I’m up at 5:30 and bring the canoe and gear out to the dock where it will be loaded into a tow boat. At 7:00 I head to the dining room where I’m the only one eating. The waitress is also my cook and she couldn’t be nicer. Everything is great and soon I am down at the boat where our driver has everything loaded and ready.

I always take the 20 minute tow boat ride to the Quetico Park entrance as it saves me about 2 hours of paddling time through three connected lakes. Soon I unload the gear and take the short portage over to the Prairie portage Ranger Station where I will need to check in prior to my trip.

The ranger falls in love with Luna and has her daughter and their own dogs in the office. We chat about my route and I show the necessary documents to enter the country. I’m now in Canada and it feels great on a beautiful sunny morning.

The route I take looks like this with Prairie Portage at the bottom. I will be paddling a clockwise route.

Prairie Portage beach landing, the gateway to Quetico Park from the southern side.

Our first day route looks like this. I have my sights on an island camp in the middle of Louisa Lake.

We soon shove off the beach with Luna taking her place in the bow. I wonder if I’ll see the Inlet Bay bald eagle here as on past trips. Sure enough as I enter big Bayley Bay there he is up in a snag, the great overseer. I absolutely love these big birds.

My focus so far has been on Luna. I watch her and assess how she’s taking it all in. She doesn’t seem very impressed by the situation and it’s not long before she just lays down as I paddle across the bay. About 75 yards to my left, another solo boater with a dog heads in the opposite direction most likely finishing up his trip. He also is using a kayak paddle in his canoe but he has his dog riding in the back. I wish we were closer to have a chat but all we can do at this distance is give a wave.

We take a right into Sunday Bay where I unload and get ready to portage. The packs and canoe are heavy and I double portage - which means, it takes me two trips to haul all my gear across the rocky trail to Sunday Lake. Luna is very happy to finally be able to stretch her legs a little but she stays close as we make our way along the easy trail.

Working out an efficient portage routine doesn’t take long now. I keep Luna’s PFD on her the whole time we travel. I bought her a vest for this trip from D-fa Dogs and love everything about it and she seems comfortable with it.

We paddle with a slight tailwind up big Sunday Lake and soon see four women in two canoes coming our way. We exchange hellos and I find out they are ending an eight night trip and had great weather and a good time. We pull in to the next portage landing and start the first of two moderately difficult portages in and out of Meadows Lake.

Their lengths of 193 and 140 rods alone make them respectable but what makes them doubly tough is the rocky path very typical up here.

Luna getting down and dirty. If only she could help with a pack or two…

We hop through Meadows Lake to start the next one which is even rockier.

Before the trip I worried about these rocks. I did these portages in 1992 and my memory of them was that I would be lucky if I didn’t twist an ankle. I worry about Luna now but she has no trouble at all and just skirts around all the rocks like doing an agility course. No, this girl is doing just great.

During the second Meadows Lake portage it starts to lightly sprinkle. By the time I am loading for the second carry it’s a steady rain. At the Agnes Lake landing I put on my rain jacket and decide to hang under a pine tree and wait it out with some lunch. Luna wolfs down her food so I give her scraps from my fresh turkey sub.

The rain slows a little so we press on over to the fantastic Louisa falls on the portage from Agnes to Louisa Lake.

In ‘92 it was a hot sunny day here with my younger brother and we spent time lounging in the awesome “bathtub”, a five foot deep pool right under the falls. Today I don’t even entertain the thought. My concern now is how we’re going to make it up this rooty goat path of a portage next to the falls. It’s not long at 17 rods but it’s about as steep as they come with lots of slick granite and tree roots for hand holds.

This picture doesn’t do it justice. It’s not a trail but more of a rock and root wall on a 35 degree slope. The rain is coming down steady now and the roar of the falls amplifies our situation.

“I decide to triple portage and we both have a very tough time. Luna needs help getting up some of the slick walls as she can’t pull herself along like I can. Going back down (with no gear) is worse. I would never attempt going down this with a load if it was wet like this. No sir, that’s a broken leg or fractured hip waiting to happen.”

Despite her trouble, Luna figures it out. I am totally wiped out after this. We take a needed break and wait out the rain under some cedars at the top of the falls.

Louisa is a big clear water lake and it’s where I plan to set up camp for the night. Thankfully the rain all but stops as we cross. I know of a good island site here in the middle of the lake so make a beeline hoping it’s vacant. Thar she blows! My aching back and shoulders thank the vacancy god of Louisa Lake.

The site is a good one perched about ten feet off the water. Lots of level space for tents and nice trees for the tarp. “I’m really wiped out now and struggle to bring the packs up a hill to the eating area. I first rig the tarp in case of rain. Then the tent, clothes line, filter water, and feed Luna but she doesn’t eat. The wind is up now and it will help to dry things. Both packs got soaked along with all the clothes I was wearing. Not a great day weather wise but we got through it. At least it was warm, around 75-80 degrees so I wasn‘t cold despite being wet.

Ever patient Luna lays down with her Frisbee while I make camp.

After setting up I explore the island with Luna. We follow some trails in back and investigate pretty good. Everything is soaked but the water drains very efficiently back into the lake so there’s few puddles and no mud to speak of.

I’m not hungry so we pass the evening lounging out front with hot chocolate on some nice sitting rocks. “I want to listen to the weather radio and check out a book I brought called “Quetico Adventures” by Tim Mead. There are loons on the lake. Luna is hearing their call for the first time and she perks up her ears and cocks her head. It’s great to be back here in canoe country. It’s not long and we’re in the tent for a well earned sleep.”