Quetico Solo: Day Two - ©Doug Clark

Day 3

Up early again today. It was still spitting, but that didn't last. The stove handled the oatmeal while I did the tent. Left camp at about 6:30. A breeze already picking up from the west. Met 2 guys from Green Bay at the end of my first pass over the Deux Rivieres portage. They were just landing so I grabbed a couple of rods and net to take over for them. I met them again as I was on the way back with the canoe. I took the canoe about halfway and then went back for the other pack.... and here they came with it. WOW. Those cheeseheads. So, my first portage of the day is a double. Thanks again guys. We shared stories on the way back over, which also gave me a boost on the canoe carry. Twin Lakes. Next time it will be high on the list of 1st nite sites. As I come through the pinch, a Loon is nervous but not giving ground. The nest must be close. A course change of a few yards, and it seemed to relax. Deux Rivieres approaches. It's been dry and the showers of yesterday won't have raised the water levels.

I wonder how deep I will sink in. Well, I knew there had to be some advantages to a large canoe for a solo trip, and here came the first. Less body weight in the canoe. Less pack weight. I was drafting so little that I could cruise the shallow sections without getting out to wade and pull. I smoked that puppy. I think the beaver was having a tough morning, or maybe he got up on the wrong side of the dam... stayed about 20' in front of me for most of the journey with the occasional tail thwack. I am in one of the narrow sections when he turned and came straight at me. My neck hairs got an immediate stiffy. Now I know it was less than a foot deep there, and he made it under the canoe -- almost. Clunked the underside of the canoe pretty hard. Wow.

As I neared the end of the run, I began to hear voices with a distinct drawl. 6 canoes of southerners are having an especially good time. (No, I didn't ask if they'd had a couple of pulls from the jug for breakfast). I don't think the journey up Deux Rivieres was going to be quite as easy for them, as several in the group were in the 300 lb+ range. I hope the beaver is back in good spirits before they reach him, because he sure won't be swimming under those canoes... At least he'll hear them coming.

On to Sturgeon and wind in the face. It wasn't as bad as I expected and also more from the northwest.

As soon as I made the turn south toward Sturgeon Narrows it was mostly behind me. I stuck to the west shoreline and did some trolling past Blueberry Island. No strikes until an eater size walleye just before the Narrows. Ahhh.... Dinner. I stopped to clean and ziploc, and when I got back on the water, the wind was on the rise. Talked briefly with a couple of guys from LaCrosse taking a break as I made the turn toward Russell. I gave some thought to how the canoe would handle the combination

of strong tailwind and opposing current in one of the areas I will soon be passing through. It should be ok, but not much experience with this new canoe setup. Took it to the inside of the bend, and with the water levels down there was no need for concern. The run down Russell with the 3/4 tailwind was too easy (May I remember this). Found one of my favorite sites not in use, so I pulled in. Camp up and flying early afternoon except for the fire pit.

The previous campers must have had stormy weather, and moved the fire pit down near the tent area... too near the tent for me. Paid some sweat dues moving the stones to rebuild it in the old area. By the time I finished, I was trying to stay downwind from myself... Bath. Laundry. While that was drying I got out a lighter rod, tied on a jig, and tipped it with a preserved minnow.

It survived the first cast, but not the second. The walleye in the ziploc is about to have company. Combined the cleaning with a firewood run. Now I can truly have a feast for my first fish meal, and with the addition of some hashbrowns, that's exactly what I did. I could hardly wait for the first piece to cool off before wolfing it. And they kept coming. Difficult to get up to do the dishes. It was even harder to get up after the toddy down on the point. And the day was over too soon. Fell asleep to the sound of loons, Chatterton Falls, and the sight of a beautiful full moon.