I make it into Horse lake and had a beautiful site on a point for that night. I was a bit tired but found a nice site to pitch my tent and I set up my new Cooke custom yellow tarp and relaxed a bit. Temperatures we in the upper 70s low 80s pretty much the whole week. I wanted to stay up late to see the stars and meteors that night so I tried taking a nap, na, was not going to happen, to hot in the tent. That would be the MO for the rest of the trip. My little weather radio mentioned that the smoke from British Columbia and California would prevent me from seeing the stars the whole trip, bummer. I ate early, did some video recording and sat back and played around with my sons harmonica that I brought along. Oh yes, I forgot that I was also journal writing every night. As the sun set (which was an amazing orange/red because of the smoke particles someone would tell me the next morning) the loons were calling out and a beaver swam along the shore, very cool but I was lonely.
Day 2 I pack up early and get ready to paddle the Horse River to see the Lower Basswood falls and continue ahead to see the pictographs which was my goal and where I would camp out. The outfitter mentioned that I could paddle the short low rapids on Horse River but on the way back I would have to walk and float the canoe back up one of them. That idea stuck in my mind but which rapids would be the problem remembering the next day. Remember when you rent a canoe, You break it, you buy it! was the theme of the week I kept saying to myself. The rapids were pretty much nothing, but as I get closer to the falls the sound of rumbling got louder. The take out for the portage around the rapids is pretty cool, is on the Canadian side, no passport needed, I was told. I meet up with others on the trail and take some time to snap pictures. According to my map the pictograps are about a 1 mile away, the water is calm and I paddle on. While going there I am looking for the one site near the pictographs, which of course I do not see and continue on until the river narrows and there are large rock walls on the left side. Not to sure exactly where the pictures are, I paddle really slow looking up the rock walls scanning the area looking for the red animal pictures, yea! I found them, of course the wind now pics up as I try to take pictures there while floating around. Time for me to turn around and I slowly paddle back along the shore and I find the empty campsite! Whoo hoo!
Another hot day, no nap, early dinner, journal writing, harmonica playing, day dream, swim then I hear the sound of a bird screeching from across the lake. As I look up I see a large bird flying across the tree tops, once again monocular time, a bald eagle! Nice! It must have brought food to its young because the chirping stopped. Then it was back for an early sleep and no midnight stars again when nature calls. Oh I forgot to mention that I send my text message out and receive them. But when I put my phone on to take pics, it beeps! Well I had cell service there, so I call the wife and mention that I was lucky having service and not to expect it the next day and stick to the Garmin texting. Next day, paddle back to the falls, upstream, line the canoe, get back to Horse Lake, cross it west and go into Fourtown Lake. Looked great on the map, lets see what happens.
Everything great, I actually helped explain where the pictographs were to a young couple and friends. They wanted to know about running the falls, I told them that I think they will die if they try. (They see me last day at parking lot and told me I was correct about the pictographs and falls). I remember that I had to walk the boat up a set of rapids, but which one? I guess when the water went from my knee to my waist and oops, up to my chin I had walked up the wrong rapids! So I turned the boat around and somehow found a rock to step on and launched my arse up into the canoe and sat on the sliding metal bar and paddled really carefully and fast back to the bottom where the portage was on the side . Stupid is what stupid does. I discovered my fanny pack which contained a small dry bag with phone and Garmin was indeed waterproof, whew! I get into Horse, paddle west, find the portages and get into Fourtown. Of course I passed up at least one hidden campsite because I was tired and did not look carefully. I paddled around the point going North where it shows other sites and using my new monocular I see a fire ring and no one there, yea! Oh was I tired but I dried out after that chin deep pocket of water, temps were still low 80s.
What a great site! Right on a point looking all around. But I hear some squalking? What the heck, I am getting dive bombed by some seagulls? What the heck are they doing here? Usually they are by the ocean and grabbing food that was sitting on blankets when folks went into the water. Here in the BWCA? Come on man! After they scoped me out they probably realized that my freeze dried food was not yummy for them. I would base camp here for the next 3 nights and day trip around.
I scoped out the area and found a trail near the privy that went up to a bald spot on top of a short hill. Probably a 3-4 min hike from the campsite. It has a gorgeous view of the lake and islands in the distance. I am guessing we were up about 2-300 ft in elevation. Humming birds were flying around with some huge dragon flies catching bugs. It was a fantastic site that I would visit a few times a day and stare at the lake and watch the sun set from the VFTT (views from the top)
I chilled out the next day and paddled around my campsite on the East side not venturing to far, wanted to relax and not rush. My plan was for the next day to cross over Fourttown and go West into Boot Lake, into Fairy Lake and into Gun lake where my friend Shawn and told me about and helping me plan my route. Big thanks to him. I did exactly that the next day. I did not go all the way into Gun just to where the lake narrows and then opens up, one guy told me I was in the trigger area. I was proud of myself for sticking to my plans and turn around times. I forgot to mention that I was videoing a loon and her two young ones when she went under and came back up with a small silver fish in her beak and proceeded to feed one of the young, how cool was that!
Back on the West side of Fourtown I use my very cool monocular once again and spot my florescent CCS stuff sack that is hanging on the tarp line and paddle up to my site, nice. Still warm and early out I take my daily swim and filter some water. Tonight would be breakfast for dinner! Scrambled eggs, summer sausage, oatmeal! I was eating pretty good and careful during the whole time not to overeat. I would be paddling out the next morning, day 6. Had a few cliff bars, peanut butter and chicken jerkey. No problem, paddle South from Fourtown into Mudro. This would be easier with less portages than the original way I took, WRONG!
Of course after launching the wind is in my face and I see there are two canoes going ahead of me in the same direction. I take my time and go from point to point and resting when out of the wind. I eventually meet up with the other boats and see they are young kids, around 13 years old with a college boy leading them. We paddle as far as we can and look for the portage, hmmm? For those of you who know this area it was a surprise for me and them. I somehow guessed that the portage was up a slanted rock face about 10-15 feet onto a flat area. Well I tie up the boat and scramble up this idea of mine and find the trail, oh crap! You break it, you buy it, was in my mind. I go back down and tell the kids this is the way out. Why did not I go the other way and walk uphill the portage? I ask myself. I get my pack up and out of the boat, (of course standing in 2ft of water this whole trip, Kevlar canoe) and hike the short portage thinking about this being the toughest portage the whole trip. (Little did I know what was ahead of me) I make it back to the canoe think if I should ask the kids for help and realized, nope, I am solo baby! I carefully get the boat on the shoulder and do a spider man crawl on the rockface until I get on flat land. Crap, that was tough. I carefully walk the trail really slow watching every nook and cranny where I am placing my steps, I wore my Merrell hiking boots every day even when swimming. They were great, stunk later but saved my butt. I get to the put in and go for a 2 min paddle across the other side to the next 141 rod portage. Almost there!
The distance was shorter this way but oh boy! Rocks, rocks, rocks, up and down, down and up, tree roots, rocks, stay away from the right edge or down you go into the gully. College kid called it a knee buster Sure great for me, had a left knee replaced 8 years ago and after that fall the first day oh man, bad place to test it. Had 2 knee braces on every day, popped advil and walked slowly.
I realized there are 3 different ways when walking a portage. One, with your pack watching the terrain. Two, on way back to the boat empty handed. Three, with the canoe overhead. Each portage hike is done differently and carefully and to my happiness no falls.
When I go back for my boat the college kid is portaging one of the canoes. It is a wood canvas Old Town canoe! Holy cow! It must weight app 65-70 lbs! The other one was Kevlar but they like using the wood canvas one. They were from a huge camp in the Ely area. Ahh, to be 19-20 years old again and look like Thor!
I believe it was another short easy portage back into Mudro towards the put in. But it looked different and I turned around looking for a different site. The kids told me I was heading the right direction but the water was so much lower now. I had to pole and get out of the canoe once to finish up the last quarter mile I guess through the meandering stream back to the take out. One there I gave myself a whoo hoo! Took a short video thanking family and friends and brought gear and boat back to my rent a car.
Animals I saw,
Bald eagles, loons, doe and fawn, seagulls, humming birds, frogs, turtles, beaver, red squirrels, dragon flies
I learned a lot of things going out there by myself.
Every step is important, stop and check out the terrain when walking.
Unbuckle the pack walking on planks.
Remember when wearing head net not to spit.
My J stroke needs more, change that, a lot of work!
Double blade worked for me 99.9% of the time
I loved being there but I would enjoy it more when sharing it with family and friends.
Also discovered that people that I spoke to on the trail said I had an accent and they knew I was from the NY area. One guy said Brooklyn, Come on man, I do not sound like I am from Brooklyn, I replied back, I am from Queens!
Hope to figure out a few pics tomorrow. Thanks for sharing your trips, I am looking forward to the next adventure!
Health and happiness and continue tripping! Coldfeet
I think on my next car camping trip I will try it out, that should be next month on Columbus day. It did come out pretty good at home adding jelly to it. But you know that's a good idea to do to kill some time out tripping. I should have, what the heck is another 10 oz?
