Friday, May 30, 2025

Today I am awake at 445AM to fish. Why did I want to do this again? The plan was to go out to the island and fish there. I don't know if we actually thought we’d be successful, more that it was a fun thing to do. We had most of the gear packed last night so the only thing we had to do was get dressed, eat a light snack, and brew up some coffee. Because we were fairly successful fishing last night, we left a handful of fish on a stringer overnight in the water. Now I'm sure this is not best practice. It probably would have been better to filet them and throw them in my food pack which is still cold. When we went to check on them, we noticed that all the fish were torn to shreds. Some had their heads bitten off, others looked like they were clawed apart by something. We aren’t sure if it was a pike, muskrat, or some other animal? It was shocking to all of us. Nobody heard anything which is a little surprising due to how close our tents were. Nonetheless, we clean up the mess and depart for the island we visited yesterday. We spent about 2 hours fishing there without a single bite. Reflecting on it as we returned, we might have had more success just staying at camp. It was still a fun little expedition.

The distance we need to travel today is minimal and those that went out fishing are hungry. So breakfast will be a bigger one; bacon, eggs, and hasbrowns. I typically end up mixing it all together to just make a big skillet. Throw it in a bowl and it’s easy to devour. I really can’t get over the fact of how much easier it has been bringing paper plates and bowls. A little fishing is done from the site this morning, a couple of crappie and a really nice bass. Biggest of any trip so far. Even if I (and most friends on this trip) aren't super into fishing, catching fish is awesome. Even as a spectator. It boosts everyone’s mood.

We are slow moving as this will only be a no-portage day and by far our shortest. As we move along on Gabbro Lake, we see the biggest turtle of the trip, sunbathing on a rock. If I had to guess, I would say it was at least 16” in diameter. If not larger. Big enough where it’s cool to see from a distance but you might be a little scared if it approached you. For the first time on this trip, we got the site we wanted. It would be 1711 which was located at the choke point between Gabbro and Little Gabbro Lake. I didn’t even plan on going for the island site (2135) as I knew it would be taken and it was. On our first trip, we stayed at 1712. After landing our boats and checking out the site, we’re satisfied with our choice. Shortly after, a group of paddles came through Little Gabbro towards Gabbro. I’m not sure if they were hoping for our site but they did ask about the island site. I told them the other site nearby (that I had previously stayed at) was open and that it was a nice. I’m not sure if they took the site. They went there but were also leaving 1 boat at a time? Maybe they were checking out the island as our view of the island was blocked by a bay. Regardless, we’re happy to be perched up on this site. Being high up gives us a little more wind which helps with the bugs. The only thing I don’t like about this site is the proximity and visibility to other sites. Once the nearby site on Little Gabbro was occupied (1708), it didn’t feel the same.

We decided to do another repeat of last year and build a new bench at this site. I find it fun to work on camp projects like this, especially when you have time to kill and it’s probably too early in the day to throw a line in the water. I wish I had taken before and after pictures as once again, I feel like the bench we added elevates the site to a higher rating. After our camp project, people do their own things. Some check in on their phones, which as previously mentioned, isn't my vibe. But, we are closer to civilization and service was available. I probably spent a solid 2 hours laying on a rock sunbathing and taking in the noises of the wilderness. It’s a bittersweet moment as I know the trip is coming to an end. That’s why we have to enjoy the time out here when we can. Soak up all the sun and vibes before it’s back to reality.

There was a point today where it was almost too hot in the sun. Our site didn’t have much shade so the Gatorade powder was getting used a lot. Gatorade powder is another staple of every trip for me. It’s heavy, but being able to drink something other than water is highly desirable. I know it was in the 70’s but my Garmin was saying it could reach 90 in the next few days…and it’s not even June! On the flip side, the entire Boundary Waters feels like a tinderbox right now. Still no fire ban.

As the day winds down, we start fishing with no luck. We try the Little Gabbro side of our site but the wind makes that damn near impossible. The opposite side was blocked by the wind but still nothing. Even fishing the little channel, we didn’t get many bites. A disappointing end to the fishing when I think about how successful we were early on. On the bright side, we were able to go from rock to rock to try fishing further out around the site. Always a fun little test of if you can make it to the next rock or not.

Dinner tonight was mac and cheese with ground beef. My friend had prepared this last year and I did not record his portions well because as I made WAY too much. I also made the mistake of not seasoning the beef in advance, something that is noted for my next trip. After dinner we spend time by the fire, recalling the memories of the trip. It’s still bittersweet. We talk about the plan for tomorrow as we have a shuttle picking us up by 10AM at Entry Point 33- Little Gabbro Lake. That would also include our longest portage of the trip. We wind down and the last movie of the trip is put on the iPad. We finished Twisters the 2nd night and would finish Django Unchained tonight. Only one camper stayed up to finish it.