Boundary Waters, Trip Reports, BWCA, Stories

Chuck & Tia's 2018 Quetico Adventure
by TrailZen

Trip Type: Paddling Canoe
Entry Date: 08/25/2018
Entry & Exit Point: Quetico
Number of Days: 10
Group Size: 2
Day 2 of 10
Sunday, August 26, 2018: North Bay, two No-Names, Dell, NoName, Grey, Yum Yum, Kahshahpiwi 6.75 miles, 7 portages, 2 beaver dams

Our morning camp routine is coffee, breakfast, then more coffee as we load gear, drop the bear bags, and load the canoe. It's typically two hours from the sleeping bags to the canoe, as we're on our own time here. Leaving North Bay toward Dell allows paddlers to practice their beaver dam crossing strategies, as for years the drainage from Dell & Isabella has been dammed on its way into North Bay. So, right out of camp, we lifted over a dam, then proceeded to a couple No-Names and into Dell. I'd remembered Grey as a muck-fest, but obviously have it confused with somewhere else—it's a beautiful lake with some nice cliffs. I had correctly remembered the portage between Yum Yum and Kahshahpiwi as tough in either direction, and was not disappointed—wish someone would cut some steps into that rock slab climb about 1/3 way in! The four trees across the portage, two at knee height and two at shoulder height, were additional challenges. Tia's journal reports my saying derogatory things about Yum Yum Portage. As Kahshahpiwi came into view at the end (finally) of the portage, the thunder began. We had hoped to make the north end of Kahshahpiwi, but elected to settle in a campsite just short of the main body of the lake. We set up the tent and dining fly in light rain. When the rain later stopped, we had hot drinks, then baths, followed by a dinner of shrimp in mango couscous, hummus with zucchini chips, and chocolate pudding. Later the wind picked up and we were happy to have the sheltered site. Read a couple Patrick McManus stories in the tent, and called it a day.