BWCA 2020

 

Those of you who have visited the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) know that summer trips include cold and rainy days. You come to expect inclement weather days with just enough nice days sprinkled in to inspire deep appreciation. With Covid19, the riots, and stories about how crowded the BWCA might be in mind, our family wasn't super focused on the weather when preparing for this trip. By luck we stumbled into atypical, beautiful warm days, with only a little rain. We've never had an August trip this beautiful before. 

This year we focused on getting our gear weight down to facilitate a single portage for several reasons. First, in past years we've had some really long days double portaging and it took a little too much push to get our daughter up and down the trail on the longer portages. I don't like to argue like that. We do these trips for fun! 

In addition, we heard the BWCA had become extra busy with stiff competition for campsites due to Covid19, making arriving to sites early all the more important. We began to believe the stories of overcrowding when we were unable to get an entry permit in our desired area. We looked for alternatives and learned most entry permits were taken, even at the unpopular entry points. We selected a less popular entry point. The issue with this entry point is that after the first lake having campsites, there is a 622 rod (2 mile) portage to get to the next lake with campsites. 

Perfectly reflecting still water - Moose River South

To social distance, we did not stop in Ely at the end of our long drive to Northern Minnesota. Instead, we headed directly up the Echo Trail and spent the night at Fenske Lake campground. We watched the sky as a thunderstorm moved slowly into the area. The storm chased us into our tent in the evening, and it stormed most of the night. In the morning, light rain continued to fall. I thought, well, everything WAS destined to be wet anyhow. Afterall, this was going to be a Boundary Waters trip.

Big Moose Lake

The forecast for entry day called for a 50% chance of thundershowers, but as we pulled up to Entry Point #8, Moose River South, the sun came out and blue skies appeared. As we unloaded, we met a man at the entry point who had spent several days trying to reach Bezhic Lake from Bezhic Creek in the primitive management area (PMA) near the entry point. He had some tales of adventure to tell including getting very wet, having a tough go at it, and never reaching the lake. From these discussions we concluded PMA trips are not meant to be for our family, we'd have a mutiny on our hands with our daughter Ams. After exchanging a few good stories we said our goodbyes and off we went down the Moose River.

Day 1

Entry Point #8, Moose River South is a small entry point on Forest Route 464 off the Echo Trail offering only one permit per day. The thing about this entry point is that if it is busy, and if the first lake with campsites (Big Moose Lake) is full, you must portage approximately 2 miles to the next lake to find a campsite. With this big portage in mind, we worked hard to get our gear weight down to try to do this trip with single portages. 

Day 1 Video

Our single portage gear set loaded and ready at Entry Point #8

My husband carried the canoe and a heavy gear pack, a combined total of about 95 pounds made heavier by wet gear from the previous night's storm. I carried the food barrel and an Ursack, a combined total of over 50 lbs.  Our daughter carried the paddles and her backpack, weighing just under 25 pounds. It took an insane amount of planning, weighing and reweighing to make single portaging happen. I found keeping the food kit to 50 pounds particularly challenging. This kit includes the weight of the barrel and barrel pack, 3 squares for 3 people for 10 days, plus our cook kit and personal hygiene items, anything that containing scent or scent residues.

Entry Point #8 Moose River South

On the Moose River, the blue skies and sunshine carried us away, and we soon forgot all about the ups and downs of life in 2020. We focused on putting one paddle stroke after another on the water, and one foot in front of the other on land. We were off the grid and feeling free. Along the Moose river we enjoyed perfect reflections of clouds and trees on the water, picturesque lily pads, and northern aquatic flowers. We jumped out of the canoe into the tall vegetation to pull the canoe over a couple of beaver dams and paddled right through another. 

A still moment with beautiful reflections on Moose River South

Soon we arrived at a 157 rod portage around some rapids. On the portage I heard crazy sounds and I couldn't imaging what type of animal could make such a ruckus. I chuckled to myself when we ran into a family with a 6 or 7 year old girl bawling loudly. As soon as she saw me her crocodile tears went away and she ran past me like her rubber boots were on fire. 

Later, when I passed her mother and older sister, I heard the older girl say, "I hate this place". I smiled. Not because I thought it was funny, but because I too have wiped the tears and I heard the complaints.  Despite the moments of frustration, these trips are good for families even when the complaining rears its ugly head. Unplugging, spending time away from distractions, the giving of full attention, overcoming challenges together be it weather or distance or terrain, helping one another, working as a team, fresh air, healthy family time, awe inspiring views of landscape and the wildlife, the list of reasons for families to do these trips together goes on. 

View from the portage

Back on the beautiful Moose River, we found the river quite wide. So wide that at times it became unclear exactly which way the river ran. Before long, we arrived at of the biggest beaver dams in length that I have ever seen. There was no paddling through or lining over option we could see. The beaver dam had some height. We explored the beaver dam end to end and didn't see a good dry spot to jump out and make a gear pile. Since it was a big step up, my husband threw the gear packs on top of the beaver dam and we climbed up. Yes, the packs did lie in the water at this point. Packing with a garbage or contractor bag lining the canoe pack as we do is recommended, and it paid off at this time.

Ams climbs a big rock and admires the view of Big Moose Lake

On top of the dam, we jumped back into the canoe and paddled along as the day warmed up. Typically on our mid-to-late August BWCA trips, we get one or two days that actually feel warm or hot. This day felt like one of those, our first day in and already I wanted a swim to cool down. 

Before long, we arrived at the 65 rod portage into Big Moose Lake. For this portage we saw two portage landings. The one to the right proved the easier of the two.  When we arrived at Big Moose Lake, much to Am's delight she found a big boulder to climb on, so we took a break to admire the rocky lake. 

Once on Big Moose Lake we paddled over to the first campsite to the north, #182. The water along the shore of Big Moose Lake is rocky and the shoreline picturesque. When we arrived at #182, were delighted to find the campsite open as we could see canoes on the lake and people in camp on the next site over.

On Big Moose Lake

    Travel Map Day 1

To smooth out the tween-age woes a bit, I let our daughter Ams select much of the trip food as we planned our menu. During this trip, I also let Ams choose what to cook at mealtimes. At choosing time for each meal there are two ways to do things. One can choose the best meal left in the barrel and feel as if one is always eating the best meal, or save special meals for special times so there are things to look forward to. The approach Ams takes is to pick whatever she likes best in the barrel.

Beautiful fungi on a rock in camp

For lunch Ams selected dehydrated sweet and sour chicken with dehydrated peas. All of these dehydrated meals follow the same general preparation method:

(1) Put the dehydrated food in a pot.

(2) Add just enough water to cover the food.

(3) Bring to a boil.

(4) Sit hot in a cozy until softened (usually about 15 minutes).

(5) If the meal doesn't stay hot or soften quickly enough, repeat steps 2-4.

After lunch we had some fun exploring up and down game trails and the areas along the shore surrounding our campsite. Before long the hammocks came out and Dad and Ams did a bang up job of relaxing while I did some camp chores and took a swim. 

Islands on Big Moose Lake

Big Moose Lake to the east and southeast

The afternoon went by quickly and we had Knorr Pasta Sides Beef Stroganoff with dehydrated ground beef. While this doesn't sound special, and my husband and I don't especially like Knorr, Ams loves Knorr. The beef stroganoff flavored Knorr happens to be Ams favorite, and I have not seen this flavor in the grocery store since April. As soon as I realized this had become unavailable, I hid this bag of pasta for months to save it for this trip...to have another special treat for Ams. We turned in happy and well fed and slept through a quiet first night in the boundary waters. The thundershowers in the forecast for they day and throughout the night did not materialize.

Sundown Day 1

Day 2

The crescent moon and stars shone beautifully in the eastern sky the morning of day 2. Sitting in the darkness munching granola for breakfast and watching the first glow of light slowly fill the sky made me feel like a small pebble on a vast shore. The sunrise looked hazy but colorful, with just a couple of tiny clouds adding a touch of drama. This day the forecast again called for a 50% chance of thunderstorms. 

Day 2 Video

Dawn on Big Moose Lake

Hazy skies before sunrise on Big Moose Lake

Sunrise on Big Moose Lake

After sunrise I did some stretches and calisthenics to warm up while watching a little bit of fog form on the lake. It soon dissipated as the sun grew warmer. We decided to stay in camp another night on site #282 and eat a little bit of the food weight out of the barrel for a day before taking the 622 rod (approximately 2 mile) portage into Cummings Lake. 

Early morning view to the west

Our home for the day, campsite #282

Our view from camp

The wind rippled the previously mirror-still Big Moose Lake as the day wore on, and we thought perhaps it was a good time to dry some wet clothes. We let Ams sleep late and when she woke we indulged in a pancake and bacon brunch. After lunch we noticed quite a few canoes showing up on the lake looking for campsites. We felt lucky to not be among those needing a site on this afternoon, many coming from the direction of Cummings Lake. We also wondered what this would mean for us as we planned to head across the portage to Cummings Lake in the morning.

Makin' bacon

We did more relaxing, more shoreline wandering, and had another great swim. Being warm enough to enjoy a swim two days in a row in the BWCA in mid-August is a rare and wonderful thing. We found a pile of moose poop near camp, fitting on a lake called Big Moose Lake. Sometimes it's the little things.

In camp on Big Moose Lake getting ready for a swim

Moosey calling card near camp

View to the west of camp

Lovely lily pads

While Big Moose Lake is fairly large, at the north end of the lake near the campsites the islands give the lake a smaller, more intimate feel. We marveled at the ducks and loons, the tiny fish jumping, the beauty around us. We felt like we were alone in the world, and each time we saw canoes come around the islands from across the lake, we felt genuinely surprised at how many people were on the lake.

While small patches of clouds moved through the area, we did not have any of the forecasted storms and enjoyed peaceful evening. We enjoyed making a fire, and Ams chose cheesy dehydrated Hungry Jack Hashbrowns with bacon for dinner. Since Covid19 began, I haven't been able to find the cheese flavored type my family likes in the grocery store. However, I found that if I put a tablespoon of the powdered cheese sold for seasoning popcorn in with the hashbrowns, it comes out the same as the cheesy flavored variety that is no longer available. 

Goodnight Day 2

After dinner, the bugs came out and the sky grew dark. We pulled our clothes off the clothesline and tidied our campsite. The day drew quickly to an end.

Day 3

On day 3, the forecast once again called for a 50% chance of thunderstorms. The sun rose, a spectacular fire in the sky surrounded by a dramatic array of clouds. Like Day 2, Day 3 began with more granola, more morning stretches to warm up, and more watching the sky in awe.

Day 3 Video

Fire in the eastern sky at sunrise

The view to the west at sunrise

Later, when the sun had fully risen, the day grew warm. With blue skies and a bright sun we took off heading south, when we passed the islands, the stillness gave way to waves. The windspeed slowly began to increase. We noticed the southeastern portion of the lake is very rocky, and by the time we reached the portage on the south end of the lake, the wave size had become impressive.

All packed up and ready to go

Travel Map Day 3

With the dreaded two mile portage upon us, we took big gulps of water, swatted at a couple of mosquitoes, and hoisted our loads. As we portaged I worried about finding a campsite on Cummings Lake. We had seen so many canoes seeking campsites the previous day, and I was nervous Cummings would be full as we have experienced a bit of trouble finding a good site on Cummings in the past. 

Yes, our stuff felt heavy. Yes, portaging 2 miles is not super fun. But, honestly, to get to the other end of the portage and not have to head back to the beginning for a second load of stuff - that feels downright remarkable!

View of Cummings Lake from the portage

Time to paddle on

We got a few sprinkles of rain on Cummings Lake

At the Cummings Lake end of the portage we noticed gray clouds filling the sky. We thought perhaps we would see thunderstorms. We felt a few sprinkles of rain as we paddled over to an island site, #287, and were surprised to find it empty. Expecting the forecasted thunderstorms, we felt surprised to see the sun come back out and the day grow warm as we set up camp. We also felt quite surprised we did not see any other canoeists for the remainder of the day. It was a Monday, perhaps just a coincidence, or perhaps Monday is a great day to be out looking for a campsite in the BWCA.

Loaded baked potato soup with bacon bits and flatbread

In camp on Cummings Lake on site #287

We set camp, and Ams chose Idahoan Loaded Baked Potato Soup with bacon bits for lunch. The family rule is that since this soup mix makes a big portion, and we must eat this when we are extra hungry. We unanimously agreed the two mile portage left us quite ready for this meal. 

Fish jumped. An eagle sat in a tree across from camp watching our every move. Dad and Ams took a nice nap in their hammocks, and I wandered around the game trails exploring the island. On paddle planner this campsite is rated a 5 of 5 stars. My husband asked, since we had a 5 star site did I want to stay a second night? I declined. The views of the water from the campsite were obstructed and the way the rocks were around the site, there was not a great place to swim. I voted to move on the next morning.

View of Cummings Lake from the hill near camp

Contorted tree near camp

Bent tree near camp

That evening Ams suggested dehydrated chili with crushed Fritos for my husband and I, and Ramen for herself. After dinner we did a good bit of talking, which does not happen often enough at home. Ams spent some time photographing the eagle that had watched us all day from a near by tree. It felt really good to spend the time together. At home Ams, like most kids her age, prefers to be alone in her room with the door closed. I was not happy with the obstructed views of the sunset from camp and decided to climb the adjoining hill to check out the sunset set view. 

This eagle spent the day near camp

Family time in the BWCA

Ah, yes, the view awaited, splendid enough to satisfy even the most finicky onlooker. But then I noticed something strange swimming towards our island in the water. I had never seen a bird swim quite this awkwardly before. By now it had become hard to see as the sun had set. I trained my camera on the "bird" and zoomed-in. There it was. A bear swimming towards camp. 

Admiring the sunrise on Cummings Lake from the hilltop near camp

I called my husband to come see it and Ams showed up first. I wished I had recorded all of this, as my calling turned the bear around and it swam towards the islands between campsites #289 and #290. The three of us sat there and watched the bear swim away in the small display on my digital camera, and were treated to a brief show when the bear climbed out of the water onto the shore. Ams had just seen her first bear on a camping trip. I wondered how well she would sleep. 

Goodnight Day 3.

Day 4

On day 4, I rose before dawn and made my way through the overgrown weeds along the water's edge to a flat rock to wait for the sun to slowly rise. The water rested still with fog curling at the water's surface. The forecast called for high temperatures and the air already felt heavy. With still waters, it would be a good day for a paddle if we could finish moving before the heat set in. 

Day 4 Video

Good morning, Day 4

Today we planned to head to a less popular lake, as Cummings Lake tends to get busy. We would hit Lunetta Lake, maybe stay a night on Lunetta, and then move on to Battle Lake. We wanted quiet, solitude, and a chance at hearing the wolves howl again like we heard on Lunetta Lake in 2019.

    

Early morning rock, Day 4

A warm morning on Cummings Lake, Day 4

After sunrise, we packed camp and headed south on Cummings Lake to the 78 rod portage into Korb Lake. Across Korb Lake we paddled onto the Korb River and continued south paddling around the 19 rod portage along the river. Although still early, the sun and lack of breeze warmed us more than we liked. We paddled across Little Crab Lake uncertain whether to creek would be open to Lunetta.

Not to worry, the creek water levels were so high, we were able to navigate the creek much more easily than our previous trip to this area. We hadn't seen anyone paddling yet this morning. We saw a number of empty campsites along the way, and felt there would be no challenge getting our target campsites. When we arrived at Lunetta Lake, we expected solitude, but found fishermen fishing and a full campsite. 

Korb Lake from the portage

Beautiful lily pads on the Korb River

A gorgeous morning on the creek between Little Crab Lake and Lunetta Lake

We took a minute to find the portage into Hassel Lake, and stopped to eat a snack before heading over the 263 rod portage into Hassel. The Lunetta side of the portage turned out to be a real hassle on the way to Hassel, pardon the pun. We did not expect to run into anyone on this portage as we were now entering a fairly unpopular area with mediocre to poor quality campsites by BWCA standards.

Our daughter wishing she had a cell phone signal on the portage from Lunetta Lake to Hassel Lake

The portage headed uphill through a muddy, rocky creek bed with flowing water and plenty of biting mosquitoes. Due to the muddiness of the water on the portage, foot placement proved tricky. We surprised ourselves running into a group of people and two big, over zealous, wet dogs off leash on this portage into Hassel. One of the men struggled to carry his canoe. 

The foursome said they had just left the campsite on Battle Lake and asked if the Lunetta Lake campsite was open. We told them about the open sites we had seen, but that, sorry, someone already had Lunetta and that we had been disappointed as well. They looked downtrodden, but we told them the site on Little Crab stood open, and that no portages waited between Lunetta Lake and this next open campsite.

Gorgeous blue skies along the way

The Hassel Lake end of this portage presents a rocky climb down to a rather mucky put-in. This portage merits this lake a name change from Hassel Lake to Hassle Lake. We found Hassel Lake very pretty, but also very shallow and weedy. 

A small breeze offered some relief from the heat. We paddled across Hassel and arrived at a very mucky portage landing. After figuring our way around the mud without sinking in too deeply, we crossed the 150 rod portage into Battle Lake. Unlike the previous portage, once across the muddy landing, the portage did not present much in the way of obstacles. On Battle Lake, we paddled a short distance to campsite #304. To our relief, we found the site open. 

Day 4 Travel Map

Big pot on Battle Lake Site #304

Our first order of business on Battle Lake, cooling down and resting, felt so good. Sweating from the day's heat and very hungry, talk quickly turned to postponing camp chores in favor of starting lunch. The smell of coffee wafted through camp, and we soon found coffee grounds thrown on the ground in camp not too far from a large pot left on a rock. 

My advice to you is this, do not dump food related scraps on a campsite. This attracts and habituates wild animals which can lead to the next campers dealing with picnic pests. Secondly, do not bring heavy pots. You will not enjoy portaging them and they will turn into trash. This is not the first campsite I've seen with heavy abandoned cookware.  

Evening view of Battle Lake

It had been a fun travel day, six lakes, a creek and a river. Now hot and hungry, Ams chose a nice big helping of dehydrated fried rice with peas and ground beef for lunch. I added extra cooking oil, to taste like fried rice rather than boiled rice, and to add calories. After lunch, we had a good swim to cut the heat of the day, and then Dad's hammock time and Am's tent time began. While they relaxed, I checked out nice views of the hot, still afternoon to the south and west of camp.

View from camp on Battle Lake

Big fish jumped, and busy beavers to the west of camp smacked their tails. Perhaps because it was Tuesday, perhaps just because, no one came across the lake that day. Dinner time came quickly. Ams selected dehydrated mashed potatoes with bacon bits and cheese with a side of dehydrated applesauce.

 

Cheesy mashers with bacon bits

We enjoyed the remains of the day and a night all alone on Battle Lake. I woke several times throughout the night hearing beaver loudly smacking tails on the water. Each time it sounded like a boulder had fallen into the water. As usual, the forecast for the next day called for a chance of thunderstorms. Before we turned in, we decided to paddle over to Phantom and and Boulder Lake the next day and perhaps move to Phantom Lake if the campsite looked good.

Good night Day 4

Day 5

Day 5 began very windy and very chilly. It felt like a great day to stay in camp. Still dark, I put on my headlamp and walked around camp. Immediately I heard beaver flapping their tails. I suppose they wished I would just go away. 

Day 5 Video

The thing about going to the latrine in the dark, is that your headlamp shows you things you don't notice during the day. In the bottom of the latrine I saw a metal can and a glass bottle. Why would any use the latrine as a garbage dump? Someone must remove those one day, it won't be easy. It is not legal to bring glass bottles or metal cans of food into the BWCA.

Trash in the latrine

Good morning Day 5

Sunrise behind the trees, Day 5

Since Ams decided to sleep late, her Dad and I had a dish she doesn't care for, shepherd's pie, for breakfast. The wind gusts blew our chairs across camp and we felt glad to be in camp rather than paddling. We decided to stay in camp and relax rather than paddling over to Phantom Lake. 

Battle Lake Day 5

As the morning wore on, we began to see canoeists coming across the lake in search of campsites. What a surprise to see so many people out seeking campsites in this less popular area when the day before we had the lake alone. When Ams woke, she chose hashbrowns and bacon for lunch. After lunch I did the dishes and took a swim to rinse off. Dad relaxed in the hammock. To entertain herself, Ams built a fairy house and played with the cell phone. She was excited to find she could get a signal on this campsite. I had no desire to take my phone out of airplane mode. I had carried it along for reasons of navigation by GPS app only.

Battle Lake day 5

Around 5:00 pm I decided to do some laundry for Ams and I. By now, my pants and shirt stank. With no spares, I washed them wearing my underwear and a tee shirt. While I waited for them to dry I sat around camp in my underwear and cooked dinner. For dinner, we ate dehydrated spaghetti with bagels. 

After dinner a couple of canoes came around the corner to pull into camp and I grabbed a jacket and sat in a chair with my jacket in my lap to cover up the fact I was walking around in my underwear until they finally left, which felt like just about forever. I felt sorry for them out looking for a site so late on a day we had seen so many canoeists come by looking. 

New clouds starting to move into the area

Tarp is ready for the storm

About an hour later storm clouds started rolling through the area with thunder rumbling in the distance. Due to the wind and the approaching storm, we readied camp for nightfall and lowered the tarp. We sat together huddled under the tarp as the thunder grew louder and lightening flashed. We hoped the canoeists we had see were now safely in camp.

Here it comes!

The rain began and we listened to the weather radio. Day 6 would be rainy but not windy like Day 5. We decided to turn in early and rise early in the morning to move to another lake. It rained on and off all night.

A short break in the weather

Day 6

On day 6 I once again woke to the sounds of beaver tails smacking the water. Light rain fell. As soon as enough light to see the lake arrived, I saw a beaver swimming back and forth in front of the campsite. It did not appreciate my headlamp and flapped its tail when I it pointed in the beaver's direction. 

Day 6 Video

Ready to leave Campsite #304 on Battle Lake

A break in the rain, paddling Day 6

We packed up and light rain fell as we headed to the 150 rod portage into Hassel Lake. As we figured our way through the mucky portage and started paddling across Hassel Lake, the rain stopped. We found the 90 rod portage into Saca Lake, and found a short paddle to the 133 rod portage into Crab Lake. At the Crab Lake end of the portage we met a group headed in who had started on Burntside Lake at 3:00 or 4:00 am. Already tired, they were happy to hear the guys camped on Saca Lake looked to be packing up and that we had just left Battle Lake. Either way they would be in camp soon.

Paddling Day 6

The portage on Saca Lake

On Crab Lake the rain clouds dried up and the sun came out. As the morning grew hot, we felt relieved to be nearly done paddling. Although before 10:00 am, canoes scurried about from every direction with canoeists scrambling to grab campsites. We had a couple misses on sites and ended up on Campsite #313 on a peninsula near Entry Point #4. The site itself had beautiful views of the now blue sky and gorgeous water.

Travel Map Day 6

View to the north from Campsite #313 on Crab Lake

Ams found a weak cell signal if she sat in just the right spot on the hill, and it became a challenge to get much out of her at that point. We set up camp and once again I smelled coffee. I am the kind of person who smells things everyone else insists do not exist. After hearing all the "nahs", I found coffee grounds dumped between the camp kitchen and the tent pad up the hill. Interesting as we had found the same on the previous campsite. I'll spare you the repeat rant and instead implore, please don't dump food waste on campsites, you would not appreciated it if the campers before you had done this.

Turtle checking us out

Ams requested beef stroganoff with egg noodles and peas for lunch. During lunch we saw a canoeist stop and take a swim at the small island across from camp. The day already felt hot and Ams had been resisting swims throughout the trip. I challenged Ams to swim to the small island with me and to my delight she accepted the challenge. 

The small island near Campsite #313

A hummingbird visited our camp time and again and seemed to like the smell of our hand sanitizer. We watched small fish swimming near camp and a snapping turtle showed up to do some fishing. We cooled off with a swim temporarily defeating the afternoon heat. Ams and I swam to the island near camp and made our way around the island, and swam back. A nice little outing. 

Me coaxing Ams into the water

Made it to the island!

Many canoes came by throughout the day looking for campsites. The campsite began to feel like a fishbowl and we the fish. This is all part of camping near an entry point. We were glad to have the site but ready to move on in the morning. As it grew late and more canoeists continued coming by, we wondered how the latecomers fared as the lake appeared full. 

The sun dramatically hides behind a cloud

 

Finally gave up chattering loudly at me and ate a mushroom from the forest floor.

For dinner Ams chose a chicken flavored Knorr Pasta Side with dehydrated chicken and peas. We talked about how a spot in camp a little off the camp kitchen smelled like rotting carcass, I presume someone buried fish guts there. We picked half burnt trash out of the fire pit and bits of trash off the ground. I did not pickup the coffee grounds. This is not an easy item to pick up once it's been dumped all over. As night fell, we listened to the weather radio. Like most of the trip, the forecast called for a 50% chance of thunderstorms. We decided to get up early and head to Cummings Lake in the morning. We hoped to get campsite #284 or #289. 

Gorgeous sunset on Crab Lake

Day 7

Day 7 began as beautiful as a day of paddling could. Despite another forecast calling for a 50% changes of thunderstorms, the morning began with blue skies with light clouds over a mirror still Crab Lake. With our goal of camping on campsite #284 or #289 on popular Cummings Lake, and Day 7 being a Saturday, we tried to get an early start hoping for success. Sometimes getting kids out of bed early is a challenge, and the sun was about ready to come over the trees by the time we got on the water.

Day 7 Video

Ready to paddle on Crab Lake

We paddled north on Crab Lake and took an easy 20 rod portage into Little Crab Lake. Just for fun we double portaged instead of single portaging. We paddled across Little Crab Lake and onto the beautiful Korb River. We noticed all the campsites along the way filled. The trees and sky reflected perfectly off the water. Squirrels scampered across the river at times on the water and at times on the lily pads. We had never seen squirrels do this before. Totally delightful! 

Paddling the Korb River

We paddled across Korb Lake and took the 78 rod portage into Cummings Lake. On Cummings Lake we found one campsite after the next filled. Our first choices taken, we checked out less desirable sites and found them taken as well. 

Disappointed to find that campsites #284 and #289 were taken, as were all of the campsites we looked at, we paddled further west towards Buck Lake and found campsite #292 open. The landing at site #292 has a sand beach in a shallow water area when the water isn't too high. Very nice if our daughter were still small and liking to swim, I thought. 

From the beach a trail through the forest leads up a hill to a small campsite which is not flat. This campsite is, on Paddle Planner, rated a 4 star campsite. I have difficulty understanding this rating as the site is very small, not flat and off the water up a hill whereas most BWCA sites are on the water. The one redeeming quality of the site is the beach landing when the water is not too high and covering the beach, which was happily the case in this instance.

On the portage into Cummings Lake

At the "beach" landing at Campsite #292

We setup camp and prepared a meal of dehydrated mashed potatoes with dehydrated ground beef and cheese with dehydrated strawberries on the side. We talked about how we hadn't seen or heard the usual amount of loons on this BWCA trip. As the afternoon grew warm, we headed down to the beach and did some swimming. The wildflowers along the beach buzzed with bees and insects while squirrels chattered and showed off giving crazy chases through the trees.

Cummings Lake from up on Campsite #292

For dinner Ams chose Ramen noodles with dehydrated chicken we served with flatbread on the side, We watched the sunset from the beach and had a small campfire after sunset. With our trip drawing closer to the end, we decided to move in search of a more typical "on the water" BWCA campsite in the morning.

Travel Map Day 7

Day 8

We rose early on Day 8, hoping to get a good campsite before all were taken. Today we'd repeat the 2 mile portage from Cummings Lake back to Big Moose Lake. We talked about what would we do if we got back to Big Moose Lake and all sites were taken, given how busy the lakes and campsites had been the previous two days. With this day being a Sunday, the natural end to a long weekend, we decided that with the early start, we had a good shot at a freshly vacated site.

Day 8 Video

Early morning on the beach at site #292, Day 8

After a quick granola bar and jerky breakfast, we loaded the canoe and pushed off. A few sprinkles fell here and there, but not enough to soak us. I felt glad for the overcast day along the two mile portage from Cummings to Big Moose. I thought the portage might feel easier 8 days in with plenty of practice. Of course this time I carried a heavier pack, since the food barrel now felt lighter and my husband had to carry a pack and a canoe at the same time, we switched. 

The portage still felt long. I took a strategy of slow and steady with no breaks. I find the most challenging part of portaging putting the pack on and didn't want to deal with putting it on an off repeatedly. My husband and daughter went faster, and took rest breaks. In the end, we arrived at Big Moose Lake at the same time.

Getting ready to go back to Big Moose Lake

Just before a light rain began to fall

We paddled north on Big Moose Lake to campsite #180 on the northeast part of the lake. After some deliberation on how to navigate the rocky landing, we selected some rocks to scramble over and started unloading the canoe. To our daughter Am's delight, the campsite hosted random boulders which she immediately began to climb. Before long, other canoeists began to show up to check out the campsite. We felt lucky to have made an early arrival. Some friendly water fowl and a turtle visited as we set up camp. For lunch, Ams chose Knorr Butter and Herb Fettucini with dehydrated chicken and a side of dehydrated applesauce.

Travel Map Day 8

Happy to get a campsite on Big Moose Lake

After lunch, we explored game trails around the campsite, watched the clouds roll by, and had a swim. The cloudy, cold afternoon chilled us and we built a fire to warm up and dry off.

 

Making lunch

Watching the clouds roll by on a windy, cool Day 8 bringing with them occasional rain showers

Calm before the evening storm on Big Moose Lake

 

For dinner we prepared dehydrated Spanish rice with dehydrated ground beef garnished with Fritos. I like this dish, as the rice is loaded with tomatoes, beans, corn and onions. I am a lover of veggies, and dearly miss my crunchy raw veggie habit on these trips. This meal at least offered a variety of cooked veggies. 

On a side trail behind camp we found some nice flat rocks with some small boulders moved into place to make a little bench. We watched a gull nested on a rock to the south of camp as a storm rolled in. When the thunder, lightning and rain began we turned in early for a good night's sleep.

 

Day 9

A cold wind whipped through the still dark camp kitchen. I zipped my fleece jacket, and sat down to eat granola by headlamp. Throughout the trip granola, probably the scent of it, acted like catnip for chipmunks and squirrels, causing them to come close running crazy circles and chattering loudly. We don't share food with them, that would only lead to more harassment of both ourselves and future campers. This morning, I learned plenty of mice live in the camp kitchen on this campsite. 

My granola drove them crazy. They made mad dashes in the dark, running up my legs, trying to get closer. After I put the empty granola baggie into the trash, and put the trash into the food barrel, they dashed up the food barrel and ran circles around the lid, me swatting them off again and again. These antics did not stop until the sun began to light the morning sky. 

Video Days 9 & 10

Rock bench near camp

Gull south of camp

Fungi in camp

Cold, breezy weather 

Since Ams planned to sleep late, I prepared dehydrated chicken curry, a meal she dislikes, when my husband woke.  We lounged around the campsite and relaxed, my husband enjoying the hammock and me doing camp chores and enjoying the views. When Ams finally rose, we feasted on pancakes and bacon for lunch.

Desperately in need of baths, we steeled ourselves against the cold wind to do some swimming. The sun made a brief appearance, and I went to lay on the flat rocks south of camp trying to dry off and warm up. We lounged around watching the world float by. We watched the gull on the rock to the south of camp. We watched paddlers coming by fishing and looking for campsites. We watched loons fish. It was a great day to be alive.

The sun comes along, giving us a break from the cold cloudy day

A frequent visitor to our campsite

The day stayed cold, but the sun came out for a time. My husband's Chair Zero broke. He also found a new crack in the canoe and talked about repairs. This led to talk of going home Day 10. We felt sad about the trip ending but excited for a shower, fresh fruits and vegetables, air conditioning, the marvels of modern life. For dinner Ams and Dad did the cooking while I sat near the fire swatting deer flies away from my wet head, still shivery from swimming on this cold, windy afternoon. Ams and Dad prepared our emergency Mountain House meals, and now we were down to a few odds and ends in the bottom of the food barrel.

Our last night in the BWCA

Our last BWCA sunset of 2020

Good night Day 9

Day 10

Day 10 came quickly. For the last time, I rose before the sun and ate my last bag of granola. Once again, mice ran up my legs trying to steal morsels of my granola. 

The last day of the trip is always a sad, bittersweet day. I did some extra foot dragging, not feeling at all excited to get back to the life of Covid19, lockdowns, and a nonstop newscycle of political unrest. For Ams, this day felt fantastic and she hurried to get moving. The morning started out gray and cloudy. We finished eating odds and ends out of the food barrel, packed up camp, and took our end of trip photo.

Big Moose Lake Day 10

Ready to paddle out, Day 10

We paddled against the wind across a choppy Big Moose Lake. As we neared the 65 rod portage to the Moose River, the clouds broke up and the sun began to shine. At the other end of the portage we lingered watching beavers at play in the water. The sun grew warmer. We paddled on and climbed over beaver dams remarking at how each bend of the river led to a more beautiful scene than the last. The paddling and portages, activities that felt challenging at the beginning of the trip, now felt easy. 

Moose River

At the portage, Moose River

Like seven days prior, we saw no one this day. Perhaps Mondays are slow in the BWCA. Before long we reached the entry point. After having worn the same pants and shirt for 10 days, I put rushed to put on clean clothes and greedily downed a bottle of water that had not been fished from a lake. 

Our end of trip tradition is to stop an an outfitter for a shower and have a sit down meal at a restaurant. This year, thwarted by Covid19, we settled for no shower and Dairy Queen drive thru in Ely, Minnesota. I devoured my first salad in 11 days. My husband had a delicious, greasy burger and generously shared his onion rings. Our daughter enjoyed her food but most of all her blizzard. And thus began the long drive home.

 

Travel Map Day 10

Trip Overview

That's all for now, let's get outdoors and keep our wild places wild!