Trip Lessons: I learned a straightforward method to navigate a difficult section of Saganaga: Follow the south shoreline from the mouth of the channel to the entrance of Devil’s Walk Bay, which is marked by a distinctive rock formation. Then head straight across to the other shoreline, touching the south shorelines of Gold, Long, and Englishman Islands. Then, follow the west shoreline to American Point. We traveled this equivalent distance in about three and a half hours in perfect conditions. This was my first trip where I outfitted myself. I was pleased with all of the gear I had brought, including my Gransfors Bruks axe, my stove, my Sven saw, and my Duluth pack, which I purchased at the Duluth Pack store on the way up. I also figured out that I needed to bring a larger bucket to use for a camp sink. Dishwashing was the most stressful part of this vacation (go figure). I also discovered that I needed to learn more fishing techniques. Poor Grandpa doesn’t really know what he’s doing. We plan to bring his more fishing-savvy brother along on the next trip, and I plan to watch the ways he works and changes his lures like a hawk. I’ve also done a lot more reading on BWCA.com since then so I feel much more confident for the future. Finally, this was my first base camp. It was a totally different experience than our big loop adventure the previous year. Grandpa and I enjoyed the comfort of knowing we had such an excellent campsite and did not need to move every day. However, by day four we both were pretty antsy in the pantsy as Grandma would say. Paddling and portaging deep into the wilderness does have its benefits indeed, and I hope to take those kinds of trips most often, but some years a base camp is best. This was one of those years.