There is nothing like splashing the clean water of Plum Lake with your toes.

A few photos: Click each thumbnail for a larger image and slideshow.

Looking for dinner in Plum Lake. Andrew and Uncle Micah float around in the sandy, crayfish-covered shallows. Someone is going to win this porch debate at the "Oak," and it isn't Ryan. Anastasia will have to enjoy this year's Plum Lake trip in utero. We tried to re-enact Ben Franklin's kite-flying experiment in the lightning. The Plum Lake Ski-ters line up for a trick. The crowd at the boat launch must be impressed. We saw it via our jonboat. The Plum Lake boat launch as the sun begins to set. A goose is looking for a place to land on the water before nightfall. Don't try this at home, unless you have water skies and a launchpad. Ripples from a wind along Plum Lake. That night it carried paper lanterns onto my fishing boat. The UFOs that landed on the boat around midnight ended up being paper lanterns. A mysterious common loon in the moment before he slipped under the water again. A loon taking off to another lake. Time for a fishing trip with Andrew. This might take a while. Andrew's first fish, a pumpkinseed, is about his size. Even Daddy was able to grab a few pumpkinseeds out of the shallow grasses. Andrew reporting on the size of the fish he caught on Plum Lake. They must have Plum Lake sunsets in heaven. Just below the surface of eutrifying Aurora Lake. This is not how fishing works, Sam. A small river flowing out of Lake of the Clouds in Michigan. Fishermen in Lake of the Clouds, MI, from high up near Government Peak. Marlin is scanning the U.P. forest for signs of black bears or moose. Beautiful Lake of the Clouds in the Porcupine Mountains. Pine needles in the mixed forests of the U.P. Andrew found an inchworm while hiking. Spiderwebs in Michigan's Lake Superior maple forests. A route marker for the famous North Country Trail. A waterfall along the road in the Upper Peninsula's Porcupine Mountains SP. A potholed riverbed in the Porkies. Scott on the shores of Lake Superior. The mouth of the Presque Isle River at Lake Superior. Sitting on the Canadian Shield at the Presque Isle River. Strange camaflouged northwoods wildlife. My little dockworker calls me into shore for dinner. A distant loon was calling out for others. Have a kiss, boy! Unhooking a little striped fish, caught in the grass in Plum Lake. Loon action shot, with dripping water. Toad on the beach. The Woodlands is full of toads. Magnificance on the second to last night at Plum Lake. Ryan has conquered the floating dock for what it's worth. Sunbathing! Ahhhhh! McKay's ice cream never gets old. Floating around the dock at the Woodlands. Canoeing Aurora Lake's wild rice fields. A bold yellow water flower in Aurora Lake. A mysterious decomposing mass of fungus crap in Aurora Lake. Sam and Scott on Aurora Lake near Beehive Island. Sun fading at Aurora Lake. A little canoe-caught striper. A little crazy in the tube. Even more crazy... A thunderstorm kept us from staying long at Forevertron. Web Photo Display by VisualLightBox.com v4.8

Statistics:

Dates: The first week of August, 2012

Home bases: The Woodlands Resort, 'Oak' Cottage

Areas Explored: Vilas County, Wisconsin, & the Upper Peninsula of Michigan

Transportation: 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan, the Pelican canoe, and a rented jonboat

New Frontiers: First time

Cast: Jessica, Andrew, Scott, Barbara, Micah, Marlin, Samantha, and Ryan

←2011 Sayner trip←	→2013 Sayner trip→
See ALL Sayner Trips

 Underwater videos of fish getting hooked, minnow schools, crayfish coming as soon as I can edit them! 

Trip Notes: This year's trip to Sayner was full of boating, floating, fishing, and absolute utter relaxation.

We stayed at the Woodlands' Oak cottage on Plum Lake for the fifth year in a row. There was a lot of trouble renting outboard motors since Errington's no longer rents to F.I.B.'s because we tend to mess up the props on the rocks. This policy remained firm even though I know just about every rock on the bottom of Plum Lake.

Luckily Hillery rented us one of his boats, since much of his family skipped his annual "Family Week" that happens the week of our annual trip. I sometimes wonder if family members think we are related.

Fishing was a bit more productive, but we were mainly snagging little pumpkinseeds and tiny bass. Still, the fight was just enough for Andrew's first fishing trips right around the bend from the resort on Plum Lake.

Steps to hunting in Plum Lk

Step1: Find some grass just under the water.  

Step2: Look through the clear water for a fish.  

Step3: Ouila! He ain't much, but you got him.   

There was one day of on and off summer thunderstorms. While Jessica and Andrew and I stayed in, Sam led the team during the midst of one of these hailstorms in a disastrous bike trek to McKay's Corner Store.

We managed to do the important jobs one must do at the Woodlands, including crayfish stalking, board game playing, tubing, swimming, hiking, paddling, and drinking beer around a fire every day. The chores are a terrible burden.

We did manage a few side trips here and there. On the way, we managed to get into Forevertron. A group went to Eagle River. Another group went swimming for a time in the frigid waters of Lake Superior, a couple of hours north in the U.P. While here, in the Porcupine Mountains, we discovered some new waterfalls and mysterious hiking trails. Sam and Scott also canoed Aurora Lake, but were turned around by a swarm of hornets guarding the passages in the swampy lake.

A highlight was the spotting of a curious, scrawny black bear along WI-70 near Arbor Vitae.