The distinctly audible sounds of branches rustling in the wind could be heard throughout the night & continued on after we awoke for breakfast. No glorious sunrise this morning, but, as we proceeded to eat breakfast, then tear camp down, the wind was gradually beginning to recede.

By the time we were loaded up, there was only a gentle eastern breeze - causing a mere ripple on the lake. After we pushed off, and were paddling through the narrows, Vickie commented that she really thought Clearwater was a very scenic lake. I informed her, the best was yet to come.

As we exited the narrows, the palisades began to come into view. Naturally, the wind had not only switched directions, (and was now coming out of the west) but, it also began to rapidly intensify. We battled a perpetual succession of good sized rollers, head on, the rest of the way back to the landing. I never felt we were in any particular trouble, (fully loaded, the Black Pearl was quite stable) it’s just that we couldn’t ever let off the throttle, for fear of quickly losing ground. This was where my double bladed Bending Branches Navigator paddle really earned its’ keep. It’s so much more efficient battling a head wind with this type of paddle. Although, an unfortunate circumstance of the waves incessantly bashing us, was that we were unable to satisfactorily appreciate the indulgent grandeur of the palisades as we paddled past.

Our diligent efforts eventually got us back to the landing, where we both had caffeinated beverages waiting for us in the van. We quickly loaded up and were on our way. Since it’s right off the Clearwater road, I briefly thought about stopping at Honeymoon Bluff. But, we had a lot of driving in front of us, plus, we’d already seen it on a prior trip, so we pressed on. We were the first customers of the day at ‘My Sisters Place’ in Grand Marais. While we waited for them to officially open, we called to let everyone know we were back in civilization & would soon be homeward bound. After we finished eating, ‘The North Shore Drive’ was regaled in all its’ seasonal splendor, which made that renowned stretch of the drive back much less arduous. Once back at my brothers’, we had a joyous reunion with Miss Aurora. (Who had survived quite happily) And, the final push home - where Hannah, thankfully, managed to survive without any major problems as well.

As I finish writing this, it amazes me how well this trip worked out. So many things seemed to work out just right. ~ Weather wise, after the first day, we caught a nice window of ‘Indian Summer’. ~ The multiple times we pulled into camp just ahead of the weather. ~ Seeing the moose cow & calf. (With the mystifying population decline in Minnesota, these sightings are rapidly becoming more of a rarity.) ~ Stumbling across the birch bark, and later, the processed firewood. ~ And, of course, witnessing the Aurora Borealis. Quite obviously, this is always considered a tremendous highlight to any of my trips.

Some final thoughts…. Wind can be a factor, there are some tough portages & all of the border lakes on this route allow motors on the Canadian side. West Bearskin is outside of the wilderness boundary & Clearwater actually allows 10 h.p. motors on the entire lake. (And, we did see motorized watercraft on these 2 lakes.) So, in that sense, this route might dissuade those looking for more of a wild feel. But, IMHO, the incredible scenery is unparalleled (especially in autumn), making those potential nuisances a lot more tolerable. There are just so many great spots in this (relatively) small area that you’ll definitely want to slow down & take in as much as you can. And, of course, it makes it all the better when you have a great tripping partner (like I do) to share it all with.

Clearwater Lake