DAY ELEVEN

July 12th, Thursday

Written in the evening of the 12th on Pokegama Lake near Grand Rapids, MN

Lakes Traveled: Burke Lake, Bagley Bay of Basswood Lake, Inlet Bay of Basswood Lake, Sucker Lake, Newfound Lake and Moose Lake Total time: 4:00

Total miles: 11

Every time I woke up last night I heard the wind blowing. The wind never stopped blowing all night. In the back of my mind, I knew I had more big water to cross today so that wasn’t a good sign that the wind was still blowing strong.

My last morning of this trip and I woke up at four something. It was way too early, but I wake up with the birds. Next thing I knew it was about 0500 hours. I thought I might sleep in, but I began my back stretches at 0522 hours. My body was a little stiffer this morning. Was it because of all the physical exertion or because I was too tired to do any stretches before I fell asleep last night?

The wind was still blowing out of the west to northwest. Here’s my dilemma. Do I break down camp, start paddling and then get stranded somewhere else that wouldn’t be nearly as comfortable.

There were two guys that paddled by my campsite at 0630 hours. I later found out one of them was Bill HoHo. There was a chop on the water to the north of my campsite. The wind wasn’t affecting the area around my island campsite, but I knew the wind would be really blowing on Bagley Bay. I decided if they could be out that I would do the same. It really was the only way I would be able to tell what the wind was like and that was to cross over to Bagley Bay.

While I made breakfast, drank my coffee, I put on my damp long pants and long sleeve polypro top to finish the drying process. The heat from my body would help dry them off quicker.

Well, I shoved off from shore at 0758 hours. It took five minutes to get to the portage directly south of me that went to Bagley Bay. It began to sprinkle as I got to the landing. Opening my pack, I got out my rain gear and put it all on just before the down pour.

When I carried my packs across the portage trail, there was a stream of water running down the well worn trail. The stream of water began running toward Bagley Bay when I crossed the height of the portage.

Looking across to the south of Bagley Bay I saw the waves. I started paddling in the small bay where the portage trail comes out and the two campsites are located to the east and each of them was taken. The first campsite I didn’t see anyone and I saw a few people at the next site just standing around.

Eventually I had to pull over on Sunday Island. My concern was with all the white caps I saw off in the distance. While I waited, I kept reassessing the situation. I’m thinking I was out of my canoe a half hour. I got back into my canoe and was testing the waves as I inched out further and further into the bigger waves.

I had just about made up my mind to go when three aluminum canoes with nine people came around the other side of the island.

It was time to go. I figured if something would happen to me that this group just wouldn’t leave me. I knew I probably wouldn’t have a problem, but it sure eased my mind. I paddled along the shore not too far from the other group.

Only when I got to Inlet Bay did I have a chance to speak briefly with this group. They were a Boy Scout group from Boston. I continued on as they hung back and took a quick break on the calmer water.

The Boy Scouts arrived at the landing while I walked up and told the receptionist at Prairie Portage I was back. She never stopped doing what she was doing, so I left right back out the door. It appeared if I wasn’t going to get a permit and pay my money, she didn’t really care to listen to me. I might be totally wrong, but that’s what I thought.

My last portage of the trip was about to take place. (Not counting the one at the Moose Lake Landing back to my vehicle). It sure felt good to have that last one done, but I still had the wind and waves to contend with all the way back to the landing.

I saw several large groups, probably mostly Boy Scouts, paddling north. The wind was still blowing strong. There was one group that rounded a point on Moose Lake to Newfound Lake. There were three canoes, the first one had a little problem making the turn due to the wind, the second canoe did alright and the stern paddler in third canoe actually jumped out of the canoe. I don’t know if he knew it was shallow there or he was just lucky. When this happened the middle person in the second canoe leaned over to his right and almost capsized that canoe.

While I paddled south back to the landing I saw several groups of canoeist. Some of these groups I had some concerns that maybe they should pull over for a while. It did appear that every campsite was full from canoeist that already had pulled off. I really don’t know if they pulled off because of the wind or that’s as far as they were traveling.

I got to about ½ mile from the landing when I saw some people in three canoes that I don’t think should have been paddling on a day like today. It looked like they were fairly inexperienced and not prepared for the day. It looked like they were only out for a day paddle. The reason I didn’t think they should be out was because of couple of them were fairly large. That wasn’t the problem, it was that their canoe was rocking side to side; meandering and when they switch paddling sides the paddle went way up in the air. There is a large island that is a short distance in front of the landing blocking the full brunt of the wind. These people were about to get the shock of their life as soon as they passed the northern most point of the big island that was blocking the strong wind and the large waves. I hope they made it safely. I’m glad that people want to get out and paddle but they have to be aware of the overall conditions and know their limits. Maybe I’m wrong in my observation about them, but I don’t think so.

There were some other people and canoes on shore when I got back to the landing at 1158 hours. It took me about 1 hour and forty five minutes to paddle back from Prairie Portage. This was 15 minutes longer than it took me going the other way at the start of my trip.

I talked briefly at the landing with some people from Wisconsin who were going out to do some fishing.

While I was putting my gear into my Suburban I saw the couple who were in line before me speaking to the receptionist at the Ranger Station at Prairie Portage when I was there on July 2nd. They came up to the landing while I was packing up to leave. I spoke to the girl who said they had a good time and they fished a lot. I saw that she received a lot of sun on their trip. She told me they were from Prentice, Wisconsin.

I drove out of the landing at 1301 hours, headed toward Ely. I called my father to told him I was out and OK. I stopped at the Dairy Queen and got a hamburger and fries to eat. I stopped at Piragis’s and got a few more items. Then I went next door to the coffee shop and order two coffees to go and some Strawberry Rhubarb pie that I had at the start of my trip.

Several hours after my paddle today, I could still feel my body in the canoe dancing in the waves.

The Prism, she is beat up, but she handled extremely well in the rough seas. I will need to do some repairs, again

This was an extremely rugged trip. I had planned this trip for 13 days, but finished it in 11 and that included a lay-over day. Early on, it was the hot sun that I had to contend with, there were the extremely rugged portages throughout this trip and what can I say about the wind. The wind…nothing, but the wind!!

I say this was a rugged trip, but it’s not something I concentrate on while I’m doing the trip. I do what is needed to be done on a daily basis to accomplish what is needed at the time. Only afterwards, do I realize what it took to accomplish this canoe trip.

Although, this was a challenging canoe trip it was also very satisfying and rewarding.

To those people who have experienced the BWCA/Quetico ecosystem know what I’m talking about when I mention trees, rocks and water. Those three words and many of you can visualize the area that I’m talking about without being on this trip. Although the scenes may change slightly as I paddle through the area, those three elements are always present. What someone may not visualize is the vastness of this area, unless it’s traveled by canoe.

I have not fully described all the fabulous scenery that I saw or everything I experienced during this fantastic canoe trip, but again, I wouldn’t be able to adequately describe it. The only way to truly experience a trip like this is to simply do it.