Sunday - Day one out on the trail. We woke up bright and early for breakfast on our own that morning (cold cereal, rolls, and apples), and got ready to head off. We brought our packs down, put our extra stuff in the brigades, and got fitted with life jackets and paddles. We headed down to the beach for some paddling exercises, and then learned how to portage the canoes together (the group was really good at this!). After learning a bit about the Boundary Waters themselves, we loaded up, got our paddling buddies, and took off. Oh yeah! I almost forgot - another had joined our number - Maren. She was volunteering for a few weeks, and because we had a smaller group, she came along with us. After a slow start as we learned how to stern and bow the boats, we cruised on to our first campsite, one of the longest paddles we would have on the trip. The route for the day consisted of heading across Seagull, the biggest of the lakes we would be in (and the one that camp is located on), then on to Alpine, Jasper (where we stopped for lunch), Kingfisher (the puddle jumper!), and Ogish, where we stayed the first night. Tensions were high that first day as the girls tried their hand at paddling and portaging for the first time, our first ratings for the trip (one at a three out of 10), and some tears and frustration at the other members of the group. I think most of that was just simply an adjustment to the difficulties of canoeing after a couple days of very laid back camp life. (On a side note - I, who had never before solo portaged a canoe before, did it FOUR times that day! The guides couldn't believe I'd never done it before...go me!!)
We survived though, and made it to our campsite, where we set up and then enjoyed the water for a while. One of our girls decided to try the lifejacket diaper style, which entertained all of us for a long time - between her looking like a flower or some strange bug, and watching her try and get out of the lifejacket while she was still in the water, we spent a long time laughing and snorting until our bellies hurt.
Evening meal was chicken and dumplings, probably the most successful out of the week's meals, and the one where we worked most as a group. Chicken mess, buiscuit like fry bread, and brownies for dessert. We ate like queens and cleaned our plates. We cleaned up, had a bit of a rainshower, and did Last Word sitting together on a rock in the water, ending the evening in silence. A couple crabby girls, some challenges to the authority, and a night of cramps for me, and we made it to morning.
Monday - A gorgeous morning. I sat on a rock by shore for a while and watched minnows eating water bugs, listened to loons calling, and peered up at a cloudless blue sky. It was another adventure, of course.
It was an easy paddle on Tuesday, as we didn't have very far to go. We got up, packed up camp, and made breakfast of pancakes and applesauce. It was a bit of a tense morning, but nothing we couldn't handle. We got back on Ogish and headed to Spice Lake, just a teeny lake off the north shore of Ogish. We set up camp, which was easily one of the more exciting parts of the day - as we were setting up our tents, Laura came over and started making wild motions at us to be quiet and follow her - our setting up had startled a mother and two baby moose into the water, and we watched them swim across the lake. Soooo cool. We also saw two of the biggest spiders I've ever seen on a log along shore, and a frog, and some strange tube creature...not sure what that one was. Then, almost immediately after packing a day bag, and headed for Eddy Falls in two canoes, 4 people each. The route for the day was Spice, Ogish, Annie, Jenny, and across part of Eddy Lake - the falls was between South Arm Knife lake and Eddy. We ate lunch by the falls, and then hopped into the water, cold, but very refreshing. We played for a long time in the pools, splashing, showering, walking around, and snapping pics. Everyone was at an 8 or better - some even at 10's.
We headed back and did a silent paddle and two silent portages, where I learned how to do a two person lift without talking. We headed for Ogish and met some fishermen on the way to the "Jesus Rock" - a rock that just broke the surface of the water right in the middle of the lake. When Laura asked them where they were from, they said southern MN, crazy. But, where in southern MN? FAIRMONT. Weird. A Franzen, and a Makala or something like that - what are the odds!?! We talked to them for a while, they took our picture, and we headed back to camp. We picked tent groups and put on dry clothes and then started supper. Only a couple outbursts from one of the girls this time, otherwise, a fairly calm evening. Supper was stroganoff, hashbrowns, and no bake cookies. We rounded out the night with back rubs and did Hot Seat. then, off to bed.
Alright, in an effort not to have this post be all you can see on my page, I'm going to break this up again, and start with Tuesday on the next post.
We survived though, and made it to our campsite, where we set up and then enjoyed the water for a while. One of our girls decided to try the lifejacket diaper style, which entertained all of us for a long time - between her looking like a flower or some strange bug, and watching her try and get out of the lifejacket while she was still in the water, we spent a long time laughing and snorting until our bellies hurt.
Evening meal was chicken and dumplings, probably the most successful out of the week's meals, and the one where we worked most as a group. Chicken mess, buiscuit like fry bread, and brownies for dessert. We ate like queens and cleaned our plates. We cleaned up, had a bit of a rainshower, and did Last Word sitting together on a rock in the water, ending the evening in silence. A couple crabby girls, some challenges to the authority, and a night of cramps for me, and we made it to morning.
Monday - A gorgeous morning. I sat on a rock by shore for a while and watched minnows eating water bugs, listened to loons calling, and peered up at a cloudless blue sky. It was another adventure, of course.
It was an easy paddle on Tuesday, as we didn't have very far to go. We got up, packed up camp, and made breakfast of pancakes and applesauce. It was a bit of a tense morning, but nothing we couldn't handle. We got back on Ogish and headed to Spice Lake, just a teeny lake off the north shore of Ogish. We set up camp, which was easily one of the more exciting parts of the day - as we were setting up our tents, Laura came over and started making wild motions at us to be quiet and follow her - our setting up had startled a mother and two baby moose into the water, and we watched them swim across the lake. Soooo cool. We also saw two of the biggest spiders I've ever seen on a log along shore, and a frog, and some strange tube creature...not sure what that one was. Then, almost immediately after packing a day bag, and headed for Eddy Falls in two canoes, 4 people each. The route for the day was Spice, Ogish, Annie, Jenny, and across part of Eddy Lake - the falls was between South Arm Knife lake and Eddy. We ate lunch by the falls, and then hopped into the water, cold, but very refreshing. We played for a long time in the pools, splashing, showering, walking around, and snapping pics. Everyone was at an 8 or better - some even at 10's.
We headed back and did a silent paddle and two silent portages, where I learned how to do a two person lift without talking. We headed for Ogish and met some fishermen on the way to the "Jesus Rock" - a rock that just broke the surface of the water right in the middle of the lake. When Laura asked them where they were from, they said southern MN, crazy. But, where in southern MN? FAIRMONT. Weird. A Franzen, and a Makala or something like that - what are the odds!?! We talked to them for a while, they took our picture, and we headed back to camp. We picked tent groups and put on dry clothes and then started supper. Only a couple outbursts from one of the girls this time, otherwise, a fairly calm evening. Supper was stroganoff, hashbrowns, and no bake cookies. We rounded out the night with back rubs and did Hot Seat. then, off to bed.
Alright, in an effort not to have this post be all you can see on my page, I'm going to break this up again, and start with Tuesday on the next post.
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