Friday, October 03, 2025 Ely Outfitting Company was our overnight accommodation. The bunkhouse was very nice and well taken care of. We wake up and get things loaded and make our way to EP 23. Our goal was to get to Friday Bay on Crooked Lake today. We get to the parking lot and get all of our stuff to the water and take off into the misty morning around 8am. Two beaver dams to pull over and a few shallow spots had us getting out and maneuvering the canoe through, but soon we were entering Mudro Lake. The morning mist thickens and the rising sun is nearly blinding. It feels like were paddling inside a giant light globe. We hear people talking ahead of us and then slowly see the shadowy outlines of two boats appearing through the mist. We wave and continue to the Fourtown portages.

We take a lot of stuff to support the pup, shotgun and the usual gear so we double portage everything. These series of portages between Mudro and Fourtown are very pretty but the intervals between them get annoying but we move along full of enthusiasm.

So far Cash the dog is doing well in the canoe. This was a bit of a worry as hes not been in a boat much at all.

Around 9:30am we are finishing up the last portage into Fourtown. The mist is beginning to burn off now but still lingering enough that a solo paddler about half way up the lake asked if we came from the Mudro portages. After answering in the affirmative he said he had gotten a bit lost due to the fog.

The lake is absolute glass and the paddling was easy. Really enjoying the morning so far. We round the bend to the Boot Lake portage seeing and saying hello to a group of guys camping at the campsite on the this point.

We make it to the portage and meet a group of women finishing up their portage. They asked if they can pet Cash...the old dog loved the attention. We get done with this easy portage and continue up Boot Lake. The weather is great and we make good time getting into Fairy. The campsite near the north portage was occupied with a guy making breakfast. He didn't have any coffee on but said he could make some:) We said thanks but continued on to Gun. We passed by a couple fishing and made our way to the campsite south of the narrows for a break. After filtering water and snacking we get going to the big portage for the day. Having been on this route in 2023 I remembered this portage as not hard just a bit long. I take the tackle pack and the Seneca and start. I make it to Wagosh and take a quick drink then make my way back for the second trip. On my second trip to Wagosh I hear Grouse drumming in the distance and make Austin aware when we meet but hes heard them too.

I tell him once I'm on Wagosh Ill stay there and he can stop and go after the grouse if he wants to. I wait for a while before I hear the gun go off. He had heard one and walked off to the west quite a distance before he found it and made a good shot. Cash retrieved it for him and just like that we were on the board for grouse. The old pup has had hundreds of pheasants in his mouth over his 14 years but this was his 1st grouse. After some uneventful traveling through Wagosh, Nicki, Chippewa and Pappose we make it to Crooked around 5pm.

The wind has picked up from the south throughout the day and on Crooked of course its most noticeable. On the north end before we turn east its getting plenty choppy. We round the point and make our way to the crab claw campsite. Its open and we have found our home for a few nights. First night meal of steaks, grouse and mashed potatoes. We stay up chatting around the fire then turn in for the night. What a great first day. Am so thankful to be up here again.