The early morning air was crisp but, blue skies and sunshine quickly took the edge off. By this point in our trip we had become fairly proficient in getting camp tore down. Our hopeful destination for today was Gabimichigami (Gabi) Lake. We opted for the more direct Peter Lake route, which had one long portage versus going through Powell Lake which would require several shorter portages.

Both Vickie & I concurred that we thought the portage into Peter Lake was a walk in the park. Of course this fact should be tempered by considering the portages we’d done to get here. The portage started out in a low lying area & even had a substantial length of boardwalk to cross before it finally started climbing. At about the mid-point of the trail was an enormous boulder that looked (to me) like a giant gorilla head. As the trail began dropping down to Peter, there were a few panoramic overlooks to behold and take a person’s mind off the task at hand.

Of course if we had been heading in the other direction, and had to climb up out of Peter Lake, our opinion of this trail might be harsher. But, what really made this portage unforgettable was when Aurora quizzically chimed in and asked, “Why did God have to make this portage so long?” Indeed!

As I waited with Aurora for Vickie to bring her next load across, I decided to pull out one of our camp chairs. No sense not taking full advantage of the resources available! As I sat in comfort, assimilating the solitude of the moment, my eyes eventually settled on Aurora sitting quietly by the lakeshore contentedly looking out across the watery blue expanse. I wondered to myself what contemplations might be going through her mind. Was she enjoying herself? Was there something else she’d rather be doing? Did she miss the comforts of home? Before I became completely lost in the thought, her eyes met mine – and smiling, she ran over and jumped into my lap. I guess that answers those questions.

Aurora still hadn’t really warmed up to the idea of going potty in the woods. So, we had to paddle to the nearest campsite for her to do her deed.[paragraph break]

I’m by no means an authority on the subject, but I believe the area surrounding Peter Lake had to have been hit about the hardest by the 2006 Cavity Lake Fire. As we worked our way westward, it was incredibly fascinating to see the forest regeneration from our perspective out on the lake. The dark spruce trees inter-mixed with the soft pastel spring foliage of the birch & poplar trees provided a stunningly stark contrast.

While we really didn’t investigate them too thoroughly, the eastern most camp site appeared to the nicest on the lake. The next site down the lake was absolutely awful. Just past the last site on the northern shore we briefly ran aground or, more appropriately, ran arock. Extrication was quick and easy, and we proceed to the Gabi portage.

This portage wasn’t too difficult, a basic up & over with some wet rocky footing on the Gabi end. As we paddled away, Aurora let out a plaintive cry, “My stick!!!” We’d inadvertently forgotten her stick back at the landing. It wasn’t all that far back, but we successfully reasoned with & convinced her we’d be back for it tomorrow. Meltdown averted!

We paddled around the large peninsula jutting out from the southern shore to begin searching for our new home. The mainland site looked OK, but we were hoping for something better. So we circled the nearby small island. At the landing, Vickie got out to check it out. She gave it a thumb up, so I finished pulling the canoe up & began unloading. Aurora was instantly enthralled with all the little rocks she could toss into the lake.

This was a beautifully elevated site adorned with a large expanse of open level ground. While the fire grate area was exposed, it did offer a commanding panoramic view of the sprawling expanse of this large lake. There was a few trails that spider webbed out beseeching future exploration and hopeful firewood gathering, of which cursory examination revealed a small finger of granite on the backside that served as an exceptional sitting/fishing rock.[paragraph break]

Initially we disagreed about where to put the tent versus the tarp but, once both were up; the issue was never mentioned again, so we must’ve gotten it right. And, for the first time on this trip I dug out the hammock & set it up as well. The hammock pulled double duty, serving as a swing for Aurora while dutifully performing its more traditional role for Vickie & I.

There was a preponderance of pin cherry trees flowering in this camp. Indeed they were found in abundance most everywhere we traveled on this trip.

After camp was up, the breeze faded and Gabi transformed itself into a liquid mirror. This was a most impressive occurrence considering the vastness of open water out in front of us. On the downside, this brought the maddening drone of countless bugs to our attention. Thankfully they just lingered in the air and, (noise not withstanding), didn’t bother us.

This site afforded us superlative accommodations for viewing of the sunset. Loons serenading from across the lake put the idyllic finishing touches on a truly inspiring canoe country evening.

French Lake, Peter Lake, Gabimichigami Lake

Daily travels, 2 portages totaling 189 rods.