This was the day of our daytrip to Basswood Falls. Woke up and it was very calm so we figured this was the time to go. Ate a quick breakfast and got ready to go. We weren't sure how long it would take us so we wanted to get going.

Went north on Fourtown and due to a navigational error, we went too far north. It took us about an hour longer than it should've to find our first portage. Almost decided to just go back to camp, but didn't. Found the first portage, then paddled a little, took the 2nd portage and found our way to Horse Lake. Crossed Horse Lake and made our way to Horse River. Water was running pretty slowly. Had to pull over in a couple areas where the river narrowed and there were too many rocks.

Portages were all very easy. The first portage was lined with boards and was kind of neat to walk through. Kept going down the river and made it to Basswood Falls in about 3 hours including our little detour. Ahead of schedule so that was nice, especially considering the four people that went. It was myself, Mike (26 years old), my son (6 yo) and his cousin Nick (13 yo).

The Falls weren't as great as I thought they would be, but it was still worth the trip. We spent about an hour at the Falls. Ate lunch, did a little swimming. Jordan thought it was pretty cool that we were in Canada. Took some great pictures by the Falls.

Started the paddle back and as soon as we got to the river we realized it was going to be a lot harder paddle back against the wind. The wind really got funneled by the river and it seemed like we were barely moving. It really sucked. Eventually got out of the river and onto Horse Lake.

I was kind of worried about the waves once we got out on Horse. From the little bay when we got out of the river, we could see white caps. Considering the inexperience of all of us in big waves I was concerned. I didn't want to show it and get Jordan scared so we just kept pushing. I just told myself that even if we tipped, we have no gear, the water is warm, the sun is shining and nobody will get hurt. It will just be a big inconvenience. Had it been May or October I would have been worried.

Waves were probably two to three foot rollers. Not bad as long as we kept ourselves aligned right into the waves. The canoe was about 17 feet long with a lot of weight in it so it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Last year we had a twelve foot canoe that did not handle well in waves. This was much different. Turned out to be a lot of fun in the waves and wind. Only downside was that it was tiring. Probably a mile or so across the middle of Horse.

The rest of the trip was uneventful. Made it back to camp around dinnertime.

As soon as we got back to camp, the others told us that the weather radio said there was a great chance of big storms and lots of rain Saturday night. We made the decision to leave Saturday morning instead of Sunday morning to make sure we didn't get windbound or have to leave in a downpour and thunderstorm. It was mostly a unanimous decision. A couple people wouldn't have minded staying, but with the kids and grandpa, they knew it was probably best to play it safe. For me, after that long trip, I was ready to leave the next day as well. One thing I learned is that for a basecamping trip, three nights is enough for me.

Jordan did great again. I was worried that he wouldn't like the long daytrip with all of the portaging. He whined a little, but for the most part did great. He almost fell asleep on the long paddle back. I had to keep reminding him to drink water because it was a warm day and I didn't want him to get dehydrated. When we got back to camp we ate dinner and then I told him he could play in the tent if he wanted. I figured he had a long day and did great, so he could do what he wanted.