Weather says 40% chance of rain on Friday with a possible thunderstorm. I decide to leave early ish and find a camp closer to the entry pint in case the weather predictions get worse by tomorrow. Then I can wait for good breaks in weather to get back, and split the return journey into two days. I don’t decide on a campsite when I set off, I just plan to paddle a decent amount, check the weather for late afternoon and tonight, as it might rain today too. We’ll see how far I get before I’m tired, hungry, or the weather gets iffy.

I clean up everything, pack it all up. My neighbors have all left this morning it seems. Possibly for the same reasons.

The wind is again very strong and in my face. Too bad it switched and I couldn’t ride it back. Sometimes the wind is just not ever on your side…

I quickly find myself back in burn territory. So fast it changes.

The lake seems smaller. That’s nice I guess.

Eventually I get to the portage to leave Insula. There’s a group ahead of me. I haven’t talked to anyone in about five or six days so it’s nice to see them. They are taking breaks in various spots after fighting the same wind. I passed them pretty fast on the portage since they were all taking breaks. I doubled back for my packs and by then had talked to all four of them. The oldest was 82, and he was quick on his feet. The others were all older than me by a quite a bit. I’m 45. Though one may have been my age at least three were decades older.

They commented on my canoe, and I told them it’s history, how I just picked it up, and showed them the new seat I webbed, and the sanded and oiled trim, and we all admired my new boat. It was nice to have it be so appreciated.

We traded some pictures and talked about how they still come here even as old as there are. They liked that I was solo, and my boat was tidy and my system seemed efficient. I think they were all from cornucopia. Or at least reside there currently. They seemed like knowledgeable paddlers and talked about kayaking superior.

I gave one some of my fruit punch mix and he was very happy to have some zing in his tummy. He was very thirsty, and I realized we all were, so I filled up my water filter quick and a couple of us refilled.

I had another quick erig sesh before they came back down the trail so I was in a chatty mood.

They left, almost without one of their maps, and I let them get some distance eon me so I wasn’t on their ass or passing them right way. I checked the time and it was already 1pm somehow, we had chatted a long time. I move at a decent pace for a solo paddler sit and switch style, so I decided to fish a bit by the falls next to the portage. As mentioned before, easy pickings. I should have kept some for a gift for the group ahead of me, as I passed their campsite along the river a bit later in the day. They said hi one last time and I was by myself for the day after that. I liked that group of friends. They were very nice.

I ended up fighting wind the entire time. I paddled relentlessly after taking so much time at the portage with them, and then fishing. The clouds were a bit ominous and the sun was gone. Weather predicted some rain by early evening and at 430 or so I found myself starving. I ate faster than most humans ever do at a portage where the next few short ones all are. Summer sausage, just flew off my knife into my mouth and disappeared like water does when your parched. Same as my Swiss cheese, and blueberry bagel I smashed up thin. I drank some fruit punch and decided I was going to power through to the entry point, even if it rains. So that ment I could exhaust my trail mix and last few sour watermelon Mike and Ike’s buried inside the pile.

2000 calories in 5 minutes.

Back to paddling.

Felt much better. My body was a machine at this point.

I landed at 745. The sun had come back out right at sunset and the wind died and the skeeters came out while I was rigging the canoe up to the jeep.

I left towards Ely, gas gauge on e after my double back error for the food cooler…

I got gas in town, and a drunk tourist in front of me bought 80 dollars of lotto tickets, and then complained how much his camels were to the young lady at the register. Then she said sorry and he gave her 5 bucks. I watched him walk out and I’m pretty sure he was driving the Audi r8 that was pulled over in town. Idk though.

I was already missing the woods after that.

See you out there.