The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1935-09-26
carrying canoe and pack, 50 away we

carrying a canoe and pack, so away we
|go.
Lynx is considerably larger than
Ruby, being about mile and half
long and a half-mile wide. We turn
a couple of corners, fish little for
wall-eyed pike, which are plentiful in
this lake, but the fish aren't biting and
we aren't anxious to carry them very
far anyhow, so we hustle onward Our
next sign says, Little Shelf Lake, 8
rods, and that's all 1t is, just lift.
Little Shell Is supposedly full of bass
and the cover looks excellent, but they
just aren't biting and maybe we are
in hurry-at any rate, no bass. Across
Little Shell and we then have to carry
16 rods to Big Shell, which is just
a hop. skip and jump, but once across
Big Shells two miles of water we have
to rest, because the sign says 280 rods
to PauneSS Lake. Canoe up on the
shoulders again, and after crossing
trail which reads "Sioux Cabin mile"
and continuing little way, what
welcome sight that old water is again!
Pauness Lake is really just widening
of the Sioux River. We paddle up the
river about mile or so and discover
a rapids. dock and sign reading Loon
Lake 100 rods" We aren't going to
Loon Lake but are heading south in the
morning, so put our canoe on the rack
for a rest and walk up the trail along
the river to the Sioux Lookout Cabin.
The Sioux Lookout Cabin is so called
from being on the banks of the Sioux
River, which at this point drops about
one hundred feet from Pauness Lake to
Loon Lake, and in one spot is minia-
ture Niagara Falls. A beautiful sight
may be had by walking to the edge of
the cliff and gazing down on the river
below as it ttlmbles down through the
narrow gorge. We are glad we are not
coming from the north, for the portage
from Loon Lake South is terror.
straight UP the side of the cliff, and
the canoe must be carried by real
tall man or two men Or the ends won't
clear at one bad dip. The CCC boy
who acts as the lookout at this point
friendly, and we feed her bread from
our hands. It's supper time and after
supper we are glad to hit the hay be-
cause it's been long day and we've
travelled long way.
In the morning we walk up to the
Lookout Tower, an eighty foot steel
tower right on top of the cliff, which is
several hundred feet above the lookout
cabin. The trail to the tower will never
wear out and requires no maintenance
because it's solid rock all the way and
the path is marked by rock cairns in
strategic spots so we can't lose the way.
A beautiful view of the surrounding
country from the top of the tower is
obtained for those hardy enough to
climb it. The elevation is about 1900
feet and the lookout man tells us that
at one time he spotted fire which was
80 miles distant. But today is our last
day and we haven't any fish yet to take
home, so we have to get started. Back
to where our canoe is perched up on
the canoe rest. and up the river we
start on our last leg.
Pauness Lake is well supplied with
wall-eyed pike and Northern pike and
a short bit of intensive fishing takes
care of our needs. The Sioux River Is
quite wide and winding, and although
we go south we go up the river, for the
Sioux is one of the rivers which empties
into Loon Lake and helps form what is
known as the Hudson Bay Drainage.
Our trip upriver is uneventful. The
scenery is beautiful, we carry over one
portage of 48 rods. Elm Portage OF 85
rods, both of which are around fast
rocky stretches of the river, and in the
late afternoon have a last long portage
of about two hundred rods, and we are
at the Sioux River Camp Grounds on
the Ely-Buyck Road, the end Of our
canoe trip and ready to go back home