Today started out beautifully. By the time I packed up and started out, the family across from me was up and about. I stopped by to tell the parents how wonderful I thought it was that they were giving their kids the gift of the BWCA. I got rather choked up thinking about how thankful I am to my parents for getting me out camping at a young age. The family's oldest is 7 and this is his 4th trip and camping trips are his favorite activity. Only a few people were stirring as I paddled toward the Vista Lake portage. I saw a moose munching breakfast and sat and watched for awhile, but didn't try to free up my camera.

Just when I reached the portage to Vista, things turned not so beautiful. I glanced down at my SPOT and was horrified to see the SOS light was lit up green!!! What the heck? How could that have even happened?! I quickly open the flap and pressed down the button until the light turned red. I didn't start the portage until I was sure the cancel message had been picked up by the satellites. Then I also sent an "I'm OK" message to my husband. But I was extremely shaken by the experience. I had no way of knowing if the light had been on for 5 minutes or 30 minutes. Had search and rescue been initiated? How could the light even have gotten turned on? I was also terrified that my sister might have received a call indicating I was in a "life threatening" emergency, and knowing the stress she was under with caring for my ailing father, I started to panic.

There was nothing I could do, but continue on my way and hope for the best, but it was stressful. Then I noticed the SPOT was continuing to act up. At the end of the portage to Vista, the "helping hand" light was lit red for some reason, but sort of faint. I decided that I should turn off the unit except for when I needed to send another "I'm OK" at the end of the day.

I got my head back in the game and focused on portaging safely. Vista was pretty and I saw 1 group camped there, fishing from shore. No one on Misquah Lake. I planned to stay on Little Trout Lake. The portage from Misquah to Little Trout was long, and I had to triple portage about 1/2 of it. However, I had studied the contours on the map, so I knew what to expect as far as ups and downs. I was hot and sweaty when I reached Little Trout. No one was camped at any of the sites. Surprising for 4th of July weekend, but apparently I picked a very quiet route.

I picked the island campsite because it had a great swimming spot and it was crazy hot again. I reached the site about noon, went swimming and ate lunch. As I was trying to motivate to get unpacked and set up the tent, I got depressed about how hot and sunny the site was...no shade for a tent. Then I started to have a panic attack, which is extremely out of character for me. My imagination started running completely wild on me: my son and friend injured somewhere, search and rescue out looking for me, my husband and sister in total panic. The scenes and scenarios kept running through my head on an endless loop. The final straw was when I turned on the SPOT to send my "I'm OK" message for the end of my travel day. It couldn't connect to a GPS signal even though I was in the open. I waited for 20 minutes in case it was just a weird alignment of satellites, but still nothing. Then the unit started shutting off on its own. That was it! I made the decision that I needed to get out TODAY! I needed to reach my husband and tell him I was okay.

There were 4 more portages to reach the parking lot at Ram, plus a hike to the parking lot at Bower Trout where I had parked the car. I could do this. I went into what I call "beast mode"...singleminded determination to plow forward no matter what. Feel no pain, stop for nothing, one foot in front of the other until the goal is accomplished.

Once I started moving again at 2pm, the panic started to subside and I knew I was doing the right thing for my mental health. I portaged while talking out loud to myself the whole time. Pep talks, focusing mantras, etc. Portage after portage ticked by. As I approached Ram Lake, I was faced with the decision of where should I stay tonight. Technically if I left the BWCA, I shouldn't return, but I really didn't want to sleep in my car in this heat/humidity, and the chance of finding an open site at a campground on July 4th was nil. I decided that if a site was open on Ram, I would leave my main gear pack. Then I would just hike the 103 rod portage with my daypack, and return after calling my husband.

Sure enough, the first site was open, so I left my pack and headed out. I stowed the canoe off to the side of the portage and took the day pack across, double checking that I had my cell phone and car keys. Hot hike down the road to the other parking lot, but I was still in "beast mode". The car AC felt really good as I drove back out the South Brule Road and down the Gunflint Trail until I could pick up a cell signal. Amazingly, I reached my husband on the first try. That never happens. After hurriedly explaining why the heck I was calling a day early he assured me that he had not received any emergency call, but had actually received all my "I'm OK" messages that day. He had thought it odd that he had received 3 instead of the typical one at the end of the day. He had actually been worried because he had not received an "I'm OK" message from the boys last night, but then one arrived while we were talking. He was able to tell me that they were camped on Bower Trout, in good position to exit early tomorrow.

Relieved, I drove back to the Ram Lake parking area, hiked across the portage and paddled back to the campsite. It was my latest night setting up camp. I didn't finish the set up and eating my falafel dinner until 7:30pm. Then the wind started to pick up, storm clouds moved in, and thunder started rumbling. I neatened up camp and climbed into the tent. Only a few drops of rain fell, but there was plenty of thunder.

~Horseshoe Lake, Vista Lake, Misquah Lake, Little Trout Lake, Rum Lake, Kroft Lake, Ram Lake

Portages: 21 rod, 56 rod, 230 rod (had to triple portage 1/2 of it), 62 rod, 54 rod, 68 rod, 103 rods twice with day pack, 1 mile on road with daypack

Miles: about 9 miles plus extra walking