We put into the BWCAW last Friday on Brule Lake. This trip was going to be a little different from past trips. Wayne and Lynda want to do easier trips (meaning no portaging). They intended to stay on Brule Lake for 7 nights without moving. While Dorcas and I can't do what we used to do, we still want to move a little bit. A compromise was struck. We would each get separate permits so we could camp separately, but would spend the first night of our trip on Brule with Wayne and Lynda, then split away for a fairly easy trip.
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| Putting-in at Brule Lake |
Brule Lake is a fair distance, almost 3 hours, from Ely and Fall Lake Campground, where we base camp and leave the RVs. On Friday we got up before 6:00 and moved the RVs to the nice paved supervised parking lot at Fall Lake and headed to town for a traditional big breakfast at Britton's Restaurant. After breakfast we headed north and east up MN 61 along the Lake Superior north shore. We unloaded our gear at the Brule landing and then shuttled the Element to Homer Lake, where Dorcas and I would take out after 8 days.
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| Matilda says "Is it a good camp site? |
We found a very nice camp site on the point of an island on Brule, which had a lake view to the north and south.
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| Our camp on Brule Lake |
Since Wayne and Lynda were not going to portage, they carried gear much like we carry on river trips: 3 tables, two steel folding chairs, a Coleman 2-burner stove, a 50-quart cooler and 2 kitchen sinks. Dorcas and I were traveling much lighter.
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| Matilda always hams it up for the camera |
The next morning Dorcas, Matilda and I moved to Juno Lake and spent 2 nights. Then on to Vern Lake and Homer Lake where we spent 2 nights on each Lake.
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| Beavers on an evening prowl |
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| Are they on a a date? |
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Common loons off our camp on Homer Lake
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| A glorious sunset |
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| A pretty portage path |
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| A rainy afternoon |
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| Dorcas sleeping in on a lay-over day |
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| Making a firewood run |
Firewood was scarce at the camp sites. Several times we paddled across the lake to gather firewood.
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| Our kitchen on Juno Lake |
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| Pre-s'mores |
We kept some marshmallows out before we hung the food pack. What better place to hold them before we burned the egg carton.
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| PERFECT!!! |
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| A view from our camp on Homer Lake |
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| Daddy, is that a fish? |
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| A medium sized Northern Pike. |
Fishing was generally slow. We didn't fish too hard, but did catch a few. This one was good eating size, but we caught him just before a portage and decided to let him go.
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| Pancakes and country ham |
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| Paddling through the lilies |
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| A "sincere" wood pile. We may have upset the beaver from whose lodge we stole the wood. |
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| A misty morning on Vern Lake |
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| Our view from Homer Lake |
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| Is it Canine or Ursine? |
At our camp on Homer Lake we found some scat on the path to the latrine. At first I thought it was bear, but later I thought maybe it might have been coyote, wolf or even a large domestic dog. I didn't pick it apart to see what the critter had been eating. Matilda was very skittish at this camp. She would bark at something back in the woods to the right, then to the center, then to the left, as though something was circling our site. We never did see or hear anything ourselves, but did keep a can of bear spray handy.
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| We're likin' the lichen |
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| One of our few portages |
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| We think these are Eared Grebes |
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| Our Route |
It was a nice, easy, short trip. We only traveled a total of about 19 miles. We had nice weather, with just a few showers. The temperatures generally ranged from highs in the mid 70s to lows in the upper 40s. All was well when we got back to the car at Homer Lake and to the coach at Fall Lake. We checked in at Fall Lake CG for 3 nights. Tomorrow we will put in for another 8-day trip at Moose Lake.
Life is good!
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