Honestly, over the last year or two I'd mentally mapped out and researched a fistful of possibilities that ranged all the way to renting a boat and motor for a week in Voyageurs National Park. Also another couple of boat-in and fly-in trips over the border. If you want to catch big pike and can come up with seven grand for four people, I'll let you in on a primo trip. However, there are two affordable boat-ins I think I'll keep to myself.
Anyhow, I asked Lois if she was okay with me doing another canoe trip and she only raised one skeptical eyebrow. Ten minutes later I texted my nephew Brian—he was my only possibility—partly hoping he'd be too busy and would say no. Didn't work out that way. Nope, seems he'd been thinking along the same lines and recalling the good times we'd had in the backwoods.
At the moment we have a permit reserved for June 26. For a change we're heading out of Ely toward a back corner of the Boundary Waters. Fishing's supposed to be pretty good, the lakes quiet and the portages look to be doable for a man with more wrinkles than sense. Normally, I wouldn't give late June a consideration but spring's been a little slow up near the Canadian border. Hopefully the fish will be ready for us and the bugs won't be too bad.
