Our original plan was to put in at Lizz Lake on August 24, but sometimes things just don't work out the way you plan. My gunwale replacement project caused us to delay our put-in by one day. That meant we had to forfeit our permit for Lizz Lake and acquire another permit for August 25. Pickin's were slim at that point, but we managed to get a permit for Moose Lake for the 25th. While not our original choice, Moose Lake provided 2 advantages: first, it was only about 20 minutes from our base camp at Fall Lake vs. 3 1/2 hours to get to Lizz Lake, and second, it would likely be a significantly easier trip, depending on where we actually decided to go.
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| The traditional posed picture at the put-in |
We paddled a grand total of only 2.96 miles under sunny skies and spent the night on Moose Lake. On Day 2 we paddled 3.19 miles and camped for 2 nights on Newfound Lake. Because of the dam at Prairie Portage one can paddle from Moose to Newfound Lake without portaging. An easy trip so far.
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| Dorcas lounging at camp on Splash Lake |
We never got very far back from the entry point and firewood was scarce at most of our campsites. On Splash Lake I found a nice fallen white cedar and cut it up into five 5 foot sections. White cedar is easy to split and burns well even when not dry. When we left Splash Lake I couldn't just leave it there, could I?
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| Haulin' cedar |
We did a 30 rod portage into Splash Lake where we spent 3 nights at Camp 3. There is only one campsite in Splash Lake so we had plenty of privacy.
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| Look what I caught! |
We caught a few fish in the first few days, but not at a time when we wanted to keep and cook them. Later in the week we fished hard but struck out.
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| Salmon patties, scalloped potatoes and mixed veggies. Yum! |
Unfortunately this was the only fish we fried.
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| Flying south for the winter |
Firewood was generally scarce at camps, so we went out on the lake shore to find wood.
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| Gathering wood |
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| It don't get no better |
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| A hairy woodpecker |
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| Anybody want a toasted marshmallow? |
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| They make me sleep outside! |
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| Common loon |
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| I'm not getting left behind! |
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| Common mergansers |
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| A misty morn at Camp 2 on Newfound Lake |
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| Can we go home now? |
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| It's quit raining now. Let's stay! |
We spent five nights at Camp 4 on Ensign Lake
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| A room with a view on Ensign Lake |
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| It's 4:00. Time for my afternoon snack! |
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| Moonrise on Ensign Lake |
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| Is Daddy peeing? No, he's just enjoying the view, |
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| A reptilian visitor |
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| A fungus among us |
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| Another reptilian visitor |
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| Chipmonk in the wood pile |
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| A cozy camp on Horseshoe Island at Camp 5 |
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| A glorious sunset on Splash lake |
It was a very laid back and easy trip. We only had 2 short portages and our 12 nights were spent at 5 different camps. Our longest paddle day was actually a layover day when we paddled 7.25 miles chasing the elusive pike. The total distance traveled over our 13 days was 30.81 miles. On Wednesday, September 6 we took out at Moose Lake and checked in at Fall Lake Campground for 4 nights.
For those who would like to read an in-depth discussion of the hows and whats of our Boundary Waters adventures
CLICK HERE.
We are enjoying some crisp Coll weather here in NE Minnesota. The low tonight is forecast to be 36 degrees. BRRRRR!
Our plan now is to depart Ely on Sunday, likely arriving home on late Tuesday or early Wednesday. Unfortunately Hurricane Irma is predicted to cross the southeast about that same time, although it looks like it may be significantly diminished. Oops! Flexibility is a virtue.
1 comment:
I'm amazed at the load your canoe can carry. Looks like it was a really fun adventure without working too hard. Sorry about the fish. I always enjoy seeing your fish in the pan. Matilda really looked like she was ready to go home when she got wet. Man what an adventure.
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