Introduction: This is an account of the biggest adventure of my life. It is an attempt to portray 28 days of wilderness travel throughout Quetico Provincial Park and the BWCA. The report will be supported in the most part by a daily trail journal kept during the expedition, and photographic evidence. Though it should be known I will be omitting certain parts and adding quite a bit of posthumous thoughts. Proper preparations for the month long voyage can be said to have officially begun August 1 of this year, though I had been planning it in mind for over half a year. Food preparations began in the heat of the summer with the dehydrating of beef jerky. Providing homemade dehydrated meals for the trip would consume most of my free time in the weeks before the trip. A myriad of soups, chilis, and breads would make up most of the meals, with fresh meals to start. The trip saw participants drop from six to three during the last month. Canoe and gear planning seemed to change on a daily basis.  Finally we were set with three members in the crew. A tentative route was planned, starting from Trails End Campground at the end of the Gunflint Trail, resupplying in Atikokan,ON, and Ely,MN, before returning to the Gunfint. There would be no set route between each stop, with the group mentality being one of a slow and steady approach; we would meander our way through the park. My hopes in providing this report is to instill excitement in wilderness camping, to hopefully perpetuate continued appreciation of wild untouched places, and make an attempt at evoking some deeper thoughts on the role we all play in preserving them. Moreover this is a challenge to myself to try and make sense of where I have spent the last month of my life, and what to do with the possible sense I make of it. I hope you all enjoy my take on the woods.
  Part One: Gunflint Trail to Atikokan, ON 10/3/11 Day One I am back in the wilds of Quetico. The roar of Silver Falls is still audible, as I sway in my hammock. This year’s voyage consists of myself, Adam Mella, and Paige Richard May. After months of preparations we finally entered the wilderness this morning via Trails End Campground on big Saganaga. It seems the glorious weather we were blessed with last October is back again. We paddled the water under clear blue skies with light to moderate winds out of the South(!). Landfall at the ranger station in Cache Bay was had by noon. A short three mile paddle out of the bay brought us to the picturesque Silver Falls. We will be double portaging this year as we three carry four packs and two boats, a Wenonah MNII and a Bell Wildfire respectively. After hauling gear across, we hiked back to the falls for lunch. Paige caught two lake trout below the falls before his homemade marabou jig hook broke. Being out of season we released both fish, though one was pushing 26”. We pressed on and camped at a site minutes from the fall, before Saganagons really shows herself. Gusts out of the South made for a late start to dinner. Adam and Paige went out for some late evening fishing, picking up two more lakers and a nice pike below the falls. The pike would make a nice addition to the bacon wrapped filet mignons we had planned for dinner. Tomorrow will bring us to the falls chain. Our eventual goal is as always Atikokan,ON, with poutine deluxe in mind. We plan on a longer stay in the park this year. With temps in the 70’s we are all looking forward to the adventure that awaits us. There is still quite a bit of color in the trees which makes for beautiful paddling. I can’t wait for more.
10/4/11 Day Two On our second day in the Quetico wilderness we traveled the appropriately famed and beautiful falls chain. We traveled up Saganagons in calm winds. A hearty egg bacon and potato frittata made for a good start. Through “Dead Man’s” portage into the seven portages that break up the chain we would receive little resistance from the wind. Fishing and lunch were had at Bald Rock Falls. The mostly calm day offered splendid reflections of yellow and red shorelines. The come out in earnest in the late afternoon making for downright sweltering conditions. The double portaging makes for easier, albeit slower travel over land. We found ourselves a nice site at the bottom of Canyon Falls on Kenny Lake and hour before dusk. We all went to a swim as soon as we got to camp. It was quite brisk but refreshing. Dinner consisted of rehydrated beef jerky in Szechuan stir fry. Outstanding. The incredibly favorably conditions continued today with temperature in the 70’s again, and winds almost nonexistent. As I lay in my hammock watching the half-moon set I take in the late evening crickets on the opposite shore the distant pulsing of Canyon Falls in the distance and the sweet smoldering aroma of split cedar wafting my way. All of which reassure me I am back home.   
10/5/11 Day Three It has been a long hard day of travel for the three wise men today. From Kenny our route brought us into McEwen by way of a 1260M portage, with a steep climb halfway, it made for a rigorous start to the day. A white sand beach welcomed us at the bottom of the portage. We all stripped down and cooled off in the crystal clear waters of McEwen. Temperatures in the 70’s again and winds out of the East made for easier paddling down the length of this wild gem of a lake. Fall colors abounded on the West shore of the lake as we cruised the four mile length of the lake.  Upon reaching the southernmost terminus of McEwen we entered its self-titled creek. An overgrowth of weeds and low water made for challenging paddling, although the scenery was stunning. Yellow Tamaracks and towering cliffs surrounded us on all sides. A few short portages around cedar choked creeks brought us to Turn Lake, and lunch. At this point we realized time was not on our side and pushed hard for Fauquier Lake. Five portages later we found ourselves on its glass calm waters, the sun just behind the pines, searching for a site. After probing Fauquier’s shoreline for a North facing site to no avail, we settled on an elevated site (seemingly the only site) facing South. Warm evening temperatures make it feel like July out here. We enjoyed chili in T-shirts for dinner. More hot temps seem to be in store for us as we push for Agnes Tomorrow.  
10/6/11 Day Four Sitting on a spit of rock gazing north down the massive beauty that is Agnes Lake, I reflect on the day. The sun is just going down over the trees and I do not think I have gazed down a lake this large and this gorgeous. It has been our best site yet. This morning on Fauquier we were awoken by the not too distant howls of wolves. On our way out of the Fauquier we portaged thrice into small trout lakes before coming to Louisa Lake, one of our favorites thus far. We saw our first group today, a threesome out day-tripping. The paddle down Louisa was sublime. The kindly giant of a lake granted us unusually placid passage. “No shoes, No shirt, No service” is apparently a foreign concept to Louisa as we paddled under the midday sun.  We had lunch and a swim at Louisa Falls (on October 6!). “The Bathtub” is aptly named as it drops 30 feet into a nice deep pool before dropping again into Agnes Lake. The water in Louisa Falls was frigid was refreshing from the heat of our “Indian Summer”. It must have been in the 80’s today. I can’t imagine very many people have been swimming in her waters in October. Up Agnes, our biggest lake of the trip, we had a nice tail wind out of the south. We took full advantage of it by lashing our boats together assembling a rain fly as a sail. Standing in the stern of the MNII holding both paddles affixed to the fly and bracing against the gusts while Paige ruddered we cruised four miles up Agnes in under an hour. Feeling the power of the wind in my hands and in the paddles was invigorating. The same winds that drove us towards Atikokan also brought with them the smell of smoke and hazy skies. It is hard to say where they are from. Pagami Creek still? The simple pleasure of sailing two canoes down an enormous body of water is better than anything you can buy out there. A sense of relief washed over us as we came up to a point on the map we hoped to find a campsite, and did. And what a campsite it is. A 270 degree view up Agnes with water as far as our eyes could see made way for the first real feeling of being “out there”. Thus far we have had fairly strenuous travel, parts of which I cursed and hated, but there is nowhere else I want to be.     
10/8/11 Day Five and Day Six Without a hint of collegiate hyperbole I must say the last two days have been epic. These were days I will remember forever. We would watch a wildfire burn on the lake we were camped and then portage through it. First, let us begin at Agnes where we last left off. Knowing that we most likely would be inundated with heavy winds from the South, the idea to vacate our campsite came easily. We were on the water as the sun was rising. Sure enough, after a short paddle the winds picked up and upon arrival at our portage into Silence lake we were riding 2 foot rollers. Turning south onto Silence Lake we met our first real challenge on the water. A decent headwind made for a tough paddle to the Sultry Lake Portage. On returning to our canoes after hauling packs over we found our MNII floating back towards where we had come from on Silence. I took off in the solo boat and caught it on the West shore, before it could head down the length of the lake. We made our way through Summer and Shade, where we had an early lunch. During lunch we noticed the top of a smoke plume in the general direction of our afternoon’s travel. Thinking it was nothing more than a distant fire we pressed on. Through a couple of smaller clear lakes and two brutal portages we arrived at the shores of Shan Walshe Lake. The smoke seen a couple hours prior was now much closer, to our west and north. We had read the McNiece/Shan Walshe area held beautiful stands of virgin pines, but to our dismay we found most of the area denuded from recent fires. We portaged into McNiece with ominous ambition. The smoke was close, but how close. Upon paddling around the bend on the high sided, horse shoe shaped McNiece we searched for the genesis of the smoke, and found its origins. It was burning our only way out of McNiece, the portage into Kahshahpiwi. The decision to paddle closer came slowly, but curiosity pushed us on. Flames were seen on the ridge north of our portage and plumes of smokes emanated from the entire shoreline. With sustained winds in the 20 mph range and gusts twice as much it wasn’t a surprise to see such fire activity. The one campsite on the lake that offered a view without being too close was taken. We figured backtracking into heavy south winds late in the day to Yum Yum Lake was not an immediate option. Keeping an eye on the fire, which was about a mile to our west, seemed the only option. The day grew long and in uncharacteristic fashion the winds picked up. We cooked dinner as trees snapped and crashed to the forest floor in the distance. The pike picked up by Paige on Shan Walshe was fried and introduced to refried beans and fresh guacamole at a party called fish tacos. One of the best meals we have had on trail yet. Once darkness set in the wildfire set off an eerie orange glow on the hillside above it. We were pretty sure the fire was just on the other side of a ridge we could see, but the fire was moving incredibly slow. After watching the same unmoving glow for two hours we figured nothing more would come of it. At that point the fire made a run over the ridge towards us and we finally had a clear view of flames. Trees were vividly seen going up in 20-30 foot flames. The forest was on fire. Never have I sat so close to such an event. The fire slowed as it made its way down the steep hill towards the lake, but we kept an eye on it. At this point the idea of a late night evacuation seemed slightly more real, but the idea of portaging in the dark kept us in camp. Never before have I considered how much of a difference the decisions we had made that day could have made and whether they were right. There had been multiple opportunities throughout the day to move away from the fire. Seemingly we had set ourselves up in the face of a dangerous, impenetrable force, with the only real route directing us back the way we had come. It was a helpless feeling.  As we prepared for rest in the hammocks under rain flies the thunder and lightning began. Shortly thereafter it started raining. It rained hard. The water in the cast iron skillet indicated we had received over an inch of rain overnight. Our previous night’s wind had died and we awoke to calm water and undecided gray skies. Smoke was still visible from the opposite end of the lake, though much less in volume. We packed and decided to have a closer look at the easiest way out of McNiece. The closer we paddled the clearer it became that the fire had essentially burned right through our portage. With a haze in the air reminiscent of a movie set we investigated the shoreline and first portion of the portage. Lacking a proper decision on the danger of the 200 rod portage we hoisted packs and surged through the blackened landscape with fervor. Fire had scorched everything but the portage path itself. Wet yellow leaves and a shallow trench made it somehow visible. Smoking logs and downed trees created a surreal scene. Large parts of the portage had to be circumvented in order to avoid massive downed red and white pines.  We came up onto the crest of a slight hill to find entire trees still ablaze, no more than 10 yards off the trail. One tree in particular was still standing, with a steady fire burning it from the inside out. We horsed our way through treacherous terrain as the sun grew hotter and winds picked up out of the south. On the second run through to pick up canoes we noticed portions of the woods now aflame that had not been minutes before. As we all reached Kahshahpiwi we realized how crazy the portage had been. We were relieved to be on safe water again. As we paddled north the smoke in the woods behind us seemed to grow, and I’d like to think we made it through just in time. Winds persisted up Kahshahpiwi out of the south making for an easy, speedy day of paddling. We cruised up Keefer and Sark in a little under two hours. Upon reaching our site on Cairn we had covered 17 miles, the longest day yet. We are sore, scraped, sweaty, blackened, bruised and bloody, but spirits are high and tomorrow will bring us closer to our first objective, the town of Atikokan.      
10/9/11 Day Seven I lay under a full moon and clear skies out here on Sturgeon Lake, specifically Blueberry Island. We made our way another 16 miles today, mostly north. A portage in and a portage out of Heronshaw brought us to Shelley Lake. After an obvious stop at “Have a Smoke” portage we moved through Keats and into Chatterton. We had lunch at Chatterton Falls which is quite the sight. The late start left us with only two hours of light after lunch. After drifting down Russell Rapids we spotted a dead bull moose in the water, at the confluence of Russell and Sturgeon Narrows. At first we thought it to be a rock, but as we paddled closer it became apparent it was a dead moose. The eagles and ravens had been picking at it for sometime. How long had it been there? The notion to camp on Blueberry Island in the middle of Sturgeon had been talked about throughout the trip. We made it reality this evening. Gathering wood from the opposite shore made for and easy fire set up in the dark. The pit was one of favorites thus far. We take pride in our fire pits, usually reworking them to best accommodate the wind and what we happen to be preparing for dinner.  Dinner this evening was black bean soup and cornbread. The dehydrated meals I prepared from a backpacking book from the 1980’s are excellent. It is food I would eat at home. Spirits are still high, with temperatures dropping. A more substantial cool down seems to be on the way, with the possibility of rain, at least according to the weather robot on the crank radio. I can’t believe we have been out here for a week.
10/10/11 Day Eight We moved about 13 miles today swapping Blueberry Island for Wetasi Island on Pickerel Lake. The day brought us through Olifaunt, the Pickerel River and the three “B” lakes, Bud, Beg and Bisk. We had to endure a mile long portage around white water on the river during seemingly the hottest part of the day. For the struggle we were rewarded with a few nice views of the mini gorge that the river runs through. We met our first man made creation upon reaching Pickerel, in the form of a large dam. The last three miles down to Wetasi Island passed under gray skies and breezes from the south. Barley soup with garlic and white cheese biscuits made for a delicious dinner. Around the campfire that evening we realized we had cracked the 100 mile mark, about six miles earlier in the day.
10/11/11 Day Nine Today we moved through Pickerel, fishing our way through the narrows with marginal success. It was a paddling day, as for the first time in the trip we did not carry over any portages. We are camped up on big Batchewaung Lake, looking towards our last portage of the first leg.     

Part Two: Atikokan,ON to Ely,MN 10/12/11 Day Ten and Eleven This morning started out beautifully, with a simultaneous sunrise and moonset. The morning quickly deteriorated into gray skies and drizzle. We packed up camp and headed for Atikokan. It took us a little over an hour to reach the landing at Nym Lake. We stashed the canoe and walked through an empty parking lot down to the Trans Canadian Highway, a mile to the north. It only took ten minutes of standing on the highway before we were picked up by two residents of Nym Lake. After watching the woods move by at the pace set by our arms for a week, seeing it whiz by at 60 mph was dizzying. We had decided the prospects of showers and a bed was too good to pass up, so we broke down and rented a hotel room for the night. After cleaning up we took off for town, quenching our thirst for beer and poutine deluxe at “The Outdoorsman”. Groceries and a few odd supplies were picked up for a reasonable sum. We spent most of the afternoon repacking food and trying to get a better idea of what the next week’s weather would bring. We went out for pizza and drinks at “The Union Pub”. The next morning brought a steady rain, and a hangover. Aspirin and orange juice cured the hangover; there was nothing we could do about the rain. Reluctantly we packed up and walked out of town in the rain. We had almost made our way back to the highway when we were picked up by the Ontario Provincial Police. As we rode back to Nym Lake in the back of a police cruiser under respectable terms the rain picked up. After thanking the officers for the kindly lift we found the canoe where we left it and pushed back into the wilderness under steely skies. Fortunately the rain slowed enough for us to set up camp on the same spot we had spent the night two days prior. The tent and both of our rain flies made for a nice gypsie camp. Little did we know at the time we would be spending the next two days wind and rain bound there. Apparently Batchewaung wasn’t done with us yet.     
10/14/11 Day Twelve We are still stuck in camp today. It has been raining for 48 consecutive hours, and now the wind has picked up, which has us truly marooned. We have passed the time reading, drinking tea, and stoking a smoky fire. This is the weather we expected at some point in October. It would be impossible to travel a month within Quetico and not experience gales from the northwest, the preludes to winter. Now that it is here were all getting a little restless. As we sit out this massive, slow moving low pressure system we are depleting rations and seemingly squandering the precious time we had set aside for a trip down the Darky River. Alas, so it is in the northern wilds of Quetico in October, wind bound.
10/15/11 Day Thirteen Progress was made today, but not much. We finally broke the stranglehold Batchewaung had on us by striking off into 25-35 mph winds from the northwest. Waking up this morning after listening to the winds blow all night, we knew we had to make a move. With the rain tapering it seemed it was now or never, with a forecast predicting persisting winds throughout the week. The narrow bit of water we paddled back to Batchewaung Bay made no hint to the monstrous waves we would come to know when we turned west into the teeth of the wind. It was tough paddling, as we dug our paddles into the churning waters, and inched closer to the McAlpine Portage. The so called “Garden Walk” is properly named as it offered little challenge to our well rested portage legs. Upon reaching McAlpine we realized we could hug the north shore for a trace of protection. We still paddled into a headwind, but fortunately the trees offered some shelter from the constant gusts. A short portage around a logging dam, now mostly a beaver dam, brought us to McAlpine Creek. The creek would be the only moderately calm waters we would paddle all week. As we rounded the last bend of the creek the long east to west giant Kasakokwog came into view. We were at the mercy of the lake. Kasakokwog’s six mile length allowed the waves to build into ocean sized rollers. There were few options at that point. We had to move forward. Somehow the strength was mustered and we paddled into the largest waves I’ve ever seen from the back of a canoe. We were aiming for a point about halfway down the lake, but we soon started taking on water as our bow crashed into four foot walls of water, and quickly charged for shore. Luckily there was a site just around the point we had stopped at, and easily decided to portage through the woods and stop for the day. After setting up camp, we looked out at the lake and sat in wonder at how we managed to gain even one mile considering the conditions. Massive four foot rollers would lumber by our camp all afternoon and evening.
  10/16/11 Day Fourteen The wind blew all night. We awoke this morning to even heavier winds out of the WNW. Kasakokwog was becoming our nemesis. We had just spent two days wind bound and had no intentions of spending another entire day in camp. The packs and boats we portaged through the woods the back side of our point where we hoped to find a little protection from the gusts. Little protection was found. Today’s two mile paddle may have been the most challenging of my life. Yesterday’s waves seemed to be of a more mature type, long sets of rollers with valleys that our boats fit into nicely, very imposing indeed, but not slowing us very much. The waves today were erratic and the winds interminable. Every ounce of strength I had was put into every paddle stroke. We hid behind an island for a break before striking back out, quickly we found ourselves in terrible conditions. The water at this point was being affected by wind from two directions. Rollers from the west met up with choppy whitecaps blowing in from a bay to the north resulting in roiling chaos. Typically strong headwinds from one direction can be handled with pure grit and determination. These were waters that took every ounce of strength physically and mentally. The proper line our boat needed to take towards shore was changing constantly. If not for the week prior spent getting used to the undulations of our MNII, the irregular waters we paddled that morning would have surly dumped us. We eventually horsed our way to the leeward side of the island creating the mess. The paddle from there was still a challenge, but not in a life threating way. Again we had been bested by Kasakokwog, and set up camp a scant three miles west of the previous night’s spot. Beyond the point to our west that protects us from the gales is two miles of big, open water. There is no real possibility of us leaving under the current conditions. It has been consistently gusting up to 40mph for the last three days, even throughout the night. We really need the winds to calm, as we are now 4 days behind schedule.  As we sit out the rain, and now snow I feel we are paying dividends for the spectacular weather we basked in during the first let north. Never have I seen the wind blow this hard, for this long. Our route has us moving through Quetico Lake and Beaverhouse before entering the Quetico River. If we can’t make our way across a two mile stretch of water, something needs to change if we expect to move across those monstrous bodies of water.
10/17/11 Day Fifteen Finally, we made respectable progress today. The decision to move off of Kasakokwog was not made easily considering the waves still crashing into the point to our west. It was something that had to be done. We packed up in the rain knowing when we rounded the guardian point to our west, there would be no protection for two miles. Immediately upon skirting the point we met a barrage of wind. We fought for the north shore, and calmer waters, with everything we had. As we gained access to the north shore it was pretty easy paddling. It felt great to be making progress while exerting little energy. Most of the paddle to our portage was accomplished in surprising ease. The 76 rod portage was a fine one, as it meandered through a lush cedar grove. The low water made for slow progress down the creek. We walked/lined the boats most of its length. Sections of water too shallow to paddle, but mud too deep to stand in made for vulgar remarks regarding the creek. The open waters of Quetico Lake presented more head winds. It didn’t last as we rounded a point and pointed our bows to the southwest. Along the easiest paddle in days, we passed pictographs and the most interesting shoreline seen yet. One last section needed to be crossed before we gained final protection from the northwest gales. A ½ mile of water lay between us and our turn to the south, and Eden Island. In the past days we had paddled into larger waves, but the consistent gusts on this stretch were the worst yet. There was no chance for a break in those conditions. We made our way south along the east shore of Eden Island before deciding the rain and wind had taken its toll on our vigor, and found a site. It turned out to be a nice beach site actually. It seems strange to be camping on a beach in such un-beach conditions. Tomorrow will bring us to the last great challenge before reaching the westernmost point of the trip, the giant known as Beaverhouse. Rations are starting to become a concern. We need to make it to Ely within the week. Also, we are out of booze.
10/18/11 Day Sixteen We paddled in the snow today, definitely a first for me. Making our way off of Eden Island early we made it to the portage into Beaverhouse in under an hour. The portage out of Quetico Lake seemed ancient, as it was littered with old water heaters and frames from what must have been Model-T’s. Beaverhouse is an enormous lake. We were relieved to receive little in the way of wind. Light breezes out of the northwest made for easy, albeit frigid paddling. It felt good to make serious progress again, as the last week saw us travel as much as we did just today. Lunch at the mouth of the Quetico River was quick and cold. Our “Indian Summer” seems so far away now. It is definitely fall.  Anytime we stop moving the cold seeps in swiftly and saps our energy. A recurring question at lunch seems to be “What the !@#$% are we doing out here?”. The first set of rapids was run by both boats before having to portage around two unshootable sets. The portages along the Quetico seem very overgrown compared to most. Most of the paddle down the river was beautiful with numerous waterfowl sightings, including Cygnus Buccinator(Swans). The final portage out of the river around WaWa Island put us into a shallow, beaver ridden creek. We had grown weary and wary of any creek at this point. Most of them were low, or choked with the work of beavers. This creek would be no different; in fact it would be the worst yet. The water soon turned into a trickle, and then to mud flats. This resulted in us portaging almost a mile along the shore to the Namakan River. It had been one of our most challenging days and we all yearned for a roaring fire, hot food, and a dry place to lay our heads. The first site we stopped at, which we had seen on the map, was abysmal. No tent spot and the cold wind moved through it unimpeded. We continued on, cold and tired, to an island site about a mile up river. Temperatures will dip into the 20’s tonight. It’s remarkable we were swimming earlier in the trip. Once warmed up by the fire at night, it is a lot easier to say I’m glad fall is back. We traveled 17 miles today for the first time since being blown up the Kahshahpiwi Chain over a week ago. 
10/19/11 Day Seventeen Back in America! Weve made it back onto big water today. After a 12 mile paddle down the Namakan River we came out onto the colossal Lac La Croix. We saw our first people today in over a week, a group of MNR researchers studying sturgeon in the river. The morning started cool and cloudy. By the time we hit the water the sun was making cameo appearances through gaps in the clouds. Our last two weeks has brought us through some of the most pristine waterways in the world. Today’s paddle would be quite the opposite. At the mouth of the Namakan River there is an Indian Reservation, and they have a serious issue with controlling their trash. For the past few days we have been envisioning Ivy Falls as a beautiful wilderness waterfall, which it could have been, if not for the multiple junker boats and abandoned outboard motors strewn about on shore. Junk food wrappers and a whole lot of seemingly freshly drank Pepsi cans littered the river and portages. The portage around Snake Falls may have been worse. More boats in disrepair, gas cans, and outboard motors. At one point we came upon an actual pile of garbage. It made for a disgusting scene, and made us wonder, are they even trying? Following the trail of Pepsi cans we came out of the woods above Snake Falls and hurriedly paddled for respite from the mess. We came out onto big beautiful La Croix in time to watch the sun hitting a myriad of distant islands, truly a sight for sore eyes. It was a calm evening and the light on the islands gave us a good sense of depth and size to the beast. We stopped at the island we would eventually camp on, making it our first time back on American soil in 17 days. It seems we are in for another cold night. Tomorrow is forecast to be clear for the first time in a week, with light winds, which will make crossing big water much safer.
10/20/11 Day Eighteen It was a bright cold day today. We paddled 16 miles through a puzzle of islands along the length of Lac La Croix, and a bit of Iron Lake. Last night the wind picked up and blew from the north until morning. We assumed, lying in the tent, that today’s paddle would be rough, but by the time we launched winds had mostly subsided. We paddled in t-shirts (for the first time in over a week) in brisk conditions under partly cloudy skies. The sun was very warm, making the paddle around the south of Coleman Island bearable. The passage through “Fish Stake Narrows” resulted in in zero fish taken. Along the Canadian side of Lac La Croix we found a large group of pictographs on a 60 foot rock wall. Dozens of hand prints made for a very thought provoking afternoon. We had lunch atop “Warrior Hill”. The climb was quick, albeit steep, considering it was one massive rock. What a view. Low water extended our portage around Bottle Rapids. This was quickly becoming a habit along our route along the border. We powered our way through the narrows north of Four Island west of Rebecca Falls, our destination. The campsite on the island had had our attention for weeks, as we poured over maps. It was even better in person, as they always are. It sits high above McAree Lake with falls on both sides. After thoroughly exploring our options we camped on the lower side of the island, just above McAree. Adam landed a nice 28” Lake Trout soon after setting up camp. To top off an almost perfect day we were treated to a modest display of Aurora Borealis. Decent bands of light were seen moving across the opposite shore from east to west. Most of the light was faint, but a few good bands moved by over the course of an hour. It was the best day of travel since pre-Atikokan days. During the last week one wonders if bearing the dreadful conditions is worth it. Is a constant onslaught of wind and rain really why I came out here? Days like today make it worth persevering. Days like today are why we paddle into head winds for days on end. Days like today are why we wait in camp for a break from the rain. I do love the edge October has on it though; it makes the good days stand out. They almost seem too good to be true, too perfect. I think after spending a lengthy amount of time outside you start noticing different sorts of dimensions within a trip. It does not seem like something one can experience on shorter trips. It is going to be hard to let this go.      
10/23/11 Day Nineteen-Twenty One The past few days have offered little in the way of journal entries. I will make an attempt to recall most pertinent happenings. Upon leaving our magnificent site next to Rebecca Falls we made a short paddle under clear skies to Curtain Falls. The rest of our day would be spent paddling, so we took some extra time to fish and take pictures of the area. It was a long day in the boats as we made our way through the countless islands and bays of Crooked Lake. After a late lunch we pushed hard for the site at “Table Rock” on Wednesday Bay. It’s nice to know you’ve got something left in the tank after paddling 16 miles. The site at table rock had clearly been used for hundreds of years. It truly was a natural wilderness campsite. As for the rock itself, it seems better left to the imagination than to try and describe it. The next morning started gray and calm. Originally the plan had been to set up on Basswood Lake in order to make landfall in Ely on Monday. Being it was Saturday we needed to be mindful of the fact we could not purchase alcohol on Sunday. Within minutes after starting the paddle we decided to push for Mile Island on Fall Island and get into Ely that night. It was a tall order, with 22 miles and 5 portages between us and Fall Lake. We would need to single portage to have any chance of making it to Zup’s before 7pm. We paddled hard and stopped for lunch about 10 miles out, with 4 hours before we would be denied access to groceries. We had a goal. The five miles down Pipestone Bay was taken care of in workman like fashion. We carried packs and canoes past Newton Falls at 430, and had attained a site on Mile Island by 530. It would be home for the next two days. After reorganizing packs we paddled over to the campground and started walking towards the Fernberg Trail. Shortly before reaching the Fernberg we were picked up by an acquaintance of Paige’s. We made it to Zup’s with 45 minutes to spare. Dinner at the Ely Steakhouse was huge. We each had a pitcher of beer and left fat and happy. A stop at Mikes Liquor was had before attaining another ride back out to Fall Lake Campground. After arriving back at Fall Lake we found a contingent of college students with liquor. We spent an hour or so conversing, drinking their liquor and have a good time all around. After narrowly avoiding rocks and shoreline we navigated the MNII back to our camp in the dark. It had been a long hard day. I felt as strong as a mountain, but drunk as a skunk. The next morning I awoke fuzzy and sore. We were in no shape to be paddling. The decision to head back into Ely for a rest day was not hard, as we managed to forget some crucial items at Zups, mainly toilet paper. After getting another ride back into town we had coffee at The Front Porch, and breakfast at Brittons, before settling in for an afternoon of watching football at the Steakhouse. Tomorrow will bring a return to our routine of paddling and portaging. We had a great time in Ely but are looking forward to pressing on in our journey and getting back on the trail.

Part Three: Ely,MN to Gunflint Trail 10/24/11 Today we finally broke our ties with Fall Lake and Ely by paddling 12 miles out to Canadian Point on big Basswood. The day brought mostly sunny skies, temperatures in the mid 50’s and light winds. It was a perfect day to be in a canoe. A 90 rod portage became a 200 rod portage as we maneuvered gear around low water and mud into Hoist Bay. The days are definitely growing shorter. As soon as we made Hoist Bay it felt late in the day. We found our camp and gathered wood in dying orange light, the sort of light only seen on late October afternoons. As we start our fourth and final leg of this journey I can sense the end. I am not ready to return to the real world. Where does the time go out here?
10/25/11 I cannot believe we have been out here for nearly a month. As the days roll on it becomes more routine. I guess once it gets too routine it may be time to stop. We are on the home stretch, which is bittersweet. Today we paddled and portaged 15 miles to Carp Lake. Basswood is a giant, and it feels good to be removed from a lake with such a propensity for lumbering white caps and camp sequestering winds. The last six miles of Basswood offered light east winds (still a head wind) and vague gray skies. The short carry over at Prairie Portage took us into Birch Lake. The typically bustling (relatively speaking) portage was eerily quiet on this gray October morning. The winds really died down in the afternoon making for spectacular reflections of flooded timber along shore. Another short portage brought us to the emerald waters of Carp Lake. We are camped on an elevated piece of land that surely would be an island if not for the low water. Dinner consisted of grilled BBQ chicken sandwiches and fresh baked brownies; it was one of our best meals. Tomorrow we push on into the Man Chain, knowing each mile brings us closer to the end of this incredible journey.

10/27/11 Yesterday we moved a scant 5 miles into the Man Chain lakes. These are some of the most beautiful lakes yet, and we decided to spend an extra day enjoying them. Steep rocky hills surrounding emerald waters and dozens of picture perfect islands screaming to be explored make it easy to take a rest day. Even the portages are enchanting, which meander through dark cedar glens along gin clear streams. It makes me want to stop and build a cabin and stay there for the winter. Camp was set up on a small island halfway down This Man Lake. It is a very private site, not that we have anyone to hide from. We awoke this morning to the year’s first accumulating snowfall, merely a dusting. Nonetheless it made for a splendid scene. I took the solo boat out for an early morning paddle on glassy waters. It felt like winter was closer than ever. In the afternoon we made the hike up a steep burned hill on the north side of This Man Lake. We dubbed the hill “Man Mountain.” The climb was a bit challenging, but the view at the top was well worth the effort. It offered a pretty good look at our island we were camped on. As we began our scramble back down the mountain the snow started again making for a tricky descent. At the bottom we found a small creek and followed it into the woods up to a small beaver dam. It felt good to be out of the boat and do some good old fashion exploring. The day seemed set on being of the gray and wet variety, but the sun broke through for a few glorious minutes in the late afternoon. In those few minutes the fish started biting and we picked up enough for a mega-fry. These past few days have been some of the best of the trip.     
10/28/11 It is our last night on trail. Today’s travels made it apparent it is time to go. Persistent drizzle pestered us all day, occasionally turning into snow and sleet. Many of the portages throughout the day had snow on them from the previous day’s precipitation. We also needed to break though skim ice to get through a creek on Fran Lake. This is a sure sign our method of travel’s days are numbered. The Man Lakes were some of our favorites and they will not be easily forgotten. From Other Man we traveled through Bit and Bell before the icy creek on Fran. A short portage brought us to Slate Lake, which is another beautiful lake. We pulled over into Saganagons and set up camp on the same site we spent our first night. The last time we were here I spent the night in a T-Shirt and slept in a hammock. Tonight we weathered rain and sleet huddled around a blaze before getting cozy in the tent.  It only took us 27 days on trail but tonight we finally spied a bull moose on the opposite short. A very appropriate goodbye.   
10/29/11 Today’s paddle down Saganagons and Saganaga to our truck at Trails End Campground was the calmest yet. The water was literally glass. It was surreal to be on water that big in dead calm conditions. This trip has been epic. There is so much to remember. The incredible spectrum of weather experienced seems only possible on a trip of this length. The last month saw temps in the 80’s with us swimming and hammocking, to gale force winds that stopped us in our tracks for days, to temps in the 20’s with snow and ice. Spending a month out there has given me perspective on the wind and weather, and how it hardly pervades normal day to day life, but makes all the difference in the woods. Spending a month out there allowed us to watch the leaves change color and fall off their branches. We spent enough time in the wilderness to watch an entire lunar cycle, and lose an hour of daylight. We paddled over 300 miles and portaged close to 30. A voyage this grand is hard to wrap your mind around. It seems impossible to put it down on paper. I feel we’ve been a part of the woods for the past 28 days. It’s exciting to think we may have been the only humans out there at times. It will be hard saying goodbye. For now, I am left with a sense of perspective and maybe a sense of understanding, not a crystal clear sense but a hint of a sense, which I think is the point. We will never have it all figured out. For now, I am left wanting more. For now, I am left with a thought from Sigurd F. Olson. “Many go through stifled by the narrowness of their daily affairs, dreaming little that at their very doors for the asking is a wilderness to explore, the wilderness of their understanding.”