The morning was extended with another swim to the jumping rock across the cove, and a morning paddle around the mist-enshrouded lake. As we were eating breakfast on the rock on the lake below the campsite, we spotted a little brown blob that at first we thought was a beaver but then realized was a baby loon. Soon two parents broke the surface near the baby, one with a small fish that it deftly transferred. They were probably only about 100’ away on the lake, and we thoroughly enjoyed watching the parents feed the young one several fish. Each time a parent would emerge with a fish, the baby would zoom over to it, grab the fish, and parent/young would have a sweet physical connection sometimes along with an audible loonish peep.

We thought we might explore Tool Lake -- it looked possible on the map -- but at the inlet were blocked by rocks. We returned to a spot we had seen back to the south that looked like a clear portage (not really consulting the map as it didn’t seem necessary). We loaded up for the portage and went trundling down the trail. After stepping over a log or two (why didn’t someone cut these?), we came to a T intersection, CLEARLY marked with multiple X-oriented sticks in both directions. Huh? Someone REALLY meant for us not to go this way. But why? We investigated just a bit before deciding to go back to where the map indicated the portage should be. We didn’t see a portage on the left bank -- no big deal as the maps were sometimes wrong -- but did see a previously-used landing on the right of the stream outflow. We unloaded again and went up the “trail”, with Lib in the lead. It got more and more difficult, and I made a wrong turn with the canoe “hey Lib, am I supposed to be crossing a stream?” and she answered from somewhere in the woods “No!” But it was so thick I couldn’t back up until she came back to help. I then set down the canoe and we for some reason decided we just HAD to see where that “trail” went. We probably went about 60-80 rods, over and under trees, including under one big pine that someone had been nice enough to trim the branches on. Except, rather than cutting the small downward-pointing branches at the trunk, they left the branches sticking out so that we had to crawl under the tree. The same cuts would have been just as easy to make higher. I do appreciate that someone made these cuts, but I will never comprehend why they didn’t make them at the trunk!!!! After awhile we had a sinking feeling where we were headed … but we just had to find out … yes, back to the XXX place. Even once there I HAD to see where the trail continued so we followed that until it petered out into a swamp -- with nice fresh boot marks to follow right into the muck. So we turned back, recovered the canoe, lifted it back over the fallen logs, and got back to the landing, where we put several X sticks in an attempt to prevent others from making our mistake.

Once back in the water, we looked 20’ away to the other shore where there was a fallen tree that deftly guarded the actual portage, which only became clear once we were on top of it. Whew. I soon exclaimed “That was an HOUR of our lives totally WASTED!!!” which gave us a good chuckle as we know of course that there is no wasting of time in life, it is ALL life. But we don’t need to go farther on that.

The portage into Bug Lake had large canine tracks, without human tracks, so we surmised they may have been wolf. The entrance to the next Louse River section was an ambiguous floating bog but we bore to the right, and came to a beaver dam just as it was starting to drizzle.

The 125 rod portage into Louse Lake had a ‘reputation’ -- as did the next one. The first had a lot of rocks -- a whole lot -- that made footing tricky but with slow going were really not a problem. Partway through we hit a flooded section which forced us to get back in the canoe for about 10 strokes to meet the trail on the other side. The portage into Poe was maybe even rockier, but better cleared. Easy does it, not bad. We saw fresh moose tracks on this portage.

A pair of beavers slapped at us in Poe. We saw moose and wolf poop on the portage to Wine on the flat rocks toward the end. We checked out the island site on the western section of Wine but weren’t especially inspired (even though someone had left some very large moose antlers), so decided to canoe around to the eastern site near the next portage.

As we were setting up camp, thunder rumbled and it started to drizzle. Lib was engrossed in messing with our iphone 4S that we use to take pictures -- dang, out of memory! We both wracked our brains trying to remember how to get old pictures off the camera. While she did that I was hurriedly setting up the tent when the sun came out through the drizzle. “I wonder if there’s a rainbow somewhere” and we looked up and oh my gosh it was about the most brilliant double-rainbow we had ever seen. And complemented by a gorgeous sunset in the sky to the west. Still trying to get some memory on the camera to take pictures without missing the rainbow moment itself. Finally Lib conquered the beast and got a couple of shots.

We talked about next steps: still had enough nights to do the Frost. But what about the weather? Before we left the long range forecast was calling for rain the next couple of days. We brought this satellite phone for an emergency. Should we use it to call Sawbill for a weather forecast? In the end we felt it was justified, called, talked with Claire, and got a forecast for good weather the last couple of days, which sealed our plan: Onward to Frost!

For the day: 8 portages, 673 rods (counting getting lost), 5.6 miles paddling