With lower temps and less humidity, I was finally able to sleep well through the night. Because we were trying to get moving this morning, breakfast was oatmeal. We aren't usually quick movers on any trips unless absolutely necessarily. Probably could've heated up some precooked bacon but I knew we had 2 big portages today and wasn't sure if we'd be fighting others for a site.

The portage to East Pike Lake would be tied for the longest of the trip @ 210 rods. It was long but the path was nice. Once we got to East Pike, we had the wind to our backs which really made for a quick paddle. There was at least 1 group camping on East Pike but I wasn't keeping a great eye out so there may have been more. As we finished the portage to West Pike, we huddled quick to discuss campsites we should target. My priorities were the last 2 (725, 726) or the island site (2017). Once I mentioned island site, that's what the group wanted, rightfully so.

As we approached the island site, we noticed our friend Detroit John had taken the island. This brought the mood down for a moment as everyone really liked the idea of camping on an island. We ended up pulling up to site 726 (which I had marked as my #1 choice for West Pike) and it couldn't have been a better site. This was our first quintessential BWCA campsite of the trip. Plenty of room, tall pines and lots of water access. One great thing about this site was there was a rocky shoreline on the West side with a bay which happened to be out of the wind, making it feel like a hot summer day.

Spirits were high at our camp on West Pike Lake. We would only have 1 portage left for the entire trip and we had the best campsite of the trip. Tonight's dinner would be chili prepared by my friend who dehydrated all ingredients. Similar to how I was nervous about the fajitas, he was worried about the chili. It turned out excellent. It was during dinner preparation that I noticed we still had ice in the Boundary Waters Journal Food Pack. Very satisfied with the performance, it will be a staple of all future trips.

Tonight, would also be our first night of an incredibly clear sky and great view from our site. Probably the best stars any of us have ever seen. Countless shooting stars and the it felt like you could reach out and touch the Milky Way if you were a bit taller. Hard to truly express how great the view was, the photos will never do justice. Reflecting on this moment of the trip, it was a feeling of bliss to remember standing on the rocks and just looking up in awe.