As a founding member of the annual He-Man canoe trip, I had the pleasure of recording the events that occurred on my 30th He-Man, (the 31st annual occurence). It was small core group of eight this year. Quite a change from the 19 that participated the year before. But really enjoyed the trip
We took a new route that was more difficult that any other route in terms of portages. Here are some of the planned firsts with this route:
Here are some of the unplanned firsts with this route:
Dan and Ron arrived early and golfed. Doug arrived later
Rototilled the volley ball court and cleared leaves.
Boyd, Zach, and Kenny went on a cut the pine tree rampage. They cut a number of trees. It included a 95 year old red pine. Dave was really upset that they would waste such a beautiful tree.
Jessie and Dave went to Jag lake to scout out a campsite. Ron and others had scouted it earlier to find the portage from Manitowish River to the Lake. There were two campsites. The North shore campsite was easy to find, but was heavily used and had a lot of markers. South shore campsite was hard to find because the lake level was high after a multi-year drought and there were a lot of trees in the water blocking the view/access of the campsite. Was a nice smaller site.
V-ball. Doug, Dave, Jessie, Kenny vs. Boyd, Zach, Ron, Dan. First game Doug's team was behind by 6 points but ended out winning. The next two games Boyd's team won 15-6 and 15-9.
Duties
Ron was first to bed and first up - before dawn. It was the classic he-Man breakfast of breakfast burritos.
For Dave's 30th year trip, he had picked a new He-Man route. It was 100 year old route that was described in May 1914 Outer's Book. "Some Northern Wisconsin Canoe Routes" by Jas. E. Callaway and Harold W. Pripps described a number of routes that they had taken in Northern WI. This was after the log off, so pictures show that things were vary barren. The route we took was "Trip No. Seven" described as:
"The foregoing trip can be started at State Line (old name for Land-O-Lakes). Have a team haul ou to Black Oake Lake, five miles distant. A short portage taks you into Anderson Lake from which you may reach Spring Lake by a seventy-two-rod portage. Then through Spring Creek, Lake Mamie, Crooked, West Bay, and Big Lakes. Between Big Lake and Palmer Lake there is a logging road, down which you may portage our outfit."
We made the trip easier by packing light and having gear at cars parked at both lakes for camping and Sunday lunch spot. We used all 6 vehicles for the trip. Ron & Doug parked at Jag Lake, Kenny at Fishtrap Dam, Dave and Boyd at Palette Lake, and Dan at Black Oak Lake beach. We had it all figured out for a very efficient departure. Unfortunately, Kenny realized he left his life jacket at his truck at Fish Trap when we arrived at Black Oak Lake. Dave and Kenny went back to Fish Trap Dam to get his life jacket. At Black Oak beach there was a volunteer checking our canoes for invasive species. We finally left the beach at around 9:30.
Black Oak Lake has super clear water (suppose to be one of the clearest lakes in the state of Wisconsin. We crossed the Lake quicker than expected. We were careful not to touch the dock near the portage based on the conversation Ron and Dave had the summer before with the cabin owner who made it clear he did not want us to use the dock. The portage between Black Oak Lake and Anderson Lake is actually an official old portage which is an easement.
Anderson Lake was a beautiful turquoise color - like a glacier fed lake. Tried to be quiet since we heard that the families around the lake were sensitive about too much noise. Dave had gotten permission from both the Juday's and Gerbert's to portage from Anderson to Spring Lake. Really strange how the portage through the Juday's had lots of no trespassing signs from Spring Lake direction, but none from the Anderson lake direction. Talking to Jane Gerbert the previous summary, it appeared that there was a feud going on between the Juday's and Gerbert's. The portage through the Gerbert's property was tricky. Had to travel left of their cabin road, but the drop down to the lake was really steep. Ended out in a dense stand of Cedars. The water at Spring Lake was brown in color.
It was a beautiful warm day, full sun. We saw a lot of eagles during the trip. We saw a lot of eagles the whole day. There was some breeze, but nothing too bad.
Spring creek started with quite a steep drop. Had to portage around some trees and rapids. The rest of of the creek was wide and easy to navigate. We switched partners a number of times during the trip.
We had no problem navigating through the Southern Cisco chain. Mamie -> East Bay -> West Bay -> Big Lake. The lake is highly developed (as all the other lakes before) . There was some very fancy vacation homes. This is the first time the He-Man traveled in Michigan. We were giving Jessie a hard time that we needed to paddle fast because Jessie was a wanted man in Michigan. There was one huge mansion on a West Bay island that had it's own private bridge.
We had lunch on a small West Bay Lake island. It was a small island with a abandoned cabin. It seem like the grass had been mowed - nice spot for a picnic. Dave in the morning was wondering if a full stick of summer sausage was needed for lunch. The group devoured it all. Devoured all the dried applies and mangoes, but the dried ginger was not too popular. Luke 9:28-26 was discussed by Ron during lunch (transfiguration of Jesus).
Portage was not too bad to Palmer. We all had planned for a long portage so took less gear to make it easy. Plus had most of our gear at vehicles parked at Palmer boat landing.
We split up from the boat landing to check out the different campsites. Picked site #2 on the mid West shore. It was a beautiful site with lots of big Hemlocks and pines. The campsite is old one, where the picnic table was set up in a low spot. There was standing water around it, so we did not use it. But the fire ring was up the hill a way. We got there early, so some took naps. The black flies were pesky. The bugs got worse as the evening progressed.
Tug of War
Hatchet Throw
Decided to try an extended 3 tries / 3 strike model. Used a large old hemlock stump. Everyone stuck at least once except Jessie and Kenny. Ended out being a dual between Doug and Ron, where Ron ended out winning.
Saturday Supper
Doug made an excellent chicken stir fry. He even cooked and de-boned the whole chickens at home for the meal.
Black flies were the worst in He-Man history. They drove everyone crazy, driving them to their sleeping arrangements early. Many of us went home with welts on parts of our body because of the bugs. Poor Jessie had to do the dishes that evening.
Saturday night had a lot of noise on the lake - frogs, loons, and beavers slapping. Overnight there was some mischief, were each canoe was labeled on both sides:
Kenny & Dave / Boyd & Zach took gear back to the portage on the North side of the lake, where the other two canoes were going to try to find Bill Becker so that we could portage through RANBO resort. Dave/Kenny & Boyd/Zach got to the portage and there was no sign of the other canoes. There were cabins at the portage, but did not know which way to go. It ended out that the other two canoes went to the Ontanagon River inlet instead of the portage. Dave and Kenny starting heading back to the campste when the other two started coming.
Ron was trying to find Bill's cabin, found it, and Bill was still sleeping. Bill then showed up and invited the group to morning cocktails on his deck overlooking Cochrane Lake. Everyone joined except Zach, Dave, and Jessie. Bill confirmed that needed permission to go through the three lakes of the resort. The portage from Palmer to Cochrane was a short lift.
The Jones Lake portage was straight across, just to the right of a A-frame cabin. The portage to Jones was a short but steep up and down. 2 canoes lifted the canoes and two canoes did normal portage. Jones lake was a beautiful lake and had no cabins on it. The next portage was from a dock on the West end.
The portage to Devil's lake was along some gravel roads - 2 lefts and then a right. Devils lake is the most beautiful of the three lakes. Very wilderness feel two it with large white pines.
The portage to high lake was a steep climb to B then down the road to the landing. It was a hot portage. A car with a woman stopped to take a picture of Doug and Dan portaging their canoe. Doug said she stopped to take the picture because of his beard. Dan said she stopped to take a picture because of his florescent green short running shorts.
We started paddling from the high lake boat landing through the channel. Almost got to high lake when a boat passed us, asking if we forgot a pack. Kenny forgot his at the landing. So Dave and Kenny went back to pick it up. Kenny is such high maintanance - first life jacket, then paddle.
Lots of fisherman on High Lake. Stop at the Fish Trap Lake rope swing. It was greatly up graded with a new cable, two levels of handles, and a launch platform. Dan went first, then Kenny. They both did it a few times, then Doug and Boyd did it once The weather started getting really hot.
We had lunch at Fish Trap Dam campsite. Dan provided us meat sticks, peanut butter, jelly, honey, tortillas, trail mix, and gummy worms. Ron was creative and made a face with face with peanut butter and jelly, using honey for a runny nose and tears.
After lunch we took a break in the shade to let lunch settle. Then did the crazy beaver island race. Kenny and Boyd sat out of the race. It was Irwin's, Dave & Zach, and Ron & Jessie. Ron and Jesse dropped out after Dave and Zach passed them going backwards as they were going forwards. After two laps, Dave & Zach had a sizable lead over Doug & Dan. But the weight different was too great between Dave and Zach going backwards with Zach in the back, resulting in a bad third lap. Should of slid the seat back to adjust the weight. Ended out that Dan and Doug won by a large margin.
The current after Fish Trap Dam was swift, so it did not take long to get to Boulder Lake.
Lake Race. Let Boyd/Zach and Ron/Jesse have a 40 second lead. Dan/Doug had a 10 second lead. Dave/Kenny passed Ron/Jesse mid lake, also passed Dan and Doug at that time. Caught up to Boyd/Zach by the 2nd point on Boulder. Doug/Dan then regained the lead. Dave/Kenny could not close the 2-4 canoe length lead that Dan and Doug had. Dan was an animal during the race. They won by a couple seconds.
Boyd and Zach decided to canoe the Boulder Lake portage culvert. They went with an empty canoe and both sat in the middle in the bottom of the canoe. The river was very high and fast. It looked really dangerous, but they made it O.K.
The paddle to the Jag lake portage was fast, but sure seemed a long way. Everyone but Dave and Jessie had found the portage on Friday and marked it with a ribbon. Dave started bugging Ron - "Is the portage here?", over and over again.
The sun was getting lower. Found the portage - steep trail up, cross H, walk down a gravel road til first curve, then cut right through clear cut to Jag lake.
Lot's of mosquitoes during the portage. Was concerned what the campsite would be like in terms of bugs, but not a problem. Went to boat landing to pick up food and gear. Had to push canoes through the sapplings growing in the water in order to land the canoes. A beautiful site, but barely used compared to the site across the lake. Amazed that there were almost no mosquitoes at the campsite.
Had chili that Boyd made and Pringles. Had some of Dan's leftovers from lunch when we ran out of chili. Jessie shared Luke 9:37-45 (Jesus casts a demon out of a boy). Talked about how we view so many things as physical ailments when actually are spiritually based. Our culture denies the spiritual dimension. Boyd shared a number of stories of spiritual warfare and battles from his visit to India.
There was a beautiful sunset that evening.
Things were quieting down with the group, when Dave triggered something in Doug. Dave commented about how the fire across the lake was so much larger than ours. Doug took the challenge and built a huge fire that sent outside the ring by a considerable amount. There was a lot of available burnable material since the campsite was so seldom used. Dave regretted making the comment because there were was a deep layer of pine needles and low hanging pine branches. It ended out O.K.
Again there was lots of loud frogs and loons on the lake.
We woke up Monday morning to the drone of thousands of mosquitoes. Overnight the mosquitoes had migrated to our campsite. It was tough for Kenny because he was in a hammock without mosquitoe netting. Doug also did not do well with his hammock because it was not working well.
We packed up quickly since we were not having breakfast and was close to the cabin. We were to the landing/cars by 6:30AM.
Doug shuttled Dan, Boyd, and Dave to their cards as the rest starting shuttling canoes and gear to the cabin. It went very quickly and smoothly. It went extra quick because of how fast Doug was driving his BMW.
Did a Trout Lake swim at the Bratz's cabin at the end of Kern Lan for the lake swim. No one was staying at the cabin.
Did the group picture by the big red pine that Boyd and Zach cut down.
Left early enough to have breakfast at Paul Bunyan's