All of the following images are thumbnails, clicking the images will bring up a medium sized version of the image. Clicking on the text "large image" below the image will bring up the original large format image.

(large image)	To start the trip out right, I took a spill down the stairs at Lorens place with a heavy Duluth pack on my back and a couple paddles in my hands. The result, a severely sprained ankle. Determined not to let such a little thing stand in the way of what was about to be a very enjoyable trip, we made the decision that I was to stay off my feet that day, relax in the lawnchair with an icepack on my ankle, and pack the food box. OK with me. We also stopped at Minnesota Surplus and picked up a set of boots and a brace for more support (the usual foot attire is sandals).
(large image)	Mike has made a list and is checking it twice. The key to an enjoyable trip is to not leave essentials behind. The only way to guarantee that is to use a list. Mike is the most experienced BWCA traveller in our group, with more than 20 years of experience. It's always helpful to have someone like that planning your trip for you. Packing 5 days worth of food for four hungry guys into one food box takes some planning. Did I mention you can't bring in cans or glass? Oh, and no refrigeration either. Everything has to be able to be stored at room temperature and has to be able to be dehydrated for efficient packing.
(large image)	The canoes are made from fiberglass so they are light enough to be easy to carry through the portages. After years of use, sometimes you get a leak in the hull from running up onto the rocks. Here Mike applies a fresh fiberglass patch to seal a leak that the Old Town canoe had sprung the previous year. We'll find out soon enough if it's watertight.
(large image)	(large image)	All this stuff has to go into packs. The green canvas packs you see in the foreground are called "Duluth Packs". With four guys, we take in two canoes, each canoe has four "places". With each one of us taking up a place in a canoe, that leaves four places for packs. We'll take three Duluth packs and the food box, so all our clothes, sleeping bags, tents, gear (stove, saw, axe, etc), has to fit in three packs. Light and small are the rules to live by here.
(large image)	Jake came up a little later on Sunday. We ordered pizza for our last meal before the trip started, and had a couple of cocktails to start the journey right.
(large image)	Jake and I apply a little pressure to get all the clothes to fit in one of the packs. At the end of the day we crammed all our gear into the packs and even had a tiny amount of space to spare.
(large image)	A packing job well done. We stand around having a couple more cocktails as Mike and Loren explain that we are far ahead of schedule, finishing at midnight. Usually the packing gets started later, and goes until 4 or 5 in the morning, when there's just barely enough time for a short nap and the trip starts promptly at 6am. Personally, I'd rather have a few hours of sleep. We all stayed at the McDonald residence, to save a little drive time in the morning.

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