Friday, May 22, 2009

We set up our departure time for 7 AM. Up at 6:30 and eating breakfast at 6:45! I was very excited and I could see Samantha getting a bit nervous. There were two other groups getting ready to depart as well. One was going into Crab/Cummings and the other were busy packing and getting ready to leave. I talked to them while eating a quick breakfast. We sat at John's pavilion and watched Gennis trot by with a pair of socks, heading away in a hurry. I was laughing and telling Sammie about Gennis on my previous visits to NCCO while Kathy and one of the other trippers was trying to convince Gennis to let go of the mans socks.

We loaded our packs into the van, filled our water bottles from the fish house sink, Gennis jumped up front with me and our driver, Sammie hopped into the back and we were off! We got to EP #75 at about 8 am and with a little help from our escort we got a last picture of us and in the water at 8:20.
The Little Isabella River was peaceful and memories started going through my head of previous trips. Samantha was wanting to see a Moose and I was hoping that I could help her out with that. We were approaching the first of many portages we would be facing alone when Sammie started trying to be all she could be in the bow of the canoe. I told her that I would put us into a good spot to unload the canoe and all she needed to do for me was watch for rocks and limbs under the surface. We unloaded and I grabbed the canoe and a pack and started my way to the other side of the portage. I reached the other side and set everything down and headed back to help Sammie with the rest of the gear. I was walking back and I could hear something coming my way just over the hill. As I crested the hill I knew I had my work cut out for me with breaking in a first timer. There stood Sammie with two packs,3 paddles,2 tackle boxes, 1 fishing pole and yes... that's a fishing net over her head! I held in every bit of laughter I could and simple asked if she had gotten everything else. She seemed a bit upset when she told me "No, I could not find a way to get them other two fishing poles." What a trooper, if she can keep that up I wont have to carry anything!
With her first actual portage behind us we quietly paddle on to Quadga lake. We had not yet reached the portage and you could already hear the Isabella River roaring. We pulled up at the portage and unloaded the canoe for a trip across the quick 75 or so Rods to Quadga. The lake was a welcome site to my eyes. I had not been back here for 20 years and I had been itching to visit for a while. We got about 75 yards away from shore and I grabbed my water bottle. I had told Sammie not to drink out of the little Isabella but when we hit Quadga she could join me in a fresh drink from the lake! We were both ready. I showed her how to properly dip for water then took a break to enjoy the cool lake water. The lake seemed empty but we found that the campsite we had hoped for was taken. We did not let that bring us down and headed for the second choice. We had camp set up by 1:30 P.M. and even though I was ready to do some heavy fishing Sammie was thinking NAP!
I woke about an hour later to some faint noise. It was voices and they were not in my head, they were by my canoe. Not to be quick on the draw I eased out of the tent to take a peek. In the hour I was asleep the lake campsites had filled and a father and his young son were trying to make their way to a campsite on campfire lake via the Pow Wow Trail and our latrine trail. I gathered my fishing gear and got the canoe ready while I waited for them to come back and tell me if they were staying on campfire lake or paddling on. I talked it over with Sammie and asked her thoughts on them bunking up on one of the spare tent pads at our site. She was fine with it and so was I but we were relieved I would not have to offer it to them, they found the campsite on campfire to be available. I was fishing the bay when the boy walked by and asked if he could fish there in the bay. I told him he had better grab a pole before I catch them all! The little bugger had a nice dinner northern on his 2nd cast! I enjoyed the smile on his face as he and his father walked by with the gear and his fish to get their camp set up.
Not to be out done by an 10 year old Sammie and I hit the water casting. I fished for a few hours catching nothing but Largemouth after largemouth. I got a good one for dinner and the rest was for fun. We played peek a boo with a few loons and then headed back to camp. The wind had settled down and the bugs seem to disappear after the fire was going. Even though we had steaks for a main course we both would have rather had more fish to eat. The first day in the BW was over. I was afraid the rest would be just as fast.