West Pike was calm when we woke up on morning 4. There was a cool fog all around camp. It was not going to stick around though. The warm up was on, being brought in by VERY strong winds, according to the weather radio. Originally we were planning on moving to Clearwater, checking out the overlook of Mountain and some more fishing. We couldn't afford to get wind bound for a few days though. Unfortunately this meant it was time to pack up and get the heck off the water before we were stuck.

Paddling through West Pike we figured out that every site on the lake was occupied. Oddly enough this fall trip was the first I've been on where I haven't gone at least a day without seeing another group. We made our last portage of the trip into Clearwater. The crazy thing about this trip was every new lake seemed to be prettier than the last. It was impossible to pick a favorite. We paddled past some campsites and the portage to Mountain and I was bummed about what we were leaving unexplored. Shoot, I guess that means I'll have to come back! After paddling the length of Clearwater and dealing with some strong gusts, we were back at the entry point. It was turning out to be a very nice day. We had forgotten what the sun looked like. Here is the video covering the last part of our trip.

Taking out a day early did not mean the trip was over. We camped in Grand Marais and explored the town a little. Dad and Mike whooped Andy and I in cards. Before leaving the next morning Andy and I walked down to grab some of the world's best donuts for the trip back home. All in all it was an awesome trip, even if the weather and fishing didn't cooperate.

~West Pike Lake, Pine Lake