Did my 1st solo trip to Kawnipi  back in June 1995. It was a memorable trip as it was my 1st time paddling a kayak in the Q. I used a 17 1/2 ft fiberglass Current Designs Solstice GT with a  double bladed paddle. It was very fast but a tad on the heavy side on portages. I had to adjust to packing light as the kayak storage space was minimal.

I really enjoyed fishing out of my kayak. When the lake was whitecapping ... I was out there trolling for walleye when canoeists had to stay on shore. I had a lot of success with numbers and size for walleyes on the 10 day trip.  Of course, I was able to bring in 250 nightcrawlers on this trip as it was before the live bait ban.

I ran into some farmers from a neighboring town in Iowa and they invited me to several suppers over at their camp on McKenzie Bay. I really enjoyed their company after a day of fishing solo. My food supply was mimimal and the big suppers they supplied on a few nights was especially welcome. Late night campfire conversations with a scotch was enjoyable as well.

I left McKenzie Bay @ 5:00 am on my 2nd to last day and made it all the way back to Singing Brook portage at 9:30 pm. I was bushed. I woke up at 3:30 am with what seemed like a hundred field mice running all around and on top of my bivy sack ... couldn't stand it and got up and left at 4:30 pm. It seemd whoever camped there the previous day had left a whole bunch of food scraps and garbage nearby where I  pitched my bivy sack.