Of Wind, Water, & Wilderness
Bill Kuntze
The view from shore gave an awesome perspective of the lake. A sea of whitecaps stretched back as far as the eye could see. We should have been off the water. I counted my blessings. The first order of business would be to get into dry clothing. Shivering hard, I proceeded to find comfort in my fleece pullover after finding a sheltered spot in direct sunlight. John seemed to be less affected by the chill. He was up and about the entire time stringing a line to hang the wet clothing. Only afterward did he find out that I had transferred his camera into a drybag. This brought a smile. The photos of the big pike would come home with us after all.
The irregular point was not a bad place to be windbound. It held a suitable campsite on its downwind side. A steaming pot of coffee brightened our spirits as well as a decision for an early supper of fire roasted bratwurst. John threw a few casts from the point before stretching back for a snooze in the sun. I took a walk down the shoreline and entertained myself by tossing baits to several small pike, visible in the shallow coves.
A quiet, windsheltered bay opened up just to the east of our campsite point. We launched the canoe, having a couple of hours to spare before nightfall. It was bit nervewracking at first, even on the protected water. We hugged the shoreline while paddling into each corner of the bay. A moose antler was spotted in five feet of water. I would not have thought it possible the shed could be retrieved with only a canoe paddle and I observed something new about the persistence of my friend.
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