Boundary Waters, Trip Reports, BWCA, Stories

Polly, Malberg, and a long day trip to Fishdance
by pcallies

Trip Type: Paddling Canoe
Entry Date: 07/03/2021
Entry & Exit Point: Kawishiwi Lake (EP 37)
Number of Days: 8
Group Size: 4
Trip Introduction:
This was a return trip to Polly and Malberg for my wife and me. It was our niece's second BWCA trip and she got to experience a very different part of the wilderness than last year's trip to the south arm of Knife. We also brought a newbie who got "patina" on her canoe on its virgin BWCA trip.
Day 1 of 8

Saturday, July 03, 2021~Kawishiwi Lake, Square Lake, Kawasachong Lake, Townline Lake, Lake Polly

After camping the night before at Sawbill Campground, we left camp at 6:40, arrived at the entry point at 7:15, and were on the water about 7:50. We wanted an early start knowing that all permits had been reserved for a few consecutive days and because the forecast high was in the low 90s. The paddle between Kawsihiwi Lake and Kawasachong Lake is one of my favorite in the BWCA; I love the bends of the creek and the countless water lilies.


After arriving at Polly around 11:00, we refilled our water bottles and set out in search of a campsite. We ended up getting one of the campsites we had set our sites on: 1078.


We ate lunch, relaxed, pitched tents, gathered wood, swam, read, napped, tried to stay out of the sun - forecast hottest day of trip.


Dinner was diced chicken we had browned, seasoned, and frozen before leaving home, mixed into some instant chicken gravy and served over Stovetop stuffing.


We saw a beaver swim past camp after dinner and it turned in beside camp, came partially out of the water and ate bark off a bush stem about 20 yards from us. When he finished the stem, he went to the shore, harvested another and pulled it back out to where he ate the first.


With the high temps, horseflies and deerflies were the insect pests of the day.