This was the coldest morning--much ice in my water bottle. The wind had blown from the north all night and showed no signs of easing. I was ready for civilization. I ate a cold bowl of granola and headed out.Again the wind was a great help to me. It blew me southwest across Burnt Lake. One site was occupied but nobody was moving. The long 230 r. portage was hard because there were several changes in elevation. I felt fairly comfortable on level ground but really felt the weight of my gear on even the slightest incline. Water running down the trail was beginning to ice over. Toward the end of the trail the effects of the 1999 storm were evident. Huge white pine trees 30" or more in diameter were snapped off. Forest Service crews had cut through them. I walked through a valley of logs.Peterson Lake was busy. A group in a canoe and sit-on-top kayak struggled up wind. The kayak was pretty fast but carried no gear. I passed several groups of fishermen.And then about 2 hours after I had left Smoke Lake, I arrived at the Baker Lake Entry Point. I was ready to leave. I loaded up my van. It was so easy! On each portage I had learned to deal with my stuff in a precise order. Pull the yoke out from under the front spray skirt, flip the map case under the skirt, attach the yoke, then Velcro the paddle to it and so on. Putting things in the van required no thought; what a relief. There was no setting up of the tent, unrolling sleeping pad and sleeping bag. In a few minutes I was on my way home!
