PJ's out on a limb. Should we leave him out there or join in on the fun? Some folk will need to be brave.

I rolled my boat twice in the same lake at both portage landings. The first time West lake and I became intimately  acquainted I was a fairly new canoeist and when I went to get into my boat it released from a smooth rock and my boat rolled over just as quickly as you please. Ruined a nice SLR camera in the process......put me into a bit of a funk for the rest of the trip and I actually buggered off early.

Fast forward several years later and as I'm loading at the opposing portage at West Lake I was explaining what had happened to my partner with one foot still in the water and the rest of me in the canoe.....little by little I had drifted past the point of recovery and before I realized it I was in a bit of a fix........Then I started shouting for assistance (HELP ME!). Later my friend admitted that the whole scene was quite surreal as I was at the time explaining how I had rolled my boat and here it was actually happening in real time. Sure enough over I went again. Ludicrous.......Now I have promised myself if I ever paddle West Lake again I will just throw myself into the water fully clothed and just get it over with.

Funny thing, in spite of several ill timed "miscues" (my most recent in Irregular Lake this past summer) it is pretty rare for me to take a fall on a portage trail or in the woods. 

Confession is good for the soul.  Absolve me!!!

70x7 anyone?

Relieving yourself in the lake. Absolutely not.

PhantomJug wrote on Sep 22^nd, 2014 at 11:46pm:


Because I don't always filter my drinking water! 


My confession is that I (sometimes) troll two rods. Hey, I'll be muskie fishing this weekend and we'll be trolling eight rods! If the wife is along then I buy her a license just to get that extra rod in the water.

I don't burn much trash lately. I got tired of replacing a perfectly good bags. I'll burn paper and whatever meat was wrapped in but that's about it. I bring back the rest to give customs extra stuff to check out.

I use to leave nothing but ash but more recently, since I've enjoyed the coals I've found from time to time, I try to return the favor. Nice sized coals are as good as wet welcome wood. Wet ash is a heat sink to overcome. I still spread everything out after dousing. (Darn. More foil to pack out.)

If you're healthy, tinkle is sterile yet no one swims in it.

I'll continue to be guilty of poking errant TP into the duff with a nearby stick and I use to take two rods and cheat a bit. Hey, if a walleye is stupid enough to hit a lure dangling next to the boat again I'm claiming ignorance.