Kevin and I awoke at 6:30am. The sky seemed drab outside and the wind was fierce. We decided that we had better get going to try to beat any storm that might be headed our way. It took us a while to pack and clean up camp. It was probably around 9:30am when we said "good-bye" to our site and set out for the Caribou-Clearwater portage. Again, the wind was against us and we had to fight to get the the end of the lake. I was nervous for Clearwater, knowing that we would have to paddle across the lake in order to get to the parking lot. If the wind was this bad on Caribou, how would it be on Clearwater? Bad. Very, very bad. I was frightened when I saw Clearwater lake. It was so choppy and the whitecaps were everywhere. After trying to paddle out of the bay into the main body of water, we decided to go back and wait it out for a while. After about a half hour and constant surveillance, the wind was still just as fierce. A couple canoed into the portage and advised us to hug the shoreline. This would mean extra paddling, but less of a chance of capsizing. Kevin and I decided this seemed like the best option so we set out for the second time. The wind was unrelentless and paddling across the protected bay was extremely difficult. Once we reached the open water, we could barely push forward. The wind hammered our canoe, forcing us back. My body ached with each stroke but I had to keep paddling or we would lose control. We set our sights on the nearest dock in order to rest. It was definitely a battle between man versus nature to reach the dock but we finally did. Kevin and I both knew that even hugging the shoreline would be dangerous and extremely difficult. Just then, a a few guys who owned the cabin and dock that Kevin and I had temporarily perched came out and offered us a tow. We were so very grateful! Although we are both for the preservation of the wilderness, this was definitely a time that we were thankful that cabins and motors were present on a lake. We crossed the lake in minutes, a feat that would have probably taken Kevin and I at least an hour to do in just our canoe. The guys dropped us off at a dock closest to the public access. The owner of that dock told us that he knows how rough those waters get and that he himself had already rescued two groups who had capsized. Kevin and I reached our car and began to unload.

Our fourth Boundary Waters adventure was a great trip. Although we ran into a few snags here and there, the trip was worth while and a great escape from the everyday pressures of life. I don't know if we will ever venture back to the Arrowhead region for solitude, but perhaps again for fishing. We both agreed that while Grand Marais is an absolutely gorgeous town, there is just something about Ely that radiates a "wilderness" feel. I am extremely grateful to all of the kind strangers who helped us out when needed. They will never know just how much we appreciated what they did for us. With Kevin and I both graduating this year, our wedding, our honeymoon, and the start of new jobs, I am not sure when Kevin and I will get a chance to return to the Boundary Waters. Until then, we will have to rely on memories of a place that time has left untouched; a place where wild animals roam unbounded; a place where bald eagles grace the open skies; a place that I long for when the clamor of cars and the bright city lights drown me in their chaos...