Crooked Lake

We packed and left by 10 AM to a sunny morning but the stinging and biting continued. The Warden took pictures of the blooming Pitcher Plants on our way to the first portage into the Chub River. The portages are narrow and rocky and didn’t seem well used. We had to pull over a beaver dam on the Chub. In another month I would think the water might get too low for canoes. Warclub Lake is more of a muck hole/beaver haven than what I could ever imagine. The 13 r. portage to Seahorse was neat with big boulders at the end. Seahorse is pretty and the portage to French is down hill with a little falls running next to it, but the packs and canoe seemed heavier today. Our first people we saw were 2 ladies that had just portaged in from Gillis. The Gillis portage was good but we had to paddle into the wind on Gillis. The second campsite on the west side looked nice. It was occupied but it sits high on a rock bluff. We pumped water with Katadyn Hiker and I wet a line without any luck. The 90 r. portage into Crooked was easy. We took the campsite on the big island over looking the 60’ hole. It sits on a rock bluff. In the dirt something found some turtle eggs and dug them up and had an easy meal. 6 Al canoes came into the lake from the Tarry portage. They are noisy when they are dropped on the rocks. Sounds like gunshots. I was able to catch 2 nice Lakers, 17” and 19” down from the falls of the Tarry portage. We fried them up over a fire in a cast iron pan with low sides. I know cast iron is heavy but I sure like cooking with it. The Warden made wild rice with cheese. A meal I wish could have every week. We really liked this lake other than the busy portage. We bathed tonight. We brought the solar showers but never used them. I doubt I would ever bring them again.