Paddle It Forward Reflection 2

At the same time, I have always said that if the BWCA is the church…Quetico Provincial Park is the cathedral. Farther removed from population centers it gets about one third the traffic of the BWCA and has remained remarkably pristine.

In 2002 seven of us ventured into Quetico, heading from Saganaga Lake to Lake Kawnipi. Kawnipi is a 15 mile long lake which connects the Fall’s Chain to the Poet’s Chain on the great Hunter’s Island circle. But like a spider it also has many legs (not sure there are 8) which branch off from the main body.

That year we took one of those spider legs and branched off to the east toward MacKenzie Lake, a place rich in native history where we spent a splendid night of peaceful existence and joy.

The next day we headed north into Ferguson Lake, a beautiful lake which felt entirely off the grid. From there our plan was to portage from Ferguson to the Cache River and then head back west into Kawnipi.

The Ferguson portage was far more than we expected. I want to say it was 200-300 rods which went through a swamp. At one point, Patty Peters sunk up to her knee in muck and had to remove her pack to get unstuck. Thankfully she tied her shoes well or we would still be trying to retrieve her boot.

When we finally got to the end of the portage (a few days later we encountered a Canadian forest service group who told us that portaged had been closed), we thought we had arrived.

The map indicated 2 or 3 small portages, perhaps even lift overs, which would lead us back to Kawnipi. But the water was low and so 2 or 3 quickly became 10 or 12. We also got a strong rainstorm which complicated everything.

After a long, long afternoon we finally made it back to Kawnipi. We thought we had arrived!!

Kristen Nielsen was in the bow as we exited the portage. Suddenly she turned around and said, “There is no water in this bay”

Well, there was water, about 6 inches to a foot of water. For well over an hour we slogged through one of those spider legs of Kawnipi, rarely getting anything that amounted to a full stroke.

Finally, finally we got enough water to paddle freely. We arrived at the wide part of Kawnipi just as darkness fell.

Les Miller thought he remembered a campsite across the lake. He set a compass as we traversed in what seemed like total darkness.

Somehow we hit that campsite right on the money. We scurried to set up tents and dinner amounted to hot chocolate and Lipton noodle soup.

It was one of those days on the trail for which no one ever plans. It demands more of one’s stamina than you think is in you. It taxes your heart and soul. It is what makes you grow, not only as an individual but as a blessed community.

After that, the trip was filled with joy. We laughed a lot and sang hymns in four part at trail lunch.

Paz, Jeff