Part 2 of my solo French River journey turned out to be the most physically and mentally demanding stretch of the entire loop. I entered a narrow beaver creek believing there was just a single pullover between me and the next lake, but what followed was hours of dragging, lifting, climbing over dams, bushwhacking through tangled shorelines, and pushing my canoe through water that barely existed. More than once I considered turning back, yet the stubborn part of me kept inching forward. This chapter captures the raw, unfiltered reality of backcountry travel—the frustration, the fatigue, and the small victories that keep you going when the wilderness tests every ounce of resolve you have.