Thursday, August 27, 2026 Earliest alarm of the week at 5am to get breakfast in us and travel to make tomorrow’s exit easy. Hoping to make it to Lake Three but if we have it in us we’ll pull for Lake Two.

After breakfast and cleanup, we made our departure from Lake Alice into some more beautiful weather and finally no wind. After Alice we went back through Insula and this is where I was very glad for our early departure to try and beat the winds before they got going. We were lucky through the open part of Insula with minimal wind and as it picked up slightly through our paddling, we ducked behind islands to stay out of it. Back through Hudson where I was reminded of my ill feelings of this lake. I’m sure in a few years as the new growth replaces the burn it’ll be a nicer looking lake, but for the time being it was my least favorite we traveled through.

Into the portages to reach the number chain we ran into a traffic jam so I decided to wait back and throw my top water lure again. Just as I was about to be done and the jam was clearing, I had the biggest blow-up I’ve ever had on top water. Pulled in the biggest bass of the trip and close to the biggest I’ve ever caught. The young boy in the canoe coming into Hudson looked at me the way I imagine I looked at my favorite athletes when I was a kid. He immediately reached for his rod and his dad told him to give it a shot, I don’t think he knows that he helped make my day (along with that bass).

Through the numbered chain is where our luck with the wind ended. Parts were shielded and easy enough while parts we had to empty the tank and push through. The whole group re-upped in Lake Three and decided we had enough in us to push on to Lake Two and try and find one of two island sites. As we’re pushing there we notice a family coming up behind us seemingly also gunning for one of those sites. Closing in on the islands we can see the first one is taken, so our best canoe pair decided it was time to lock in and separate from the pack. Felt a little bad stealing a nice site from that family, but we also didn’t have much gas in the tank to push on if we didn’t land this one. That’s the way she goes, I spose.

Somehow, the travel back went a little quicker than it did on Sunday, only taking us about 7 hours to go 17ish miles back into Lake Two.

For our final night in the BWCA, we all decided to do a little more shore fishing and I talked one guy into jumping into a canoe and testing our luck. We had none but of course still were able to have fun and just enjoy each other’s company. I like to think we all recognized how fortunate we were to be in a place so beautiful and peaceful with such a great group of guys. Blessed with another beautiful sunset and the sounds of foxes in the distance, and another early night for tired bodies.