Boundary Waters, Trip Reports, BWCA, Stories

2020 Brant to Missing Link Solo Loop
by petzval

Trip Type: Paddling Canoe
Entry Date: 09/14/2020
Entry Point: Brant Lake (EP 52)
Exit Point: Missing Link Lake (EP 51)  
Number of Days: 5
Group Size: 1
Part 2 of 7
Day 1 September 14, 2020

My alarm got me up at 6AM, and I made my final preparations before having the French toast breakfast at 7 AM. I was on the water at Round Lake right around 8 AM. I had taken a trip out of Tuscarora one week later in 2019, and there were only three or four other cars parked there. This year, there were probably 15 or so cars parked in the longer-term lots.

There was a nice mist on Round Lake, and I got into my paddling stride pretty quickly. I knew right where I was headed as I had been on this lake and to the Brant and Missing Link portages this past July on a day trip with my family. Just before arriving to the portage, my paddle got caught behind the portage yoke that I hadn't moved as far forward as I could (and should) have. With the blade in the water, me holding on to the other end, and the shaft caught behind the yoke, the canoe started to tip! I fortunately had the sense to just let go of the damn paddle, but it woke me up and got my blood pumping! I guess there's a reason I paddle alone... I was thankful for the mist behind me that shielded my blunder from any potential onlookers back at the Tuscarora dock. It wasn't even 9AM, and I already learned my first lesson: move and fully secure the solo portage yoke as near the thwart as possible before you start paddling.

I knew that this would be a day filled with portages and loading/unloading the canoe, and I just took everything steady and careful. I carried my smaller pack and the canoe on the first trip, and then I carried my larger and heavier equipment pack on the second trip. The first portage to West Round was uneventful and pretty easy. By the time I got on to West Round it was shaping up to be an absolutely beautiful day. As I pulled up to the portage that would take me to Edith, a couple emerged headed the other way. We exchanged some pleasantries but didn't talk much as we did our best at social distancing. I figured that they had probably spent the night on Brant before heading out.

The portage from West Round to Edith was easy but consisted of many boardwalk planks which were really unnecessary this time of year (though I'm sure they are vital during the wet times). Some stretches were just a single plank, and I had some balance issues with my heavier pack – probably comical to view (there's a reason I travel alone...). When I got to the Edith side of the portage, I could see the portage trail into Brant from across the lake. So Edith was a short paddle. The fall colors were starting to pop in some places. I got my obligatory selfie with BWCA sign, and proceeded over the next trail to Brant.

Brant was a super-pretty lake on such a beautiful, windless morning. I was really happy to be on the lake and hoped that the paddling would last a while. Both of the western camp sites were occupied, and I assumed that the couple I came across earlier had come from the north-eastern campsite (I didn't paddle over to check it). A couple of guys in solo canoes (who were staying at one of the Brant sites) hit the portage trail at the same time as me. They were just on a day trip, single-portaging to fish on Bat, but I (somehow) managed to keep up with them for most of the journey. The trail from Brant to Gotter has a pretty good up, down, up, and down. My notes say that this portage “sucked, but was beautiful.” It really was beautiful. And it really sucked. Focus on the beauty!

Gotter was a cool, pretty little lake. I didn't have a great bearing on the next portage trail, and I ended up heading to the south west side of the lake before making my way to the portage trail a little farther north. The two soloists where unloading while another pair (nice guys from La Crosse, Wisconsin) were putting in to Gotter on their way out of the wilderness. They said that Gillis was a destination lake and were looking forward to returning some day. That boded well for me, as Gillis was my target that day. I asked if it was crowded, and they said no. The portage trail from Gotter to Flying was a breeze after the previous portage. I didn't think there was any way it could be 50 rods if the previous was 88. I double portaged it quick enough that the soloists were putting in at the bottom of the stairs when I returned with my final load. I gave them plenty of space and time and rested for a short spell, admiring the beautiful view from atop the trail.

The paddle on Flying to the portage leading to Green was short, sweet, and lovely. The portage trail from Flying to Green was less-lovely. BIG uphill and BIG downhill. I passed another group coming out of Gilles who told me that it was pretty empty at this point. It was at the end of this portage that I was starting to feel the first hints of fatigue. But I was still inspired by the beauty as I took notice of how Green Lake might have gotten its name. The water looks kind of green. Not in a gross algae kind of way, but just in a clear “emerald” kind of way. Perhaps I was hallucinating. I had taken a bearing from the Flying portage to the Bat portage which ended up “hiding” from me in an area of tall reeds. I was proud of myself for paddling straight to the portage based on my map and compass reading – a skill still in development for me.

The portage to Bat was short and easy but one of the more rocky paths thus far on the trip. By the time I got everything to Bat, I was really dragging. My legs were tired. It was about 12:30, and I hadn't eaten since 7 that morning. So I decided to have a quick sandwich that I had brought to recharge the batteries. That was a great strategy, and I knew that a was well-fueled to make it to Gillis.

Bat was another pretty lake, and it felt bigger than all of the previous lakes. I could tell that the wind was picking up. I just kind of followed the south-eastern shore, passed the two camp sites, and found the portage trail with ease. The day trippers were having lunch at the first campsite, and the second campsite was occupied. I was still hopeful for some empty campsites on Gillis, though, based on my conversations with the groups I had passed.

Getting out at the portage trail from Bat to Gillis was a bit of a challenge as there we're many great places to step out. I found a spot, held on to a rock, and pitched my map and paddle out. As soon as I did, I lost grip on the rock, and the (now increasing) wind pushed my canoe away from the trail and back into the lake with me in it. Did I mention that I had pitched my paddle? I was literally up a creek (or lake at least) without a paddle. By hook or by crook, I managed to get my canoe back to the trail, but I'm sure I looked ridiculous “paddling” with finger splashes and cursing the entire time (there's a reason I travel alone...). So I learned my second lesson of the day: keep your paddle in the canoe until you and it are on dry land. I realize that most normal people don't need to learn this lesson the hard way.

The portage into Gillis was short but super-rocky, and I was really dragging by this time. Of course, as can happen in the BWCA in the early afternoon, the wind was really starting to pick up. By the time I got everything loaded and was pushing off, there weren't quite whitecaps on the lake, but the waves were getting pretty rough – rougher than I liked.

I really wanted to check the campsite on the east side of the lake, but the wind was blowing from the south, and it would have been a really tough paddle. I decided, instead, to stick to the northern shoreline and check out the two campsites closer to the portage trail. I quickly saw the first campsite up on the bluff, and it was unoccupied. It looked really exposed, though, so I didn't even get out to check it out. I was a bit tempted as the waves were high enough to be splashing into my canoe, but I pushed on to the second site on the north side (camp site 505) which was really my target with the amazing view of the southern sky (I had hoped to do some Milky Way photography). It was open, and I was so relieved to be getting out of the water for the day. I had prepared at the final put-in to collect water in my Platypus dirty water bag and did so before my final landing.

I arrived at the wonderful landing to the camp site at around 1:40 PM. I unloaded and secured the canoe, started my water filter, and then I sat on one of the logs by the fire grate and just kind of took in the beauty and fatigue before setting up the rest of camp. The campsite has areas that were exposed to the southern wind, but it also had plenty of areas that were protected. I took the nice tent pad by the fire grate. It had gotten pretty hazy (I would later learn from the fires in California), so I didn't even unpack my camera gear. After I set up camp, I explored some of the trails a bit, sat on the rock overlooking the lake, and eventually had dinner (I just do simple put-boiling-water-in-a-bag dinners). The wind calmed a bit before dusk, and I saw two guys in a canoe take a paddle on Gillis from the eastern campsite that I had considered investigating earlier – so glad I didn't waste the time or energy!

After a nip or two (or three or four, well, the number doesn't quite matter) of Irish whiskey, I retired to my tent at about 7 PM where I made some notes of the day on my voice recorder. I was beat, but I made a specific note to remind myself of how grateful I was to get to be here and do this and how much I loved my family back home. The wind was on and off again, but I was snug as a bug in my tent with my air mattress and sleeping bag, and I had an amazing night's sleep in the quiet wilderness.

Lakes traveled: Round, West Round, Edith, Brant, Gotter, Flying, Green, Bat, and Gillis 8 portages, 370 rods (x3 = 3.5miles), 4.4 miles of paddling

My route for the day.

Delicious start to the trip!

Beautiful morning from the Tuscarora dock on Round Lake.

Round Lake side of the Round to West Round portage. Note the location of the portage yoke with regard to the thwart and imagine a paddle stroke from the seat.

Early Fall colors on West Round.

Single-plank boardwalk = careful (and perhaps humorous-looking) balancing...

Entering the Wilderness!

Beautiful morning on Brant Lake.

Taking a moment to enjoy the beauty on the portage trail between Brant and Gotter.

Gotter Lake as seen from the portage landing to/from Brant Lake.

Gotter Lake as seen from the portage landing to/from Flying Lake.

The stairs to Flying Lake from the Gotter portage trail.

Green Lake from the Green to Bat portage trail (zoom in on the portage yoke and note its location relative to the thwart – much better!).

My lakeside vacation home for the evening.

Looking east of south from campsite 505.

Looking south from campsite 505. The haze is from fires in California – no stargazing tonight!