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(large image)	Since we'll be travelling about two and a half hours to get to the entry point, Mike figures it's probably a good idea to give all the straps one last check to make sure we don't lose a canoe on the way in.
(large image)	6:30am, bright and early. Here is the crew, ready to depart. From left to right, we have myself, Jake, Mike and Loren. What is wrong with this picture? Well, Loren has earned the nickname "Juan Valdez" because of his coffee expertise and consumption. All of us are holding our morning java except for Loren. Personally, I think he already drank his first mug and was en route to getting a refill when this picture was snapped.
(large image)	We stopped at the Ely licensing center to pick up a new watercraft license for the Wenonah canoe, and then stopped at the Superior National Forest ranger station to pick up our BWCA permit for the trip. After getting these things taken care of we arrive at the Snowbank Lake entry point where we unload all our gear and get ready to leave.
(large image)	Jake and I man the Old Town canoe first, with Loren and Mike taking the Wenonah. The first paddle of the day was across Snowbank lake to an 80 rod portage into Parent Lake. Portage lengths are measured in rods, with each rod being 16 1/2 feet. 80 rods is approximately 1/4 mile, so that gives you a rough idea of the length of the portages as we discuss them.
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Here is the first portage of the day. Jake portages the Wenonah to the landing on Parent Lake, while Mike double packs to save a trip across the portage. The last picture shows the nicely groomed condition of the portage, a benefit of canoeing in the BWCA. Canada's counterpart to the BWCA, Quetico National Park, is more of a "roughing it" area, where the trails are not groomed and the campsites are not actively maintained. After the portage, we arrive at Parent Lake.
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Our second portage, another 80 rod portage, takes us to Disappointment Lake. Jake and Mike, in the first picture, and Loren and Mike in the second picture, portage the packs across. The third picture shows the nice soft landing on Disappointment Lake.
(large image)	(large image)	Halfway across Disappointment Lake we spotted a fawn watching us from the shore. Shortly thereafter we decided to break for lunch. Lunch consists of french bread and salami, with a little mustand and cheese. We mixed up some blue Powerade with the lakewater to drink. The water is so clean here you can literally see 20 feet down in places.
(large image)	On our third portage we managed to leave a lifejacket behind, which of course we didn't notice until we had carried across on the 4th portage. Loren and Mike went back with just the canoe, leaving the packs at the landing where we were while Jake and I paddled ahead to secure a camp site on Ima Lake. In the BWCA, you're only allowed to camp at designated camp sites, and when Jake and I got to Ima, we found all the camp sites full. We hailed Mike and Loren on the walkie talkies we'd brought with, and told them we were continuing on to Hatchet Lake to look for a campsite there.
(large image)	Both camp sites on Hatchet Lake were open. We took the north campsite because it had a much nicer view. We arrived at about 6:30 pm, after a long day of paddling. The campsite was located on about a 10 foot high cliff above the water. We unpacked all our gear, set up the tents, and went for a swim to wash off the day's grime.
(large image)	(large image)	The sunsets in the BWCA are absolutely gorgeous, and there are no motor boats or cell phones ringing, or planes flying over to disrupt the perfect silence. The only thing you hear out here is the gentle breeze rustling through the leaves and the occasional loon calling out it's song. Mike and I sit on the cliff, which is nice and warm from the day's sun, waiting for dinner. Loren was cooking up rigatoni, the sauce for which he had cooked up on Saturday and frozen in a milk carton. Did I mention that we eat very well in the BWCA?

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