Dorothy Molter, who sold home-made root beer to canoeing passersby for nearly half a century, passed away in December 1986. Two of her log cabins were then moved, log by log, to Ely and reconstructed as a memorial to her near the Voyageur Visitor Center. The 200-rod portage from Knife to Vera Lake is a tough one, climbing steeply to an elevation of 80 feet above Knife. But, thanks to it, canoe traffic on Vera is much lighter than on either Knife or Ensign Lake. A nice campsite is found along the north shore soon after the portage.
Bears are common in the area, so prepare for visitors.
Vera Lake, portage 180 rods, Ensign Lake, portage 53 rods, Ashigan Lake, portage 105 rods, Gibson Lake, portage 25 rods, Cattyman Lake, portage 10 rods, Adventure Lake, portage 40 rods, Jitterbug Lake, portage 15 rods, Ahsub Lake, portage 25 rods, Disappointment Lake. The only challenging portage on this day is your first, and it's challenging in two ways. First, it is by far the longest carry. Second, finding the correct portage trail could be a challenge. As you paddle toward the west end of Vera Lake, you'll first see a portage trail that starts just west of a campsite on the east side of a creek-draining a bog.