Sunday, June 23, 2024 - Seagull Lake We wake up at 5:30 am feeling a bit cold this morning at Piece of Heaven Campground in Rice Lake Wisconsin. We usually catch a bunkhouse or campground close to our entry point the night before we set out, but this year we decided to try something new and enter the wilderness the day we arrive to the BWCAW. After breaking camp we are all excited to continue our road trip northward, to the majestic beauty of the north woods. We'll be targeting the Gunflint Trail area this year. Before we get too far, we stop for breakfast at Lona's Corner Cafe in Haugen for breakfast. It's our go to breakfast stop. Over the years, we've made it our custom to travel from the Indianapolis Indiana area to Rice Lake on the first day of our trip where we stay at Piece of Heaven Campground. This little campground has a clean bathroom/shower, great people, free firewood, the perfect place to stop for the night. We shake down our gear, unwind from the daily hustle bustle of everyday life, and talk about past trips and expectations of this year's trip. A few years ago we stopped in at Lana's Corner Cafe for breakfast, and it was great food, great atmosphere, and great people so we decided to have breakfast there again this year. After breakfast we embark northward toward Grand Marais, MN. Everyone was ready to eat again when we arrive in Grand Marais so we stop in the Fisherman's Daughter Fish Market. They might be the best fish and chips I've ever had. On to the Gunflint Trail.... Not far after we passed Trail Center, we noticed a blue Dodge truck pulled off on the side of the road. We slowed down to make sure everything was ok and noticed a moose walking along the side of the lake. What a cool start to our trip!! Not long and we arrive at Seagull Outfitters. There are 9 of us this year: Dad, Noah, Joel, Levi, Christopher, Quinton, Angelina, Dakota, and myself. We'll be renting 3 MN3 canoes from Deb and Crew at Seagull Outfitters. We've outfitted with Seagull Outfitters several times, and have always had a great experience!! It has been raining off and on most of the day, but the sun is starting to come out now. It's about 4:30 pm as we paddle away from the dock at Seagull Outfitters, on a southwesterly heading looking to find an open campsite on Seagull for the night. The wind lays down, the sun is out, life is good! We arrive at site #448 on the south shore of Seagull with plenty of daylight remaining in the day. We set up camp, tidy up our gear, and even decide to go for an afternoon swim. This site has a great rock to jump into the lake from. I end up putting new fishing line on a few reels. Joel and Quinton went fishing. They caught a few, but we decided to release them instead of clean them for dinner. Joel and Quinton were trolling and got their lines crossed and tangled, so we cut off some of the new line. Dad and I joked about it and had a good laugh. Levi and I went swimming and scrambled around on the rocks. Christopher has pretty much become camp chef over the years, and doesn't disappoint with our first dinner of the trip. We noticed a beaver swim by our site this evening. The weather is perfect, today has been the perfect start to our trip, spirits are high, lots of laughing and everyone is having fun. With our large group of 9, we decided to bring a mix of tents and hammocks. Levi, Joel and I look over the map and discuss our goals for tomorrow. As the first day of our trek comes to an end, I realize how lucky I am that my Dad introduced me to this great wilderness years ago. I'm so thankful. Campsite #448 is nice. I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5. Rocky landing, but easy to unload. Large enough for 3 tents, small trees, not great for hammocking. Latrine is uphill, a bit of work to get to it. The fishing near camp was fair. Great site for swimming.