We got up early this morning, but everyone was REAL slow getting going. Made it to our first 49-rod portage, up and over onto Other Man Lake for an easy paddle to our next, short 39-rod portage. Too bad it was straight uphill through a barely visible path covered with fallen trees, which made it a triple portage. It wasn't until we were halfway through the next itty-bitty lake that we realized we missed the main portage! No wonder it was so hard. The next two portages were easy and then we were on Bell Lake with its very turgid water (quite a change from the crystal-clear lakes we'd been on). We stopped for lunch next to the next portage trail. That portage was, thankfully, pretty easy. The next portage, however, was tough and one Scout turned turtle on the trail. We made it onto Fran Lake and got to float our next portage over a beaver dam. That was fun and we emerged into a beautiful, lily-pad-jammed channel. Made it through Slate Lake, another portage and started out on Saganagons Lake. We were worn out; it was getting late and all the decent campsites were already taken, so we paddled on in hopes of finding a campsite near Deadman's Portage. Thankfully, Steven E. spotted what turned out to be a workable campsite, so we set up camp quickly, ate (everyone's getting tired of the food, despite Jerry's excellent efforts) and we did better getting the bear bags up. Everyone got in bed (some took baths first) and for the first time, we heard the mosquitoes coming. It sounded like millions of them advancing across the lake in formation, homing in on us … a truly incredible experience. Our campsite was on a huge granite outcrop, so no soft ground to sleep on but lots of area to dry clothes. Bedtime was 8pm. That's one of the benefits of this kind of trek … the Scouts are asking if they can please go to bed! We're a little behind the schedule we set back in base camp (we'd hoped to be at the base of the Falls Chain tonight), but we haven't lost much time and should make it up tomorrow.