Friday, August 13, 2010 Waking up at 0700 to get an early start on breaking camp in order to be on the water be 0900 so we could be at our pickup point at 1400. Lucky us - No rain, but there was an overcast which was good in that we did not have the hot sun beating down on us during the portages. Also, there was no wind and the paddle out was on calm waters. We were out on the water only 20 minutes late (at 0920).
The first portage was the 141 rod one and being fresh and all it was not as bad going out as it was coming in. Also we had less food to pack out. We met an elderly couple on the 141 Rod portage ... they had to have been in their late 80's or maybe enen in their early 90's. I never seen anything like it before. But then I realized they were not alone. They had their three grandsons (or three young men in their early 20's and two others that may have been their son and daughter in law with them). I hope I would be able to do the BWCA in 15 years when my 2 1/2 year old grandson becomes 17. I'll be about 74 then. I'm certain though he will be making the trips to the BWCA when he's 10 because my son (and I) will keep coming up as long as we can.
We made it out to the exit point 30 minutes early and the outfitter was right on time at 1400. They brought beer and sodas which was a nice touch to a 4 hour paddle out. Once back at Ely, we all had a long hot shower and put on fresh clothes, then headed off down the road to Minn/St Paul to spend the night at Ft Snelling. Then next morning after breakfast and a short visit to the Mall of America, we headed home to Omaha, NE.