Day 9, Sunday, September 6, 2026. Pickle L, Spoon L, Dix L, Skoota L, Missionary L, Trader L, Vera L, Ensign L. 7 portages, 8.5 miles (6.9 paddling, 1.6 portaging).

We were up briefly during the night under a clear sky with stars and a quarter moon reflecting in the lake. Morning brought the first clear sunrise of this trip—other mornings were either gray, misty, or our site didn't have an eastern view. Breakfast was coffee gallo pinto with ham.

The portages into Spoon and Skoota Lakes were short, and all today's lakes were calm. As we paddled toward the portage into Skoota we spotted four otters, which quickly scooted into the brush, but not before chuffing at us. In Trader Lake we saw two more trumpeter swans. The portage from Trader to Vera started with a 3' ledge which neither of us could manage with our portage loads, so we piled our gear onto the ledge, scrambled up to move gear out of the way, then passed the canoe up.

We had lunch on Vera Lake at its eastern-most campsite. The site had multiple tent pads and a tiered area around the fire grate; it would easily accommodate a group of eight or nine, and kids would enjoy climbing the rock ledges. This was the only place we had issues with flies, however. After lunch we headed toward Ensign Lake, but our National Geographic map showed two portages into Ensign from Vera. The east one looked like it was routed through a pond, and was a bit overgrown at the landing. Our McKenzie map only showed the west portage, and at the landing it was clear that it had been brushed and frequently used during the 2026 season, so we took it. It was 180 rods (900+ meter) in length, and started with a steady climb that after ten minutes or so topped out on high, bare granite domes and slabs. We felt like we were on top of the world. At the end of the portage we met two anglers headed to Vera; when they asked how we liked the long portage, Tia told them it was beautiful and one of her favorites of the trip. We asked about the other portage and they referred to it as the winter or dog sled portage. We checked a couple sites on the east end of Ensign Lake, and opted for site #1223 which was well above the lake and had a nice eastern view. We had paddled in full sun all day, and were hot and smelly as we completed camp set-up, so the next order of business was to get clean. Afterward, with late-afternoon shade and a light breeze, life was good, and we reflected on our BWCA trip versus our Quetico trips. Dinner was turkey, kale, and white bean soup and was followed by Farkle and McManus stories.