Horseshoe Island
6/28/2007 -- Horseshoe Island, New Found Lake, BWCAW, MN
Ahh! Relaxing at our best site yet. Day Four was a good one for Crew 2. After spending a good night on Knife Lake, we arose at 5:30 a.m. and were on the water at 6:44 a.m. Had we been able to do that every day, we could have put on some serious mileage.
Just after 7 a.m., we were starting the Big Knife Portage and Carp Portage, back into Carp Lake, then Birch Lake and beyond. The small lakes between the portages were idyllic, quiet and calm. Most of us simply floated our way across the lakes, soaking up sunshine and enjoying the remoteness of the wilderness. None of the portages were challenging and everyone, myself included, was happy we were on a homebound stretch of our trek.
By mid-afternoon, we made it all the way to New Found Lake and located a campsite on the north shore of Horseshoe Island. The site was by far the nicest one we've had. A quiet little lagoon with deep water made it easy to get ashore. Ample sites for our tents and gear. A convenient location for bear bags.
Once we settled in, most of the boys began jumping from a 6-8 ft. rock into the water, swimming, laughing and having a good time. Brian took a long nap and missed the action, but he had been exerting himself a lot, carrying canoes and gear regularly. I've been worried about him the entire trip, as he needs to have heart surgery later this summer. He's a great kid who's been close to our family for years, so I'd hate to see anything happen to him due to overexertion on our trip.
Tonight we had a feast for dinner, cooking up our last dinner, plus some of the side dishes and desserts we didn't make at previous meals. Ben whipped up a second dessert, some sort of chocolate mousse pie, which was a big hit with the boys.
At our closing campfire, we all agreed today was our best day yet and that we finally pulled together as a crew. The canoeing was easy, as were the portages, so there were no physical demands on the boys. They had a chance to swim and relax, making it a fun day for them. And they capped it off with a good meal.
For me, one of the highlights of the day was climbing to a high point on the island and spotting a bald eagle atop a dead birch tree across another peninsula of the island. It sat there regally, scanning the horizon, then effortlessly lifting off when its mate appeared from the west. Together they flew off and caught the thermals to climb high into the sky.
Ahh! Relaxing at our best site yet. Day Four was a good one for Crew 2. After spending a good night on Knife Lake, we arose at 5:30 a.m. and were on the water at 6:44 a.m. Had we been able to do that every day, we could have put on some serious mileage.
Just after 7 a.m., we were starting the Big Knife Portage and Carp Portage, back into Carp Lake, then Birch Lake and beyond. The small lakes between the portages were idyllic, quiet and calm. Most of us simply floated our way across the lakes, soaking up sunshine and enjoying the remoteness of the wilderness. None of the portages were challenging and everyone, myself included, was happy we were on a homebound stretch of our trek.
By mid-afternoon, we made it all the way to New Found Lake and located a campsite on the north shore of Horseshoe Island. The site was by far the nicest one we've had. A quiet little lagoon with deep water made it easy to get ashore. Ample sites for our tents and gear. A convenient location for bear bags.
Once we settled in, most of the boys began jumping from a 6-8 ft. rock into the water, swimming, laughing and having a good time. Brian took a long nap and missed the action, but he had been exerting himself a lot, carrying canoes and gear regularly. I've been worried about him the entire trip, as he needs to have heart surgery later this summer. He's a great kid who's been close to our family for years, so I'd hate to see anything happen to him due to overexertion on our trip.
Tonight we had a feast for dinner, cooking up our last dinner, plus some of the side dishes and desserts we didn't make at previous meals. Ben whipped up a second dessert, some sort of chocolate mousse pie, which was a big hit with the boys.
At our closing campfire, we all agreed today was our best day yet and that we finally pulled together as a crew. The canoeing was easy, as were the portages, so there were no physical demands on the boys. They had a chance to swim and relax, making it a fun day for them. And they capped it off with a good meal.
For me, one of the highlights of the day was climbing to a high point on the island and spotting a bald eagle atop a dead birch tree across another peninsula of the island. It sat there regally, scanning the horizon, then effortlessly lifting off when its mate appeared from the west. Together they flew off and caught the thermals to climb high into the sky.
posted by Joe Wollet at 12:10 PM
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