Mid-Summer Lac La Croix Paddling Trip
by Kwkoth
Trip Type:
Paddling Canoe
Entry Date:
06/28/2021
Entry Point:
Little Indian Sioux River (north) (EP 14)
Exit Point:
Moose/Portage River (north) (EP 16)
Number of Days:
8
Group Size:
5
Discuss Trip:
View Discussion Thread (2 messages)
Day 7 of 8
Saturday, July 03, 2021 – It’s still pretty warm this morning – definitely the warmest morning so far. James dials up a weather forecast that calls for hot dry weather (highs in the 90’s) with light winds.
Our plan is to paddle down to Lake Agnes and find a campsite. That will leave a fairly long paddle out on the following day to EP 16. We have the option of taking the long way or taking a portage that will cut off 1 – 2 miles of paddling. We agree on the portage.
We’re on the water paddling at 8:10 AM. We paddle for an hour to reach the portage and unload. It’s a steep up and down to a small lake. We paddle across the lake and in 5 – 10 minutes we’re at the 2nd portage that connects us to Lake Agnes. This portage follows along a creek flowing out of Lake Agnes.
There are several groups heading in the opposite direction. They relate stories of bear activity on the west side of the lake. There are reports of bears getting into hanging food bags and even bears approaching a group during lunch. The Rangers were warning everyone coming in from EP 16. None of the groups we met had encountered bears themselves, but were just relaying the news.
We paddle into Agnes and agree to paddle down the east shore to look for a campsite. We were concerned about competition for campsites since it is a holiday weekend, but apparently, the reports of bears are keeping the human traffic down.
We find another large campsite (Campsite 1803) with lots of tent sites not quite halfway down on the east side. It’s mid-day, but we decide this is a good site and not to risk looking further and possibly having to back track.
We don’t see any bears while eating lunch but there are chipmonks and ground squirrels and even a fisher looking for a handout. We’ll need to be a bit more careful with food and decide to get an early start to find trees for hanging. My method is to tie a rock to the rope and toss it over the limb. On my first attempt I get the rock hung up in the branches. I decide to yank it down and start over and yank – the rock comes down hard on the top of my head. I'm more embarrassed than hurt. Kathy heard it and comes over to find me on my knees holding my head. It’s a little bloody and will require some first aid. I go ahead and get the ropes run and bags hung and report to Cyd and Kathy for medical treatment. Then it’s time for a swim to cool off.
We have another relaxing afternoon. The campsite is shady and there’s a breeze coming off the lake. We clean up a little more seriously after dinner and move all of our odorous products, tooth paste, etc. to the food bags to hang. Kathy requests an early wake-up call tomorrow morning so we can get an early start for our paddle out.
Our plan is to paddle down to Lake Agnes and find a campsite. That will leave a fairly long paddle out on the following day to EP 16. We have the option of taking the long way or taking a portage that will cut off 1 – 2 miles of paddling. We agree on the portage.
We’re on the water paddling at 8:10 AM. We paddle for an hour to reach the portage and unload. It’s a steep up and down to a small lake. We paddle across the lake and in 5 – 10 minutes we’re at the 2nd portage that connects us to Lake Agnes. This portage follows along a creek flowing out of Lake Agnes.
There are several groups heading in the opposite direction. They relate stories of bear activity on the west side of the lake. There are reports of bears getting into hanging food bags and even bears approaching a group during lunch. The Rangers were warning everyone coming in from EP 16. None of the groups we met had encountered bears themselves, but were just relaying the news.
We paddle into Agnes and agree to paddle down the east shore to look for a campsite. We were concerned about competition for campsites since it is a holiday weekend, but apparently, the reports of bears are keeping the human traffic down.
We find another large campsite (Campsite 1803) with lots of tent sites not quite halfway down on the east side. It’s mid-day, but we decide this is a good site and not to risk looking further and possibly having to back track.
We don’t see any bears while eating lunch but there are chipmonks and ground squirrels and even a fisher looking for a handout. We’ll need to be a bit more careful with food and decide to get an early start to find trees for hanging. My method is to tie a rock to the rope and toss it over the limb. On my first attempt I get the rock hung up in the branches. I decide to yank it down and start over and yank – the rock comes down hard on the top of my head. I'm more embarrassed than hurt. Kathy heard it and comes over to find me on my knees holding my head. It’s a little bloody and will require some first aid. I go ahead and get the ropes run and bags hung and report to Cyd and Kathy for medical treatment. Then it’s time for a swim to cool off.
We have another relaxing afternoon. The campsite is shady and there’s a breeze coming off the lake. We clean up a little more seriously after dinner and move all of our odorous products, tooth paste, etc. to the food bags to hang. Kathy requests an early wake-up call tomorrow morning so we can get an early start for our paddle out.
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