Searching for the channel in reed-filled Royal Lake.

Day 10
July 22, 2003
Today's miles: 5.5
Total miles: 101.6
Destination: Campsite at McFarland Lake

Sometimes finding the portages presents quite a challenge. Allen and I both had to get out of the canoe at different times today and search marshes to find the portage trailheads. A deer watched us as we fumbled around in knee-high water and tall grass near Royal River, which flowed towards us into South Fowl Lake. Turned out that the portage was around the bend, upstream, and we had to walk the canoe up the shallow rapid to the trail.

Back in the water on the other side, the searching continued in reed-filled Royal Lake. At times, the grass was so thick, we couldn't paddle or push our way through, so we had to back up and try another direction. Eventually, we found some flattened reeds where other canoes must have gone through, and located the channel to the other side of the lake and back into the river. At the end of Royal River, we looked for the second portage, the last of our trip. When I got back in the boat at John Lake, I removed a leech from my foot. Fed upon yet again. I feel like a piece of fast food.

At 11:30, we reached the boat launch at McFarland Lake, the end of our canoe route. We set up the tarp here at a primitive state campground. Allen napped on a picnic table and I did the same on the dock. Then we both took shelter under the tarp during a mid-afternoon downpour. The sun and mosquitoes are now out once again.

So this concludes the second phase of our trip. Not what we'd planned to do, but a fun change and a different way to see the BWCA -- the most common way, by boat -- though my original intention was to hike the BRT rather than canoe along the border. Until our first portage today, we'd been following an invisible international line down the centers of lakes, rivers and oftentimes portages, some of which have U.S./Canada markers at either end.

The paddling was easy on the Royal River.

My favorite parts of the canoeing were the narrows, where the water is usually calm and the shores close, and early mornings my favorite time to paddle. I prefer to get on the trail early also, but tomorrow we'll have to wait for an employee of Gunflint Outfitters, who's supposed to pick up the canoe at noon. Then it's on to the Superior Trail. I hope my socks and boots dry by then. Both have been wet since July 13th.

--Ramkitten