Day 7

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=185 BGCOLOR="#003333" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="04ab9c00dduajq.jpg"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="70" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 76 WIDTH="66"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="76" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="66" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> <B>‘</B><A HREF="id154.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Day 6"><U><B><<<BACK</B></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFBF0" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>TROOP 433</B></FONT>    |     <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="TROOP 433"><U>home</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id152.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="More Crew B"><U>More Crew B</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id153.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Day 4"><U>Day 4</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id154.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Day 6"><U>Day 6</U></A>   |   <B>Day 7</B>   |   <A HREF="id156.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Day 8"><U>Day 8</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id157.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Day 9"><U>Day 9</U></A></div> <div> <B>Day 7</B></div> <div> Wake up time was 7 a.m. We actually heard our watch alarms today since they were not being drowned out by the sound of rain like on the last two mornings. The sun wasn't quite up yet, but you could still see the "smoke" on the water in the east.<IMG SRC="ce10bb10.jpg" border=0 width="1035" height="689" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Breakfast was instant oatmeal of various varieties, so you just had to boil water and pick the kind you liked. We carefully carried everything down the rock pathway to the canoes wedged into the rocks along the shore. Ensign was like a "sheet of glass" when we pushed off. We headed west for two miles toward a 5 rod inlet that we negotiated carefully without getting out of the canoes. Today, Mr. Bailey is a bowman with Kelsey; Mr. McCarthy and Mr. Vogeli are together in the second canoe and Adam, John & Glen are in the last canoe. Along the way, the adults schemed to let the boys completely set up the next campsite without telling them to do anything. We wanted to see if the boys would take charge on their own without being instructed.</div> <div> After the 5 rod inlet, we were in Splash Lake. We were then looking for the next portage and were almost fooled by the trail that serves as the winter trek trail. After portaging the correct 30 rod trail, we were once again back in Sucker Lake. We had completed the long loop and were back in a lake that we hadn't seen since Day 1. We then headed north to the Prairie Portage and the Canadian Customs crossing.</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="ce3f44d0.jpg" border=0 width="500" height="333" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> <IMG SRC="ce5f44d0.jpg" border=0 width="500" height="333" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <IMG SRC="ce7cbbc0.jpg" border=0 width="459" height="700" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="0">As you approach the Customs crossing, you can see why it's necessary to cross the Prairie Portage. There is a very large and spectacular dam where the water is pouring out of Sucker Lake and into the Inlet Bay on the Canadian side. We pulled our canoes out of the water and took lots of pictures. We walked down a little side trail to get a better view of the water going over the dam; but Kelsey still wanted us to keep our PFDs on. </div> <div> This portage also featured male and female latrines. Those that are used to the latrines at Yawgoog can relate to these kinds of latrines.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="cea36780.jpg" border=0 width="566" height="376" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> The Inlet Bay leads you north then west into Bayley Bay and ultimately into the monstrous Basswood Lake. This lake goes on forever covering many, many square miles both west and north along the boundary line of the U.S. and Canada.</div> <bR> <div> We traveled eight miles, nearly on a straight line west. However, as we approached a series of islands, we made the mistake of going south of, what we later discovered was, Lincoln Island. After many consultations on the water, we decided to make for land, have lunch, and re-orient ourselves. We pulled into a cove on an unnamed peninsula south and west of Half Dog Island. Since leaving our campsite that morning, we had already traveled 15 ½ miles. Mr. McCarthy was hurting a little bit. The clothes around his shoulders were causing a rash to develop; but after applying some powder and readjusting his shirt and PFD, he was doing better. He was still making wise-cracks about going back to basecamp. </div> <bR> <div> For lunch today, we had crackers, 3 different cheesespreads and foil pouch chicken. When we were cleaning up the area, the crew discovered the remnants of a stainless steel garbage can! We would have loved to take that back to basecamp; but we just didn't have the room. Someone on a motor boat must have brought it out there years ago.</div> <bR> <div> Mr. Vogeli and Kelsey figured out the mistake we made by matching up the land formations to our map. We headed out north, around Half Dog Island, past Washington Island toward United States Point. It was 2 p.m. by now, yet Basswood Lake was still completely flat and still. Kelsey made the comment that this was the calmest that she had ever seen this lake. During the trek, she had told us many stories about how she had been "wind-bound" on this lake with other crews, that is, no matter how hard you paddled, you just couldn't gain any distance. So, we were expecting a lot more wind; but we weren't getting it this afternoon.</div> <bR> <div> As we traveled north, we found several campsites had been "closed up" and abandoned so we kept on going, almost to the end of United States Point. We found a nice sheltered cove where we had plenty of room for our tents and kitchen. Our plan was to stay at this campsite for two nights: our "layover" day finally! After the tents were set up, the adults, as planned, went swimming (with their PFDs) and left the boys to set up the rest of the camp, which they did very well. </div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="cece34d0.jpg" border=0 width="483" height="333" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> <IMG SRC="ceeed4d0.jpg" border=0 width="493" height="333" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> <IMG SRC="cf1f4480.jpg" border=0 width="500" height="328" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> <IMG SRC="cf3e34d0.jpg" border=0 width="483" height="333" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> After our swim, Kelsey surprised us once again by producing a hammock that she set up between two trees. Mr. McCarthy was quick to give it a try and then announce that he would be in the hammock all the next day while the rest of the crew was on a day trip!</div> <bR> <div> Before dinner tonight, we tormented John with the game "Black Magic". After many rounds over 30 minutes, he still hadn't figured out the trick to it. Kelsey had to be clued in to the solution as well. Mr. Vogeli made tonight's dinner and Kelsey made popcorn once again. She also led us in the game "Who, What, When, Why & How". Sheets of paper were passed out to everyone with those categories left blank, then each one was filled in, alternately passing the sheets to the next one in the circle. The resulting sentences were often quite silly.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="cf5e8e20.jpg" border=0 width="488" height="738" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> <IMG SRC="cf7e8e80.jpg" border=0 width="488" height="744" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> We had another nice evening with a light breeze. Because of the few number of portages today, we had traveled just over 20 miles on the water. Kelsey made the comment that usually she is the one pushing her crews on; but this time, it was our crew that was pushing her!</div> <bR> <div> We retired to our tents at 9 p.m. with the knowledge that we had no wake-up call for the next morning!</div> <bR> <div> On to <A HREF="id156.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Day 8"><U>Day 8...</U></A></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>