Monday, May 22, 2023
Into the Wild
I rise before the sun to break camp and get an early start today. The first white throated sparrow whistle of the day shatters the silent black sky at 4:05 AM, letting me know I am not the only one rising early in the wilderness today. The portion of the Louse River I will cover today is the most rugged part of my trip, and I have been preparing for these challenging portages ever since I settled on this route many months ago.
I push off from my wilderness resort on “Wine Island” and into the unknown, literally. The portage to Mug is just a short paddle across the lake, but I can’t locate it, in spite of multiple paddles up and down the north shore. After about 45 minutes of futile searching, I return to the campsite, step out of the canoe, and take a few deep breaths. I dig out my portage notes, and take a solid compass bearing to the portage from the campsite. Somehow, I had been paddling west from the site, when I needed to paddle east. I think that lakes such as Wine with many irregular bays are inherently disorienting, and vow to be more diligent in using my compass today. After locating the river that leads to Mug rapids and falls, I finally discover the portage, right where it was supposed to be, maybe just a bit east of where my McKenzie map had it located. Early on in the portage is a beautiful, strange rock perched on much smaller rocks known as a “dolmen” which was perhaps (incredibly) placed by ancient travelers in this area. The rest of the portage is uneventful with a steep drop down into Mug. Mug is a stunning little lake with many prominent rock features. I hear the waterfall before I see it, and when I do, I know I must detour for a closer look. The triple falls are raging, and I snap a photo or two while maneuvering the canoe very near to them. On my way across Mug, a pair of swans flies over. Getting a bit lost, a dolmen, a waterfall, and swans already today…does it get any better than this?
Mug to Poe is a very short “up and over” bypassing some steep rapids. I snap a photo of some interesting flowering plants to try to identify once I get home (Later identified as Beaked Hazel). Once on the Poe side, I have a snack, observe the swans which landed on Poe, and peel off layers of clothing in anticipation of the tough work ahead of me.
The paddle across Poe goes well enough and I quickly locate the first of the “nasty three” tough portages east of Trail Lake. The large angled, sharp, wet rocks on this portage make for a treacherous landing, and it doesn’t improve much from there. There are several spots where I need to walk through an 18” deep beaver creek as well. I spy a very interesting stiff clubmoss plant growing deep in a rock fissure while on this portage. Once I complete the slog, I am decidedly ready for breakfast and sit down right on the grassy landing to Louse to enjoy some sweet potato porridge, which tastes outstanding after this challenging portage. I am pleased with myself with this portage behind me. Predictably, as soon as I feel that way, I clumsily dump the canoe over when pushing off of the landing into Louse Lake. Fortunately the water is only thigh-deep and no gear is lost. Back to the landing I go to re-combobulate and make sure I have all my gear and my wits about me. And then I’m off again.
Louse Lake is another uneventful paddle, and soon I am tackling the notorious “beaver swamp” portage. My notes mention many travelers struggling with disorientation on this portage, so I am on high alert here. Fortunately, it isn’t too bad for me. Once reaching the swamp, I reload the canoe for about a 2 rod paddle over to the giant 8’ beaver dam. After clearing the dam, it is more “Louse standard” with mud and plenty of branches scraping the canoe but nothing too tough. This portage has many, many wild columbines growing on it.
There is one beaver dam I have to pull over on this river section before Bug.
The portage from Bug to River is muddy but uneventful.
The landing for River-Tool portage is a long flat rock to the right of the rapids. I land and lift my pack out of the canoe and immediately the boat takes off for the middle of the river. Off the rock and into the water I go again, gracefully leaping for the boat before it can get too far away. Given my penchant for this happening, I really need to figure out a reasonable “wet foot” solution for my next trip, because Muck boots aren’t very effective when you fill them with water once or twice per day.
The falls on this portage are powerful and beautiful! There are no words to describe the feeling of discovering something this gorgeous and wild so deep in the wilderness.
I take a wrong turn on Tool (really more of a river than a lake) but quickly discover the error of my ways when the river comes to a dead end. I take a couple wrong turns on the river sections today, winding my way through the water maze. But it’s pretty obvious each time it happens, and it’s not difficult to get myself back on track. Also of note is I find several ticks on me today. Considering how brushy the portages are, I am not surprised. On a more positive note, the portages are all quite easy to find and follow. They’re well traveled enough that when things get a little odd, I can usually see a footprint in the mud to re-assure me.
Tool-Trail marks the last portage of the day, and the last of these “nasty 3” that I’ve been worrying about. This is another straightforward portage, but has a notorious section that dips steeply down to a rushing little creek, then up an even-steeper smooth rock face. Today, this is a non-event, though it appears the rock face becomes quite slick if it is raining.
I’ve been looking forward to staying on Trail Lake for quite some time, due to its remote location. One of the things I love about the Boundary Waters is how each lake has a different character due to the diversity of plant and animal life. In many ways, this lake is on the opposite end of the spectrum when compared to Wine Lake. While Wine was a clear lake with airy, majestic stands of white pine and cedar, the shores of Trail are densely packed with white spruce, jack pine, and balsam fir. I actually enjoy the gnarled bark and needle tufts of jack pine, unlike some folks. I land at the southern campsite to check it out. The fire grate offers a commanding elevated view of the lake, with several friendly jack pines framing the scene. However, I still choose to paddle to the northern site, because I believe the northern bay of Trail will offer the best chance for catching a large pike. Once at the northern site, I unload and investigate. This site is decidedly more brushy with young balsam and spruce. The path to the latrine requires some serious bushwhacking around multiple recently fallen trees, and the fire grate is near the water but faces the wrong way. I set up my chair at the landing and eat a sushi/rice cold soak salad which is below average, and mix up a limeade. Then the wind begins to kick up a bit from the south. When renting the canoe, Matt at Sawbill told me he was wind bound on his first solo trip on the north end of Sawbill. As the wind continues and I find myself fighting brush anytime I want to walk around, my uneasiness grows. I would rather not spend an extra day on this site if I can avoid it! Finally, I decide to pack up all my gear and make a break for the southern site.
In twenty minutes, I’m back at the landing. This site sits behind a point that shelters it from the south wind, and the peaceful waters that surround it are mirrored by the peace I feel in my soul immediately upon landing. As I walk up the hill and begin making camp again, my spirits are buoyed further by the open space in this site, the gorgeous breezy view, and the joy of having this whole lake deep in the woods to myself. I cross to the opposite shore to gather firewood and quickly find plenty of jack pine limbs to stoke tonight’s campfire. On the way to the latrine, I find a fresh pile of moose plums. Supper tonight is scrambled eggs with sausage and salsa, since I had an extra breakfast...delicious! As the wind dies and twilight settles on the wilderness, with the whole lake to myself, I make one last trip down to the lake for an invigorating evening swim in the cold water. The grittiness and challenge of the Louse River gave me all I could handle today…and everything I ever could have wanted. This is my happy place.
Paddle distance: 3.5 miles|Travel time: 8 hours, 30 minutes
Portages: 7+1 beaver dam, 1 beaver swamp|Portage distance: 585 rods, 1.8 miles
Trail campsite south: 4.5 stars|Trail campsite north: 2 stars
~Wine Lake, Mug Lake, Poe Lake, Louse Lake, Louse River, Bug Lake, Louse River, Tool Lake, Louse River, Trail Lake