Tuesday, May 31, 2016

We rolled out of the tents nice and early this morning to get a jump on the long day ahead of us. Overnight, the temperature dropped nearly 15 degrees. We all were scrambling for more clothes in the middle of the night. As we packed up camp, and prepared a quick breakfast, it started to rain. We ate our oatmeal and dried fruit in a light rain. After the coffee was gone, we packed up everything and starting packing the canoes. This campsite had been a great home the last 4 days. One of the things that I like most about this campsite was how many Ladyslippers were growing on the island.

We headed out from camp and made our way up Larch Creek. The beaver dams forced most of us out of the canoes when we got to them. We made it back to the entry point in under an hour. Then, we packed the vehicles and started the 6 hour drive home. This trip brought a lot of different things: Great wilderness experiences - Seeing the moose, the ladyslippers, all the wildlife, and hearing the loons, made it quite the adventure. The challenges - The rain EVERY day of the trip, the constant changing winds, and the cold front that came in definitely affected the fishing and our attitudes from time to time. I hope this is a trip that Cooper has memories from for the rest of his life. I enjoyed watching him experience all the things that one can take for granted after multiple trips. It was cool to share these days with my Dad, and for him to watch his grandson enjoy all these things. George, Mike, and Shaun also had a blast. It was fun watching them do everything they could to get Shaun catching fish and just having a good time. I cannot wait to go back, and Cooper can't either!