Boundary Waters, Trip Reports, BWCA, Stories

Iron Lake or Bust
by naturboy12

Trip Type: Paddling Canoe
Entry Date: 08/19/2012
Entry & Exit Point: Moose/Portage River (north) (EP 16)
Number of Days: 7
Group Size: 3
Day 2 of 7
Monday, August 20, 2012. Monday was a day of rest and fishing. We caught lots of smallmouths and pike, but the wind kept us mostly in bays and along shorelines again. All in all this was a typical BW day for us, without any major happenings that stick out. That is, until the campfire that night. While sitting around the campfire, 2 very interesting things happened. Captain Morgan had also made the trip, stowed away at the bottom of one our packs. But when in BW, what do you mix the Captain with? Well, at that campfire, Captain Mio was born; a delicious, almost refreshing combination of spiced rum, peach tea Mio, and filtered water. Another visitor also showed up that night- jumping mice! Our furry little friend hopped around the dying light of the campfire, entertaining us in a way only possible when in the BW. Once in the tent I began a restless night of sleep, only to be woken when something jumped on my chest and then on my head. I thought it was Pete messing with me, but before I could even say anything to him, he said "What was that?" and described to me the scurrying noise he had heard. After a short investigation, we figured out we had forgotten to zip the bottom of our tent between the gear vestibule and the sleeping area. Apparently a jumping mouse had come in, run across my sleeping bag, and then run back out through the vestibule! With the tent zipped and perimeter once again secured, we went back to sleep. Strangely enough, this would not be the last furry mammal to run across my sleeping body on this trip...