Night 1: Knife Lake

We went back to the outfitters and they put the canoes on a boat on a trailer. We caravaned to Moose Lake, and then us and our canoes caught a 25hp lift to the far side, into the wilderness on a permitted motor route to the edge of the first portage.

Maybe five portages, a lunch break, some rain, and we set up camp.

The motor ride caused a little anxiety, because damn it was cold. Do I have enough clothing?
But then we started paddling, and it was a little choppy but not bad. I've paddled a kayak in small craft advisory weather in the SF Bay and nearly barfed; this is nothing. And the effort warms you up. The first group we passed in the other direction warmed my heart because damn they are carrying to much gear and we are probably fine. The heavy skillet and the skillet grabber tool are stupid, and the pots are steel, not aluminum, and definitely not titanium, and the bear hang system is an absurdly heavy way to create a bear piñata, but it all basically fits into four giant bags, so we each only have to make one gear trip and then one canoe trip. The canoes are kevlar, they're not that heavy. 

We set up camp around 3:30 or 4. I sipped from my flask, read a few pages of Lonesome Dove, built a smokey wet fire, the guys ate steak, and I ate beans with dehydrated tomatoes, shitake, and chicken of the woods mushrooms. 

Crap weather but a good day.

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