Okay,  I don't have a lot of really cool stories but I have another adventure that begs my writing about.  In 2004, my last time in the BWCA we went as a threesome up into Basswood and somehow ended up getting lost (a relative term since we knew abouts where we were) and then camped on an island on the north shore, most likely in Quetico.   We fished the next day all around our island and got some nice fish for dinner, then decided the next day to head out in the lake.  We spotted a canoe in the middle of the lake and headed to meet these guys to ask where the heck we were.  Turns out we were maybe a mile from Prairie Portage, and in Canadian Waters.  Not sure if our Minnesota license included the entire lake and was pretty sure we had camped in Quetico, at any rate, we headed out toward Prairie Portage, called for a tow, and made it back after about 6 days.  It was a fun trip, still I remember the excitement and fear  of being lost, trying to read the maps, having to ask for directions, etc.   At Prairie Portage,  I don't recall any problems getting back into the US.  We crossed over without incident.  Nobody seemed to care.  I guess my question, seeing how things have changed with fees and all, what would happen if we ended up doing the same thing again.  Would we have to pay to get back into the US?  Maybe buy Canadian licenses and pay camping fees before getting that tow home?

If you were caught by authorities, you could wind up paying a hefty fine and possibly forfeit all of your fishing and camping gear, including any canoes.

Better to have proper permits and paperwork, and learn how to read a map. I doubt if much sympathy will be shown for the 'I'm lost' defense.

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I don't use a GPS, nothing against them, but even with a GPS, one can get "confused".
When I did my first solo, I got " confused" for a few hours. I was fishing, and lost track of my visual bearings
 
When I got home I made it a priority to get better with a compass and map. I bought another compass, an orienteering model, that you can set the direction of travel, and not have to do any calculations. I also bought the book "  Be an expert with Map & Compass- The Orienteering Handbook" by Bjorn Kjellstrom.

When I'm on new water, I shoot a compass heading to next portage or if route isn't a straight shot, the next obvious landmark. The final compass heading to portage, I shoot using the technique of shooting off the portage as marked on map, then working my way down shore to it.
That way you don't wander back and forth not knowing if you've missed it or haven't reached it yet  

I also oriented my map in the direction of travel, and use a grease pen to mark landmarks as I pass them. From the water, what looks so clear on the map, can look all the same from the canoe seat.

Worse case scenario, you can backtrack your grease pencil route and get your bearings if you get "confused"
A compass heading doesn't lie, if you take it correctly. I would follow it before a land mark in most circumstances. When I tripped with others, we often had heated discussions by just using the terrain as our guide. Unless its a obvious landmark that is indisputable, a second set of eyes can cause as much confusion as they can help. A proper compass heading or GPS coordinate takes the visual disagreements out of the equation.

Westwood has it right in my opinion.......The key to not getting "turned around" is to pay attention to where you are at all the time or at least until you get a feel for the scale of the park.

In practicality that means having the map visible to you at all times and charting your progress inch by inch on the map. My map is secured via shock cord on the thwart in front of me in its map case. It is a simple matter to continually refer to it as you paddle along. It will also simplify things a great deal if you follow the shoreline as opposed to cutting across the lake to where you think you need to go.

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Certainly a far milder penalty than if you got lost and crossed a border into Iran.
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Some people disparage those that use a GPS, discrediting it as less of a wilderness experience.  There are many experiences that one can include as part of being in the wilderness.  Depending on personal preferences, it may include paying such close attention to a piece of paper secured to a thwart.  But the freedom a GPS gives to paddle or drift just enjoying the surroundings also has merits.