Isabella Lake

I was supposed to meet dad in Grand Marais at noon so I packed up early and paddled across the lake to the portage and was at the car and loaded up for the ride out by 9am. Three nights was a great time frame for my first solo and the minimal portaging allowed me to test my canoe, my portaging ability, and my ability to be alone. All three passed.

After stopping at Temperance River State Park for a shower, I met dad in Grand Marais where he got his fishing license and we drove up the Gunflint Trail to Rockwood Lodge, where our permits waited for us.

The guys at Rockwood were great and sent us off well. We had originally planned on five days, but as we wound through Poplar Lake's cabins, we were already discussing the dire forecast of thunderstorms on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

The portage from Poplar to Meeds is hilly, long, and beautiful. The double carry took the wind out of my sails and I was really hoping we wouldn't have any trouble finding a site on Meeds. The first site was open, we set up camp, ate dinner, and caught a few walleye that evening.

This was the first time in a long while that my dad and I had been together on something like this. Growing up, mom and my sister were always with us. Nowadays, my kids are usually along for the adventures. We needed this time.

Things were falling apart as the day ended. My shoes and sandals both required duct tape to hold the soles on. The canoe had a minor crack in it that I temporarily patched with duct tape. My tarp had a few small holes that required more duct tape. Thankfully dad had a new roll because my tape wouldn't have lasted.

It wasn't an easy day. I was tired from the drive, the paddling, and the long portage. We crashed early.