Oh my wilderness - part 2

After wandering up the Echo Trail I found myself spending the night right on the shore of Nils Lake. This followed my failing to take the advice that Fenske Lake Campground is always full of boaters. At least it did not cost anything and was rather comfortable.
I was up by 8 and bound for Ely hitting Zups Grocery for some food and then the city park where I cooked up eggs and Canadian bacon.
At 10 most of the town propieters open for business.
I seek out a yoke for my Mad River Escape 15 to no avail at Piragis. I need to be creative now. I visit the hardware stores in town to pick up some hardware for an improvised yoke. I then get waylaid looking at Boys' Life at an antique shop and other stores before I eventually buy a cooking pot at Canadian Border Outfitters and head up the to the Moose River entry point on the Echo Trail.
I think I arrive at 4:30 but it takes me until almost 6 until I am on the water. This delay is mostly due to never having put together the Escape 15 (it's a folding canoe). Once out on the river I have a race with time.
Sunlight disperses after the 3rd portage. I get out my headlamp and paddle aimlessly down the river. Eventually I make it to a portion where I hear rushing water. This is not on the map and I cannot see where it is. Beavers are all around. I retrace my path to check if I missed a turn. I did not.
Out on the river, which had no solid banks I could see, I wandered about in the dark until I decided I would tether the canoe to into a convenient "beaver slip" to spend the night. My waterproof bivy bag came in handy as I attempted to get some rest in the bow of the canoe.