Thursday, May 29, 2025

It’s another beautiful sunny morning in camp. I really can’t emphasize enough how fantastic the weather has been. No rush today so we take our time making some breakfast sandwiches. They are always a hit but it’s more than I want to eat in the morning sometimes. It has me debating about only doing oatmeal/granola/snacks and precooked bacon for breakfasts. There’s always so much to do in the morning and cooking a meal takes some time and energy, especially with a fire. This may be a question I propose to the group next year. Oatmeal could get tiring after a few days but I’m sure I can find a way to spice it up a bit.

The target today is the last site on Bald Eagle (1719) which appears to be a fantastic site. The back up would be the island site on Gabbro (1717). Sure enough, both sites are taken. Group members asked if this is the standard, sites you want being taken. I explain that it's always a gamble. Especially on lakes that are more popular. I mention how last year on the Clearwater loop, we got the last site available on Moose Lake which I thought wouldn’t have been busy at all. You really never know until you get out there. The key is to not get too frustrated when sites are taken. It’s easy to say that now but in the moment of a long day, it’s impossible to agree with.

We end up taking the next site on Gabbro (1716). I didn’t want to progress too far into Gabbro since we still had another night in our trip. I will say, this site has some great sun-bathing rocks. A nice gentle slope going right into the water. With temperatures in the mid-70s today and a light breeze, everyone is happy. We spend our time swimming, washing off, and enjoying the sun. I’m a big fan of swimming with my PFD on in the Boundary Waters. It’s not just for safety; I just like not having to tread water. I think the group needed a relaxing day like today and our site accompanied that vibe. It is significantly hazier today, at least in the distance. I’m confident it’s from a fire, I’m not sure which one. Due to dry conditions this spring, it was possible a fire ban could have been implemented but there wasn’t one when we departed or since.

During our leisurely day, time was spent looking at the maps. Talking about the Boundary Waters; past trips and where I’d like to go next. Our first trip was Farm Lake to Lake One and we did get to Gabbro on that trip. It was interesting to be heading into a familiar area. Part of the reason I’m in this area again is the proximity to Ely with it being a first trip for 3/5 group members. My next trip I’m looking to go into the Northwest portion of Boundary Waters. Ideally, I'd like to see some pictographs and get on some border water again. I ramble on about my thoughts for future trips. Another thought I had is that I wonder what it would be like sharing a tent with someone other than the person you share a canoe with. That’s how it’s always been on these trips. You share a canoe you share a tent. And a lot of the gear can be shared in a portage pack. It just makes sense. At the same time, would you enjoy getting some space between the person you’re naturally spending the most time with? I think that could be the case too.

We took a short day trip out to 2 small islands in the lake. A fun little excursion that prompted us to think about fishing here. Not now. But maybe at night or in the morning. Time will tell. And time goes on. The day is moving and soon enough we start getting some shore fishing in from the site. With the way our site is laid out and sloped, there are plenty of opportunities. I land my first fish of the night, and it's a beautiful bluegill. It didn’t take long to get on the walleye once again. We would end up keeping a handful tonight. At this point, it’s by far the best fishing that we’ve had on any trip. I’m 100% convinced it’s due to water temps.

Dinner tonight would be a repeat of last year which was the very popular spaghetti with meatballs. A little garlic fry bread and a garlic butter spread on the side? Magnificent. Taking the fresh food is worth the weight. I have no doubt about that. Making dinner did not stop the amount of fishing going on and it made for a great time. People are trying to eat their food but bobbers are disappearing. Multiple bowls had to be set down in order to reel fish in. So much fun. I did however definitely get the portions wrong on this trip (and that’s why I recorded them) because we had some leftovers. Not a typical problem on these trips.

Bugs are out a little more tonight but the thermacell has been a welcomed addition.