Odie weathered the stormy weather like a champ! That was one scenario we had not simulated. Our old dog Allie would have been a mess.

And the rain stopped by the time we were emerging from our tents. Aside from everything being wet, camp breakdown went smooth. And Bret was able to continue his streak of packing up a wet tent at the end of every trip;)

We were anticipating an easy return trip to Little Gabbro. Probably would have been if I had done any research on the routes from the South Kawishiwi to Little Gabbro! We figured why portage if you don’t have to and the eastern-most path looked rewarding on my map. When we turned the corner and found the current in our faces and a swift chute to paddle up that should have been our first clue. But we pushed on-long live adventure! We could smell the entry point at this point-probably a mile from the final portage.

When we encountered another swift section of water and rocks, we decided to try lining the boat upstream. After several missteps and now water-logged from the waist down we had made it about 20 or 30 rods (of a roughly ½ mile stream). It was time to reevaluate our options because the rapids were unrelenting and this seemed unsustainable. We could backtrack and paddle about 2 miles back downstream and wrap around to the 121 rod portage. Or we could bushwhack less than a ¼ mile to the west and find the same portage. The math was simple. The execution was not. Even with a compass bearing we were quickly disoriented. Bret made a brilliant decision to check our position with his phone’s GPS. Even though we were in thick forest it quickly registered our position. With our known location we were then able to bushwhack the remainder of the way to the 121 rod portage. We were near its northern terminus and of course tired from our lining rapids/bushwhacking adventure. So, we loaded the boat up again and went to check out the western paddling route. On my map this was dotted with a couple short portages. But when we turned the corner and saw more swift water in our faces, we decided there was a good reason for the well-traveled 121 rod portage. Bret’s phone also warned us that the forecast had changed and we should expect rain. We were so wet from river and sweat that we didn’t bother donning our rain gear.

By the time we reached Little Gabbro Lake it was indeed raining pretty good. And the wind seemed intent on making the final push memorable. I couldn’t help but laugh like a madman. The skies parted before we reached the final portage. It afforded a nice opportunity to look back at the lake and say goodbye-until next year, old friend. And then we crushed that last portage back to the truck. Stronger and grateful for the adventure.

Trailgate beers tasted pretty good. Odie jumped right in the truck and laid down. Bret went to change clothes and when he returned Odie greeted him skeptically with a bark. It was the first time Odie had barked in 3 days. I think he found his happy place too.

I can’t imagine this trip going any better-thanks Bret and Odie!

New/remarkable gear

Odie scored a bunch of new to him Ruffwear gear before this trip and it all worked great. Thanks Facebook marketplace and REI scratch and dent sections. Float Coat indeed seems to float and the bright yellow is pretty visible on portages. Ruffwear Roamer leash worked great for hands-free dog control on portages. As we all got more comfortable Odie eventually portaged off leash and followed me and the canoe. Bret trailed and made sure Odie didn’t veer off trail. We also got a used Ruffwear Highlands sleeping bag which he laid on mostly. He did tolerate being draped with it one night but never circled up in it. I didn’t get the impression he was cold at any point but wasn’t sure what to expect with temps dropping into the 30s. What can I say-his fur coat rocks.

CCS Rucksack - perfect size for a front pack (thanks for carrying it Bret;). Held my tent, sleeping pad, sleeping bag, pillow, clothes and toiletries/ditty bag. I anticipate my daughters carrying it on future trips.

Muck boots with Arctic Grip Vibram soles - allowed me to wade out into a foot or more of water and stay dry and warm. Really impressive grip-even on slimy wet rocks that were as slick as snot. I need to figure out some heel blister issues which has more to do with my narrow feet/fit but especially for shoulder season tripping I think these will be my new go-to footwear. These were also purchased for use ice fishing, blowing snow, muddy yard work and maybe someday bird hunting.

BeFree water filter 1L - so easy to use and filters about as fast as you can drink. Nice to be able to empty prior to a portage to save carried weight. Perfect for BWCA where your next water source is never far away. If I was taking a larger group would bring the 3 liter gravity version along as well. This was my first time using the BeFree paddling the BWCA but have used it on multiple hiking trips and been very pleased with it.

Jetboil MicroMo - regulated butane stove/pot/cooking system. Stupid fast boiling for all of your hot drink and dehydrated meal needs. Regulator keeps it functioning when temps drop. I have lighter cook systems but nothing this simple to use/efficient.