Monday, January 12, 2026 We left the Twin Cities at 5 AM and had a relatively uneventful drive to Grand Marais for breakfast at the Blue Water Café. We made a quick stop at the gas station to grab some bait and top off the tank before heading to Rockwood Lodge. The friendly staff allowed us to park in front of the lodge. We loaded up our pulk and toboggan and set off toward Caribou Lake around 11:30 AM. The trek across the windy Poplar Lake was long and challenging. To our surprise, we didn’t encounter any snowmobilers, ice anglers, or other outdoor enthusiasts. We had to break trail most of the way but found remnants of snowmobile tracks leading to the portage to Lizz Lake. The Lizz Lake portage had some packed-down trail, likely from snowmobiles or skis, but we managed to cross it. The portage started with a slight incline, which was tough with our full load of gear. At several points, we had to step off the trail into snow that ranged from knee-deep to nearly three feet. We filled out our permit at the box near the portage and then entered Lizz Lake, beginning our journey down the long finger lake. Slush at the entrance to the Boundary Waters slowed us down, despite the mild mid-30s temperatures. Once we entered the Boundary Waters, there was no more trail, and we had to forge our own path. After reaching the portage to Caribou, we caught our breath and worked together to push our gear through. At Caribou, we hoped to reach the westernmost campsite where Shug had stayed years ago. With nearly three hours of travel behind us and sunset approaching, we opted to check the two closest campsites instead. The first site was less than ideal, and we nearly stayed there out of exhaustion. Pushing on despite leg cramps, we reached the second site (643) around 2:30 PM. After eating and hydrating, we began slowly setting up camp and searching for firewood. Despite the mild temperature, it promised a long night, but we managed to find enough wood for a fire. Overall, it was a good first night’s sleep.~Poplar Lake, Lizz Lake, Caribou Lake