Honeymoon Trip
by PixiePaddler
Trip Type:
Paddling Canoe
Entry Date:
07/02/2008
Entry Point:
Fall Lake (EP 24)
Exit Point:
Mudro Lake (EP 23)
Number of Days:
7
Group Size:
2
Discuss Trip:
View Discussion Thread (13 messages)
Day 6 of 7
Monday, July 07, 2008
BITTER.
As we headed over the 300 rod portage into Gun Lake, we met a church group from Kalamazoo. We were piggy backing this portage to make it a bit easier to do. When we returned for the canoe, our packs and my camera bag werejjhh gone! We freaked out a bit until we found out that the men and boys from the church group had carried all our remaining items over for us.
SWEET.
We caught quite a few small mouth and I caught the cutest little cigar pike on Gun. The wind was calm and actually at our backs today. It was a first. It seemed as if we have been fighting a head wind the entire trip. Today’s paddle was so pleasant weather-wise. We then portaged into Fairy Lake where Mark had some good luck catching smalleys. We considered staying on Fairy, but wanted to get a little closer to our exit point before the day was over in case the weather turned on us again. So we paddled on to our last portage of the day putting us into Boot Lake. A lot of cool things happened on Boot that day. Mark’s second cast by the portage produced a smalley. That’s when the fun began! I saw a bald eagle sitting on a huge boulder and we watched a brown eagle (a young bald eagle?) fly over our heads and catch a fish out of the water where we were just fishing. We paddled over to the boulder and he let us get pretty close. Of course, my camera was out and snapping the entire time.
While we were over looking at the eagle, we found a little stream that fed into the lake. Mark cast in and he immediately caught a small mouth. This was what we later called “the honey hole” in Boot Lake. Mark had so much fun watching me fish that he just sat back and watched and coached as I casted over and over pulling out fish. I caught around ten in just a few minutes. Was I starting to get the fishing fever? Hmmmmm. We stayed on Boot that night. It would be our last evening in the BWCA. It turned out that our adventures weren’t over yet. I had gotten behind on my journaling and was sitting in the tent trying to catch up on all that had happened. We were marveling at the fact that we had seen no less than six bald eagles on this lake alone. We had also gotten our first really good look at a loon. It let us paddle right up to it and I took some photos. We hadn’t had many loon experiences this trip.
As we were getting ready to snuggle in for our last evening in the wilderness, nature called my name. I slipped out to the “facilities” in the last of the evening light. As I was heading back to the tent, something caught my eye out on the lake. I could make out two heads swimming across the lake. I called Mark out and asked him what kind of animals they were. We concluded that they were too big to be beavers and too small to be moose (darn it!) and that maybe they were small deer. We watched as they made their way across the lake and emerged on the opposite bank. Mark had grabbed my camera on the way out of the tent and I snapped this picture. It is the worst picture, but if you look closely, you can see their heads in the water.
We were absolutely shocked when we realized that they were wolves! As they got out on the bank and shook off, it was obvious by their body shape and size and their gait, that they were wolves. Both of us must have caught a few mosquitoes in our gaping open mouths that evening. Maybe we hadn’t seen a moose (a live one) this trip, but we saw something that not many people ever get to see….wolves. Our trip was MADE! This lake had shown us so much wildlife. So, we decided that the only experience left for this trip would be a bear in camp. That would truly complete the experience. So…bring on the bears! No such luck, the night went by with no more visitors.
Bittersweet day on the trail…
We got up a little later than we wanted this morning, but got out and going around 9am. As we paddle through Wagosh, we heard something fluttering around on the bank. We went to see what it was and found a bald eagle sitting on the shore. We slowly approached expecting him to fly away. I wanted some pictures, so Mark paddled me closer and closer so I could get some. It soon became evident that he would not fly away because he was injured. His leg looked injured and possibly entangled in some fishing line. It sickened us that he might be down due to human stupidity. We quickly paddled away to lessen his stress. I often wonder what happened to that beautiful bird.
BITTER.
As we headed over the 300 rod portage into Gun Lake, we met a church group from Kalamazoo. We were piggy backing this portage to make it a bit easier to do. When we returned for the canoe, our packs and my camera bag werejjhh gone! We freaked out a bit until we found out that the men and boys from the church group had carried all our remaining items over for us.
SWEET.
We caught quite a few small mouth and I caught the cutest little cigar pike on Gun. The wind was calm and actually at our backs today. It was a first. It seemed as if we have been fighting a head wind the entire trip. Today’s paddle was so pleasant weather-wise. We then portaged into Fairy Lake where Mark had some good luck catching smalleys. We considered staying on Fairy, but wanted to get a little closer to our exit point before the day was over in case the weather turned on us again. So we paddled on to our last portage of the day putting us into Boot Lake. A lot of cool things happened on Boot that day. Mark’s second cast by the portage produced a smalley. That’s when the fun began! I saw a bald eagle sitting on a huge boulder and we watched a brown eagle (a young bald eagle?) fly over our heads and catch a fish out of the water where we were just fishing. We paddled over to the boulder and he let us get pretty close. Of course, my camera was out and snapping the entire time.
While we were over looking at the eagle, we found a little stream that fed into the lake. Mark cast in and he immediately caught a small mouth. This was what we later called “the honey hole” in Boot Lake. Mark had so much fun watching me fish that he just sat back and watched and coached as I casted over and over pulling out fish. I caught around ten in just a few minutes. Was I starting to get the fishing fever? Hmmmmm. We stayed on Boot that night. It would be our last evening in the BWCA. It turned out that our adventures weren’t over yet. I had gotten behind on my journaling and was sitting in the tent trying to catch up on all that had happened. We were marveling at the fact that we had seen no less than six bald eagles on this lake alone. We had also gotten our first really good look at a loon. It let us paddle right up to it and I took some photos. We hadn’t had many loon experiences this trip.
As we were getting ready to snuggle in for our last evening in the wilderness, nature called my name. I slipped out to the “facilities” in the last of the evening light. As I was heading back to the tent, something caught my eye out on the lake. I could make out two heads swimming across the lake. I called Mark out and asked him what kind of animals they were. We concluded that they were too big to be beavers and too small to be moose (darn it!) and that maybe they were small deer. We watched as they made their way across the lake and emerged on the opposite bank. Mark had grabbed my camera on the way out of the tent and I snapped this picture. It is the worst picture, but if you look closely, you can see their heads in the water.
We were absolutely shocked when we realized that they were wolves! As they got out on the bank and shook off, it was obvious by their body shape and size and their gait, that they were wolves. Both of us must have caught a few mosquitoes in our gaping open mouths that evening. Maybe we hadn’t seen a moose (a live one) this trip, but we saw something that not many people ever get to see….wolves. Our trip was MADE! This lake had shown us so much wildlife. So, we decided that the only experience left for this trip would be a bear in camp. That would truly complete the experience. So…bring on the bears! No such luck, the night went by with no more visitors.
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