Our first excursion is a 2.4km (1.49 MILES!) portage to Kibbee Lake. This is where you find out how badly you want to do this trip. Because we are a group, we are allowed to 'fudge' a bit on the 60lb. weight restriction per canoe. Single canoers have their loaded canoes weighted and anything beyond 60lbs. has to be carried. We all must wear a pack of some sort--though not nearly as heavy as they could be--as well as pull the canoes over the portage trail. I can tell you, our canoes weight well over 60lbs. loaded. So the first portage starts out uphill and does not let up for quite a ways and the trail is at times very bumpy from large (foot sized) embedded rocks and tree roots though hardly any potholes or ruts. We all sweat profusely (sweat is running/dripping off me and I should have brought a sweat rag of some sort!) but stop frequently along the way to catch our breath. I wore the top Diana made for me and it was perfect! Some of us take our shirts off. ; ) It's kind of like a Circuit class with the exertion and recovery cycle we go through.