Friday, September 6, 2013: Storms with heavy rain, wind, thunder, and lightning are forecasted for the area on Sunday and Monday. The forecast prompts me to head out today although I’d like to take a layover day here and rest the back and legs while doing some daytrips. I have a Pack-It-Gourmet smoothie (260 mg sodium) for breakfast and get on the water about 8:30.

It’s a cloudy morning with light wind as I paddle leisurely around the scenic southeast side of Adams Lake taking pictures. I carry across the portage to Beaver Lake, paddle across it, and portage into Trapline Lake. There’s a light sprinkle as I paddle into the Kawishiwi River, but the sky will clear and the day will become very hot and sunny in the afternoon.

I paddle south on the Kawishiwi River and stop at one of the island campsites, thinking it might be nice to spend a night camped on the river for a change. The ferocious horde of mosquitos there changes my mind and I head south on the Kawishiwi River again. By now it’s “way too hot, must be in the 80”s, I think. I paddle into Amber Lake farther south on the Kawishiwi River. I stop at the first campsite, a nice one with a beach landing, but low-lying and buggy. I continue my circumnavigation of Amber Lake and take the northwest campsite. It’s elevated 10-15 feet above the water on some granite outcrop with great views, a poor fire grate area (even by my standards), a couple of fair tent pads, and a poor landing. It will do for me tonight. I later discover it’s a 1-star campsite and regret this decision.

Amber is a nice lake which I share with an eagle, a loon, and some beavers, as well as bees, spiders, ants, and…a bunch of damn mosquitos. I’m uncertain about the weather tonight - possible heavy storms with hail are forecast for the “arrowhead” of MN and northwest WI - so I set up the tarp to cover my gear and put the fly on the tent.

I eat Hawk Vittles’ Chicken Pilaf (948 mg sodium) for dinner. It doesn’t rehydrate thoroughly and I add an ounce or so of water, but don’t let it sit before eating the rest. It tastes OK – not great, but OK despite some “chewy” carrots and “crunchy” something. My appetite has improved since the first couple of days.

The day was almost unbearably hot and humid and it’s still very warm and muggy, so I wipe down with a couple of body wipes and put on clean clothes. It doesn’t make me feel a whole lot better. I wash my clothes and hang them up to dry, guessing they’ll probably still be wet in the morning. A beaver swims across the lake. The mosquitos drive me into the tent early and I am almost sweating as I sit in the tent in my underwear. There’s no breeze whatsoever. I decide I’ll paddle the Kawishiwi River to the northeast arm of Malberg Lake tomorrow. There will only be two short portages the entire day, which will be nice.