Saturday, August 12, 2023 Yep, it's still raining.....that soul sucking low cloud drizzle. Jesse got up to see if maybe it was just dripping off the trees but nope, it's a low grey cloudy mess. He knows I might have kept going yesterday and already be warm and dry in Duluth, but I've left it up to him. This is his one trip of the year, and I have way better rain gear, and I don't get bored in the woods. Whatever we do is fine by me, but he has never ended a trip early for any reason. Now he's standing outside the tent, and I hear him say "I hate to even say this, but should we bail?" I'm so proud of him! It's taken until he turned 40, but he's learned to change his mind. I pack up the inside of the tent while he gets the other gear squared away and we off down that annoying set of portage, paddle 10 seconds, portage, repeat that leads to Round Lake.

The portage out of Brandt has been totally redone since we came through 2 weeks ago- it's uphill and out of the muck. Nicely done!

Showers and lunch at Trail center and headed home- I tell Jesse that I want to pretend that all the wet gear in the back of my car doesn't exist until tomorrow and he agrees to come over and help me get everything dried out tomorrow.

  ~Round Lake, West Round Lake, Edith Lake, Brant Lake, Gotter Lake, Flying Lake, Green Lake, Bat Lake