Monday, August 24, 2026 Day 4
We woke up on our final morning at Tuscarora, and I was ready to get moving. After experiencing the long travel day that was ahead of us, my instinct was to get up, pack everything as quickly as possible, and hit the water. But Beka wanted to take the morning easy and enjoy our last little bit of time at camp. Normally, I probably wouldn't be very good at this. But I was very patient. I wanted Beka to take her time. This was her first trip into the BWCA, and if she was enjoying the morning and didn't feel like rushing, I wasn't going to be the guy pushing her out of camp. We had spent the last couple of days moving at a much slower pace than we're used to, and there was no reason to change that just because we had to go home. So we took our time. We probably spent two to three hours packing up camp, making sure we had everything, and taking in those last few moments on Tuscarora. Eventually, we were ready.
Around 9:30 or 10:00, we pushed off from shore for the last time. As we reached the Tuscarora Portage, I recommended that we change our strategy from the two days before. Instead of doing every section together, I suggested we leapfrog our way across the portage and power through it. The day before had taken us about two hours, and I wanted to cut that time down as much as possible. We ended up making great time. It helped that we didn't run into anyone else until the very last stretch, so we were able to keep moving without stopping and waiting for other groups to pass. The entire portage took us about an hour and fifteen minutes. Much better. We loaded the canoe back onto Missing Link and paddled the short distance to our next portage.
If the long portage to Tuscarora hadn't seemed quite as long as I remembered, the portage back to Round Lake seemed to make up for it. I picked up the canoe and took off, determined to carry it the entire way without stopping. As I walked, I kept seeing what looked like openings in the trail ahead. Each time, I thought I was finally approaching the end. But it wasn't the end. Then it happened again. And again. I think this happened three or four times before I finally actually reached the other side. By then, I was gassed. I walked back for my pack, and by the time we loaded up and pushed onto Round Lake, I was running on fumes. But the final paddle didn't need to be rushed.
We took our time crossing Round Lake, enjoying the beautiful day and our last paddle of the trip. We talked about our favorite parts of the trip, what we wanted to eat when we got out, and all the little moments that had made the trip special.
Eventually, the Tuscarora Lodge & Outfitters shoreline came into view. Just like that, our time in the Boundary Waters was over. We pulled up to shore, dropped off the canoe and life jacket, and headed into the store for a few souvenirs and snacks. We each grabbed a small bag of chips and some yogurt-covered pretzels, along with a pint glass and a coffee mug. And then we were back in the car. We were on the road by around 1:00 p.m. We made one more stop at McQuade's in Two Harbors for another burger and beer before continuing south. From there, it was the long drive home, eventually picking up our son from his grandparents and pulling into our driveway sometime between 7:00 or 8:00 that evening. It was a very long day. But as tired as we were, I couldn't help but feel incredibly grateful. Grateful for the trip. Grateful for the place. And most of all, grateful for the person I got to experience it with.
I asked my soulmate to come into the wilderness with me, and she embraced every part of it. She was patient with the portages, happy to slow down, willing to paddle through the wind, and seemed to genuinely enjoy the quiet and simplicity of being out there. That meant more to me than I think I can put into words.
One of the reasons I wanted Beka to come on this trip was because someday, I want to take our kids into the Boundary Waters. I don't want to be the only one who knows this place. I want them to grow up knowing what it's like to paddle these lakes, walk these portages, sleep under the trees, and experience the kind of quiet that is becoming harder and harder to find. I hope someday this becomes something we do every year as a family. I'm honestly a little sad that I didn't discover the Boundary Waters until I was in my late 20s. When I think about all the trips I could have taken, all the nights I could have spent out here, and all the memories I could have made, it feels like I missed out on a lot. But I don't want to dwell on that. Instead, I'm thankful that I found it when I did. And even more thankful that I now have the opportunity to introduce my children to it at a young age. Hopefully, this trip with Beka is just the beginning of many, many more trips to come.
There's something fitting about the fact that the fire ban that had been in place for our entire trip was set to end on Monday, the same day we were leaving. We never got our campfire. We never got to sit around the flames at night or cook dinner over the fire like I normally love to do. But somehow, I don't feel like we missed anything.
We had the lake. We had the rocks. We had the sunsets and the moon. We had the cold water and the wind. We had two quiet nights away from the noise and busyness of normal life. And most importantly, we had each other. As we drove south, leaving the North Shore behind us, I found myself already thinking about the next time we'd come back. Because that's the thing about the BWCA.
Once it gets into you, you don't really leave it behind.
“In Wilderness is the preservation of the World.” — Henry David Thoreau