Wait til you guys see the pics of the (alleged) portages that Kingfisher & his team of women worked through during our very recent WCP trip! They pushed through a nightmare of burnt-out blowdowns by the hundreds completely blocking the portage path (on either side of Jigsaw Lake).  They may have looked like hell when they finished (certainly no worse than the men; Darrel's legs look like he had tangled with 3 or 4 wildcats) but they proved to me that women with the right mindset are every bit as capable of dealing with such formidable obstacles as men.  

Good trip report, by the way!  Still working my way through it but so far it is enjoyable comparing your perspective on many of the very same lakes & portages that we just finished with.

By the way, I like my NRS Boots just fine but will soon be in the market for wetfooting boots providing good ankle support and offering solid grip on slippery rock.  My NRS Storms are getting pretty beat up.  

Jimbo   8-)