Greg:

Something in me wants to say that all of my campsites out there have been nearly perfect, but actually, some have been better than others, at least at the time.

I recall one on the east side of mid-Agnes on an island. It was near a bay inhabited by a protective bald eagle. The island was small, and surrounded by a fortress of huge granite or gniess boulders with a nice flat place within for a camp.

I also remember others where we spent the waning time of daylight calling to loons and listening to their ghostly replies echoing off the surrounding cliffs and trees. That was truly magical...I'll never forget it.

Then there was the time we camped alongside a major falls on our way out of Kawnipi. Fishing was great on the breakline between the moving water entering the lower side and the slack water. I got great photos of the falls using moonlight and a long time exposure, the Milky Way was in all it's glory, and the sound of the falls finally put us to sleep that night.

However, if I had to pick my favorite campsite ever, I'd have to nominate one at the far northcentral end of Agnes. It was on an island shortly before the entrance to the east channel of the Agnes river. This campsite was superb and pristine. It had a perfect slot in the rocks for grounding the canoe, not to mention the nicely situated, rectangular boulders that were perfect as tables, chairs, and welcomed back supports for relaxing on the ground.

A hundred yards east was a small gravel island that provided unbelievable smallmouth fishing and some fillets and roe for some tasty meals. There were several deep beds of moss that would have tempted me to put the tent there for a nice, soft bed; were it not for the ecological damage it would have caused.

My last memory before leaving this fantastic place, was of sitting on the smooth rock shore, watching the sunset, and thinking that, at any moment, the Benevolent Spirit might appear.

...Tom

Posted by Tom Swulius on February 16, 2000 at 01:20