This morning we packed up camp and paddled North up the Kawishiwi River. A hint of blue sky appeared as we were loading the canoe and within an hour the sun was out for the first time in 4 days. We are measuring water quality in the deepest part of each lake that we visit. The Kawishiwi River is 50ft deep in front of our campsite, which is the deepest point for many miles, so we only paddled a few hundred yards before stopping to lower our probe into the water. I worked to keep the canoe from drifting while Amy slowly lowered the probe, taking readings every meter from the surface down to 15 meters. It took about 15 minutes to record all the data and then we paddled on. It seems novel today, but soon it will become part of our routine.
We paddle and portaged for several hours and are camped on my favorite site on Clear Lake. A gentle breeze blew all day and we have spent much of the afternoon on a large rock by the waters edge soaking in the sun. We even went for a swim and Amy wondered if September 26th will be our last swim of the year. It feels like a summer day, but we know this weather will not last long, so we better enjoy these fleeting warm days while we can. We lingered on the rock as the sunset cast a warm glow over the lake before disappearing below the horizon. #wildernessyear #savethebwca #boundarywaters #sunset #onlyinmn
