After packing up our gear for the last time, we paddled 50 yards or so to the Yellow Brick Road and portaged for the last time into Bailey Bay. Once again, the sun was shining but the wind was moving. The waves were breaking in the bay as we negotiated them back to Prairie Portage. While waiting for our tow back to the outfitter, we spoke to Jan the ranger again who seemed to be in a better mood this time around (maybe the previous night's weather had blown away her blues at it had ours).

As we basked in the showers of sunshine on the shore, watching excited and energetic groups of paddlers make their way into the lake, we reflected on the past 5 days and how quickly they'd passed. Although the Quetico had thrown a lot at us in terms of weather, we were happy and satisfied, and drunk off the purity and tranquility of the pristine waters and forests from which we'd just emerged.

After the tow back, as we pulled our canoes off the boats and up to our trailer, the outfitter smiled wryly and barked, “Boy, you guys got some weather, didn't ya?!” Yeah, we thought. A little bit of weather and a whole lot of magic.