Day 5 South Temperance Lake to Brule Lake and exit at #41

South Temperance Lake (557m)
Portage 50m
Brule Lake (559m)

Amazing how quickly we got those guys up this morning. The horses must be smelling the barn. We had made the last of the coffee, a quick but calorific breakfast, broke camp and were off. As we approached the last short carry, where Brule Lake empties into Temperance River, we perceived a party that just finished their portage. They were to be our guide for the remainder of the trip. Today's pairings were Max and Colin, Jim and John, Dave and Jack as well as James and I.

From 2009_52_BWCA Just enough time for a group picture

Always worried to be left behind, Mellie jumped into Max and Colin's canoe. We let her, but soon realized that she was leaning so heavily towards my direction that she made paddling a chore. So we made a mid-lake dog-canoe exchange, a feat that Mellie and all others involved handled with aplomb.

From 2009_52_BWCA Mellie wants to switch canoes ...

We had a slight headwind today, making the five miles on Brule Lake not any easier. The guide books all caution on windy days on this large lake. Fortunately it was nothing like our maiden trip on Burntside Lake in 2006, which is even larger. I have to say that my hands were numb from paddling for the next week. We crossed the lake in about two hours. We came by several occupied camp sites and were again thankful to have found our spot on South Temperance Lake yesterday evening.

When we had about ¾ of the way behind us, there was no holding back Colin and Max. They hurried back to the landing and made it there 10 minutes before the rest of us. Gear and canoes were quickly stowed and Dave and I took our traditional bath before heading back. It felt good to wash off the grime of today and put on the fresh change of clothes I kept in the car for that purpose.

I love the drive from the hills down to the north shore of Lake Superior on a beautiful day. The lake looks like an ocean, blue and endless. Since it's Sunday, no construction traffic. The inspection at the outfitters revealed one small hole in a canoe, must have been one of the stumbles. They graciously let us off with a warning.

We decided to check out Two Harbors for the post-adventure feast. Jim got past us when we had to stop when James really needed to go. We caught them again when they needed to stop for gas and met at the Two Harbors McDonald. Then it was non-stop to St. Paul, with the exception of one major slowdown for the North Branch construction area.