I woke up cold, and reached for my jacket to drag it into my sleeping bag with me. It was nice to not have to get up early, and I slept in until 7:00. After having knocked off the extra miles the day before, I realized I was only 6 miles from the entry point. I had options, and lots of them! I goofed around camp, drinking coffee and cooking a hot breakfast of oatmeal and dried fruit. Actually had a morning campfire, which I never do. The temperature was in the low thirties, and frost covered some of my gear. Sometime around mid-morning I decided to go out exploring on beautiful Snipe. The narrows on the north side are absolutely incredible to paddle through and enjoy the awesome scenery of towering gabbro on both sides. The rocks on the south side had a neat red moss growing on them. I paddled up to the campsite at the north end of the lake and got out of the boat to explore. This one is a really nice campsite! I enjoyed a light lunch of PBJ tortillas and headed back to camp. Had my campsite been a little nicer I probably would have stayed a second night (I rarely do that) but instead decided to head over to the 4-star site (#558) on Cross Bay and see if it was occupied. I took my time, since I could afford that luxury and was able to really enjoy this beautiful Sunday afternoon in paradise. I was still a fair distance from that nice campsite when I could see through binoculars that it was sitting wide open, waiting for my arrival. What an awesome campsite! I'm not sure what it takes to become a 5-star site in the BW, but this one makes it on to a very short list of the best campsites I've ever stayed at in canoe country. The rock structure of this site goes on for miles, and it appears to be capable of (and maybe once was?) being two campsites in one. As a soloist I sometimes feel a little twinge of guilt whenever I get one of these campsites capable of holding a large group, but it quickly passes and I consider myself fortunate to be able to spend the night with such deluxe accommodations.

I had plenty of time to explore Cross Bay lake, and paddled over to the hidden waterfall for a closer look. It's not too hidden this time of year, as the deciduous foliage which normally masks it hasn't filled in yet.

I had gone since the previous afternoon without seeing anyone and was really enjoying the solitude when around the bend came a flotilla of four canoes carrying at least eight people. Loud people too! They clearly had their eyes on my campsite and were quite audible in their disappointment when they spotted my green tarp hanging over my dining area. So here's what kills me: this large group of people were still looking for a campsite at 7:00 pm. I always shake my head when I see something like that. And then, rather than turning back and heading less than half a mile to a known campsite (the other one on Cross Bay) they continue on to Rib, a lake with one campsite which may or may not be full. I guess each to his/her own, but it just seems too reckless to be seeking a site at that late hour. Especially for a group of 8 or 9. Hopefully they got the spot on Rib and aren't still out there paddling around aimlessly for eternity.

The night I spent on Cross Bay was glorious! I had a small fire, and then went to bed in my little Kelty tent with the fly left off so I could star gaze. Perfect.