Day three - Sunday - July 3 - Up early, around 5:30 - 6:00 am (5:00 am Indy time!) hoping to be on the water around 7:00. Got all the gear down to the beach, double checked everything got the canoes and started loading. Decided we were all so excited to get this thing started we skipped breakfast for now - we'll eat at a portage or empty campsite on the way in (Yeah right!). It's beautiful on Poplar lake, smooth as glass, no wind and bright sunny skies. Canoes are Kevlar WeNoNah Guide edition, a Solo, Tandem and triple, interesting combination. Pushed off the beach on Poplar Lake and started the paddle into the first portage at Entry Point 47 and Lizz lake. Well, we missed the portage the first time by and ended up all the way at the end of Poplar, oh well - we needed some time to get the rust out and let the first timers learn a bit about the canoes and paddling. After doubling back we found the first Portage to Lizz, a 50 Rod portage with a rocky landing on the Poplar side. Mike was first across and we all soon had everything across and reloaded so we are on Lizz and entering the BWCAW! Lizz was a quick paddle and then we made the Lizz to Caribou portage, about 73 Rods with a nice rock shelf take out. Mike made it across first and let another group of about three canoes know how many of us were coming through. Well, now we need to hustle so we aren't holding the other group up so breakfast will have to wait at this point. We quickly make the portage and start paddling Caribou, we had decided earlier that we were going to Horeshoe and then the single portage into Gaskin at the far east side - less number of portages but almost the same distance - less time unloading and reloading. Now we are feeling good so it's fairly quick to the next portage and a small 20 rod easy portage into Horseshoe, again folks are waiting so it's hustle on through and keep going. Horseshoe was narrow and fun to paddle, not much wind if any and smooth water. One thing, so far we have seen LOTS of canoes and people, now we are starting to wonder if one of our targeted camp sites on Gaskin will be free when we get there. Horseshoe took a little while because we kinda took in the sites, we didn't hurry like we had coming in so far. Nice lake with some really cool looking campsites, but again, LOTS of people. made it to the Horseshoe to Gaskin portage which is 102 rods and starts out going up fairly steep to a ridge where you enter a burned out area with lots of low shrubs and flowers then it drops down a winding trail into Gaskin. By now the wind is blowing a steady cooling breeze that just makes the water choppy but not so bad it affects the canoes and paddling much, so it's real comfortable and doesn't make you feel like it's that hot at all - you hardly notice how much your sweating. As we come past the island campsite we see it is already taken and start for one of the two sites on the south side of Gaskin just past the island. Mike and Jim bust butt and try to speed out ahead to get one of those sites only to miss one of the sites by a minute - they watched another group get there just as they cleared the bend, oh well there are more sites down the lake and we did want to see the damage from the fire on the peninsula in June. We finally got a nice site (#635), with a small island out in front, down close to the Henson lake portage and almost across from the peninsula fire area. It would do nicely, although there was just enough room for the three tents, we were ready for something to eat and a break. We had everything unloaded, found and become acquainted with the latrine, got started on setting up camp and preparing lunch - which was cheese sandwiches, apples and candy bars. After everything was set up and ready for the night we went out and explored the area, it's nice at this end of the lake - but you don't get the awesome sunsets we wanted to see. The peninsula fire really nailed the campsite area and did a lot of damage - but there are still a lot of green trees and undamaged areas on the peninsula, so it wasn't a devastating fire. We had made up our minds that we would be moving camp as soon as one of the three sites at the other end of Gaskin freed up. Dinner was Steak and baked potatoes with grilled onions and peppers, homemade cookies for desert - dinner was great! Everyone was tired and I think we all slept well.