Monday, August 29, 2022. Jesse, Oriana, and Quetico Lakes. 4 portages (100, 680, 100, and 160 meters). 11.5 miles total.

We awoke just after 6:00 from a night of light showers with lightning and rumbling thunder. Watched a bald eagle as we had breakfast, and were on the water around 8:30 and paddling into a light breeze. We headed for Cedar Portage, but were surprised by a portage (marked as rapids on some maps) around a rocky shoal that's probably passable when water levels are higher. Cedar portage into Oriana wasn't too bad for us as it's mostly downhill when traveling west, but could use some trimming work. We met two men going east on the portage with lots of camera gear, fishing gear, and solo canoes. Oriana was windy, but manageable. We met a family crew of nine plus a dog in three boats on Oriana. The first of two portages from Oriana to Quetico Lake was an easy walk that put us on a beautiful creek where we took several flower photos. The second portage put us on a very windy Quetico Lake. We fought wind and whitecaps until we found a sheltered spot for lunch. At our lunch stop, Tia found a beautiful Calypso Orchid.

After lunch the wind calmed some, and we paddled about 90 minutes before winds kicked into high gear again. After 30 minutes of hard paddling into the wind, we stopped at a campsite to rest. It wasn't our intended site for the night, and the primary tent site was directly in the wind, so we decided to have tea/coffee and see what the weather might do. An hour later we looked down the lake and saw rain coming at us. While it was a brief shower, it was followed by strong winds and more brief showers, so we set up camp away from the windy point. The campsite was at the opening of a small bay, and we spotted a trio of trumpeter swans in the bay. Dinner was veggie chili we'd made and dehydrated; dessert was lime cheesecake. We were in the tent early, with light rain still falling and the wind still roaring.