Day Two, Sunday, August 30, 2026. Knife L, South Arm Knife L (SAK), Knife L, and SAK L. 2 portages, 7.3 miles (7.0 paddling, 0.3 portaging).

We were really tired after yesterday's 13+ miles, and were asleep by 8:00pm. A midnight nature call revealed a clear sky and moon just past full, but when we got up a bit after 6:00am the sky was gray and the clouds too heavy to see a real sunrise. Had coffee and loaded oatmeal for breakfast, then cleared camp and started paddling. The light breeze we'd had yesterday was stronger when we got on the water around 8:30. We'd been told about some great views from atop Thunder Point, where Knife and the South Arm split. The point didn't look too impressive as we approached, but the landing was obvious and had a nice gravel bottom, so we secured the canoe and climbed the steep trail lined with red osier dogwood. The view was well worth the climb—check it out if you're in the area.

Our plan for the day was to move on up the border, perhaps as far as Ottertrack, but to do that via South Arm of Knife and Amoeber. We paddled east through the South Arm of Knife (SAK) and took the first portage to the north, which put us in a narrow bay of Knife Lake where we spotted a pair of trumpeter swans with a cygnet. As we approached the portage into Amoeber we found ourselves on the edge of this year's burn, and the portage into Amoeber was blocked for safety reasons.

We checked the second portage into Amoeber, but again saw pretty serious burn areas, so we decided to move back into SAK, perhaps portage into Eddy, find a campsite, and study the maps more for a change of plans. Just out of the portage we saw an adult loon with a juvenile. We also saw several bald eagles today.

Also just out of the portage was a nice campsite (#1436); when we started across SAK and the full force of the wind hit us, we elected to return to that site. We set up camp even thought it was early afternoon, and studied maps for a route southeast of the burns. Dinner was shrimp with garlic pasta. We played Farkle before and after dinner, read more Patrick McManus stories, and again were asleep around 8:00pm. At 12:30 or so we awoke to sprinkles and a constant show of heat lightning, so closed the vestibule doors. The sprinkles turned into light rain that continued most of the night. The new Big Agnes passed its first rain test with flying colors.