Part 4 - The Silver Lining
Because of the destruction, we opted to make camp for the night. It was cold, rainy, and cramped on the small spit of land that we were able to clear with hand saws. Our original itinerary had seven lakes with twelve portages, but we realized in viewing the lakesides that the portages would be closed for months. We found a river portage into an alpine lake and were able to split into crews on multiple campsites. The remainder of the week brought more wet and blustery conditions. However, Troop 299 found a silver lining whenever possible. We worked on our firebuilding , cooking, first-aid and no-trace camping skills as well as canoeing and fishing. We were able to portage into the third lake of our trip, only to be turned away by strong winds and downed trees on other portages. The week-long fishing pool was contested heavily with a combination of feisty smallmouth, tasty walleye, and lure smashing Great Northern pike.
On the third day after the storm, we did receive a helicopter fly-by to confirm our safety. After a week in the wilderness, our outfitter met and returned us to camp for our trip home to North Carolina. Only then could we see more extensively the magnitude of the destruction of the storm. In sustained winds of 120 miles per hour, there was total loss of telephone and electric power for days, 50% of roads closed, the BWCA completely closed to incoming campers, and numerous injuries and evacuations.
Troop 299 had thrived and learned, and grateful prayers were prayed.
