wrote on Jun 25^th, 2005 at 11:20pm:

I'm sick every time I think about the whole thing now.

I actually got sick on the way. I entered on Saturday at PP but needed to get out around noon on the next Friday to make a niece's wedding (which I did). I planned on getting in a day or two early, taking pictures and video, then leave an artifact or two and get back out. Probably had at most a day of float.

I took the tough Sunday Bay/Sunday Lake portage on the first day to get in shape and did the two Meadows portages the next day and got well into Agnes on day two (on schedule). The trip was going so well I wasted over an hour screwing around Louisa Falls taking pictures and video.

On the second night I woke up at about 2 AM in a completely soaked sleeping bag (night sweats) with a splitting headache. I don't like to take medicines of any kind, but occasionally will down an aspirin when I can't sleep. On this trip I packed a two pack of Advil gel caps that I had gotten as an promotion along with a newspaper. So I popped one in my mouth, dry, and started chewing (like I do with aspirin). I nearly choked to death (which would have been a better reason not to get to the pond) before I found my water bottle.

I don't give up too easily, but lost yet another day battling a strong NE wind and 1 to 1-1/2 footers on Agnes. I made a left at Silence and took and settled for an easy (double portaging) trip back.

Still was a nice trip, but in 5 years I'll be 57, so the lost chance was a stinger.

-aj