matter how tough we think we are, double portaging the big ones saves a lot hassle and arguing.
-A sleeping mat will do wonders for my back.
-We need to fish even more.
-A fishing net is great to have for netting big fish, and a wonderful security blanket, but a pain in the a$$ to carry if you’re not catching big fish. Needless to say, the latter was our case.
-Permithrin and a Thermacell are phenomenal for bugs! Both work wonders.

Until September!!!!