5am view from Leaning Willow
It's about the trip right? I've happily lost track of time and will most likely use destinations and cities as the main way to track this trip. Stopping to edit the blog really only happens every few days and the experiences throughout are so rich and filling that I struggle to make a complete description of my days.
Following Lake Winnie, the river once again returned to its now familiar meanders and oxbows through a lowland hardwood forest. Ferns, lichens and small grasses wave from the shoreline on low muddy banks. I camped at Leaning Willow Campsite with Zach and it had not yet been cut or managed this year. The mosquitoes were particularly bad so just another reason to stay in my tent and sleep.
In the morning, I was paddling by 5am and knew I had to make time if I was going to beat the advancing storm front. Crossing the weedy and arduous Blackwater Lake was made more difficult by the winds picking up to my left. I was only one mile from the Pokegama Dam in Grand Rapids when the bright flash of lightning caught my attention. Time to get off the water. I aimed for an attractive shoreline and set up beneath the cover of mature Silver Maples. There was little foliage beneath so it was an ideal break to make coffee and watch the rain fall.
Following Lake Winnie, the river once again returned to its now familiar meanders and oxbows through a lowland hardwood forest. Ferns, lichens and small grasses wave from the shoreline on low muddy banks. I camped at Leaning Willow Campsite with Zach and it had not yet been cut or managed this year. The mosquitoes were particularly bad so just another reason to stay in my tent and sleep.
In the morning, I was paddling by 5am and knew I had to make time if I was going to beat the advancing storm front. Crossing the weedy and arduous Blackwater Lake was made more difficult by the winds picking up to my left. I was only one mile from the Pokegama Dam in Grand Rapids when the bright flash of lightning caught my attention. Time to get off the water. I aimed for an attractive shoreline and set up beneath the cover of mature Silver Maples. There was little foliage beneath so it was an ideal break to make coffee and watch the rain fall.
The Blandin Paper Co. Opperates the second dam in Grand Rapids and offers a portage assistance service. Soon, Dean showed up on his day off with a truck and canoe trailer. Someone was earning overtime.
eggs with onions and garlic and a side of beans
Zach showcasing one of the traditional barns along the banks
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