Johnny's Latest Adventure
Boundary
Waters Canoe Area

View of Lac La Croix from near Camp
The million-plus acre Boundary Waters Canoe Area
Wilderness of northern Minnesota was the setting for this June
adventure. Johnny and a long time outdoor partner John Cox
left South Hegman Lake, northwest of Ely on the Echo Trail and
entered the wilderness. Two portages and a little paddling
later they ended up on Little Bass Lake and their first
night’s camp. Some rain fell and was an ongoing event during
this trip.

John with bass on Little Bass Lake
Pictographs on North Hegmen Lake
They viewed the vivid pictographs on North
Hegmen Lake, then while fishing, Johnny hooked a bass and while
reeling it in to the canoe, a northern pike clamped down on the
bass with its jaws, startling Johnny and the bass.
They resumed a northward journey toward the
Canadian border, making the notorious Angleworm portage, a 460 rod
challenge of muskeg, bogs, boulder fields, and hills to reach
Angleworm Lake, where solitude awaited.

Lakeside pitcher plants
Another travel day followed. John and
Johnny were ported Jeanie and paddling through a series of legs,
heading north. They ended up at tiny Wagosh Lake, where they
found a bluff camp and angled for northern pike and perch.


Johnny on beaver dam
View from campsite on Wagosh Lake
From Wagosh it was time to hit the big
water and the big fish. They got to Crooked Lake and at the
Canadian-American border on a windy, dark morning, then headed
west along the border and immediately ran into some fish
including a big smallmouth John caught and a pike seen in the
picture below.

Pike caught on ultra light rod with a
spinner
They found a great campsite on the main
lake, with a beach access. A couple of rounds of topwater bass
fishing was a big success.

Crooked Lake
Beach Camp on Crooked Lake
Next day they moved on to Iron Lake,
portaging around Curtain Falls, on a long day to Lac La Croix,
where they were fortunate to find a great campsite, where they
spent two days, allowing John's shoulder to recover after he took
an awkward spill.

Curtain Falls

Muddy Bottle Portage
View from camp
Big winds forced a short day as they
continued on Lac La Croix. But fortune smiled on them as they ran
into a first rate camp at which to while they day away as wind
gusts to 45 miles an hour blew!

Johnny
relaxes as wind howls
Rainbow signified end to bad weather
Beyond Lac La Croix they turned south
into a series of lakes where multiple portages and paddling and
fishing led them to their final camp on Oyster Lake. They enjoyed
a final cool night in the pines before exiting the Boundary Waters
the next day, another adventure under their belts.

Sunset on Oyster Lake
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