I am a Rugged Princess 👑

July 17, 2024

mile 506.7-531.4

(Brassua Lake Island) (3.4 miles of portaging)

Henry woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed and I woke up with a headache and felt like shit. Maybe someday soon we'll both feel strong and alive at the same time again lol. He walked down to the gas station to get us some breakfast sandwiches while I went back to sleep. When he came back I sleepily ate a sausage and cheese bagel, a hashbrown, and some chocolate milk while still horizontal. I took a hot shower and 2 Aleves and felt much better after. Before we headed out for our last :-( NFCT section I used the wifi to buy us two plane tickets to Denver for August 1st!! The adventure continues!

We continued paddling down the Moose River out of Jackman. The flies were bad enough that Henry put on his bug net for the first time this whole trip. They were swarming our heads and we steadily killed as many as we could that made the mistake of landing on us. Next up was Long Pond where the bugs thankfully disappeared. Another huge bass was caught by Henry 😄

Then back on the Moose where we had to run or line several class I and IIs before Demo Road Carry to get around a class III. It was another dusty logging road carry but it drizzled for awhile which cut down on the dust and cooled off my scorching hot skin. I swear the drops sizzled when they touched me. The logging road was easy and Henry and I walked beside each other chatting.

Crazy how we never run out of things to talk about even while spending 24/7 with each other. Our chat died off quickly as we saw a sign to turn off the logging road and onto a trail to get to the put in. It was narrow through thick woods and rock covered. We decided to try to wheel some of it and it was absolutely soul sucking. My back was screaming trying to pick up the heavy cart and canoe to make it around impossibly sharp turns. We ditched some gear along the trail once or twice and then finally gave up on the wheels and carried it the rest of the way to the water. We went back for our 2nd load of gear, Henry walked ahead of me to get the gear we'd left closer to the road. As I struggled back carrying the portage cart and whatever else I could carry, the straps got stuck on every freaking thing I passed by. As I climbed over a dead tree with 1 million stabbing branches I broke down and gritted my teeth and asked the NFCT Gods WHY, WHY, WHY everything on this GD trail has to be so hard. When can we have one single easy day?! I pushed on spouting every swear word known to man and sat by the water waiting for Henry. As I waited my nose started bleeding. I bent over and let it bleed onto the ground and was feeling pretty down until Henry came back and called me a “Rugged Princess” and told me I’m tougher than any girl he’s ever met and most men he knows. He does know how to make me smile 😏

We paddled into Little Brassua Lake and I ate a bag of Munchies while Henry fished. We caught a breath taking sunset on the way to our island campsite.

Both of us felt tired and sore the last couple miles to the site, my back started bothering me for the first time because of that last portage. Our campsite is magical- no bugs!!, huge picnic table, waves lapping the shore and a thick bed of pine needles under the tent.