Dave's Knot Here! - Canoeing - 2003 BWCAW Trip Log

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Friday, Saturday and Sunday — Coming off the Water and the Trip Home

2003 Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Trip Log — Part 3

This is the Trip Journal of David L. Largent

(Crew members: Dave, Jon, Brian, Zach, Brad and Dustin – one crew of three from the troop)

Friday, July 25, 2003

Once more I got up just before sunrise. Unfortunately, there was a heavy cloud cover and no sun. An hour or so later there were some breaks in the clouds and the sun started to show through – I finally got a picture. This morning’s breakfast was oatmeal, so all we needed was hot water. Brian and I easily handled that task. We also got a pot of coffee perking. We got the youth up around seven, ate breakfast, broke camp and eventually headed out. It was interesting; we were ready to go – all the gear was in the canoes – but we stood in the campsite talking for about fifteen minutes before we left. I don’t know if other crew members were aware of it or not, but I think we didn’t want it to end. Getting in the canoes meant it was the beginning of the end. If we stayed in the campsite, we postponed the inevitable just a little bit.

Our trip back to Sea Gull Lake was uneventful. We decided to take the “wind route” through the South part of Alpine Lake and then through Rog Lake rather than go through the 102 rod portage on the East side of Alpine Lake. Obviously, we had to regain all the elevation we lost on Tuesday. We ate lunch at a campsite after we got on Sea Gull Lake. (Interestingly, this was the first campsite I stayed in during my 1998 trip.) At that time I presented each of the crew members with a small stone I had picked up last night at the Jasper Lake campsite. As I handed each one out, I invited all the rest of the crew to say what the stone’s recipient had brought to the group this week. Everyone was able to hear something positive about themselves. We lingered a bit more and then decided it was time to go.

Zach and I were canoe mates again today, as were Jon and Brian. This continued to work well. The only real downside was that I always had to double portage, once with the canoe, and once with the pack. The other two canoe pairs were able to carry a pack and two-person carry their canoe, thus completing the portage in one trip. That was not really an option with Zach. The last portage was an “easy” twenty rods, so I decided to carry both a pack and a canoe. We were also able to eliminate a Duluth pack today and replace it with a small nylon bag. This helped out Brian and Jon. When we arrived at the Sea Gull Lake landing, I went and called Tuscarora Lodge and Canoe Outfitters. By the time they arrived to pick us up, we were just finishing our unpacking of the canoes. It was generally overcast all day with the sun coming out occasionally. Upon our arrival at the outfitters around 3:30 PM, we moved back into bunkhouses 5 and 6 and I headed for the showers. It felt good! By now, all three crews were in, and the storytelling had begun. We were served a picnic dinner of barbequed chicken. After dinner some tried their luck a bit more at fishing, others browsed the trading post, many made phone calls home, and some just wandered around the outfitter’s property, playing basketball and visiting. Mid-evening it started to drizzle and there was no sunset for me to take a picture of; first time this week. I hope it blows through so there is a sunrise in the morning.

Did I have a great time this week? Yes. Was I exhausted at times? Yes. Am I glad I made a ninth trip to the BWCAW? You betcha! I thank God for a safe trip with good weather and favorable winds. Tomorrow we head towards home.

And yes, as I calculate it, we just barely squeaked in a fifty-miler.

Saturday, July 26, 2003

5:15 AM – Arose and headed out in search of the sunrise. I walked down to Round Lake, but didn’t really find anything interesting there. I decided to walk up the road towards the Gun Flint Trail. I stopped at the Cross River Entry Point and took a picture of the shoreline reflecting in the marshy pond that feeds the Cross River. Still no sunrise because of the clouds on the Eastern horizon, so I decided to continue down the road. I walked as far as the pond nearly at the end of the road and was rewarded with a cow moose standing in the water. She kept her eye on me, but didn’t really show any signs of flight. I took a couple of pictures and headed back to the outfitters. Still no sunrise. I kept looking back over my shoulder to see if the sun happened to have climbed above the clouds yet and was eventually able to get my picture. I had to keep moving this morning; the mosquitoes were the worst I’ve seen all week. I headed back to the outfitters, taking a couple more pictures along the way. I estimate I walked a total of about two and a half miles this morning.

6:15 AM – Arrived back at the bunkhouse and finished packing.

7:00 AM – Breakfast: French toast again. Afterwards we went back and finished our packing. I stopped in to say “thanks and bye” to Kerry (the outfitters’ operator) and then looked for an empty seat in a vehicle.

8:10 AM – Left Tuscarora Lodge and Canoe Outfitters. I rode with Kent and Ben.

9:10 AM – Arrived at Grand Marias and took time to look around and visit the stores.

10:30 AM – We left and headed towards Two Harbors for lunch.

12:10 PM – Lunch in Two Harbors.

12:45 PM – On the road… Somewhere after going through Duluth, we lost track of the rest of the group, so we’re traveling alone until we meet up with them again.

3:15 PM – Quick, five minute gas/bathroom break.

5:10 PM – Arrived in Thoma, WI and found an all-you-can-eat buffet for $6.00.

7:00 PM – Arrived at Mill Bluff State Park. We set up camp. Most people went swimming. I walked up the road to photograph the sunset and then went down to watch them swim. We came back to the campsite around 9:00 PM, talked a bit, and then headed to our tents around 9:30 PM because of mosquitoes.

Lois called me this morning when we were at the trading post in Grand Marais. She wanted to know that we were off the trail OK. She also told me that Uncle Bob is not doing well. It sounds like he is much more likely to die now, than before we left a week ago. It was good to hear Lois’ voice. I’ll be glad when we’re all home again.

As I write this, I’m laying in my tent sweating. Oh, to be up North where it’s cooler! One more day of travel and Jon and I will be back home. Then it’s back to work for me…

Sunday, July 27, 2003

5:30 AM – I awoke, dressed and walked about a mile down the road waiting for a sunrise picture.

6:30 AM – Arrived back at camp, got gear packed up, ate breakfast and then Brad led us in a Scout’s Own.

7:15 AM – On the road…

9:15 AM – Quick gas/bathroom break

11:35 AM – Quick gas/bathroom break

12:20 PM – Lunch stop at Rensselaer, IN

1:00 PM – On the road; should be home well before dinner.

3:15 PM – We arrived at troop room, unloaded gear and waited for parents to arrive.

4:00 PM – Jon and I arrived home, unpacked and started laundry. Lois and Julia are still in Oregon vacationing. They’ll be home Wednesday morning. We checked our answering machine and had a message to call Dad and Mom who are also vacationing in Oregon. I tried calling, but kept getting a busy signal. After a while of trying, Dad called me. The message was that Uncle Bob had died a little after 1:00 PM today. Not an unexpected message after talking with Lois yesterday, but not one I was looking forward to receiving.

Overall the trip was great. I just wish there was a way to get there and back quicker. I look forward to the next time I’m able to head North to canoe the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

-dll

The Route

Day 1: Sea Gull Lake – Alpine Lake – Jasper Lake

Day 2: Jasper Lake – Kingfisher Lake – Ogishkemuncie Lake – Annie Lake – Jenny Lake – Eddy Lake – South Arm Knife Lake

Day 3: South Arm Knife Lake (headed West) – Knife Lake – Hiked up Thunder Point Trail – Knife Lake (headed North) – South Arm Knife Lake

Day 4: South Arm Knife Lake – Eddy Lake – Jenny Lake – Annie Lake – Ogishkemuncie Lake – Kingfisher Lake – Jasper Lake

Day 5: Jasper Lake – Alpine Lake – Rog Lake – Sea Gull Lake

The Numbers

9 – Days away from home

8 – Nights away from home

5 – Days on the water

4 – Nights on the water