Everything was going great until this last portage. My portage system is not working. I need a portage yoke for this portage. Why do none of the outfitters have portage yokes? Because no one is selling them, I believed the portages did not require them. I can get around rocky portages as long as they are short. The Buttermilk Falls portage was steep and rocky, but I had relatively little difficulty. I portaged my stuff first, and then came back for my kayak. I can pick it up and around the short rocky stuff, which wasn't too much of a problem.
The last portage was way too long for this method. I tried carrying the kayak on my shoulder, but it is too heavy to do that for long. I used the wheels when ever I could. I ended up dragging the kayak along sections without rocks. I need to figure out a different way to portage on these rough terrain portages because my kayak will never make it to the end if there are many more portages like this. I too probably could not take the beating of too many more similar portages either.
I'm going to try to call my friend Paul when I am in the town of Long Lake tomorrow. Maybe he can find a kayak yoke he can have shipped to me somewhere along the trail. I
Anne left around noon to go back home. I miss her. It will be hard to be separated the next few weeks. I'm not sure why I am driven to do trips like this. I know what I am getting myself into. I know that it will take all of my physical and mental strength to see it to the end.
I've been thinking about this trip for years. I've been trying to find someone to go on a very long Boundary Waters trip like from end to end, but I've not been able to find anyone foolish enough to do such a thing. So here I am! I've been thinking about this trip since I first heard of the NFCT a few years ago.
The paddle through Raquette Lake and Forked Lake was beautiful! These are very pretty lakes. There are fewer people out on them, and the portages are easy. My portage system worked wonderfully. I would pull up to the shore, get out, attach my kayak wheels, remove some gear, and just walk to the next put-in. How crazily easy is that??? I could not imagine such ease of portaging.
This is my first day alone. Unlike the AT, I do not expect to meet many people along the way with whom to kayak. At best, I expect to talk to a few people along the way.
I did 18.5 miles today, which is not bad for getting such a late start. It's 9:00 PM so I better go to sleep. I want to be up at 6:00 PM and on the water no later than 7:00 PM. I expect a couple hard portages tomorrow. I will see if my kayak can take the beating.
http://www.findmespot.com/mylocation/?id=82MsJ/43.81316N/74.6564W
Today's start
http://www.findmespot.com/mylocation/?id=82XtC/43.90467N/74.52783W
Very easy 1.5 mile portage
http://www.findmespot.com/mylocation/?id=82fEA/43.92617N/74.4765W
Camp Site
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