Quetico 2005 Bushwhackers Jamboree
by hexnymph
Trip Type:
Paddling Canoe
Entry Date:
06/11/2005
Entry Point:
Quetico
Exit Point:
Quetico
Number of Days:
8
Group Size:
6
Day 3 of 8
Monday, June 13, 2005
McEwen Lake - Wet Lake - Kenny Lake - Kawnipi Lake
After packing up camp and getting on the water we headed north on calm water through McEwen Lake draggin lures the whole way. About halfway to the portage to Wet Lake we stopped and waited up for Greg and Brian to catch up. Obviously that had better luck fishing on the lake than we did with their reports of big lakers. Once the party was close enough we began heading west again through some narrows before the portage to Wet Lake. In these narrows was a pair of annoyed loons who most likely had a nest near by. This is the first time I'd ever seen them swim in shallow water almost under the boat. The lake is very clear and the water is only about 2 feet deep so you could actually one of the loons zooming around the rocks under water. After seeing this, and them land and take off, I now know for sure they are much better at swimming than flying.
Just after portaging into Wet Lake we started fishing again where the river empties into the lake. Fishing there was slow so we pushed on across another almost treeless lake. We took a short break near the beginning of the falls chain at a campsite. On the shore were dozens of dragonflies immerging from their nymphs, which we watched during our pumping water and resting.
We started down the falls chain through some medium difficult portages to Kenny Lake. We did a little fishing here but the only thing we managed to catch was about 100ft of fishing line hooked onto a floating dead cedar. We did a short lunch on Kenny Lake where we discussed our plans to "book it" across Kawnipi till we got past the burn area and into some trees.
As soon as I put the canoe into Kawnipi, the first canoe over the portage was almost out of site. We hopped into the boat and raced to catch up, with our other canoe not far behind us. It was a short distance from the portage that we were hit with a wall of stench. Something was dead. After peering around the immediate water, the source of the stench was sighted floating off to the right of us. Right over the floating mass was an eagle that wasn't about to go away and loose it's treasure. We had, by this time, passed the "wall of stench" so I asked the rookie if we should go check it out. After a bit of reluctance I finally convinced him so we started paddling toward it. About 30 feet from it, the stench was back and getting worse. I tried to put up with it but soon gave up and did an about face. From the size of it, we speculated it was a moose. When Greg and Brian's canoe caught up with us he confirmed it was a moose. He seems to have a stronger stomach then the rest of us.
We finally regrouped shortly before an unmarked pictograph and went to check it out. This pictograph is located on a point due east of the one marked on the map across the beginning of Kawa Bay. It didn't take long to located it. It was a single pictographs of a canoe with three larger than normal characters in it with horns or hats, depending on who looks at it and how you interpret it. After that we headed to the marked pictographs and checked it out. It’s a picture of a canoe with two "normal" size people in it and something else below it but I wasn't able to figure out what it was. By this time it started to get overcast with the occasional sprinkle of rain. We left the pictographs and hit the marked campsite just west of it and set up camp. Once camp was set up, we started fishing and were rewarded with a nice walleye dinner for the night.
McEwen Lake - Wet Lake - Kenny Lake - Kawnipi Lake
After packing up camp and getting on the water we headed north on calm water through McEwen Lake draggin lures the whole way. About halfway to the portage to Wet Lake we stopped and waited up for Greg and Brian to catch up. Obviously that had better luck fishing on the lake than we did with their reports of big lakers. Once the party was close enough we began heading west again through some narrows before the portage to Wet Lake. In these narrows was a pair of annoyed loons who most likely had a nest near by. This is the first time I'd ever seen them swim in shallow water almost under the boat. The lake is very clear and the water is only about 2 feet deep so you could actually one of the loons zooming around the rocks under water. After seeing this, and them land and take off, I now know for sure they are much better at swimming than flying.
Just after portaging into Wet Lake we started fishing again where the river empties into the lake. Fishing there was slow so we pushed on across another almost treeless lake. We took a short break near the beginning of the falls chain at a campsite. On the shore were dozens of dragonflies immerging from their nymphs, which we watched during our pumping water and resting.
We started down the falls chain through some medium difficult portages to Kenny Lake. We did a little fishing here but the only thing we managed to catch was about 100ft of fishing line hooked onto a floating dead cedar. We did a short lunch on Kenny Lake where we discussed our plans to "book it" across Kawnipi till we got past the burn area and into some trees.
As soon as I put the canoe into Kawnipi, the first canoe over the portage was almost out of site. We hopped into the boat and raced to catch up, with our other canoe not far behind us. It was a short distance from the portage that we were hit with a wall of stench. Something was dead. After peering around the immediate water, the source of the stench was sighted floating off to the right of us. Right over the floating mass was an eagle that wasn't about to go away and loose it's treasure. We had, by this time, passed the "wall of stench" so I asked the rookie if we should go check it out. After a bit of reluctance I finally convinced him so we started paddling toward it. About 30 feet from it, the stench was back and getting worse. I tried to put up with it but soon gave up and did an about face. From the size of it, we speculated it was a moose. When Greg and Brian's canoe caught up with us he confirmed it was a moose. He seems to have a stronger stomach then the rest of us.
We finally regrouped shortly before an unmarked pictograph and went to check it out. This pictograph is located on a point due east of the one marked on the map across the beginning of Kawa Bay. It didn't take long to located it. It was a single pictographs of a canoe with three larger than normal characters in it with horns or hats, depending on who looks at it and how you interpret it. After that we headed to the marked pictographs and checked it out. It’s a picture of a canoe with two "normal" size people in it and something else below it but I wasn't able to figure out what it was. By this time it started to get overcast with the occasional sprinkle of rain. We left the pictographs and hit the marked campsite just west of it and set up camp. Once camp was set up, we started fishing and were rewarded with a nice walleye dinner for the night.
Donate - BWCA.com