Tuesday, May 27, 2025

Today we wake up just before 7 to grab breakfast at Evergreen Restaurant. On our first trip, I did not properly plan a place to eat in the morning which was not a fun lesson to learn. So going over to Evergreen was a great choice for breakfast and some much needed coffee. Another benefit of eating somewhere other than the bunkhouse is that it allowed us to use the bathroom. No matter how big a bunkhouse is, it only takes one visit to the bathroom to share that smell amongst the rest of your group.

When we get back to the outfitter, it’s time for packing, repacking, and last-minute decision making. I should have packed more ahead of time. The one thing I did pack in advance was all kitchen equipment into my 65L backpacking pack. This would be smaller and easier to carry than a traditional portage pack. I can already tell that it will be the standard for future trips. With the amount of gear to bring and how to pack it, I find it’s difficult to communicate that to newcomers. Should my friends just have their clothes in dry bags? Do they need their own backpack style bags? At some point, you just have to roll with it. In my experience, new people won’t truly know until they go on a trip. Due to having a group of 5, we ended up opting for a two-person and three-person canoe. This was probably the right choice instead of having a solo canoe. But the length of the three-person would cause a minor issue on the river.

We opted for the full shuttle service due to less hassle. I thought about leaving vehicles at the end point but that would prove to be a challenge because I still had my kayak on top of my car. It’s worth paying a little extra to not worry about all of that. Our shuttle driver ended up being the same driver we had back in 2022! It’s a short drive to Entry Point 34: Island River and a little time is spent figuring out which packs go in what canoes when we get there. We take another group picture before heading off and finally, we are on the water and trip has officially begun. The weather is calm and there’s a slow current to the river which helps everyone make those initial adjustments once you’re in the canoe.

We ran into a solo fisherman at the first portage and a family group heading the opposite way on our second portage. The portaging is where the real work happens. Due to having fresh food along for this trip, our food pack and barrel are by far the heaviest. I try to carry these as little as possible, as does everyone else.

On the Isabella River, we decide to stop at campsite #1938 also known as the Stonehenge site. This will make today a little easier and we plan on tackling the rest of the river tomorrow. The site is nice but it’s fairly compact next to the fire area. If you weren’t careful, you could easily burn a hole in your tent. Upon arriving, the first order of business is always to set up the tents and air pads. I find that it’s important to take care of that right away, no matter how early you arrive. We climb up on some rocks to get a better view of the surrounding area which is neat because of how far you can see because of the Pagami Creek Fire in 2011.

With plenty of sunlight left in the day, we decide to do some fishing. Having researched our route, I knew that there should be some walleye holes in the river. Not long after the first line is in the water there it is…FISH ON FISH ON! My buddy caught a walleye on the first cast. It’s always fun to see how the first catch prompts the rest of the group to get lines in the water. Leeches with slip bobbers would be the name of the game this trip. We end up catching 3 eater sized walleyes before dinner.

In my last trip report, I said I wouldn’t be doing steaks for dinner on the first night anymore. It’s too much of a pain to cook steaks for that many people. So, the change on this trip would be burgers with all the fixings, including potato salad and cowboy beans on the side. Cooking the burgers was much quicker than steaks. And having a handheld meal (other than the sides) makes clean up easy. Another change this year for the meals was opting to bring paper plates instead of plastic ones. At home, I don’t mind doing dishes. But when I’m camping? I can’t stand them. This would prove to be a welcomed change.

The food turned out great. Biting into a burger with romaine lettuce, tomatoes, and onions really elevated the level of freshness. While dinner was going on, we had a pair of swans fly overhead. They couldn’t have been more than 50’ above us. There was another pair hanging around the bend in the river which was a nice sight to see. With full bellies, some go back to fishing while others play Uno. We had a lot of fun although there was quite a discussion around the rules regarding when you have to declare “uno”. This commotion would continue each night we played.

As it got darker, the fire was rolling and melted someone’s sandals that they had right next to it. An unfortunate start to the trip. Something I’ve seen and experienced before when camping. You never realize how hot a fire is until it’s too late. Good thing I brought duct tape but we wouldn’t be attempting a repair job tonight. Following the ordeal, we were left with no choice but to make some s’mores. We put together a perfect little prep table to melt the chocolate before adding the mallow. An excellent decision. Maybe the best smore I’ve ever had.

Last year, my friend who has been with me on every trip expressed he wanted to bring an iPad or a tablet to watch movies each night. So, he pulled it out and we threw on Twisters to end the night. I have to admit, I’m not the biggest fan of bringing technology into the wilderness but the guys in my group loved it. And if the group is happy, the trip leader is happy. I would wake up tonight at about 4AM to go to the bathroom and I believe I saw Mercury off to the East.