Saturday, June 10, 2023 The steady breeze from the north continued to build overnight and brought some rain . The wind persisted all day Saturday making for a good day to hang out in camp and read a good book. The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis kept us occupied until we had a surprise visit from a couple Forest Service Rangers.

They asked to check our permit and wanted to know how we were storing food, checked around the site a little and went on their way. I use a 5 gallon bucket with gamma seal lid for food storage and still choose to hang the food. This seemed to make the rangers happy. They said bears are not a problem where I was but lax food storage efforts by too many people too often is making problem bears more common. They also requested that I report any issues with sites or portages and pack out any trash I find if possible due to short staffing making it harder for the Forest Service to keep things taken care of. This was my first experience with the Forest service and only my second trip in the BWCA. I read about interactions with rangers on this site and felt at ease having some knowledge of how these things work typically. They were curtious and professional.

The afternoon brought a drop in the wind so my son and I set out to catch dinner. A small mouth and some freeze dried Mac and Cheese made for dinner and them an early retreat to the protection of bug nets on the hammocks as the mosquitos emerged with the dying wind and evening hours. We finnished the book and listened to the loons calling across the lake. I really love that sound.