I'm watching, waiting, hoping for the all clear, but.....I just read two conflicting things.  One is that the Rock Lake access road is basically gravel/washboard, the typical kind of road, and elsewhere I saw that road would require 4WD because it is in pretty nasty shape.   It is so difficult to get a good read on this stuff.

My last trip was september 2024.  After that, work, family schedules, and famously a snapped fibula took away other trips (I generally go ice out and fall).  We had just moved into our new house and I took that 09/24 trip.

I just now discovered....to my unending shame....that i never emptied and cleaned my food barrel.  So all remaining food is right where I left it.  Groooossssss.    Also never cleaned up my gravity filter, chucked that because I am not sure there's coming back from the microbial civilisation that was growing in that thing.   Sigh.  My only excuse is we had moved two weeks prior to that trip, must have been preoccupied with that.  Still......ugh.

Whenever I see this loop come up, I find that nobody ever talks about going through Whitebirch and Waterclear to get to Club, and instead opt for Mink.  I understand that, there's an extra couple of portages involved, but those are two very nice lakes, they don't see quite as much traffic as Mink, and if you have a little extra time and energy, to me worth it.

Going with announcement on April 27th for start on May 2nd.

That would be the nightmare scenario, Barry!  I returned to my car in the Adirondacks after a three day trip and there was mouse poop all over the car.  There were a couple snacks in there, but they were untouched.  It was like Animal House had a frat party and the exclusive activity was to see who could drop the most.  Realized later that they had come in through the cabin air intake, so I put some grated metal in front of that, but....that was a real "I don't want to touch my own car" drive home. A little mouse poop here or there doesn't bother me, but....the volume...it was amazing.  

As for the key fob, I never take it on the canoe trip with me, because I just know if I do I'll either destroy it or it will somehow end up at the bottom of the lake.  Instead, I have a sneaky little hiding place on my car where I stow it.  

I knew i should have gone with the picture when it was almost dark!  That is Booth.

Great idea for a subforum.  I know I really appreciated having my tires pumped up a bit by encouragement from this community during rehab, and particularly for those who took the time to offer up some suitable routes for my planned return to the park for an ice out trip.  Very grateful. I'm certain there are lots of folks here who can offer the benefit of their experience with injury, rehab, and return. 

I've whined enough about my busted fibula, so we don't need to rehash that, but I'll show a pic.  My break was pretty clean, and the "kit" used in surgery is pretty standard stuff.  Still, it surprised me just how much hardware ended up in there.  Busted is on the right, bionically repaired is on the left.  So, here it is: 

It would seem not familiar enough though, since I blew the 50-50 guess!!   I went through that area in 2016 with my son.  It was a really lovely area, but it is a heck of a drive from home.  I'd be surprised if I visited that area again.  

Thought I would update.  The fibula is coming along pretty well.  Five months later, keeping up with the physical therapy (now every other week) and the associated exercises/stretches.  I think both ankles/lower legs are stronger than they've ever been.  The PT now focuses on strength and stability more than flexibility.  Still hurts to do the exercises, that's just kind of the way it goes. This injury doesn't heal without pain. You get used to it.  Normal walking I'm fine, though after awhile it'll start to hurt a bit.  Have even been on snowshoes a few times briefly this winter.  I am targeting March 14th to stop wearing the compression socks, that'll be 6 months since injury.  Swelling is about 90-95% gone at this point.  I was told the swelling would be the last thing to go, and that stairs would be the last thing to feel comfortable with.  True in both cases.

I should be good to go for an ice out trip, and again, I thank everyone for the suggested routes.  I'm just a little nervous about it, need to keep it simple, and I think each step I take, each day there, and completing the trip....I'll feel a lot better about it.  

A word about compression socks.  If you have to wear them, some Gold Bond in there can help with the itching.  Didn't wear a normal sock over the compression sock until winter came and I kind of had to.  That's like wearing double compression socks.  Most of the time it is ok, but late at night, sometimes the itching is incredible, I succumb to temptation, and just fingernail scratch the ever-living H out of my lower leg.  It is at once incredibly satisfying...and intensely unsatisfying...because no amount of scratching will make that itching go away. Believe me, I have tried.  I scratch like there is no tomorrow, almost to the point of tears because it just keeps itching.  I can't believe I've never drawn blood, but it isn't for lack of effort.  Anyway, Gold Bond or something along those lines is more helpful than you'd