Saturday, September 7, 2013: I wake up early again with the urge to get up and go; fiber and fluid intake is sufficient. I have a breakfast of coffee and Hawk Vittles’ Oatmeal. I put less water in the oatmeal and let it sit a little longer, but the result was the same. I “chew” my way through it. There was no rain last night, but it was very warm and muggy. I put on the still wet clothes that I washed yesterday. The morning starts out nice, but clouds up quickly. It is dark and threatening, and I second-guess my decision to start out. A quick check with NOAA on the weather radio tells me it will be a very cloudy morning, but clearing in the afternoon with increasing winds, so I pack up and start paddling at 8:30.

I think about paddling up the stream north out of Amber as a beaver swims across the lake, but weather worries head me toward the Kawishiwi River. An eagle flies overhead just before I reach the river, then a merganser takes off, and as I reach the river a raven flies north up the Kawishiwi River. I follow the raven north on the Kawishiwi River into a light breeze as the skies clear. The forecast was spot on. It is sunny, windy, hot and humid by noon and I wish for the cooler weather of late September.

I paddle around the east side of the islands and then follow the Kawishiwi River to the northeast. I portage around the little rapids on the river. As I continue to paddle northeastward, I think “someday my granddaughter, Sara, will paddle her canoe on the Kawishiwi River and carry across these same portages”. I arrive at the final portage of the day, a 48-rodder into the northeast arm of Malberg Lake. There’s a sign on a tree there warning dog owners about the wolf trapping project. It’s 11:30 when I paddle into Malberg Lake just as two guys paddle out from the first campsite. The first people I have seen since paddling into Adams Lake. The lake is briefly “mis-oriented” before it straightens itself out. I find myself at the campsite at the southwest end of the long narrow arm of Malberg for lunch.

I paddle on after lunch and take the campsite at the “narrows” when I find it open. I love elevated campsites and this one is on top of a rock outcrop 40-50 feet above the lake. There are great views and several level tent pads on bare, hard-packed ground. The site has plenty of room and lots of sitting rock to enjoy views to the east and west.

I “cook” Outdoor Herbivore’s Thai Lemongrass Curry (240 mg sodium) for dinner. It’s almost as good as their Lickety Split Lentils; another winner that I’ll definitely eat again.

I decide to take an evening paddle and check out the bay north of the “narrows”. Unloaded solo canoes are definitely “tippier” than loaded ones and, as I’ve said before, you need to pay attention to what you are doing and keep your weight low and centered. Failure to do so while gawking around could result in your being “all wet”. I’m enjoying a nice evening paddle, but the mosquitos soon drive me off the water and then into the tent at dusk. I’ll head for Lake Polly tomorrow since the forecast is a high chance of thunderstorms from Sunday night through Monday night. I kill one more mosquito - and hope it’s the last one – before I go to sleep.