I slept in late (around 7) because the high winds outside my tent made me want to stay in. I made some more eggs and bacon burrito with my morning coffee. I really contemplated what to do that day. The wind was brutal out, and it was my first trip solo tripping, and first time paddling a solo. After thinking for a while, I decided to at least make it to Pine Lake and wait it out at the nearest site. So I paddled into 30 mph headwinds across McFarland. I was impressed with how the Prism cut through the wind and water as long as I kept the nose straight into the wind.

I made it the the McFarland-Pine portage, which isn't actually a portage just a small stream. Unfortunately, there was a couple on the campsite next to the portage so that left with me a decision. Wait it out at the portage until the wind wasn't as dangerous, or fight those winds almost a mile upshore to the next site. With Pine being a 7 mile long lake, the wind and waves were pretty strong at my end of the lake. Well after thinking about it for an hour, I jumped in the canoe, put my head down, and started paddling. It was pretty testing, the waves were easily splashing over the bow of the canoe. Thankfully I made it to that site and it was open. I decided I would be there a while so I strung up the hammock, threw my sleeping pad in it, and read a book while swaying in the wind for a few hours.

I told myself at 5 o clock I would make the decision to stay the night or try to paddle another 2 miles up to my parents. Well 5 rolled around and I'm not sure if the wind had slowed down a tiny bit or I was just tired of sitting around so I convinced myself that it had. I jumped back into the canoe and just kept paddling for what seemed like forever.

I came up to the point close to the middle of the lake where there was a tiny cove. I spotted a little sandy spot that looked like a good spot to catch my breath before the final push to my parents. As I was about 30 yards away from shore, I heard a few twigs snap literally right next to me on shore. I stopped paddling and saw a shadow moving through the trees. A few seconds later, a smaller bear stepped out onto the beach. It was awesome to see a bear the best way: 25 yards away and from a canoe! It did get my heart pumping, if I were to have kept paddling the bear and I would have come pretty close to getting there at the same time. The bear had no idea I was there and casually went about his business.

I decided to paddle over to the island just off the point to rest and let the bear have his peace instead. I saw a big green canoe landed at the site back in the bay, so I paddled towards it and realized it wasn't my parents. The guy called me over to rest and I chatted with him for 15 minutes. He had been solo for 2 weeks already with people meeting him the next day to finish his last week. I got back to paddling then, and luckily found my parents at the site just to the west of the Pike-Pine portage. I was lucky and got there right before dinner was finished. We ate and then I was glad to lay down after paddling hard all day.

(Click on little boxes to see photos that won't load for some reason)