Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Trip Reports :: Trip Report - LIS-First Solo!
|
Author | Message Text | ||
Frenchy19 |
quote RainGearRight: "I don't know why but I actually laughed out loud at your comment about needing pliers to undo your knots, along with many of your description. Thanks for taking the time to write this up. One of the better trip reports I've read. Hard to admit, but I just cannot tie knots. I've been to websites that show, with videos, how to tie 1,325 different knots for various purposes, and I practice, yet when I get into the wilderness, I have more than brain farts when it comes to remembering how to tie the darn knots-I have hard core brain skitters! This is probably payback for my quitting cub scouts after I got my bobcat badge, but, then again, I am pretty sure my den mother was the person Stephen King modeled his Annie Wilkes character after for his book "Misery." Maybe someday... |
||
mocha |
enjoyed the pic of that huge rock..wow! |
||
chipaddler |
|
||
snakecharmer |
|
||
Frenchy19 |
Trip Name: LIS-First Solo!. Entry Point: 14 Click Here to View Trip Report |
||
Hawbakers |
|
||
Arkansas Man |
Solo's particularly your first one is a blast until you find what works good and what doesn't! Sounds like you had a great time even with the difficulties. Great report! Bruce |
||
Frenchy19 |
quote mooseplums: "Wow! Heat, bugs, and gear failure....bet you can't wait for your next solo adventure :) Fall is a good choice...try a short 3-4 day loop, they are my favorite. Just enough time to recharge." Sounds good...I'll need to play hookey from school for a couple of days, but it will be worth it! |
||
hobbydog |
|
||
mooseplums |
|
||
H8weakness |
I would love to know your reply to... "Well, did you get lucky?" To be honest, I find his question to be hysterical considering that it was a solo trip. Thanks for sharing! Ross |
||
Frenchy19 |
quote H8weakness: "Great Report Frenchy! Not my finest moment, but it went something like this... "Well, did you get lucky?" "I have no clue what you're talking about." "You know what luck is, don't you?" "Yes I do. It's what you're about to run out of if you don't get your f*&%ing canoe out of my way." Again, not my proudest moment, made especially more so as the woman he was with was filming this whole interaction with her point and shoot... |
||
boonie |
I think I still took way too much food on my second solo, but now I only take a little too much. Most times I don't have a fire on solos, so I don't usually take the saw and hatchet - just extra weight. I think both of these activities must have a much greater social aspect than we realize. Glad you survived it and are ready for your next one...with a few differences of course. |
||
Frenchy19 |
quote missmolly: "Good writing! Here are three of many nuggets: Thanks for the compliment! |
||
BdubBear |
Reliving it along with you I can't help but understand how you must have felt by the time you got the the take out. I even had the same motivation - a big old burger at Ely Steakhouse. Funny, as hard as it was I still look back on it fondly. Hope you do too. |
||
boonie |
|
||
Frenchy19 |
quote bbrown6057: "Wonderful report Frenchy! Very in depth report, I was almost there with you, and no, that wasn't me asking if you got lucky =)" Funny! Looking back, I wish I wasn't so short with the guy. He and the gal with him were having a blast, and kudos to them for spending the day on the water. |
||
SevenofNine |
|
||
Frenchy19 |
quote boonie: "Like Ross, I thought it was a pretty funny question, Frenchy. I'm sorry you were having such a bad day - understandable under the circumstances though - and missed an opportunity to share the wealth. I hope you have better luck on your next solo." Everything was going pretty well until the tent decided to explode! I am looking forward to the next solo, although I am not sure it will be in the Bell Magic. Three weeks out and my hips still hurt...then again, I turn 50 in September, so maybe it's not the boat!?!? I will fish more on the next trip and make darn sure that my tent is bomb proof. While I appreciate BA fixing it for me, I can say without hesitation that I will never use that thing again! |
||
joe47 |
A few comments on what "hurt" you on your trip: I use a two-person backpacking tent, the Eureka Spitfire 2. I am 6'2" and 230, and I can sit up in it to dress. It is not overly large, though; the 2 people who use it better be close friends. It sets up quickly, is not too heavy, and does not feel like a sarcophagus. I also bought the ENO hammock at Piragis. It requires no knots due to the strap system, and I did sleep in it on the second part of my trip. Rolling over on your side is mostly an exercise in futility, but I had no problem sleeping and my back hurt a little less than in the tent, with the backpacking weight air mattress. Again, nice trip report, please do write one after your next trip. I just did my first, and there is a learning curve! I put the entire report in the preamble, and had to re-write it all. The first version was better. I also put a photo of a Bison in the BWCA. Thanks again for one of the best reports of the year. |
||
boonie |
Have fun on your next solo. When was it...Oct? At least there won't be hordes of mosquitos :). I'll be up the Gunflint the end of Sept. |
||
bbrown6057 |
|
||
RainGearRight |
Sounds like a successful first solo, minus the gear issues. |
||
dmpaul |
I was locked in & couldn't put it down. Excellent job of writing! All the written above is great! Love it! I wouldn't mind doing a solo some time but I don't think my wife would allow it. She would have to come with. Can you tell us exactly where the pictographs are on Rocky? I've never seen any & have caught my attention. Thanks again on one of the best reports I've read as well. I hope you re-evaluate your decision on writing another report, Very well done! |
||
Zulu |
Congratulations on your first solo! Great Job Frenchy. |
||
billconner |
|
||
HangLoose |
|
||
Ragged |
I loved your pet name for the tent, made me chuckle every time you brought it up, sorry to hear it eventually failed. |
||
Frenchy19 |
quote snakecharmer: "Very nice report. We took the same route just 3 days earlier. We had beautiful weather for most of our trip. On Wednesday, we were camped on Lynx and it got brutally hot. We spent a good portion of Wednesday afternoon swimming at the beach at the end of the Ruby portage. We exited on Thursday early in the morning. Timing is everything :)" You had an in with the gods of good weather! It was warm when I was in, but it was also really windy, so that helped, and a hot day in the Dub beats a hot day at home any day of the week! |
||
Frenchy19 |
quote BdubBear: "I really enjoyed your report. I took this same exact trip at the end of May with similar results. I had gear issues on Fat and pushed hard to get out in two days. Fat to Oyster and then Oyster to the EP the next day. I was not as lucky as you on Oyster and ended up taking the site on the far east. The Oyster to EP 14 was a long day, but I do recall it fondly and look forward to my next solo which will probably be something short in late August depending on permit location availability. |
||
billconner |
quote Frenchy19: "Not sure if the Magic is the right boat for me, however, as I'm two weeks out and my hips are still sore. Looking forward to paddling a Wenonah Wilderness, and I'd also really like to try a Swift Shearwater, but I think this will only happen with a rad trip into Ontario or out east somewhere." Don't rule out the Souris River Tranquility. I loved it, plus if you go to Atikokan to rent one or just to try them, you can tour the factory. I could not find a south side outfitter that rented a Tranq but several on north do. |
||
KevinL |
|
||
Frenchy19 |
quote boonie: "I really enjoyed your trip report, Frenchy. I love hearing about first solos. Sounded a lot like mine and others I have read, except you really had bad luck with the gear. BA will probably replace the stuff for you, but the best warranty is the one you don't have to use. I'm glad you finally found the pictos on Rocky - they're a little different, more mysterious. Thanks! BA is fixing the tent and replacing the mattress pad (which I did not even ask for; just included it as anecdotal info in the email I sent them. The thing was 10 years old. BA gets a big thumb's up from me on this one.). My shoulder needs some more rest, but I am going to do a solo in October if I can figure out how to get out of a couple of workshop days over the MEA weekend at the school where I teach. I think I feel a cold coming on...! |
||
Frenchy19 |
quote BillConner01: "quote Frenchy19: "Not sure if the Magic is the right boat for me, however, as I'm two weeks out and my hips are still sore. Looking forward to paddling a Wenonah Wilderness, and I'd also really like to try a Swift Shearwater, but I think this will only happen with a rad trip into Ontario or out east somewhere." Good call. I did rent a Tranquility from Red Rock for an ill fated solo attempt about 10 years ago, but I do not remember how it handled as I was completely freaked out by a massive storm that blew in shortly after my departure from Lake One. I do want to tour the SR factory as I have a Quetico 17 and really enjoy that boat. |
||
Frenchy19 |
quote BillConner01: "So the question you have to ask your self Frenchy is will you solo again? I did one solo last fall and, while I loved it, I'm not sure it is my first choice. I'd certainly solo again if I didn't have a partner to go with, but not sure it's my first choice. Though not having to ever consult another sole about what site or what to eat or which way to go was nice." I'd definitely go again, in fact, I'll probably go sometime this fall. The reason I bought the solo was because it's hard finding people to trip with. I usually travel with my girls, but they're at that teenage stage where they are not that interested in hanging out with Dad, and the guys I go with either do want to be in longer than 4 nights or can only get a couple of days off. While I like traveling with others, I really like the freedom afforded me with the purchase of the solo. Not sure if the Magic is the right boat for me, however, as I'm two weeks out and my hips are still sore. Looking forward to paddling a Wenonah Wilderness, and I'd also really like to try a Swift Shearwater, but I think this will only happen with a rad trip into Ontario or out east somewhere. |
||
chipaddler |
quote Ragged: "quote Frenchy19: "Tent Update: I sent the Sarcophagus to Big Agnes and explained what happened. They replaced the zipper and also repaired a tear elsewhere in the screen that was there when I purchased the thing. Upon hearing that my mattress also blew a leak the same evening, they also sent me a new Air Core, no questions asked, even though I did not expect nor ask them to do so as the mattress was a good 10 years old. Ragged - Nemo is going to be jealous of this statement. :) |
||
Ragged |
quote Frenchy19: "Tent Update: I sent the Sarcophagus to Big Agnes and explained what happened. They replaced the zipper and also repaired a tear elsewhere in the screen that was there when I purchased the thing. Upon hearing that my mattress also blew a leak the same evening, they also sent me a new Air Core, no questions asked, even though I did not expect nor ask them to do so as the mattress was a good 10 years old. That’s good to hear, I’m thinking of picking up a Copper Spur UL2 for solo use, snuck into one the other day and couldn't believe the room it offered for 3.5 pounds, but could never stomach the price if their service wasn’t good. |
||
Frenchy19 |
I still hate the Sarcophagus, but I have nothing but good to say about the customer service at Big Agnes!! If anyone wants a solo tent pretty cheap...:) |
||
RainGearRight |
quote Frenchy19: "quote RainGearRight: "I don't know why but I actually laughed out loud at your comment about needing pliers to undo your knots, along with many of your description. Thanks for taking the time to write this up. One of the better trip reports I've read. ahahahhhhhahahah! Two knots. Slippery half hitch and truckers hitch. That's all i use. Super simple and effective, or you could just bring in thirty ratchet straps. Problem solved! |
||
missmolly |
"...creatures no larger than my nostril hairs...." "...220 pound burrito...." "...did nothing to stem the skeeters from participating in my weight loss program...." I was a teacher and became a writer. You could do the same. |
||
nctry |
|
||
boonie |
|
||
Frenchy19 |
quote nctry: "Great report Frenchy... You did an awesome job. Keep it up and you'll be publishing your encounters and living high off the profits. :) It's fun to name things out there... But a tent to me is just a shack. I had a Copper Spur in WCPP that was borrowed as mine wasn't in yet. I've got a few nights in my new one and the last one I was flooded out badly... but I stayed dry! My buddy has sent his in for various reasons and BA sends a new one if it can't be fixed. I'm thinkin I'll get a few nights in it yet this year, but I'm taking the Lean shelter too I think. Both tents together weigh less than most tents or about the same. Twenty days til the big trip..." Thanks, Ben. As you know, it's been a tough year for me personally, so to have been able to make the trip was a success. The tent? It was a pain in the butt, but I learned from it, to say the least! I also learned that I love soloing, and I hope to make a short trip this fall providing I can the time off. I am looking forward to hearing about the details of your Odyssey...just do not make the same mistakes that Odysseus did! |
||
Frenchy19 |
quote RainGearRight: "quote Frenchy19: "quote RainGearRight: "I don't know why but I actually laughed out loud at your comment about needing pliers to undo your knots, along with many of your description. Thanks for taking the time to write this up. One of the better trip reports I've read. What I should have brought was that hammock you so graciously said you would loan me...problem solved! Except I would have needed the pliers to remove the straps:) Looking forward to purchasing a WBBB and Superfly tarp... |