Day 2 6/29/23 North Bay to Isabella Campsite

Paddle : 2.5 miles P1: 15R, Paddle: 1+ miles in reeds and over 6 beaver dams P2 84 R, Paddle 1 mile to campsite Total: 5.5 miles

Meals: BF: Cereal L: pb&j sandwiches D: Gouda cheese, cuposoup, crackers.

We added an extra mile to the paddle by going the wrong way and ending up at Lost Bay campsite. It is a beautiful area. We wanted to try to stop there on the way back if it fit our schedule. Decided to do river portages instead of the 2 land portages to unnamed lake then to Isabella. There were 6 beaver dams going upriver. We had to unload and balance us and the 4 heavy packs on top of the dam in the water, lift the canoe over and reload on the other side. Exhausting, and it still ends with an 84 R portage. It would be easier with an aluminum canoe for pullovers, but I'm not complaining for all the advantages of the lighter canoe. It would have taken a lot less time to take the 2 land portages.

It started thundering and lightning while we were on the last part of the river, with no way to get off the water there so we kept going. It started raining some when we got on Isabella and decided to stop at the first site on Isabella at about 4pm. Dan wanted to keep going, but due to the rain and knowing that we were at the best site we were likely to find for a while I wanted to stay. It took us a long time to get here and I worried we had picked a route we couldn’t finish.

We used a lot of energy getting the bags and canoe up the stepped cliff at the front of the site. We found the better landing later, it's still a high steep site which makes getting water difficult.

Having a lunch for dinner gave us time to set up camp. Getting water to filter and for the sunshower with iodine in it for hand washing, setting up bear ropes, putting up the tarp and tent and getting the gear in it and locating and digging a latrine site back in the woods and cleaning dishes after dinner all take a lot of time, so it was after 11 when we got to bed. Long day.

Isabella site is OK. Pretty lake and view. The site has a nice tent pad behind the site and a decent fire pit and seating area. We put flat rocks in the fireplace area to increase cooking space. We noticed the firepits on Basswood were filled in on the way back, so I guess the rangers do the same to discourage fires.