Temperance River / Frost River / Kelso River
by Hamstirly
Trip Type:
Paddling Canoe
Entry Date:
06/08/2025
Entry & Exit Point:
Sawbill Lake (EP 38)
Number of Days:
6
Group Size:
7
Discuss Trip:
View Discussion Thread (3 messages)
Part 3 of 7
Day 2 - Brule to… Brule? Campsite #957
Come morning we saw the campsite for how beautiful it was--finally without some rain. We opted to make breakfast with the stove to be quick, and cooked two dozen eggs. Not a single egg was broken after more than 600 rods! No time for bacon though. Turns out the reflective metal that comes with the stove is VERY helpful in keeping the flame from going out and cooking faster.
Our plan for the day is this: Base camp here, paddle to east end of Brule and hike the Brule lake trail to Eagle mountain. Long and tough, but no need to set up camp at the end. Getting to the east side is smooth sailing, with just a light cross headwind.
When we arrive at the EP we find DNR officers waiting on shore who tell us that our permits are void if we step on land, nevermind that all of the trail and Eagle mountain are entirely in the BWCA. I understand the point of the rule, but we were more than a little disappointed. We got hit with a couple awesome lines from the DNR duo: “I’m not a fed” and “Food for thought.” We weren’t willing to bushwhack the quarter mile to the trail through the part of the BWCA that connects the two just to hike for miles, so we formed a canoe flotilla by holding the boats together and drifted around the bay to eat lunch. Saltines, Ritz, summer sausage, blocks of cheese, and the leftover dried tomatoes.
As we ate, the wind got much worse. Going back to camp we were going straight into a crazy headwind that was kicking up whitecaps and foot tall waves. Bowmen got crazy airtime going over those suckers. After two emergency pull offs to poop (One guy blames the summer sausage) and an argument about the merits of staying near the shore in capsizing conditions (guess which side I was on) we very slowly made our way around the edge of the lake. Even caught a light misting from some dark clouds. But everyone made it back safe, and it was bright and sunny by the time we got to the campsite. We had an early dinner of chilli and smores, and even a few minutes to read before dark. All in all, a much nicer day and night than the first. A camping constitution rules amendment is proposed and quickly adopted: “Don’t talk about the weather.”
~Brule Lake
Come morning we saw the campsite for how beautiful it was--finally without some rain. We opted to make breakfast with the stove to be quick, and cooked two dozen eggs. Not a single egg was broken after more than 600 rods! No time for bacon though. Turns out the reflective metal that comes with the stove is VERY helpful in keeping the flame from going out and cooking faster.
Our plan for the day is this: Base camp here, paddle to east end of Brule and hike the Brule lake trail to Eagle mountain. Long and tough, but no need to set up camp at the end. Getting to the east side is smooth sailing, with just a light cross headwind.
When we arrive at the EP we find DNR officers waiting on shore who tell us that our permits are void if we step on land, nevermind that all of the trail and Eagle mountain are entirely in the BWCA. I understand the point of the rule, but we were more than a little disappointed. We got hit with a couple awesome lines from the DNR duo: “I’m not a fed” and “Food for thought.” We weren’t willing to bushwhack the quarter mile to the trail through the part of the BWCA that connects the two just to hike for miles, so we formed a canoe flotilla by holding the boats together and drifted around the bay to eat lunch. Saltines, Ritz, summer sausage, blocks of cheese, and the leftover dried tomatoes.
As we ate, the wind got much worse. Going back to camp we were going straight into a crazy headwind that was kicking up whitecaps and foot tall waves. Bowmen got crazy airtime going over those suckers. After two emergency pull offs to poop (One guy blames the summer sausage) and an argument about the merits of staying near the shore in capsizing conditions (guess which side I was on) we very slowly made our way around the edge of the lake. Even caught a light misting from some dark clouds. But everyone made it back safe, and it was bright and sunny by the time we got to the campsite. We had an early dinner of chilli and smores, and even a few minutes to read before dark. All in all, a much nicer day and night than the first. A camping constitution rules amendment is proposed and quickly adopted: “Don’t talk about the weather.”
~Brule Lake
Donate - BWCA.com