IntoTheBWCAbyJamesMichaelfromhisbook,“FromARusticCabin”
OnSaturday,August1st,mywifeGerriandI(G&J)metourGermanfriendsGabyandWerner(G&W)
atRockwoodLodgeontheGunflinttrailforafourdaycanoeingexcursionintheBoundaryWaters
CanoeArea.BesideshavingbeautifulcabinsoverlookingPoplarLake,theowners,MikeandLynnSherfy
areexperiencedoutfittersforBWCAoutings.Theyevenhaveabunkhousetogivepeopleastaging
areabeforetheirentryandaftertheirexitfromthewilderness.Augustiscrazy-busyaroundRockwood,
buttherewasanaddeddimensionofmadnessforthemtoday,duetoatleastonebrokendowntoilet
needingan“waxring”andthemaintruck(usedforshuttlingpeopleandcanoes)overheatingand
presumablyneedinganewwaterpump.Mikethrewuphishandsafterdescribinghispredicament.
“Whatcanyado?”,followedbyothercommentarypepperedwiththejovial,butacerbicwitthatI’ve
cometoexpectovertheyears.It’sbeenespeciallypoignantwhenaboatmotorwon’tstartorthemain
lodge’sfoundationissinkingintothelake.IaskedMikeifheneededmycreditcardnumberora
damagedepositincasewedieoutthere.Hesaidresolutely,“ifyoudie,youdon’tpay”andIthought,
“nowthat’sMinnesotaNice”.
GerriandIhadallourpersonalgearintwomeshbagsplusafannypackeach.ThesecomingledwithG
&W’spersonalgearandthefiveDuluthpacks(eachweighingperhaps60pounds)containingthetwo
tentsystems,sleepingbags,cookinggearandenoughdinnerfoodandsweetsforafamilyofeight.No
onewouldstarvewhilewaitingforsearchandrescue…
WeloadeditallintoMike’sremainingpickuptrucktowhichwerestrappedthetwoWenonahIIKevlar
canoes,ourvesselsofpassagethroughour16lakeroutethatwasseparatedby“portages”.Theseare
rustic(atbest)pathswhereyoucarryyourcanoeoverheadonayoke,makingyourwaytothenextlake.
Thecanoesareclassifiedas“Ultralight”andmadeofKevlarfabric,thesamematerialusedinbullet
proofvests.Evenat18’,6”long,theyonlyweigh42pounds,whereasacomparable17’aluminumcanoe
isabout70pounds.WernerandGabyhadplannedthistripfromGermanybackinJanuary,when
permitswerefirstmadeavailablethroughtheUSForestService’swebsite.Ourroutewouldbeaslight
variationfromthemapshownonTuskaroraLodge’swebsiteasRoute#2:entrypointatCrossBay
River(nearTuskaroraLodgeonCookCountyRoad47),ano-namelake,HamLake,CrossBayLake,Rib
Lake,LowerGeorgeLake,KarlLake,LongIslandLake,MuskegLake,KiskadinnaLake,OmegaLake,
WinchellLake,GaskinLake,CaribouLake,LizzLakeandbacktoRockwoodLodgeonPopLarLake.
Therewasn’tenoughroominthepickuptruckforfourpassengers,soLynnrelinquishedthekeystoher
personalcartoWernerandhuggedusallgoodbyeinherownsweetway.Theywouldpickuphercar
whentheyfoundtime,later.WithinthirtyminuteswehadzoomeddowntheGunflinttrailandwere
fullyloadedintothetwocanoesatCrossBayentrypoint.Wernerwascheckinghislatestgimmick--a
TomTomGPSwatchthatcouldtrackthetripplushisheartrate.Oncehome,hewoulduploaditinto
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GoogleEarth.Duringourtrip,hewouldbepluggingitintoasolarchargerafterwesetupcampeach
evening.
Theweathergurushaspredictedanddeliveredawesterlywind.Thistailwindwouldlendabighand,
pushingusandourloadeastwardforthenextthreedays.Hallelujah!However,theweatherman’slong
rangeprediction,“mostlysunny”hadbeenslowlybeenreeledinasdeparturedaydrewcloser.There
wasnowaprobabilityofrain,butwewouldtakewhatwegot!
Onceinthewater,G&Wtooktheleadintheircanoe,whichgavememoretimetowatchaperfectline
ofpinessegueintoaborealswamp.Thereflectionofablueskymeldedintoawaterpathwaybordered
withcountless(yellow)Bullheadand(white)WaterLilies.Theshowhadbegun.AtRockwoodLodge,
Gerrihadselectedashortbentpaddle,designedtogiveabetterpowerstroke,andI,along,straight
one,thenaturalrudder,sobydefault,Iendedupinback,steeringourcanoetheentiretrip.
Theairwaspureandlightlyscentedwiththesweetmuskofthenorthwoods.Wedidacoupleshort
portagesinandoutofasmalllakewhichgaveallpartiesachancetoseehoworganizedIwasn’t.I
foundmyselftobetheslowmuleinthetrain,movingmapsandpersonaljunkintothenearestDuluth
pack,zippingitshut,thenopen,thenshut.Zuuuup-Zuuuup--Zuuuup.Theothercanoehadalready
beenunloadedandmythreepartnersweresilentlyregardingme.“Well,theycan’tkillme”,Ithought:
“or…perhapswilltheytrybydeadofnight?”
Insteadofloadingthecanoefromthesidewhilethevesselwasfloating,(whichIwilltakethelibertyof
callingthe“classic”way),G&Whadspeededtheprocessconsiderablybyhavethepersonclosestto
shorestepoutontoarockorpossiblydryland,pulltheendofthecanoeuponlandandbracethefront
endbetweentheirlegswhiletheothercanoe-matemonkey-crawledovertheDuluthpackstotheshore
endofthecanoe.Thencametheprecisionoperationofunloading.Theglaciershadleftplentyofrocks
tostandonwhilehoistingthepackstounloadthecanoe,buttheagilitytoturn90to180degreeswitha
fullpackwhilebalancingonstonesisanartformthathasnoequivalentintheworldofsport.Onsome
portages,therewasjustsandwithoutboulders.Inthoseplaces,Ifoundthatwecouldlandparallelto
theshore.IcouldjuststepoutontoterrafirmalikethekingofDenmark.Thecanoewouldbe
unloadedinlessthanaminute.Infact,wenevertookoffourhikingbootsataportageduringourentire
trip.
ItbeingAugust,thereweregroupsofpeoplecomingfromtheotherdirection.Whichevergroupgotto
theportagefirstwouldloadorunloadtheircanoeswhiletheothergroupwatchedandwaitedfortheir
turn.Whenweloadedoursfirst,somefolkswouldnonchalantlyobservethatweweremaintainingdry
feet:thenwhenitwastheirturn,theywoulddroptheircanoeinandloadfromthesideinkneedeep
waterintheclassicmanner.However,Icaughtsawsomeothermiddle-agedpeoplecastingfurtive
glancesourway,weighingthemeritsofourmethod.Inthenextlake,wepassedanother60-
somethingguysolo-paddlinganAlumacraftcanoethatlookedtobe17feetandmorethan70pounds.
Wepassedporttoport.Notsacrificinghisheadway,hegavevoicetowhathadbeenchurningaround
hisheadashepassedby,“Icanseethere’ssomeotherpeopleinmyagebracketouthere”Hisvoice
roseafterhepassedourstern.“Whydon’tmoreofuscomeouttodothis?---itisn’tthathard!”.This
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followedbyadefiantstaccato,“Ha–ha”.Ijusthopehedidn’thaveamassivecoronarybeforereaching
theparkinglotfivelakesorsofurther…..ThenIbegantothinkaboutitabit.Somepartofmewas
rebellingagainstbeingsoeasilycastintothatgreatholdingroomofpre-geriatrics.I’vealwaysfiguredif
Iavoidedmirrorsandrecentphotos,Icouldblithelymaintainmymentalimageofmyselfat25yearsand
holditthere--theycan’tstopme,canthey?Lifeisfunnythrough:asinthegameofgolf,thereare
handicapsyoutradeforyourexperienceorperhapsyourpugnaciouslongevity.Astheyearspass,life
pilesthemonuntilyoucan’tswingtheclubanymore.Still,Ichoosetoliveindenialeverytime!WhileI
paddled,Icountedmyhandicaps:acidreflux,whiplash,badleftknee,flatleftfootandatouchofbasal
cellcarcinoma,mostofthemsouvenirsfromsomesouvenirofyouthfulindiscretionshortlyfollowing
somemomentofgreatexuberance.Ifoundeachofthesehandicapshasatleastoneantidote,suchas
sleepingonaninflatedpilloworsimplyworkingoutatthegym.Gerri,conversely,hasneverbrokena
boneinherbody.,Shehadbeencarefullybuildingherenduranceatthegyminanticipationofthetrip.
Inoticedthatshehadbeenonlyuses39.5poundscounterweightwhendoingpull-upsanddidatleast
twofullsets,whichIfoundquiteimpressive.Maybeshethoughtherregimenwaswisebasedonher
previousBWCAexperiences:shehadbeenonseveralcanoetrips,manyyearsbackwithagangof
friendswhocalledthemselvesthe“travelingband”.Eventhoughsheisshort,sheisstrongandalways
relegatedtotheportagingcrew.Those,werethedaysbeforelightweightKevlarcanoesandaluminum
canoeswerethemainoption.Iwasalwaysamazedthatshewentalongontheseoutings,mostly
becauseshe’sfromChicago,where“camping”meansstayingatTheRamadaInn.Oneextreme
example:duringourdatingyears,ImetupwithherjustaftershereturnedfromaBWCAtripwiththe
“travelingband”.Shehadtoldmeoverthephonethatthezipperonthetenthadfailedand
mentionedthatshedidn’tgetmuchsleepduethemosquito’sfeastingonher.Thisdidn’tprepareme
forwhatIsawwhenwemetup:herfacewaspuffedupandhereyeswerealmostcompletelyswollen
shutfromthebites.Irememberinghersaying,“it’snobigdeal”That’smygal!!
Afterawonderfulfirstday,coveringeightlakesandathwartedsearchforacampsitewithabreezy
pointofrocktoenjoytheeveningon,wesettledforasiteonthewesternmostbayofLongIslandLake.
Itwastree-encumberedandhadthepittoiletwasagooddistancedownanenticingshowcasetrailof
borealforest.However,itwasguardedandzealouslysobyattacksquadronsofseasonallydiminished,
yetmission-mindedmosquitos.Toapproachthethrone,IdecidedImustbecross-dressedinmyroyal
fineryfromthetoesup.Myheadwouldbecoveredwithablackmosquito“fascinator”netplacedover
mycourtly,brimmedNewZealand“squishyhat”designedtokeeptheiradvancesatbay.Mykakirobes
wouldbedelicatelyperfumedwiththemuskyscentofdeetwhileIprocess.Theproblem,ofcoursein
thissituation,isthatoneiseventuallyobligedtomakethemselvesvulnerable.Thisisoursmall
contributionbacktotheecosystem.
GerriandGabyhadfoundaninterestingplantgrowingonthepath,whichGerrilookedupinareference
bookafterweexitedtheBWCA.ItwasanIndianPipe,whichisghostlywhite.Ithasnochlorophylland
livesoffdecayingmatter.ItwasalsousedbynativeIndiansfortreatmentofeyeconditionsandasa
sedative.Imarveledathowdelicateitwas,butyetcouldliveandperpetuateitselfnaturally.
Aftersettingupourtwotents,andtakingashortswim,wedecidedtoeatthebrand-namecampdinner
andsaveSarah’sawesomeTrailCentercampfoodforthe2ndnight.WernerandGabytookcareofthe
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foodprepinshortorder:GerriandIwereonclean-upcrew.Thefireringpartofthecampsitewasvery
sceniceventhoughwechoosetoforgothecampfireritual.Wernerproduceda1.5literbottleofport
wine.Weallenjoyedtherichflavorandinnerwarmthitbrought,whilewebegantheanticsofhanging
ourfoodpackbetweentwotrees.WernerandIwereeagerfortheUnderhanded(sicJ)RopeToss
Competitionthatfollowed.Theideaistotossasmallweightedobjecttiedtoacoilofnarrownylon
ropeoverthehighestavailabletreelimbandwhippingthelinetilltheotherendslidesdowntowithin
yourgrasp.Wernerwonfairandsquare.Overhead,theskywasfillingwithclouds,soweallbadeeach
otheragoodnight’srestandcrawledintoourseparatetents.Duringthenighttherewasawinddriven
rain.
Whenwewokeup,wellbefore8a.m.ondaynumbertwo,itwascloudybutdry.I’mnotvery
sociableatthishourofthemorning.RightoutsideourtentwallsIcouldhearG&Wshaking
therainoffoftheirtentandpackingitintoitsstuffsack.GerriandIhadbroughtallour
personaleffectsthatdidn’thaveafoodscentintotheamplefourmantenttheprevious
evening.Ilookedaroundsleepily:Gerrihadalreadypackeduphersleepingbagandgearto
leavemealonetryingtogetorganized.Oncemore,Iwasbehindtheeightballandwas
hurriedlypackingupstuffup--ZuuupZuuuupZuuup.Iwasdeterminedtonotdrawtoomuch
attentiontomymorningincompetenceandmadeanappearanceatthecampringareaholding
upaweaksmileasbestIcould.Icouldseethateveryoneelselookedabitgroggyaswell,but
aftercoffeekickedin,theyweregettingchatty---nothin’Icoulddoaboutit.Gerriwasalready
makingourlunch:summersausagewraps.Itriedtostayoutofthepathofpeople-withpurpose,whileeatingmygranolaandpowderedmilk(madewithwaterGerriandIhadfiltered
thepreviousevening).Imustsay-therestofthegangwereverypatientwithmymuddling.
Wewerepaddlingby8:15a.m.,swingingsouthwestdowntheconsiderablelengthofLong
IslandLakeintothesomeofthemostspectacularwildernessIhaveeverseen.Ievenforgotto
beornery!Thesunatethroughthelowerlevelsofthecloudsleavingonlythemostpure
morningcumulouscloudstosaunteracrossadeepbluesky.Thegodsgaveusanotherdayof
tenmphfollowingwindsthatpickedupandcaressedthewaterintoasmall,evenchop.The
collectivewavesstirredtoenergy,atonceembodyingtheblackdepthbeneaththemandthe
royalblueabovethem.Myspiritrejoicedattheendlesswildernessateachhorizonandof
course.Isawgiant,roundgraniteboulders,largerthancars,ploppedrightinthemiddleofour
currentlake.Someofthemwere,nodoubt,strippedfromtheiroldrestingplacesasfarnorthas
HudsonBayanddroppedhereperhapstenthousandyearsagobyglaciersthatwerethousands
offeetthick.Itiseasytospotthese“erratics”becausearedifferentthanmostoftherocksand
outcropsthatsurroundthem.Therehavebeeneightglaciermovementsjustinthelast
200,000years,allchippingawayattheseveralflowsofvolcanicbedrockbelow,laiddownover
abillionyearsago.Successiveglacialeraserasetheevidenceofthepreviousones,sowemay
neverknowthewholestory:Ikindoflikeitthatway.Thelastglaciermovementnamedthe
Wisconsin,scouredoutthelakebedshereinthedirectiontheycamefrom:Northeasttowards
theSouthwest.InthisCenozoicwaterpark,ittakesonlyasmallleapofimaginationtotake
yourselfbackintime:thesamelandscapethefirstnomadicIndianstrackedtheWooley
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Mammothacrosstheborderoficeeonsago,thesamelandthatevolvedintoaculmination
forest,thesameancienttrailsopenedupbytheOjibwe and used by the French Voyageurs.
Gerri and I didn’t need to talk a lot, but together we were locked into a nice pace, connected
silently with each other through our effort. She set the tempo for the strokes which we did in
unison keeping the canoe tracking straight. At the end of each stroke she would pause as
second, which would give me a chance to synchronize my stroke, but also momentarily relax
my grip on the paddle to my hand wouldn’t cramp. Occasionally, I had to correct with a “C”
stroke or just finish my stroke with a little “rudder” because the wind seemed to be pushing of
the canoe a bit more from the starboard.
My mind took me back to one icy evening last winter when I was logged onto Google earth. I
was antsy and half crazy for summer, so I poured a glass of red wine and fantasied on the
upcoming canoe trip. After looking at our route, I started rolling the mouse straight north
from our approximate location at 90 degrees, 35’ or so West and moved the satellite images
of the screen in a straight line north, skirting Hudson Bay, going straight north all the way to
the pole where all longitudinal lines converge. No signs of civilization-- only vast stretches
of earth where, except maybe some harvested timber and minerals, nature rules.
Today, on the eight or so serpentine miles of Long Island Lake I breathed in the pure air and
look with awe the endless miles of trees and water that pristine: the waters still teaming with
fish. The forest, is home to borealcreaturessuchaslynx,bobcats,moose,wolves,flying
squirrelsandermine,specializedplantsand150speciesofbirds.
IaskedGerriforaquickmid-lakebreakforahandfulofalmondsandsomewater.
“Youhavin’funupthere”?
“OhYeahhh”,shereplieswithaslightnodofherhead-“butI’mnotlookingforwardtothat
185rodportagefromMuskegintoKiskadinna”
“Meta-neither”’
Wemutuallyagreedtoinsistonlunch,beforetakingonthatintimidatingoperationandspenta
littlemoreefforttocatchuptoG&WwhohadmademoreheadwaydownLongIslandLake.I
lookeddowntotheMcKenzieMapthroughthegallonfreezerbagthatprotecteditfromwater
onthefloorofthecanoe.Whywasthename“LongIslandLake”beckoningamemoryforme?
I’veneverbeenhere.ThenthefogofmymemoryclearedtoaconversationwithSallyandGreg,
friendsoffriendswhohadagreedtoaninterviewwithmeabouttheirharrowingcoupleofdays
trappedinthisareabywhatisknownastheFamineLakeWildfireinAugustof2006.Theywere
boxedinbyfire.Bygraceandthewisdomthatcomesfromyearsofwildernessexperience,they
madetheirwayout.Itmusthavebeenquitefrightening,Ithoughtlookingattheseemingly
endlesswilderness.That’soneofthetrade-offsyoumakewhenyougetintothewild.
SoonwehadcrossedMuskegLake,thenontotheportageintoKiskadinnaLake,thelongestofthetrip--
190rods--wherewewouldascendthesteepclimbovertheLaurentianDivide,themeanderingheightof
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landthatstretchesfromLabradoracrossmostofNorthAmericatotheRockyMountains.Allwater
fallingnorthofthedividedrainsintoHudsonBayandeventuallytotheArcticOcean.Allwaterdraining
tothesouthofitwoulddraineventuallyintotheAtlanticOcean.Atthisheight-of-land,theelevation
differencebetweenMuskegandKiskadannaLakesisreallyonlyabout150’differenceinelevation,a
pittancecomparedtothe8000footelevationatTriplePeakDivideinGlacierNationalPark,Montana,
theWesternendoftheLaurentianDivide.ButweMinnesotanscanvigorouslydefendourbragging
rightsagainsttheseyoung,upthrust-ofa-whippersnappermountainswhichareonly170millionyears
old:ThegroundwearestandingonispartoftheCanadianShieldwhichincludesthenorthernpartof
Minnesota,theoriginalcontinentoftheUS(2.5to4billionyearsold).ThebasaltflowiscalledThe
DuluthComplexwhichstartsatDuluthandgoesthe90orsomilestotheCanadianBorder.Thisthe
firstpartoftheNorthAmericancontinenttoriseabovesealevel,formedbylavaflows.Allthe
continentalcrusttooureastandwesthasbeenstitchedonetothroughplatetectonics.Atonepointin
earth’shistory,thisareawaspartofanancientmountainrangeover39,0000feethigh,allworndown
bytheeons—well----justlikeme.AsIchewedonmysummersausagewrap,Icontemplatedthe
wonderofthisancient,worndownbedrock.Onlyafewpercentofearthhasexposedrockandthis
rockissomeoftheoldestontheplanet.Itexudesa“prehistoric”look:yellowandorangelichen
coveredoutcropsoffantasticshapeslookuponthelifeformsthatthrivesomehowonitsunyielding
body.
Amaturecedartreenearmeisstandingontopofarelativelysmallrockthathadhadbeenseparated
fromitsnearbybasalticoutcropparent.Awebofexposedroots,longwoodenfingersgrasptherockfor
dearlifeandextendthreeorfourfeetacrossbarerockineachdirectionbeforereachingnutrients.On
thepartoftherockfacingtheportagetrailtheroothastakenonaflat,triangularshapelookingmore
likeafamilycrestthanaroot.I’mhappytoseethatpassingpeoplehaveresistedthetemptationto
carveitthusfar.Onthisportage,therearemanysuchtreesadaptations.Perhapswhenthemoonis
fullandnooneislooking,theydancewitheachotheronthesoftcarpetoflightgreenmossthat
surroundsthem.
……………….
ItturnedoutthatGabyandWernerwereplanninglunchbeforethisportageanditgaveussomerespite
forsomelaughs.Everybodywasinhighspiritswhenweshoulderedthecanoesandthecartoonishly
largeDuluthpacksmovingupthelongportage---alineofnorthcountrySherpas.GerriandIplannedto
switchportagingthecanoeevery10minutes.Theportagehadasteepstart,sothinkingmyselfvaliant
inalimitedsortofway,tookthecanoefirst.Mostportagesaremaintainedwithminimalmaintenance.
Onthisone,therewerelotsofplaceswherethenextfootholdmightbeaslipperyrock18”aboveyour
laststep.Alltheweightofyourbody,fannypackplusthecanoewouldbeliftedononeleg(inavery
unnaturalstance)soittakesconsiderablymorelegstrengthtopgetuptoyournextstep.Youneedto
makeasmooth,evenlift,notalungeortheinertiaofthecanoeaboveyoucouldcauseyoutoloseyour
balance.Youcouldtripwiththeloadfallingontopofyouresultinginasprainedankleorworse.You
wanttoremembertobeleaningforwardincaseyourfollowinglegdoesn’tmakeitup.IfIweretohave
abaddream….itwouldbeaboutfallingbackwardsandoverthescenicridgeIhadbeenslowly
ascending.SearchandRescuewouldn’tberetrievingmybodyinamedivachelicopter:itwouldrequire
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agruntinggurneycrewfollowingthelinesofleastresistancetobringmebacktocivilization.Theseare
thekindsofthingsa60-somethinglikemecontemplatesasImakemymeasuredsteps.Asifonlyto
humorme,comingdownhillintheoppositedirectioncameayoungandragtagfamily,oblivioustothe
mortaldangersaroundthem.Dadcheerfullyledthewaywithacanoeoverhead.Astringofkidsand
mominflipflopsandbathingsuitsorshortsfollowed.Bringuptherearwasanadolescentboyalsoina
bathingsuitwitha(stand-upstyle)paddleboardunderhisarm!DidIreallyjustseethat?
InafewminutesIrealizedthattheportagetrailhadleveledoffandIhaddonemytenminutes.Igave
myselfarestandwaitedforGerritocatchup.Didyouseethat?Istarted,“Iguessthatfamilymust
havetakenawrongturnattheresort”….and“doyouthinkthatkidhasbeennegotiatinghispaddle
boardagainstthewindallday?”.Shereplied,“Iheardthemothercomplainingthatshestubbedher
toeinhersandals…gofigure”.Gerridutifullyrolledthecanoeoverherkneefromthebackofthecanoe,
grabbedthethwartbar,hoistedthecanoeoverhead,liftingituptillshepositionedherselfunderthe
shoulderpadsandmovedforwardupthetrail.IheaveduptheDuluthpackshegavemeonmyback
andfollowedashortdistancebehind.Thetrailwasrelativelystraightforawhile.IwonderedwhyG&
Whadtalkedaboutthisportagebeingveryhard.Theyusuallywouldn’tmentionthis,giventheir
standards.Afterafewminutes,howeverthingsdidchangeinahugeway:Suddenlytheridgewewere
onbegantorise--nearlystraightup,enoughsothatthebackofthecanoewasbangingonrocksbehind
Gerri.IgotupbehindherandaskedifIshouldn’ttakeoverforawhile,buttherereallywasn’tanyplace
tosetthecanoedown.“Ican’tdoanything--I’mgonnakeepgoing”,camethebreathlessreply.Iwas
feelinglikeachump.WescaledupahugehumpoftheDuluthComplexthathadresistedeverything
thatnaturecouldthrowatit.Therewasahugeprecipiceafewstepstoourleftwithabirds-eyeview
oftheBoundaryWaterstothenorthwestofusthatbecomemorestunningbytheminute.Finallythe
trailflattenedoutandIyelledfromtheback,“whydon’tItakeitfromhere?”
“Yes,whydon’tyou.”
IfeltevenmoreguiltywhenIfoundouttherestofthetrailwasagradualdownhilltrek.Well,like
MikeSherfywouldsay,“whatcanyoudo?”
GabyandWernerhaveadeal:sheneverhastoportagethecanoe--onlytheDuluthpacks--ontheir
outings.Still,shewaswearingneoprenekneebracesandnottakinganychances.Idon’tthinkWerner
hashadtodealwithserious“handicaps”yet,eventhoughhe’salsoa60-somethinghimself.He’sabig
burlyguy.HepickeduptheirMinnesotaIIwithonehand,tosseditwithjusttherightfinesseintotheair
andcaughtitoverheadwhilemarchingforwardontheportage.Ihadn’thimbonkhisheadusingthis
method,buthedidgethisbellrungononeportagebecauseheistoodamnedtall.Althoughtheydon’t
happenenough,theseincidentsarequitegratifyingforweshortguyswhentheydo:withthecanoe
overhisheadwalkingforward(atarespectablegait),hedidn’tseeapartiallyfallencedarrestingon
someothertreesacrosstheportageforminganaturallintelatabouteightfeethigh.Bong….-da-da-dada-da-da-daaa.However,Idon’tthinkitfazedhim.ItgotmethinkingabouttheVoyageurs,theshort,
stockyFrenchCanadianfarmboyswerenaturallysuitedtothisjob.Wernerhadbeencheckinghis
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heartrateonhisGPSwatchand,Ithink,alsolookingforsignsofpersonaldemise.WithfiveDuluth
packs,therewasalwaysanextratriptogettheremainingthreepacksweleftatthebeginningofeach
portage.InBWCAparlanceandextrarequiredtripiscalled“doubleportaging”.
BothGabyandWernerweregenerous,helpingwithourpacksonthedoubleportage.Wernerwas
experimentingwithcarryingtwoofthepacksatatime.Whilereturningfora2ndpackImethimatthe
halfwaypointoftheportage.Hewaslaboringupaparticularlysteeptrailwith(whatshouldhavebeen)
mypack,plushis.120pounds!WhentheVoyagersdidthiswithtwopackstheyoftenuseda
“tumpline”overtheirheadattachedtothetopmostpacksotheirspinecouldtaketheweightofftheir
shoulders.AsIunderstandit,thefirstpackwascarriedwithconventionalarmstrapsandthenasecond
packwouldbebalancedontop.Astraporlinefromthetoppackwouldextendandoverthetopof
theirheadandnotonlygavethemawaytobalancethe2ndpack,butthebackwouldbeslightlybent
forwardtakingtheconsiderableweight(180poundsofbeaverpelts!)offoftheirshoulders.We’retold
theywerealwaysmovingcheerfullyandeveronward,singingabawdychanson,smokingafillof
tobaccointheirclaypipesattheirreststops.Theywouldrelatethedistancestheycoveredbyhow
many“pipes”theyenjoyedalongtheway….Now,whyamIsodoubtfulthatthiswassuchajollylife?
Wernerwasbalancingthe2ndpackontopoftheonehecarriedwithoutanytumpline.Icarefully
restrainedanywise-asscomments,butinsteadprotested,“heythatmypack-noneedtokillyourself”.
Heobligedmebyflippingthe2ndpackoverhisheadwhichlandedonthegroundwithacanvasthudand
asmallmushroomcloudofdust.Hesaid,“it’snogood”andkeptmovingdowntheportagetrail.I
guessprobablywascomingtogripswithhis“handicaps”.Thisisthewayguysinourgenerationdeal
withit,onefootinHemmingway’smanlyworldandtheothertentativelyintheworldoftheNewAge,
sensitiveguys,whocryatweddings.Inaddition,Werner,likemyselfhadbeentrainedasasoldier,nota
professionwhereonereadilydisplaysweakness.Womendealwiththeirhandicapssomuchbetterand
usuallywon’trefusehelpiftheyneedit,towhichmostotherwomanwouldreply“ohdear,Ihave
sometimeshavethesameproblem--letmehelpyou”.Sobeit.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
AftertheportagetoKiskadannaLake,weknewtherestofthetripwasapieceofcakeunlessthewind
turnedagainstus.Wegrooveddownthelong,narrowLakeanddidaquickportagetoOmegaLake
wherewewouldtakethefirstgoodcampsiteavailable.GerriandIparkedourselvesonthefirstisland
wefoundonthewesternmostpartofthelake.Itlookedprettynicetous.Gabywantedtheperfectsite
andapparentlyrememberedonefromapreviousouting,asitewithmorerockoutcroppingsabouta
miledownthelake.Theyshotdownthelaketoseeifitwasopenandwerebackin20minutesto
reportthatthespotwewereholdingwasthebestavailable.Ilookedatmywatch.Itwasabout2p.m.,
whichleftusanicelongafternoonandeveningtolollygagafterwesetupcamp.Ithoughtthisisland
campsitewasgorgeous:itsstretchednolongerthanafootballfield,withsmall,ruggedsprucetreesthat
weretenaciouslygraspingtherocktakingwhatevernourishmenttheycouldfromthethinlayerof
glacialduff.Thesprucecouldn’tgetatoeholdontothewestfacingendoftheisland.Itwassmooth
basaltrockoutcroppingthattapereddowntothewater.
8
Thewindwasblowingsteadilyandstrong.Standingontherockfeltlikebeingonagreatroundedboat
prowmakingitswaythroughacrossthelake,butneverquitegettingthere—afalsesenseofmotion.
Thiswasenhancedbythelowrollingaltocumuluscloudsoverhead.Istoodtherewatchingthemmove
by,takingintheviewacrossabay.
GerriandIerectedthetentinhalfthetimeittookonthefirstnight,unzippeditandputallofour
personalnon-fooditemsinit.Eventhroughitwasratedasathreepersontent,itcouldeasilyfitfour.I
wasthinkingoftakinganap,butitwastoohotinsidethenylonwallstobecomfortable.Gabyand
Wernerwerealreadytakingtheirregulationafternoonswimsowejoinedtheminstead.
ThewaterintheBWCAnevergetswarmenoughtoachievemostfolk’scomfortzone.IntheBrainerd
lakesregion,closertothecenterofMinnesota,itmightfeellikebathwater.Notsohere.IntheBWCA,
there’salwaystheinitialtrepidationuntilonebuildsthegumptiontojustdiveinandgetitoverwith.
Afterfifteenortwentyseconds,thebodywillacceptthechallenge.Therewardisthesheeranimal
pleasureofplungingforwardinitspurity.You’llgetcoldifyoustaymorethan10minutes,butwhen
youdocomeoutofthewater,thereisaseeminglydruginducedsenseofwell-beingandcontentment
thatpermeateseverycellinyourbody.IwasinandacclimatedbutGerriwasonlyhipdeepandblessing
herselfwithhandfulsofcoolwater.
Idecidedtohelp“Justdivein—it’stheonlyway”
“Noooo….I’mdoingjustfine,mister!”
Shefinallystoopeddown,submerged,thencameupdoingacirculardogpaddle,oneeyemeasuringthe
criticaldistancefromland.It’sthecutestthingandIalwayslookforwardwatchingherlittleswimming
ballet.Weemergedandallsatonthesunwarmedrocks,lettingthewarmairoftheafternooncaress
ourbodies.Everyoneworethesamecontentedface.Iwonderedwhatmakesthathappen:endorphins
orsomethinginthewateritself?.Icallem’“waterhormones”---betterthankdrugs.Forme,the
relaxedfeelingcanlastagoodpartoftheday.
Isattheresnackingonsomealmondsandmymind,withoutexpresspermission,conjuredthedeep,
roastedflavorofaBentPaddleBlackAle.“Ok,Ok”Ipromisedmyself—“firstthingafterwegetbackto
“civilization”….
Iexploredpartsofourlittleislandandeventuallyendedupbackontherockysidelookingforthe
perfectplacetoreadthebookIhadtakenalong.Ispottedarockdappledwithorangelichenonits
northside,butitwasalreadyoccupiedwithalocalresident.ARedSidedGartnersnakethatlookedlike
ithadbeeneatingwell(a1.5-2inchwidebyabout2footlong)languishedonthewarmrock.Its
flamboyantcoloring,whichIwouldnormallyassociatewithadessertenvironment(alternatingbeady
linesofacreamybeigewithalternatingblackandredsquares),lookedlikeaNativeAmericandesign
youmightseeinaleathershopSantaFe….EventhroughthreeofusbentoverandWernertaking
photos,thesnakedidn’tseemmind.Itdidn’tseeminclinedtogiveupitswarmrockinthesuntothese
weekenders,justyet.
9
Alittlelater,IwentintoourtentandgrabbedaJohnGrishamnovel.WhenIcameout,Gabywas
parkedontherockthesnakehadjustbeenon.Shewascurledupwearinglargereadingglasses,
enjoyingtheremaininghalfofanovel.Shehastornoffanddiscardedasectionshehadpreviouslyread
tolightenherpackload.
“Where’soursnake?”Iasked.
“Oh—hewenthome,Ithink”
“Oktojoinyou?”
“Ohyes,Iwon’tevenchargeyou!!”
Wereadsilentlyforafewminutesandthenbeganchattingaboutbooksandeventuallyaboutmy
writer’sgroup.Therockwasstillradiatingapleasantwarmth,thoughthesunwasdroppinginthewest.
Thewindhadn’tunabated,butitwastheplacetobe.Iwasleaningbackwithmyweightonmypalms.
Myrighthandheldthebookdownbutthepagesstillseemedtoflutterinthewind.Whileinanimated
conversation,IrealizedthatIhadalreadyturnedthebookbindingintothewind---sohowcouldthe
pagesbefluttering?Icasuallyglancedovermyshouldertofindtheflutterwasactuallyourfriend,the
snakecurlingovertheedgeofmyrighthand.Ileaptuptomyfeetandinaflashofcolor-in-motion,the
snakepropelleditselfdownacrevasseintherock.
Gabystartedlaughing:“I’veneverseenyoumovesofast”.
Itwastoobad--afterall,itwasthesnake’shomeanditjustwantedtojointhewarmbloodedpartyon
thewarmrock….
Soontheblueintheskywaslosingtothegrey.Thesunwassinkinginthesouthwest,butthewind
didn’tletup,asignthatitwasn’tjustfromsun-generatedupdraftsasmuchasanapproachingboundary
ofhotandcoldair.Thisoftenmeansprecipitation.What’shappeninghere?Thehigherpressure
(coolerair)wassteadilygettingsuckedintolowerpressure(warmerair).Thereasimplewayinthefield
tofindoutifrainislikely,calledBuyBallot’sLaw:IntheNorthernHemisphere,youputyourbacktothe
windwithbotharmsextendedandturn45degreestoyourright(tocompensatefortheveeringofthe
wind),thehighpressureisonyourrightandthelowonyourleft.Theearthisturningcounterclockwise
(asviewedovertheNorthPole),draggingtheatmospherebehindit,comingfromourwest.
Inthiscaseitwouldmeanthelowpressurewouldovertakeusandifconditionswereright,rain.Given
theweathermanhadincludeditinhislongrangeforecast,Iwasprettyconvinceditwasneigh.
GabyandWernertookoutthemesskit,boiledwaterandaddedittoSarah’sTrailCenterdriedChicken
ChiliandCouscous.In15minutestheportionswereservedfromtwocommoncookpotsontoour
dividedplasticdinnerplates.Itwasexcellentandmoresowheneateninthefreshair.
GerriandIdidthedishes.ThenitwastimeonceagainforWernerandItothehangthefoodpackwhich
ofcoursewasprecededbytheUnderhandedRopeTosswhereanyunderhandedtricktowinisde
10
rigueur.Mostofthetreeswereeithertoosmallorlackedenoughhorizontalbranches.We
bushwhackedalmostthewholelengthoftheislandbeforefindingagoodprospect,atreewithseveral
branchesmissingandlittletointerferewithourthrow.Mythirdtosslandedonabranch,butWerner
disqualifieditforbeingtoolowtotheground.
Iprotested,“Sincewhenarethecontestantsactingasjudges?“Thisisduplicity!Idemand
transparency!”
Hedidn’tseemtobelisteningbut,insteadconcentrated.ThenheunderhandedlyandI’llallow,
successfullytossedtheweightoverahigherbranchandthenletoutawarwhoop.Thefoodwouldbe
safeifonlyforthisreason;mostbearswithinhearingrangewereprobablyretreatingifonlyforthesake
ofpeaceandquiet.
Itwasgettingchilly.Wealldonnedwarmerclothingandmetoutontheoutcropforalittleparty.
Wernerputourfourplasticwineglassesinsideoneofthecookpots,areliableflatsurface.Hefilled
eachonewithport.WealltoastedEuropeanstyle:thatistolookeachotherintheeyewiththeraised
glassbeforepartaking.Iwonderedwhythissimplegestureofrecognitionwasgenerallymissingfrom
theAmericanculture.MaybeitwasJohnWayne’sbadexample--ifhemadeeyecontactatall,itwas
withsteely,resoluteeyes.Then,hethrewbackhisheadanddownedthewholethingatonce.
Ohwell,ourcultureisgettingbetterathugging,anyway.Tomythinking,ouretiquetteonsomethings,
isstrangeatbest.Whenvisitingusonsummervacations,myFrenchnephewusedtogetbiglaughs
observingthewayweuseourutensils.InEurope,arighthandedpersonalwayskeepstheforkinthe
lefthandandtheknifeintheother,usuallynotsettingitdowntilltheplatewasclean.WeAmericans
startoutwiththeutensilsthesameway,butcutupaportionofourfood,setdowntheknife,then
movetheforktorighthand,eatingonehanded.Idon’tknowIwilllivelongenoughtoseeifthishabit
changes...
Bysomemachination,thesethoughtsledmetobringupthedemiseoflivemusicinthelast30years.
Mydayjobisbookinglivebandsforsocialfunctionssuchasweddingsandcompanyparties.Inthemideithties,maybe90%percentoftheseeventsbookedlivebands,nowitisabout10%therestofthejobs
gotothedjman.I’veevenwitnessedaprospectivegroomarguingwithhisfiancée(inmyoffice)that
hewouldn’tevengotoaconcerttohearanartistcovertheirownbighitsbecausetheycouldnever
soundasgoodastheoriginalrecording.
“HeyWerner--Gaby---haveyounoticedtheslowdeathoflivemusicoverinGermany?”
“Ohyes”
“Howaboutpolkabands---surelynotthem!!”
“TherearelivepolkabandsplayingattheOctoberfest…..theyareinbigtentsandhundredsofpeople
butnotmanydancing—theyjustgetdrunk.”
11
Iconsidered,holdingoutmyglassandadded,“Thatremindsme,I’vehitbottomoverhere!”
Itwasthelastminutesofdusk.Iwasstandingfacingtheotherthree,lookingdown-island.Weallwere
laughingandtalkingloudly.Suddenly,Isawahugedarkformwithgreatflatantlersemergefromthe
sprucetreesonourislandandleaptintothelake.Therewasadeep,respectable-soundingsplashonly
50yardsorsoaway.Iwastheonlyonefacinginthatdirectiontoseeithappen.
“Quick,getthecamera—it’sabullmoose!!!”
ThecamerahadbeensittingrightbesideWerner.Hewasuponhisfeetandalreadyclickingaway.The
mooseswammorequicklythanIwouldhaveexpected.Hesoonreachedtheothershore,butitwas
borderedbythesameslipperyrisingrockfaceastheisland.Itwouldhavebeenimpossibleforhimto
crawlup.Hepausedandthenstartedswimmingalongtheshorelookingforaspottogetoutofthe
water.Onlyhisantlersandthetipofhisdarkheadwereoutofthewaterandsolookedliketree
branchesbeingpulledthroughthewater.Therewasjustenoughlighttoseehispowerfulhigh
shouldersandhumprisingoutofthewaterwhenheeventuallysteppedintotheforestfurtherupthe
lake.
Ineededtocheckinwiththegroup:“Didthatreallyjusthappen?”Westoodinthedarktalkingaboutit
forafewminutes,butbeginningslashesofarainridingonthewinddroveusintoourtents.
Ilayawakeinthepitchdarkasthetempoandofrainonthenylonwallsincreased.Whenthewind
gustedtherewasthesplatting,concentratedsoundofwaterlikebuckshotbeingshort-stoppedbythe
rainfly.Iwasstillstrongunderthespellofourmooseencounter.EverytripontheGunflintTrailholds
somesuperlativemomentandthiswastheoneforthistrip.
Abullmoosecanweigh1000-1500poundsandbe5-7feetattheshoulder.Otherthantherutting
season,theywillusuallyretreatfromahuman.Thisguycouldeasilyhavedecimatedusandtheentire
campinafewterrifyingmomentswithhisgreat,palmateantlers.Irememberedfindingamooseantler
inthewoodsnearmycabin.Ilaterhunginourworkshoptoenjoyitsmuskyscentuntilitdriedout.It
weighed10poundsandwas33”inchesfromwhereitattachedtotheskulltothefurthesttip.The
widthatthefurthestpointwas21”.
Fromthecoverofnearbytrees,themoosewehadseenprobablywitnessedWernerandIdoingthe
UnderhandedRopeToss.
Exceptforruttingseason,onerarelyseesabullnearhumans.Theytendtogomuchdeeperintothe
wildernesslookingforpeaceandquiet,thekindtheyshouldfindonanisland,awayfromwolves:a
chancetochewalittleaspenandruminate,butnooooooo—thencamethoserevoltinghumans---
worsethanaflockofcrows…toruinitall….Icouldunderstandthemoose’spointofview:heprobably
utteredamooseprofanityashejumpedintothewater:“Goddddd—dammmmit”!
Itdidn’tmakemefeelanybetterwhenIthoughtofthedemiseofthemooseoverthelast10yearsin
Minnesota.They’regonefromthenorthwestpartofthestatenow.Inthenortheast,herdisdown
fromover8800in2006tojustover3500in2014dropping20%ayear.Somesaywewillhavetogoto
12
Canadaintenyearstoseethem,justlikewedotoseethewildCaribou,whichusedtoroamournorth
woods.Yes,sometimesthereisabittersweetmessagewaitingformeinthewoodsalongwiththefeast
ofitsbounty.
WhenIawoke,asusual,thelastinthegroup,itwastothesoundofmorerainonthetentalongwitha
resoluteenergyfrommycompanions.Thefootfallswerefasterthanthepreviousmorningandthere
wasmorebrevityintheexchanges.
……………………..
“No,don’tshakeitout,justpackitupwet”avoicesaid.Itwasstillpartiallydarkinthetent,butmy
watchsaid7:30a.m..Ireachedformywoolundergarmentsandrainpants.
Atbreakfast,Wernerfinishedsayingwhathadbeenhintedatyesterday.
“TodaywethinkwewillgobacktoRockwoodonedayearly….wecangiveyouthefoodpacksyoucan
camponemorenightifyouwant.”
GerriandIhadalreadydiscussedityesterdaywhenitstartedrainingandconcludedthateventhroughit
wouldbealongday’spaddle,itwouldbeworthittoleavetodayasagroup.Wecouldhaveashower
andmaybeacelebratorydinnerattheTrailCenter.IfGabyandWernerwouldhavecampedathird
nightasoriginallyplanned,afteraquickshower,theywouldhavehadtodrivetheapproximately125
milestoDuluth,flytoChicago,thenontoFreiburg.Crazy.
“No---let’sdorestofthepaddletoday!”,Iinjected.WernerturnedonhisTomTomGPSwatchandour
partyoftwocanoeswassoonsmoothingoutthechoponOmegaLake,headedeast.Lookingatthe
shapeofthelakeonthemap,fromnorthtosouth,IguessthereisthesuggestionoftheGreekOmega(
Ω),butifyoulookatitfromeasttowest,itlooksmorelikeaboatanchorwhichsoundsabitless
scholarly.Therearenarrowandenticingpathwaysofwatersurroundedbypineandancientrock
escarpments,radiatingfromitscentertootherlakesleadingtomyriadsofothers:westgoingbackto
Kiskadina,northtoFinn,easttoHensonandsouthtotheconsiderableWinchellLakewhichwouldbe
theperfectdestinationtosetupabasecampforaweek.Withchildlikewonder,onecouldexploreeach
arm:inhalingthecleanscentofpinesinthemorningmist,sittingonrockdappledbymulti-colored
lichen.Youcouldlookacrossgreatbogsandendlessgrassesbendinginthewind.
Anotherpromisetomyself;“I’mcomingbackheretoexploreinearnest”.
WeportagedintothefivemilelongWinchellLake.Thewindwasstillsteady,butnowfromthe
northwest,sowehuggedthenorthshore.Ifoundthatthesternofourcanoewasgettingpushedoff
courseslightlyaswemovedforward.Thiswaswheremylongerpaddlecameinhandily,usedmoreas
atillerattheendofmystroke.Usingthestandard“J”and“C”strokesdidn’tmatterwiththewind
doingagoodshareofthework.IalwayswelcomeatleastonelargelakeexperienceonaBWCAouting
andgladwehadit.Today,wefeltthebuffetingofandstrengthofthewind.Itwasgettingalongfetch
withoutanythingtointerruptitfrombuildingforce.Thecanoebobbedslightlyupanddown.
13
Occasionally,alargerwavewouldberollingunderthebeam,makingalappingsound.Thenthewhole
canoewouldriseupatonceandthendowninthefollowingtrough.Weeeeeee.
Today’sskywasamixoflong,darkcloudsandsomepatchesofblue.Gerriturnedpartiallyaroundfrom
hernarrowseatinthebow,lookingatasysteminbackofusandcommented,“Ithinkwegotrain
coming”.Iturnedandsawwhatshewaslookingat:agroupofdarkcloudswiththespacebelowthem
inadeepgreywashthatlookedtobegainingonus.Iputonmyrainjacketwhiletryingtokeepthe
canoefrombroachinginthewind,oneofthetrade-offsforhavingalight,flatbottomedboat.
Eventuallytherewereacouplesplatsofrain,butthesystemblewharmlesslytooursouthovertheso
called,MisquahHills.Ihadoftenlookedatthatnameonthemapinmycabin(whichnowlayaboutfive
milestothenorth).Ihadwonderedwhatthesehillslookedlikeandimaginedtheyweresteep,wide
bluffssuchasI’dseenonanotherBWCAjewel,RoseLake.Iturnedouttobewrong.Theyweresteep
hills,300feethigherthanthesurroundinglake,butmostlycoveredwithpineandjustafewbluffs.The
effect,lookingdownthevastlakewaslikelookingatavirtualwalloftwodistinctshadesofgreen
blockingthesouthernsky.Therewasthedarkergreenoftheolderpinesandthenaquiltpatchof
delicategreen,thekindyouseeintheforestatspringtime.Whatwasthat?Fromadistanceitlooked
likelowbushesandscrub,butaswemadeourwaydownWinchellLake,theyrevealedthemselvestobe
youngBalsamandPoplartrees.Mymapconfirmedthistobeinsideboundaryofthe2006RedeyeLake
Fire.Theforestwasjustfillinginagain.IturnedmyheadandlookedtothenorthshoreofWinchell,
whichwasstrangelyflatbycomparison,wonderingwhatfierygeologicaltaleliebehinditall.
WecrossedWinchellinabouttwohoursandportagedintoGaskin.Thenextthreelakes,Horseshoe,
CaribouandLizzweresmallbycomparison.AtleasttwiceIsawastormbehindus.Iwouldputonmy
rainjacket,justtogetafewsidelongsplats.Handily,therainalwaysveeredtooursouth.
Soon,wewerelaunchingontothenorthshoreofPoplarLake,whosecrossingwouldmarktheendof
ourjourney.WhenwearrivedatRockwoodLodge,Mike,Lynnandtheirdogweretheretogreetus,
buttheirfacesworeapuzzledexpression.
Mikeexclaimed,“Wedidn’texpecttoseeyousosoon!”andwaitedforthestory.Hehadgoodreason
forhiscuriosity:theRoutewetook(calledRoute#2onTuscaroraLodge’swebsite)is4-7days.Wehad
doneitin2.5days.
Wernergavehimthequicksynopsiswhileweunloadedtheiroutfittinggearwhichincludedahalf-full
foodpack.Ilookedatthemap.Wehadtraveledroughly12milesin7hourstoday.Thisincludedour
double-portages.
Timeforashowerandasteak,somethingweallreadilyagreedon.
WithinthehourweweresittingattheTrailCenterinfreshdryclothes.Wehaddrivenourseparate
cars,becausewewouldbepartingwaysafterourcelebratorydinner.
Afteratoast,IwastippingmydreammugofBentPaddleBlackAle….anditwentdownsoooooogood.
14
Allfourofusorderedourfood.Iaskedforsalad,JackDanielssteak,potato,anddessert.
Wernersharedananecdoteaboutsomemisunderstandingswhenattemptingtoorderfoodduringone
oftheirfirsttripstotheUSA:““Awaitresscameuptoourtableandasked,“souporsalad?”.We
thoughtshesaid“supersalad”andIsaid“yes,twoofthoseplease”.Shelookedatusveryfunnyand
said,“No---souporsalad?”.Westilldidn’tunderstandeachotherbutIsaidonceagain“yes”,onefor
meand(pointingatGaby),oneforher.”“
Hedidn’tneedtofinishthestory--everyonewaslaughinghard.
Soonwewerestandingintheparkinglothugginggoodbyeanddroveofftoourseparate
accommodations.
ThenexteveningGerriandIwereensconcedinourlittlecabinontheedgeoftheBWCAandonceagain
enjoyingthetrappingsofcivilization:agoodwhitewineandcheese.GabyandWernerwereanowa
disappearingdotintheeasternsky,boundforGermany.
Smiling,Ishookmyhead,askingmyself,“Didthisallreallyjusthappen?”
15