As forecasted - a gray gloomy morning; that threatened rain, greeted us as we crawled out of the tent. Fortunately, the rain held off during breakfast and while we packed up. We donned our rain gear as we pushed off, heading west towards the Buck Lake portage.

The wind wasn’t a problem this morning but, none the less, we decided to stick close to the northern shoreline of Cummings Lake. Along the way there was an interesting large pointed rock out in the middle of the lake that drew our attention. Things went pretty well and as we approached our portage, I let Aurora take the helm for a short while. Of course she was just lily dipping but, she was very proud of her contribution and Vickie & I were equally proud of her as she begins to acquire the necessary skills to (one day) make a more significant contribution.

We had no trouble locating our portage, and there was an adequate landing from which to embark upon this lengthy 470 rod portage. As we trudged our way across, a large swamp was always in close proximity. The trail even crosses a few wet swampy areas along the way; which will likely create an additional challenge in wetter conditions. There were a few very minor ups and downs but, after factoring in the considerable length, quite honestly this trail couldn’t have realistically been much more level & free of troublesome rocks & roots. Although I will say there were an inordinately high number of downed trees across the path near the (very tall) grassy Buck Lake end, which could pose a more serious problem earlier in the year if the grass doesn’t get sufficiently trampled down.

Our strategy for this portage was to leap frog it. And, as with all portages on the trip, I would triple this one; so I had my work cut out for me. As I was wearily bringing our blue barrel (in a CCS barrel pack) ahead through the largest swampy section just past the mid-point on the trail, I heard what sounded like a tank moving through the woods in very close proximity to my present location . Instantly, I froze! While I have always considered gazing upon a moose in canoe country as a rarified blessing; encountering one (especially a rutting bull) here, up close and personal, in a swamp with nothing but glorified saplings for cover and our heaviest pack strapped to my back wasn’t an enviable situation. A thousand fuel injected scenarios raced through my mind as, mercifully, the sounds of snapping twigs & branches slowly faded. This was one time that I was thankful for NOT seeing a moose that I knew was there.

Needless to say, fueled by 100% pure adrenaline, I was able to catch up with Vickie & Aurora at the sandy beach landing on Buck Lake where Aurora was having a blast playing in the sand. I regaled them with the story of my recent escapades, telling Vickie I would go back and get her second pack on the other side of that swamp. So I actually wound up nearly quadrupling this portage! Later, as I jadedly sauntered back to the beach landing with the last load, I was told, in no uncertain terms, that it was time for my spanking. Some reward!!!

Actually, it was my birthday; and apparently, she was giving me my just deserves. Afterwards, as we loaded up, a light rain started up but, quit for good a short time later. We’d heard good things about the campsite down towards the SW end of the lake, so we paddled off in that direction with hopes of claiming it as our new home.

If there was going to be one lake along our route that I felt we’d most likely have completely to ourselves, I would’ve bet the farm that it was going to be Buck Lake. So, ironically, it was here where we would encounter the first other people we’d see on this trip - at our desired campsite. Having just paddled past the other vacant site on the lake, it wasn’t a totally disheartening discovery; so, I took the opportunity to throw a line out and let Aurora fish a little while we paddled back.

In short order she pulled in a smallish northern, then a decent eater sized walleye. While not quite the same as catching them all in one trip; these fish completed the canoe country grand slam (for this season) for our little fisher woman. Not bad for a 4 year old!

Of course Aurora now wanted to stay out and fish but, as it had all day, it looked like it could rain at any time and Vickie & I wanted to get camp setup before it did; so we pulled into the nearby mid lake site on the northern shore to do just that.

This campsite isn’t marked on many maps but, thanks to pre-trip research, we had known that it was there. There was a decent landing with a nice spot to stash the canoe. A short climb leads to a totally exposed fire grate that was out on an elevated rock knob. There was decent seating and good views in both directions down the lake. Of concern, the lone discernible tent pad was rather lumpy and (if used) left nowhere nearby for a respectable tarp setup. Although, after some further exploration, I found an exquisite tent pad; the problem was that it required a very steep climb up a fairly lengthy path. Subsequently after some short deliberation, we did use it; setting our tarp up over the other tent pad. Later, we discovered the trail to the latrine also entailed climbing a steep trail too. Still, this quaint site would ably serve us as our humble home for the next couple of nights.

Daily travels – 1 portage totaling 470 rods.

Cummings Lake, Buck Lake