Boundary Waters, Trip Reports, BWCA, Stories

Getting to know the BWCA over again.
by twston

Trip Type: Paddling Canoe
Entry Date: 09/01/2010
Entry & Exit Point: Lake One (EP 30)
Number of Days: 5
Group Size: 6
Day 2 of 5
Day 2 Dad wakes us just before 6 bells and it’s off to Britton’s Cafe. I think I had the best blue berry pancakes I have ever had. We head out of town towards lake #1. Not sure what time we hit the water but it was a beautiful day. Rob and I were teamed up in my dad’s mad river tippy canoe. He insisted on trolling right away. I gave him a bunch of crap and wanted to get down the lake before we started fishing and told him it was a waste of time with us being on the one of the most popular EP in the BWCA. The words were still floating in the air when he got a bite. I did not believe him, mostly from a childhood of being teased. I said he had a snag and that there was no way he had a fish that fast. He had a fish, a small northern. After fighting the little guy he got it in the boat and released. We just start to get caught up with the rest of the group when he gets another small northern. I’m starting to think he is some kind of fishing god. We have not even made it out of the narrows yet. I’m still a little unhappy that he is paying more attention to fishing than getting the boat stabilized. I have been canoeing since I was in diapers and have never been so un-comfortable in a boat. Could have been from the previous night’s consumption, nahhh. It is the boats fault. We finally make our way over and through the first and second short portages towards the balance of the numbered lakes. Water was very low and made the landings difficult. At first I was trying to dry foot it then decided life would be easier if I just walked into the lake. We still ended up double portaging so that my dad did not have to work as hard. I decided to throw my line out and troll and got a hit as we made our way around the shallow rocky islands just paste the portage. Got the hit just as the wind and tippy canoe almost dump us in the drink. After that we decide to have lunch on a rocky peninsula. This is when we make a newbe mistake and get out of the boat without securing it on the shore and the wind grabbed it. Luckily someone gets there hand on it and the day is saved. We enjoy cheese and summer sausage with powdered lemonade. The group discusses that it may be a good idea to grab the next empty site. Lack of sleep is what we will say is the reason for this. Two sites later we are in luck. We set up our tents and decide to try fishing. After about 10 minutes I thought I felt a pretty good hit, then nothing. So Ben decides to try and see if his luck will be better over by me. Two cast later he found my fish and dinner. A nice size northern.  Always steeling my thunder. I’m still happy for him. We decide it is a good time to break out the thermal rest and nap on the big flat rocks that make up our shoreline. Turns out I picked what at first glance looked like a good shady breezy spot to nap. I missed the fact that the tree that was providing the shade also provided sap all of my thermal rest. Crap!!! We eat dinner then early bedtime. As Rob and I crawl into my 2 person rated tent it is clear that my idea to conserve wait and pack space would have been better served if my wife (my normal tent partner) was in there. I am all for family togetherness as much as the next guy but sleeping shoulder to shoulder with my older brother was not clearly thought out. On top of which it is unseasonably hot and humid out as well. Two sweaty hung over brothers shoulder to shoulder. That’s love.