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Sandford-Elsie Canoe Trip
June 28 to July 9, 2002

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The Trip Log for the

2002 Sandford-Elsie Canoe Trip

Marshall/Muir

Thomas Muehle and Peter Evans (Counselors)

 

Tom Malloy, Tim Heuerman, Max Cassilly, Dan

Harris, Sutton Stewart, Matt Regelman,

Charlie Pfeifer, John Earl

 

By Sutton Stewart

Day 1- June 28th

 

         This is it!  The trip starts today!

         Thomas wanted to get up at 5:45, but he set the alarm a little early, and we slept through it.  Finally, Peter came in and woke us up around 6.  We hurriedly threw our gear together and headed off to breakfast.

            A quick breakfast was planned for us.  We had Cheerios, milk, and fruit.  While waiting by the van to drive off, Phil brought us fresh cinnamon rolls.  Breakfast filled us up and we headed out with Phil as the driver.

         The time passed quickly.  Most of us caught a little shut-eye.  The van rolled through the usual northern Minnesota towns of Blackduck, Northome, Littlefork….  A few hours later we hit International Falls.  The van stopped at K-Mart and Supervalu for a few last minute things. Then we drove on to the border.

         The time passed ever so slowly at Canadian customs.  One hour passed, then two.  If it weren’t for the radio and pop (or soda) from Phil, we campers would have gone mad.  At last, Thomas and Peter came out of customs and we drove off.  Total time at customs: 3 hours.

         The drive in Canada was a breeze.  We stopped the van only for fishing licenses and pop and drove the 5 hours to Gulliver Lake.  A few landmarks on the way: Rainy Lake, Dryden (93° F and hot!), and Ignace.  Besides that the drive was full of forests, forests, and more forests.

         Phil turned off on the dirt road after a very long drive through Ontario.  The road was long.  The road was narrow.  The road was very bumpy.  Thanks to Phil’s fantastic driving abilities and a little encouragement from John (“Gun it, Phil!”) we made it safely down the road.  At 5:30 we had our first sight of Gulliver Lake.  The shimmering water lapped up on the shore in the light breeze.  We quickly unloaded the trailer and helped Phil turn the van around.  We waited for a final photo shoot and waved good-bye to Phil.  He drove off and we set off.

         Gulliver Lake is a very pretty lake.  The water is the normal iron/rust color for the area.  Since Gulliver is a long lake, the wind can play a huge factor.  Lucky for us the wind was a light southerly breeze.  An hour of paddling brought us to our campsite.  We chose the one a little farther down the lake than the first one marked on the map.  This campsite is not recommended for a large group because of its limited tent space.  We managed to squeeze in the five tents and prepared for the evening.

         Dinner that night was fast and simple.  We cooked sausages over the fire as we watched the sun set.  A few of us then took a dip.  We finally settled into the tents at around 9:30.

 

Day 2- June 29th

 

         “Rise and shine!” Peter shouted at quarter-to-6.  Slowly we broke camp (emphasis on slowly).  The tents took a while and breakfast went slowly.  In all, the time it took from waking up to getting on the water was a little over an hour.  Over the course of the trip, the time improved, but not by much.

         Gulliver Lake was as smooth as glass.  We easily paddled through the sunlit waters as we stretched out paddling muscles.  Pesky flies decided to follow us around.  These flies don’t bite, but they’re a nuisance wherever you go.  The 1-kilometer paddle ended in a small and narrow inlet crowned with a portage at the far end.  The trail was decent, but only until we hit the creek.    We departed down the overgrown trail and set the canoes in the creek.  It wasn’t really a creek as much as it was a swamp.  The canoes worked their way through the water, over sunken logs, and across beaver dams.

         The counselors got a little suspicious of our route.  They stopped and checked the map.  Oops!  This was the wrong portage.  Every ounce of work we put in to this portage had to be reasserted as we made our way back to Gulliver.  Thomas and I pushed off back into Gulliver and searched for the right portage while everyone else finished returning on the wrong portage. 

         It turned out that the portage we wanted was in the bay to the north of the tiny inlet.  The portage was easy to spot (covered with dirt and dead pine needles, sheltered by a tree).  This portage was very well kept but somewhat long and a little muddy.  The portage brought us into Adele Lake.  Adele is another long and narrow lake, just like Gulliver.  Instead of paddling the whole length of the lake, we paddled half a kilometer to the next portage.  With little wind to hinder us, we easily passed to the next portage.  This portage was very easy, almost a carry-over.  The short trail led us beside a small set of falls and past the outline of a cabin.  Our group set out next on Sparkle Lake.  Sparkle was a large lake with many inlets and bays.  We needed to paddle the majority of the lake, however, so off we went.

            The paddling brought us to the start of what we knew to be a hard portage.  After debating a little bit about whether to have lunch now or later, we decided to have lunch at the other end, on Boulder Lake.  The portage took a long time.  It was hard, muddy, buggy, hilly, and challenging.  We pushed on through our first big portage of the trip.  The portage took lots of energy, and we were all exhausted.  There was a point just out in Boulder that was big and open, so we paddled over and ate lunch there.

Lunch consisted of summer sausage and Velveeta, both of which has never tasted so good.  A nice swim followed lunch, and that was followed by a rest period.  An hour later, we were back on the water with the sun blazing above and the wind in our faces.  We came to the end of Boulder Lake about mid-afternoon.  The portage was very hard to spot.  It was right next to an impassible waterway out of Boulder.  The beginning was marshy, but the second half was a pleasant forest trail descending into an unnamed lake.  The brisk portage into the small lake was nothing compared to the portage out.  The portage out was littered with fallen trees from knee to neck high.  Everyone maneuvered packs and canoes over the trees and completed the portage.  Finally the last portage of the day was behind us, but night was just an hour away.

 

 Gamble Lake welcomed us with a beautiful view of the rays of the sun breaking through the clouds.

     The paddle down Gamble Lake was expected to be a few kilometers, so we paddled fast.  After passing the fishing resort, we knew we were almost there.  We paddled to the first large island and searched for a campsite.  That turned up nothing, so we searched the smaller island for a campsite.  Bingo!  We found a beautiful campsite with ample amounts of space and a great view of the lake.  The large pine trees gave shelter from most of the wind, and the shield gave space to spread out and relax.  Although we were in the lee of the trees, the bugs were almost nonexistent.  We ate an unpestered dinner of beans and rice which filled us up for the night, and we were asleep by 10.  Today was a long day that wore us all out.

 

Day 3- June 30th

 

            Peter roused us from sleep at 7.  This time breaking camp and eating Post Grape Nuts took a little under an hour.  We paddled the short distance to the portage (about 1 km) and pushed off down the trail.  This portage wasn’t exactly the best way to start the day.  It was a long and muddy portage where it was common to step into shin-deep water.  To make things even worse, a thunderstorm rolled through while we portaged.  Our clothes were soaked, our gear was wet… Sopping wet, we pushed off into  Doan Lake.

Doan didn’t offer any help.  The wind was a strong headwind as we paddled down the lake, and the clouds showed no sign of letting the sun shine.  Strangely the wind died down while we paddled.  Well, the portage was easily spotted and we portaged the short distance into an unnamed lake.  The portage was very nice, short, easy, and well kept.  The map had another portage marked at the end of the lake, but we weren’t able to find any trail, so we drifted down a small river (while reminiscing about the Crow Wing) and ended up on IreneLake.

  Instantly we were battered with a huge headwind.  The wind forced us to stay on the great and picturesque campsite just south of the mouth of the river.  We swam there for a while, exploring the large sand bar.  It reminded us of  Cass Lake with its shallow water stretching far into the lake.  The sun had come out, but the wind didn’t die down.  The waves eventually overpowered one of the canoes while it was still on shore.  We saved the gear and the canoe.  While we let everything dry out in the bright sun, we ate lunch and listened to Peter (or was it Marvin?) tell stories.  We sat at the campsite, trying to beat out the wind, but it was just too strong.  The whole afternoon slipped away.  Eventually it became too late to paddle to Sanford Lake.  We were forced to camp at the sandbar.

           This campsite was a beautiful campsite and my favorite for the whole trip.  On one side of the campsite there was the river flowing into Irene.  The other side was the sandbar stretching into the lake.  The ground was wide open and provided plenty of space for tents.  The sandbar stretched hundred of yards into Irene.  It was truly a special campsite.  Peter propped up a boat for a wind-block and we built a fire behind it.  He then cooked a big pot of black beans and rice.  We ate it, staring out at the lake. Still, the wind kept up.  It didn’t die off until late at night.  While Max and Tim were trying to filter water out in the canoe, they turned broadside to the waves and tipped over so another canoe was shortly dispatched to save them.  One good side to the wind: fewer mosquitoes. The pesky flies still hung around, though.  We went to bed around 9:30

 

Day 4- July 1st

 

         We got an early start this morning (around quarter-past-5).  It took a mere 30 minutes to get us out on the glassy water.  We made the long paddle across Irene to the portage to Sanford.  The portage was very nice and easy, but long.  It passed, however, and we were on Sanford.  Immediately we noticed how clear the water was.  It was a turquoise color (unique for the area) and clear to more the 30 feet.  It was clear enough that some of us were able to see fish swimming underneath us.  We paddled across the huge lake and turned north, not once seeing more than a ripple of wind.

        Sanford Lake flowed into Mable Lake by way of a small section of fast water.  On the left side of the passable section there was a yellow rope.  Follow the yellow rope to the other side (it was a very easy “rapids,” if you will).  Then we were in  Mable Lake.

         In contrast to Sanford, Mable Lake was a thick rusty-colored lake.  We paddled straight up Mable to Campus Creek.  On the way, we discovered some lake signs, and took one for our trophy.  Campus Creek flows into Mable, so you either have to paddle really hard or line the creek.  All of the canoes lined the creek (just 10 feet long).

         Then, we were in Campus Lake. Campus Lake is not as rusty as Mable, but it still has the red-orange color.  This whole time the sun was shining, but wind was nowhere at all.  We paddled along the southern shore of the lake to get to Raspberry Portage.  We thought we spotted the landing, but Peter thought he spotted another landing.  While I explored the first landing, Peter, Charlie, Tim, Max, Matt, and Tom took the other trail.  I had found the actual portage, but Peter and crew were already gone down the other trail.  Thomas, Dan, John, and I took the portage (which follows a snowmobile trail under the power lines) and ended up successfully at Elsie Lake.  We waited out on the water for the others, but they didn’t come.  Finally Peter got to the landing, and the rest of them followed suit.  It took a little while, but eventually everyone regrouped just off the portage in Elsie Lake.  We paddle the kilometer to Vaughn’s cabin, but no one was there.

 

Thomas took the executive decision and decided to camp there anyway.  Camp was up in a few minutes, and lunch was just around the corner. We made extremely good time today.  Instead of just having a layover, we had a layover-and-a-half.  During the afternoon at Vaughn’s, a big thunderstorm moved through, soaking a lot of the gear.  The rain stopped, but the sun didn’t come out to dry everything.  Later, another storm just missed us to the north.  Finally a third thunderstorm hit during dinner and gave us a spectacular sunset.

         Dinner was delicious.  Peter prepared spaghetti for us to eat.  It was fantastic.  During dinner, though, we had a thought.  “Say we moved on tomorrow and had two days at Horse Falls,” some of us said.  Everyone seemed to like the idea, so we planned to move out tomorrow.  After dinner, just a few minutes later, we nullified the decision to move on and had our layover at Vaughn’s.  We stayed up somewhat late and went to bed whenever we felt compelled (which happened to be pretty early).

 

Day 5- July 2nd- Layover Day 1

 

          We had a free morning.  Layover days are perfect recovery days where you can sleep as late as you want and you don’t have to change campsites.  When everyone was awake, Peter began flipping the pancakes.  Those were some of the most delicious pancakes I had ever had.  Peter also took the time to prepare a “birthday cake” for my birthday.  It was really doughy and topped with strawberries, but it was a delicacy.  (Thank you everyone for your birthday wishes!)  Shortly after breakfast came lunch.  Lunch was great!  The “to die for” corned beef hash combined with the “oh yeah” flavor of baked beans to create the perfect trail meal.  We dug into it and finished quickly.  The first part of the afternoon was spent resting and playing cards.  We talked Peter into giving up the lawn chair and headed to the jumping cliffs.  We paddled the canoes in the strong SW wind and came to the island in Elsie.  We bushwhacked our way to the top of the cliffs and took in the view.  The cliffs were perfect for jumping.  They were about 30 feet high with a great view over Elsie and the surrounding forest.  Dan was the first to jump.  He flew out into the air and came splashing down a second later.  Then Peter and John and Charlie jumped off the cliff.  Finally Tom and Max took the plunge.  Tim, Thomas, Matt, and I stayed on the cliff and took pictures of those brave enough to jump.

           We stayed the rest of the afternoon.  The sun signaled us to get back to camp, so we paddled through the waves.  When we got to the cabin, we relaxed in the screen porch.  Peter again prepared a fabulous dinner, this time pasta.  We cleaned up the campsite and prepared for tomorrow, another paddling day.  We went off to bed after watching the sun set through the trees.

 

Day 6- July 3rd

 

         Peter awoke us extremely early this morning.  We were up at ten-to-5 (and right after layover!).  Our time between waking up and getting out on the water came to 35 minutes.  The early time was an attempt to beat the wind, something we didn’t quite do…

         Elsie was an easy paddle in the early morning light.  It was a nice way to wake us up.  We paddled across Elsie and entered the inlet to the portage.  We did find a grave marked on Graveyard Island, but no more than that.  Suddenly, we ran into trouble.  The portage was nowhere to be seen.  All that was there was a motorboat.  Peter jumped into the water near the boat and waded to the shore.  He used his walkie-talkie to tell us that this was in fact the portage, and that it was very nice after the soggy beginning.  One by one we pulled the canoes through the water past the boat.  Surprisingly, only Tim and Peter got wet above their knees.  The rest of us moved the canoes to dry land using rocks scattered in the bushes.  The portage turned out just as Peter had said.  The portage was nice, well kept, and very easy.

         We tackled that hurdle and passed into Halfmoon Lake.  Halfmoon was a beautiful lake with only a cabin to note any human influence.  The next portage had a sandy entrance just past the cabin.  The portage to Nora Lake from Halfmoon Lake was actually two portages.  The first portage, Cairn Portage, was very good.  It had an obvious trail that passed over shield and through a campsite.  The second portage, Mud Portage, came after we paddled across a small-unnamed lake.  Mud Portage had two entrances.  Use the forested entrance (the one not marked with arrows).  It’s more overgrown, but at least it’s not wet.  A hundred yards down the trail the two entrances join together.  This portage lived up to its name.  It was muddy and wet, but not as muddy as other portages we had already conquered.  In the middle of this portage we crossed a snowmobile trail.  The rest of the portage was simple.

         When we hit Nora Lake, we stared at the headwind blasting at us.  The canoes set off into the water.  We paddled up Nora Lake against the wind.  Strategic islands and points provided wind blocks on our way up the lake.  Thomas gave us each a Crème Saver after each leg of paddling.  On the way to the portage, we met up with a few different groups (first a family, then a Canadian group).  Finally we paddled into the lee of the land, only to discover that Max broke his paddle just by paddling.  He pulled out a spare and paddled to the portage.

         Nora Portage was a great portage that was very well worn and very easy, thanks to the Ontario Forest Service.  Unfortunately, John’s bent-shaft paddle broke on this portage, and we gave our last spare paddle to John.  Lucky for us, though, we found a paddle at the end of the portage, and added a spare to our group.  Nora Portage carried us toWhite Otter Lake.

              The wind was moderate to start out on White Otter Lake.  We set our course for the White Otter Castle.  The castle was a little ways down the lake and not really on the way to where we wanted to go.  We paddled in the wind to the castle and spotted its red roof over the treetops.  The castle was a huge monument, signifying “what man can do when he puts his mind to it”.  The national historic site featured the four-story castle.  We spent the afternoon exploring the floors and touring the history of one man’s legacy.    The White Otter Castle is no less than a Canadian wonder.  It was built entirely by one man, Jimmy McQuat.  His grave lies near the castle.

         We decided to have lunch at the White Otter Castle.  We had PB&J on pilot biscuits.  Then came rest period.  While we explored the cabin, a nice group of travelers stopped there.  We talked with them a little about the trip, where we were going, where we came from, and who we were exactly….  Finally, they set off down the lake.

          The wind had really picked up.  It was an extremely strong headwind.  Any sailor should know the Beaufort scale.  This wind was at least a 6.  Thomas feared being wind-bound again, so we pushed the canoes into the water and carefully maneuvered them into the headwind.  Stroke, stroke, stroke….  We paddled hard and long until we hit the lee of the point.  After a short break, we faced an even bigger challenge.  We pushed into the severe headwind.  The waves crashed around the canoe.  Huge whitecaps crested everywhere.  It seemed like we were not even moving with the wind and waves pushing against us.  While paddling, we passed a nice couple at a sandy campsite (watch these two!  They play a huge role in the trip.).  The paddling was extremely difficult.  We pushed on and on, worked harder and harder.  Finally we hit calmer water.  The paddle was now easy and the short distance to the campsite was easily achieved.

         The campsite was beautiful.  It was positioned on a portage and next to rapids.  The rapids, we learned, were once used as a logging sluice.  They do provide reasonable fishing.  Peter caught a few fish in between sets of falls.  We set down then for a nice dinner with fried Spam and rice.  Around 9:30 , after everything was cleaned-up and put away, we went to bed.

         Late that night, Thomas and Peter hatched one of their brilliant plans.  “C’mon, guys, get up!  There’s a mad hunter out here.  Don’t worry!  Peter is with Mounties at the other end.  Hurry up!” Thomas said.  We all got up and hurried down the trail.  When we came near the open part of the campsite, Peter lit a bonfire.  “Happy Fourth of July!” he said.  We each got a firecracker and watched them pop in the night.  We took a quick look at the stars as we walked back to our tents.

 

Day 7- July 4th

 

          This morning was a later start.  Marvin woke us up this time at 8.  While we were cleaning up camp, the couple we saw yesterday showed up at the portage.  We talked a little and found out they had put in down the river and paddled up it.  They were on their way back.  We ate breakfast while they portaged.  Then we portaged.  The portage is very nice and well kept.  We portaged into an unnamed lake.  The paddle down the lake was quick, and we soon came to the portage.  It was a very good portage into Dibble Lake.  The only thing to watch out for on this portage is the steep end (a reoccurring theme throughout the rest of the trip).  Dibble was very welcoming.  The wind was a slight tailwind.  We rested a little while paddling down the lake.  We had a slight navigational difficulty, but Thomas, the “cartographer”, was able to find the best way around the islands in Dibble and led us to the dam.  As we neared the dam, Thomas cautioned everyone to avoid the current.  Then we headed up the right-hand shore to the portage.  The portage sits precariously on the edge of the dam.  It is not too hard, but the landing is very difficult at the other end.  We used the landing at the campsite (directly below the dam).  Before setting off, we had our lunch at the campsite and swam around in the water.  Finally we set off on a short stretch of the Turtle River.  A few minutes later we hit Smirch Lake.  Although the sun was hidden behind some clouds, the air was warm and thick with humidity.  We paddled down Smirch and passed the couple’s campsite (remember that couple?).  Right after that we hit the portage, marked by a yellow sign.  This portage happened to be a very nice portage.  It was only slightly muddy, but the mosquitoes were incredibly thick.  We set the canoes down at the end of our last portage for the day.  The 1000 ft paddle to the campsite on the small island flew by, and we reached land.  This campsite was a little small, but the island was usable as a decent campsite.  Peter miraculously caught a fish that night (after an innumerable amount of snags).  Tom filleted the fish, and we added it to our peas, corn, and rice.  After dinner and clean-up, we dove into the tents for a nice night of rest.

 

Day 8- July 5th

 

         We woke up around 8 o’clock.  We loaded the canoes and paddled to Lost Boat Rapids, only a few strokes away.

         We portaged the gear around Lost Boat Rapids and scoped out the fast water.  Lost Boat Rapids was a very large chute.  Since the water was incredibly high, the water pressure in the rapids was huge!  We decided to shoot these rapids unloaded.  As we walked back, we discovered from another group that the Turtle River south of the highway was closed due to high water.  While talking to the first group, the nice couple (them again) came up to the portage.  They offered us help, and we accepted a ride into town.  They also decided to shoot the rapids, only because we were shooting them.  One by one, the canoes shot the rapids.  And one by one, the canoes made it through safely.  As the couple shot, they tipped over in the rapids.  Peter and John’s canoes went over to save them.  It turned out that the couple had never heard of a canoe-over-canoe rescue.  We loaded the canoes and paddled on down the  Turtle River.

            A few hours went by as we paddled.  It was a long stretch of river with no rapids.  The river then took a bend at Pekagoning Lake.  Right before the next rapids, we saw a wonder of nature.  We turned around and right behind us an eagle was skimming across the water, picking up fish in its claws.  We stared in disbelief as the eagle soared up and away to the far horizon.

         Finally we hit the next portage.  This portage was small enough to be a carryover.  It passed quickly and we hit the bridge shortly after that.  We met up with the couple, and they gave Peter a ride into town while the rest of us waited at the bridge.

         A few hours passed and Peter still hadn’t returned.  We were worried about what was going to happen.  Maybe we should continue on, or maybe we should stop here.  A few kind people stopped to greet us.  They said that the river shouldn’t be too bad, but they said they just didn’t know.

         Finally Peter returned by hitchhiking.  He brought news that only the roads down here were closed due to high water.  We packed up and set off down the river.

         No more bad things happened today.  We reached the rapids and checked the portage, but there wasn’t a really good trail, so we all shot the rapids loaded.  It worked well, other than the fact that the canoes took in a  LOT of water.  We reached the portage around Gorge Falls and portaged to the campsite about halfway down the trail.  We set up camp there next to the falls.  Dinner went quickly and clean-up just as fast.  We dove into the tents shortly after that.

 

Day 9- July 6th

 

         We woke up to the shouting of Peter jumbled with the sounds of Gorge Falls.  The usual breakfast of grape nuts and breakfast bars went quickly and we were soon off for what we expected to be the hardest day of the trip.

         The first set of rapids approached quickly.  We scouted them and decided they were safe.  The canoes passed through the fast water safely with no tipping.  The second rapids were a ways down the river.  Along the way, a few of us got a good glimpse of wildlife.  John and Dan were lucky enough to spot a moose, but before anyone else could see it, it disappeared into the woods.  A little bit farther down the river we all saw a nice family of otters playing around in the water.  Just then we found the second rapids.  Everyone took care to scout the rapids.  We all plotted courses through the water.  Then we shot them loaded.  Almost every canoe made it out dry.  Only Thomas’ and my canoe didn’t.  We unfortunately swamped, starting a trend that would last most of the trip.  Max and Tom were there for the rescue, and we got back in for another spin on the river.  John and Dan frivolously scouted the third set of rapids.  They decided that they were safe enough, but the end looked questionable.  They told us they would give a sign if we shouldn’t shoot the rapids.  They pushed off down the fast water, appearing to have no trouble.  Next it was Thomas and me.  We were completely oblivious to the warning John and Dan were giving at the other end.  We cleared the first section easily.  When we hit the second section, trouble set in.  This was a submerged rock garden.  Thomas and I inevitably tipped.  If it weren’t for John and Dan, no one would have been there for the rescue.  While Thomas, Dan, John, and I paddled to the next portage, Peter and the other three canoes made their own portage through the woods, since there was no portage marked on the map.  Finally we regrouped at the next rapids and portaged around them.  These were the last scheduled rapids for the day.

         The river travel became long and boring.  The paddling was nice and easy, but after the excitement of the rapids, regular paddling seemed old.  Finally it came time for lunch.  Jones Lake was right there and it was calm enough, so we had our lunch floating.  Suddenly a loud sound rang in our ears.  We spotted a white sheet of rain cascading across the lake.  It was as if someone had gathered a white veil and was dragging it across the lake.  Everyone wrapped up tight in their rain jackets and unhitched the canoes.  A clap of thunder signaled the downpour and the rain began.  We paddled to the nearest shore, where we found a cabin.  We waited on the porch of the cabin for the rain to pass.  Just a few minutes later, the only signs left from the storm were the clouds and the raindrops dripping down the drainpipe.  After the brief interruption, we set off again.

         We followed the Turtle River out of  Jones Lake into a marshy area.  The river wound its way through thick reeds, occasionally passing past tall trees.  The paddle was long and tiresome, but a decameter later our eyes caught sight of  Eltrut Lake.  (Eltrut is “turtle” backwards!)

        Eltrut Lake was a huge lake that could have been a navigational nightmare.  Peter’s only care, however, was catching some fish.  Immediately after hitting the open water, he threw his line out and trolled it behind his canoe.  Just seconds later, he got a strike.  A short struggle ended with him bringing in a small northern.  He released it and set off trolling again.  Thomas caught on and set up my fishing rod for trolling.  After passing through a small channel, Thomas felt a tug on his line and reeled it in, expecting it to be nothing more than a snag.  To his surprise, he ended up with his biggest catch of the day (a 1 foot long northern).  He threw it back and cast out his line again.  Just a minute later, another fish bit on.  He fought it in and brought a second tiny northern out of the lake.  He let it go and continued to fish.  Just seconds later, another fish bit on to his lure.  This time he reeled in a small walleye.  After releasing this one, a fourth fish grabbed on immediately.  He brought in his final catch of the day, a third small northern.  Thomas tried to continue fishing, but it’s hard to fish after casting your lure away, isn’t it, Thomas?  By the way, the good fishing is on the south side of the huge island in Eltrut.  The lure of choice?  A rattler.  Even after his blunder at the end of fishing, Thomas is a good match for Sam Thiessen.

         The paddle out of Eltrut brought us to the final portage for two days.  The portage, like most others before, was riddled with a hard ending.  The steep sandy embankment left no good way to slide the canoes into the water.  The other trouble unique to this portage is the fork in the road.  When we came to a large shield at the right and a sign up ahead, we didn’t know which way to go.  We discovered that up the shield was the trail that led us around Horse Falls.  After dealing with that difficult landing, we set off into the strong current to paddle the 50 meters to the campsite.

         This campsite was wonderful.  It has plenty of shield overlooking the falls.  The trees sheltered part of the campsite.  The tent space is not plentiful, but we successfully staked down five tents.  We set up camp quickly, eager for the night’s long rest.  Dinner was spectacular.  We had pasta and cheese (a modified macaroni and cheese).  The only challenge at the campsite was battling the bugs.  The mosquitoes haunted you wherever you went.  Finally it came time to go to bed.  Peter came around and offered Raid to everyone.  We all fell asleep listening to the roar of  Horse Falls.

Day 10- July 7th- Layover Day 2

 

         We had the freedom to wake up whenever.  This morning was particularly different from he others.  Today was a hot one.  It was humid and sunny from sunrise to sunset.  The bugs were already out, preying on any unsuspecting person who dared to walk about without bug spray.  That was the main reason the morning was spent mainly in the tents.  Peter braved the mosquitoes and prepared pancakes for us all.  The rest of us emerged from the tents and ate our breakfast/brunch heartily while trying to dodge the mosquitoes.

         The afternoon was completely free.  We had fun on our last layover day.  We did things like swimming in the current, sitting around, reading, taking pictures, and even washing clothes.  Layover days were great to wash out our clothes.

         Lunch came right after all of the swimming.  Peter prepared a delicious helping of corned beef hash and baked beans.  It tasted absolutely great.  Then came a very extended rest period.

            The afternoon came and went.  The only thing it did provide was a little rain, but not enough to dampen our day.  We all looked forward to eating that delicious pizza for dinner.  The Cassilly and Harris Pizza Factory opened promptly at 6 and began making pizzas for all.  They made specialty pizzas with olives, pepperoni, Parmesan cheese, delicious sauce, and great dough.  Then came the cookies.  Dan and Max took the lead roles again and prepared terrific chocolate chip cookies for everyone.  We cleaned up the campsite and went to bed with dreams of our last paddling day swirling in our heads.

 

Day 11- July 8th- Almost there!

 

         For the last important morning of the trip, we got a nice early start.  We arose around 6 and broke camp half-an-hour later.

The river immediately flowed into Robinson Lake.  It was a very narrow lake with muddy water.  The lake flowed into a small bay and then into the first rapids of five for the day.  Be aware:  the portage was far away from the rapids themselves.  It was straight up the eastern shore and near the marsh.  We portaged all of our gear and the canoes to the other side.  We then paddled across the short bay to the next rapids, where some of us shot loaded, and others shot unloaded.  The river then wound its way through miles of forest.  Finally, after a few hours of paddling, we hit the third rapids.  These rapids were nice and small.  Since there wasn’t a portage we were forced to shoot these loaded.  It all passed quickly and we moved on to the next rapids.  The fourth rapids were Thomas’ nightmare rapids.  The last time he was on it, he told us, he and Rob Sendak were sucked into the rapids backwards.  Although they didn’t tip, it left a vivid, unforgettable memory.  Thomas and I portaged around these rapids and put in on the other side.  The rest of the canoes shot the rapids and made it through safely.  Then a misfortune beseeched my canoe.  As Thomas and I left the landing and entered the strong current, the canoe tipped, sending Thomas and me into the water.  The other canoes saved us, and we pushed on to the next portage.  (As you paddle up to the portage, follow the left hand shore.  There was an ice-cold spring flowing into the river there.)  The portage was near the rapids and goes by fast.  Thomas and I again portaged everything.  The other canoes shot unloaded.  Thomas was able to get great shots of the canoes going down the final rapids for the trip.  Now all we had to do was paddle.

         Our final lunch on trail finished as we floated down the Turtle River.  The scenery became more and more open until our eyes hit the pristine waters of Little Turtle Lake.  Everyone burst into song and celebrated the miraculous trip we had just completed.  A huge sense of accomplishment flowed through our veins as we paddled the last kilometers of the trip.  At 3 P.M. , we pulled into the final landing and set up our final camp.  The trip was almost over!  We had made the entire 122 miles!  We did it!  All that was left was to wait for the van tomorrow morning.

         That night was a banquet on trail.  We ate a terrific four-course meal.  First course was a delicious soup, complete with the alphabet and chunks of beef.  The second course comprised of peas, corn, rice, and fried Spam turkey.  Our stomachs were almost ready to burst, but we had two courses yet to go.  Thomas so generously provided the third course.  When he went into town to buy new maps, he brought back a pack of Coke and Tuxedos (the Canadian equivalent to Oreos).  We ate the tantalizing treasures to the last crumbs.  Finally came the fourth course.  The fourth course finished off the meal with chocolate chip cookie dough.  We savored every last drop.  Finally, after a good meal, we said good night for the very last time on trail.

Day 12- July 9th- We made it!

 

         Marvin woke us up plenty early for the van (expected at 8).  We were up around 7.  The first things that caught our eyes were mosquitoes.  Hundreds of them flocked on the rain flies.  They hung on the tents like dew holding on to grass.  Only a few brave souls stepped out into the morning air at first.  Then everyone else was forced into taking down the tents to prepare for departure.  After a breakfast of dehydrated applesauce and dried apples, we sat by the side of the road and waited.

         First one hour passed.  Then another one passed.  A few of us played cards while waiting.  Others slept in the shade of the hot sun.  Everyone, though, had to deal with the bugs. 11 o’clock came and went.  After waiting for four hours (it was  noon), Peter walked into town to see what the wait was.  Shortly after he left, Phil came barreling into the landing in the white van.  We joyously greeted him and packed up the trailer.  We drove into town and picked up Peter.  Then we were on our way.

         Phil drove the van into Pitten’s Park, a picnic area only a few minutes from Mine Center.  Lunch went fast and we soon loaded the van again.  The van quickly passed Rainy Lake and we hit the border just minutes later, as compared to our 6-hour drive coming into Canada.  The US customs let us in quickly.  We stopped the van for only one thing in International Falls: ice cream.  Phil treated us all to Dairy Queen Blizzards.  Then it was back into the van for the final hours back to camp.  The few hours passed by quickly.  Some people slept; others just sat and talked.  The van at last turned on to Cap Endres Road four hours after being picked up.

         The trip was over!  We had made it!  Although we were all happy to return to camp, we would have loved spending one more night in Canada.

         The Sanford-Elsie trip of 2002 was a huge success.  It went so well.  We made it through the demoralizing rain, the frustration of tipping over, the joys of completing the portages, the refreshment of jumping into the water.  Not a single one of us will forget this amazing trip into the backwoods of  Canada.

 

The End

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