I awoke at 4:30 am took a shower and went and got some petro for the Chevy, came back and had a great breakfast at the Howey, and off I went down the road to WCPP. Only one problem…I could not find the turn off on Suffel Lake Road like the map showed. I went to far and then decided to turn around and go back to town, (about 9 miles) I pulled into the gas station and talked to a police officer and he said the Flat Lake Road (which there was a sign for) was also the Suffle Lake Road were one and the same. Back down the road I went (ticked, as I had killed time and wanted on the water). Well I headed out about 8 miles on the blacktop, turned right on the Flat Lake Road, and headed down the gravel road. Nice Road (to start off with, about like our gravel roads here…At least for about the first 10 miles to the Red Lake turn in. Then things change, and your on a one lane gravel/rock roads for the next 20+ miles. Up and down and around hills, turning about every 40 yards, like a ride on a roller coaster. Washouts, rocks jutting up out of the road, etc. beaver dams, water across the road, etc. you get the picture. Glad I had a 4x4 Chevy to get me there! I arrived at the turn in off of the gravel to Leano Lake. The put in spot and parking lot, another 3 miles of a trail with bush spanking the mirrors on the truck and water and puddles on the road, kind of like driving into a tunnel for 3 miles. Then here is a sign LEANO LAKE. Now my heart is pumping faster and my mind really kicks into high gear. I pull into the lot and see 3 Ontario cars, and 2 MN cars. I walk over and read the signs and glance at the first portage. I get everything ready and prep the canoe. Bungee Dealy Bobs, Rope on the front, tie in the spare paddle, packs out, etc. I head down the portage to Leano Lake, about a 300 meter portage (fyi 3.3 ft per meter) It is actually wide but rough. I 3x portaged it with my 50 lb CCS pack and my 20 lb CCS Rucksack which had my bear vaults (food) in it and my Thwart bag etc. Then I went back and got the canoe. I just was putting in around 10 am and shoving off and 3 canoes pulled up coming off the lake. Six Ontario folk who were out on a five day trip. We shared pleasantries, and I headed out. Wind in my face about 15 mph. (I saw know one else the rest of the day) I paddled out of Leano Lake over to Bunny Lake. 2nd portage was 300 meter up and down along a waterway/creek between Leano and Bunny. Wow what a nice creek but rather wet portage. I headed past Bunny and made a wrong turn into the wrong cove, searching for the next portage, figured it out…but I wasted an hour with my blunder (not the last blunder either…) I headed toward East Lunch Lake. I had a little dilemma about 300 yards from an 80 m portage the clouds had began rolling in and I put my raincoat on. Then the down poor came, one of those you don’t want, lightning, thunder, and I paddled like a mad man. I prayed, asked for protection, and I go to the portage with about 5 gallons of water in the canoe, unloaded the NorthStar. I threw the packs out like a farmer pitching bales and flipped the canoe over. Then the wind came up 40 – 50 mph and I shot a little video of this ordeal (30 seconds) and then the trees next to me, literally next to me started swaying almost totally out of the ground and the roots were lifting up and settling back down and it was a little hairy situation. 

Then after about 30 minutes of this, I grabbed the big pack and headed over to the short portage, then came back for the little pack and odds and ends, and then the canoe. When I got to the packs with the canoe a tree had blown down in the five minutes I was gone and blew across the trail and missed my big pack by 6 inches. It was really slick.. I was soaked, It was warm though and I was ok. Then I headed off (another hour gone) So I brushed it off,, but my lack of sleep and the long trail to Canada was catching up with me. So my cadence slowed a bit. I decided I would find a camp ground and settled for one on East Lunch Lake. It was at a narrow bend where the water was flowing by. It turned out to be an ok choice. Set up camp, had mac and cheese, pumped water, and did the usual camp duty. I got some great pics of the sunset. (about 9 pm sun went down dark at 9:30 pm) Called the wife on the Sat Phone (part of agreement) and let her know I was ok. 3 minute conversation but I knew she needed this communication and I felt better being so far from home alone.

Statistics: 6 portages 183 rods in US terms 2x and 3x em all.