The Best Trip Yet (Well, Mostly)
by TrailZen
Trip Type:
Paddling Canoe
Entry Date:
08/27/2023
Entry & Exit Point:
Moose Lake to Prairie Portage (EP G)
Number of Days:
10
Group Size:
2
Discuss Trip:
View Discussion Thread (26 messages)
Part 9 of 11
Day 9, September 4, 2023. Eagles and Emerald. 6.0 miles, 3 portages, 1 beaver dam. That Man, no-name, Emerald, and Carp Lakes.
We had another beautiful sunrise over a glassy lake this morning. The lake was still smooth when we broke camp and headed for the portage into a no-name on our way to Emerald. The two portages into Emerald weren't as well-traveled as those along the Man Chain, and the second of those had a crazy-steep descent into Emerald. At one spot there was a 2-foot step down where, carrying the canoe and drybag pack, I elected to sit down to make the step. Thankfully, recent trail crew work had cleared the portage trail of the four 12-15” DBH white cedars that fell victim to wind last winter. I can't imagine trying to thread a canoe through that mess before the crew's work! It's obvious where Emerald got her name, and we stopped for photos before moving on to Carp.
Sunrise on That Man Lake.
Bald Eagle pair across from our campsite.
Emerald water in Emerald Lake.
We entered Carp Lake, our destination for the night, around 10:00, and wondered if paddlers who are moving today have even cleared their campsites yet.. Coming out of the portage from Emerald we lifted over a low beaver dam, then stopped at the first campsite we saw just to update our campsite map and to rest. Around 11:00 we paddled on down Carp, continuing to update our campsite map and looking for a site with shade from the western sun—the temperature is again in the 80s. We ended up in a compact but nice site near the southern end of Carp that should let us reach Moose Lake before noon tomorrow. We had lots of down time this afternoon, and filled it with Patrick McManus stories and Farkle competitions.
I mentioned earlier that we each carry a map and compass. This evening, while reviewing our maps and making plans for tomorrow, I discovered that my aging Silva compass died today. The needle pivot, no idea how, is damaged and the needle has fallen off the post. We figured it's probably 40+ years old, so we got our money's worth from it, but we're certainly glad we carry two maps and two compasses.
Our last Canoe Country sunset for a while-Carp Lake.
We had another beautiful sunrise over a glassy lake this morning. The lake was still smooth when we broke camp and headed for the portage into a no-name on our way to Emerald. The two portages into Emerald weren't as well-traveled as those along the Man Chain, and the second of those had a crazy-steep descent into Emerald. At one spot there was a 2-foot step down where, carrying the canoe and drybag pack, I elected to sit down to make the step. Thankfully, recent trail crew work had cleared the portage trail of the four 12-15” DBH white cedars that fell victim to wind last winter. I can't imagine trying to thread a canoe through that mess before the crew's work! It's obvious where Emerald got her name, and we stopped for photos before moving on to Carp.
We entered Carp Lake, our destination for the night, around 10:00, and wondered if paddlers who are moving today have even cleared their campsites yet.. Coming out of the portage from Emerald we lifted over a low beaver dam, then stopped at the first campsite we saw just to update our campsite map and to rest. Around 11:00 we paddled on down Carp, continuing to update our campsite map and looking for a site with shade from the western sun—the temperature is again in the 80s. We ended up in a compact but nice site near the southern end of Carp that should let us reach Moose Lake before noon tomorrow. We had lots of down time this afternoon, and filled it with Patrick McManus stories and Farkle competitions.
I mentioned earlier that we each carry a map and compass. This evening, while reviewing our maps and making plans for tomorrow, I discovered that my aging Silva compass died today. The needle pivot, no idea how, is damaged and the needle has fallen off the post. We figured it's probably 40+ years old, so we got our money's worth from it, but we're certainly glad we carry two maps and two compasses.
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