Wednesday, June 22, 2011 I wake up about 6:30. The wind is still blowing but managable. I put the tarp up, start some water for coffee and wake Gary. I listen to the guys on KQDS talk about the weather. They state that the radar looks like a hurricane with the eye just off the north shore over the great lake. It is drizzling with off and on rain. I tune in WELY for a while. They give the weather report and the woman states "I feel sorry for those in the Boundary Waters right now". I didn't want to hear that. Gary is up and we discuss that which we don't want to discuss. The weather is going to be the same for the next couple days according to the radio. Sun on Friday....when we leave. Stick it out or go home and use our vacation for better things? It starts down pouring and we again head to our tents. I listen to the rain and WELY for an hour or so before falling asleep. Gary has discussed the options with his boys. I am woke up about 11, "Jeff! wake up, the rain has died down, were packing up and headed out". I get up and pack. The temp is in the low 50's. We get the canoes loaded. As I am pushing the canoe out, I slice my thumb open on that damned vodka bottle. I hope the person that brought it and left it gets his thumb sliced off. Trying to do the right thing by taking out someone elses trash and I get a scar for it. After some serious first aid to my thumb, we shove off. It rains and drizzles across Polly. No rain as we make the 95r portage to Townline. We fish Townline for an hour if only because there is no wind on this little lake. It starts to drizzle on the 190 rod trip to Kawasachong. As we get head onto Kawasachong, the rain has stopped. Less wind now. Was the right decision made? Should we have stayed? Should we set up camp here for a couple days? No, not now as everything is wet. Wet tents are no fun. We make the channel to Square lake and fish some pools. We catch a few northerns. A quick 20 rod portage to Square from the channel. I carry both canoes as I want to compare my Alumacraft to the rented kevlar. I like the kevlar. I just might be sold. I made that 190 rods though going in without too much trouble. Perhaps I can just keep my future portages shorter and the beer can will not be an issue. I'm getting older though. Less weight would be nice. Something to consider. We paddle through a quiet Square lake and through the channel to Kawishiwi. Here we find more wind. Not as bad as earlier but still a bear to paddle through. We encounter only one boat heading in as we are leaving. A 21 footer with three guys. It was a nice Wenonah kevlar. I forget the model. Minnesota I think? There was one boat on Polly fishing. One boat on Kawasachong and one on Kawishiwi both fishing out of the wind. I hope they all have better weather. We make the entry about 6:30pm. All alone, we load up and head for Tofte. We drop off the canoe and are told about the road construction by Split Rock. The road is severely rutted and potholed and washing away from the storms. We are advised to take Cty Rd 3 from Beaver Bay to Two Harbors. On the drive down the shore we are amazed at the water flowing down the rivers. We stop just before Beaver Bay and take photos of Beaver River. The falls are amazing. As we are parked on the bridge a truck stops and put out the detour signs. Now we have to take Hwy 3. It moves well until the dirt road part. Rain, mist, fog, potholes - it makes for a slow go. As we get closer to Two Harbors we encounter a lot of traffic going north. I can see it getting backed up from people slowing for the potholes as the southbound traffic has been doing. We make Duluth about 10 pm. We eat and continue south. I am dropped off at home in the metro after 2 am. We dig out my gear, take down the beer can and the rest of the crew heads home. I am beat and tired. I am awake for another two hours thanks to all the coffee and mountain dew on the way home. A good trip all in all. Just, sadly cut short. That's alright though as I will be back in July or August. Headed to Kelly Lake with my girlfriend for her first trip into the wilderness. She doesn't like spiders. I can hardly wait!