Thursday, September 27, 2018 The morning was cool, overcast, but calm and decent out. It has been working out pretty good with the rain as if I am patient I have rarely had to set up or tear down in it. So I was able to wipe my tarp and tent down and get it pretty dry for packing up. I hit the water about 8:30 and headed towards South Arm Knife(SAK) lake going through Bonnie Lake, with easy portages on 25 and 33 rods. A beautiful area with fall colors in full swing. The Bonnie to SAK portage being especially nice as it goes through a burn area with many changing birch and aspen trees. Then as I was paddling around Thunder Point onto Knife and headed northeast it started to drizzle and the wind picked up out of the west making it a not so enjoyable paddle up knife lake. Once I made it through the narrow spot a mile or so from The Amoeber lake portage the wind died down and it was smooth sailing to the portage. A pretty 20r portage that follows the stream flowing down from Amoeber. The rain was starting to get a little harder, but once I crossed Amoeber, did the 20r portage and got out on Topaz lake it stopped raining again. I did the easy 5r and I was on Cherry Lake. I had alway wanted to get into these little lakes but for one reason or another I hadn't until now. I checked both camp sites on Cherry and opted for the western site #321 for the better tent pad. Cherry is a beautiful lake with big hills all around it, with two hilly islands in front of my site. I didn't write down my arrival time but I'm guessing total travel was 3-4 hours. Set up camp, ate, and then listened to the Vikings lose to the Rams 31-38. This is the first time I have ever brought a radio with me, and in the past it's been a strict no-no for me. I am however am really glad I brought it this time. The games and a little music were something to look forward after days of gloomy gray skies. It was nice to hear people talk after all the days of silence. It blocked out what seemed to be never ending wind and rain falling on tarp and tent. And even though the Vikings had lost both games, I relished in the break from my reality. This evening was the first time on the trip I notice I got brain freeze from drinking water from my gravity bag too fast. It was getting noticeably cooler. I was starting to wonder if my water would freeze over night and so would put it in my vestibule instead of leaving it hang on a tree at night. Also started guarding my ceramic water filters from freezing at night from this point on. It would not be good if they were ruined and I had to boil all my water from now on. For one thing I didn't bring a nalgene water bottle, just a Sawyer Squeeze for on the go. Another is I wasn't sure if I had the fuel to boil all my water.