Boundary Waters, Trip Reports, BWCA, Stories

Pine Lake 2014
by x2jmorris

Trip Type: Paddling Canoe
Entry Date: 06/15/2014
Entry & Exit Point: Pine Lake (EP 68)
Number of Days: 5
Group Size: 4
Day 4 of 5
Wednesday, June 18, 2014

We wake up early and the wind is already starting to pick up. We have pancakes for breakfast. We want to take it easy today so we plan on heading to Gadwall Lake to try for Brook Trout again. We find the portage without any trouble and leave the canoes yet again. The portage is terrible, all swamp at first to the point we are not even sure we are on the trail. A couple of us soak our shoes as we fall off of the logs we are balancing on. We contemplate going back because we don’t know where the trail is but I see something and want to check it out. It turns out to be the trail and so on we go. The rest of the portage is like Vale, straight up hill. Lots of spots to fish from, seems like someone uses this lake a lot. I remember reading someone’s trip report that they came across a canoe and some camping stuff hidden in the woods. I search for it but I could not find it. I did however find two makeshift campsites so I would not be surprised if someone left a canoe up here given how terrible the portage is. Anyways back to fishing we don’t have any luck which surprises me because my dad and I usually do well with Brook Trout. So after a couple hours we decide to head back out. We lost the trail again on the way out but just like last time we were able to find it. We have another paddle against the wind back to the site it isn’t too strong. I put a Little Cleo on my wife’s pole and a Rooster Tail on mine to try for some Lakers but no luck there. We are all worn out so we take naps and do some shore fishing with no luck. Lunch is grilled cheese with soup but no bowls for the soup (you always forget something right). We are pretty lazy the rest of the day and just enjoying our last night. Dinner is instant mashed potatoes and fried salami. We play a game of hearts before we head to bed early as we want to wake up and break camp before the wind picks up. On a side note: There was a storm coming through and a goose got separated from the rest of the V. You could tell that it was scared as it kept honking trying to find them. He eventually settled on the water and it was quite sad as we could hear him for quite a while. However, after the winds had subsided the flock came back for him so it turned out to be a good memory.