This is the episode which preceded the Otter Adventure.
August 3-8, 1998--Day 1: Mark has been home for several hours! Cherry serves him more coffee from the restaurant-style coffeepot as Mark jabbers about taking Rusty fishing if he gets caught up on his writing. As Mark eats chicken and chatters, Rusty answers the telephone. It's (surprise!) Mark's editor, Bill Ellis. Cherry is dismayed, sensing that Mark may be leaving on another lengthy trip in moments. However, Bill asks Cherry to go on an all-women canoe trip in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in northern Minnesota. Cherry excitedly asks Mark for permission. Mark seems overjoyed that Cherry will be leaving Lost Forest and calls Bill Ellis to give his blessing. In the office of Mr. Ellis is none other than Miss Kelly Welly, the "Woods and Wildlife" photographer who has been trying to bag Mark for years.
August 10-15--Day 1: Bill Ellis tells Kelly that Mark has just returned from a gulf coast report on sea turtles. When Kelly asks if she may take her vacation, Bill quickly agrees, adding that she may cover the Boat Show on her return. Kelly returns to her apartment and begins muttering about Mark getting all the good stories. Kelly believes that Mark, not Cherry, will be on the Boundary Waters Canoe Trip. In a series of increasingly casual and undressed poses, Kelly wonders how married life is agreeing with Mark and she decides to visit him for "a couple of weeks" (our expected time frame for this episode?) during his big canoe trip. Kelly tells someone via telephone that she is with Woods and Wildlife magazine and obtains permission to join the canoe trip. Exactly who she is talking to is a mystery. Mark and Cherry go on another picnic, Mark holding his sandwich in that same awkward pose he used on last episode's picnic. He tells Cherry that there are at least 36500 lakes in the BWCA.
August 17-22--Day 2: Cherry flies to Minneapolis, and while looking for her charter connection, runs into Kelly. The girls instantly begin needling each other, Kelly noting that the magazine must want an "amateur" as well as a professional like herself on the assignment. Cherry hopes aloud that Kelly knows how to paddle a canoe, as it isn't as easy as it appears. Kelly responds that Mark taught her to paddle a canoe and "a lot of other things" about the outdoors before marrying Cherry. The girls arrive at the BWCA and meet the trip leader, none other than our own BABS (!!!) of the famous Mark Trail Radio Theatre (check out the link below!). Jack Elrod did a very good likeness of Babs, by the way (hmmm--think he's sweet on her?). Babs assigns Kelly and Cherry to the same canoe, to the great disgust of Cherry.
August 24-29--Day 2: The girls begin the trip; Kelly is unspeakably bored, and Cherry lectures her about how she could write an article about nothing more than the beautiful scenery. Kelly has one of those cameras with the impossibly short strap, just like Mark had. She insists that they photograph a baby moose. Momma moose is not amused, and attacks. Fortunately the moose loses interest as the ladies move off. Babs lectures Kelly and Cherry on the merits of avoiding animals.
August 31-September 5--Day 2: Kelly decides to attract a bear to camp so she can get some exciting photographs with her camera with the absurdly short strap. As everyone sleeps, she rises and opens the food container. After spreading bacon all over the camp, a bear (looks suspiciously like a grizzly--in the BWCA?? What th'?!) quickly gets the scent and comes to camp, scaring the bejeebers out of Kelly, who screams and wakes Cherry.
September 7-12--Day 2: Kelly is still screaming as the bear gallops towards her. Cherry says, "That sounds like Kelly!" As Kelly streaks off into the distance with the bear still chasing her, Babs says, "What are we going to DO!?" Cherry yells at Kelly to climb the tree as the bear bears down! Cherry bangs on pots and pans to frighten off the bear. As Kelly comes down from the tree, Cherry asks her why she was out of the tent with her camera. Kelly replies that she saw the bear breaking into the food and wanted to get a picture.
September 14-19--Day 3: As Day 3 dawns, the canoe party continues their adventure and arrive at their first portage as Kelly mutters about having given up two weeks of vacation for this. As the group nears a small landing, an airplane is about to land on the lake. Kelly complains about not having enough good photographs, and Cherry drily notes that the pictures of the bear should do. The ladies stop for lunch. I know I should avoid excessive editorializing, but I have a bad feeling about that airplane. Kelly decides to look around the area. Babs warns her that the party will be leaving soon. After complaining about all the insects, Kelly spots a wolf.
September 21-26--Day 3: Kelly follows the wolf until she spots the plane we saw earlier, which has landed on the lake at an apparent fishing camp. She decides to see if any celebrities are there and notes that it's mighty quiet for a fishing camp. A man and woman are unloading wrapped packages from the plane. The man has a scruffy beard and hair hanging over his collar. Kelly wonders what they're unloading--it can't be food, for the packages are uniform--hmm. The couple finish unloading, noting that a buyer coming the next day will pay a million dollars for the cargo. The man tells the woman to make sure the shed door is locked. As they leave Kelly peeks through the window at the packages in clear view. She has an idea what the packages may contain. The bearded man sneaks up behind Kelly and grabs her, asking her WHO she is and WHAT she's doing there! Kelly says she can explain and the man says she's in a lot of trouble as he twists her arm and puts a choke hold on her. Kelly, being Kelly, tells the "big jerk" to let go of her! The big jerk grabs Kelly by her shirt collar and gives her a good shaking. Kelly insists she's lost, but the big jerk says, "You're lying!"
September 28-October 2--Day 3: The big jerk shoves Kelly into the cabin. Mrs. Big Jerk wants to know who she is. Kelly again refers to the "big jerk," as she explains that she is on a canoe trip. The canoe party wonders where Kelly is. Cherry tells Babs she will wait behind for her and catch up to the group later. Babs, knowing that Cherry has good outdoor skills, reluctantly agrees. Cherry decides to look around the area for Kelly and finds the fishing camp. She knocks at the door and asks the Bad Couple if they've seen her friend, Kelly.
October 5-9--Day 3: Mrs. Jerk says she hasn't seen Kelly and asks Cherry in for coffee. Cherry obviously smells a rat for despite her love for the bean, she declines, prefacing her reply with an "Uh." She begins talking to herself and decides that Kelly is in the cabin, for she spied Kelly's camera. Going around to the rear of the cabin she peeks in a window and spies Kelly herself, tied up and gagged. Trying the window, she finds it unlocked.
October 12-17--Day 3: Cherry unties Kelly and they escape from the cabin despite Kelly's insistence on getting her camera. They head for the canoe. Mr. and Mrs. Jerk realize what has happened under their noses in the one room cabin and dive at them with their plane.
October 19-24--Day 3: The plane buzzes the ladies and they dive into the drink. There's a beaver lodge near by. The drug smugglers continue to search for the girls from the air. Cherry orders Kelly to dive and follow her. Kelly says, "What?!" Cherry dives and enters a beaver den as a submerged beaver eyes her with a genuine "What th'" look on its face. As Kelly and Cherry hide inside the lodge, the smugglers land. Mr. Jerk says he doesn't see them, but Mrs. Jerk, holding a rifle, says they have to be somewhere in the area. Mr. Jerk is about to destroy the canoe, but Mrs. Jerk tells him to leave it alone; it's their only way out of the area, and the girls are likely to come back to it. They leave and Cherry and Kelly exit the beaver lodge. They hop into the canoe and paddle off as the smugglers return in their plane and begin to dive. One of the smugglers tells the other to get the rifle ready.
October 26-31--Day 3: The smugglers shoot at the ladies. Cherry and Kelly reach shore and search for cover as the smugglers land a second time. The girls look like twins with their bedraggled hair. Kelly (I think) spots a cave and thinks it's a good hiding spot. Does anyone suspect a bear could be entering the picture? Cherry spots the bear sleeping as the girls enter the cave, noting that the resident may be able to help them out of their current situation. The smugglers follow the footprints to the cave and prepare to enter, holding their rifles at the ready. Cherry and Kelly are outside the cave, above the entrance. Mr. Jerk enters the cave and decides to fire his rifle. The bear is awake!
November 2-7--Day 3: The bear knocks down the smuggler with just one punch. The smuggler beats a hasty retreat with the bear in pursuit as Cherry sneaks up and grabs his rifle. The smuggler leaps at a tree with the bear just behind. Cherry captures Mrs. Jerk. Babs and party return, having seen the plane diving at Cherry and Kelly. Babs notified the rangers who arrive and haul off the smugglers. Kelly tells the head ranger she's afraid to be alone because there may be more smugglers. She asks him to join the canoe party. He agrees. Kelly asks the handsome ranger his name and what kind of a policeman he is. The ranger's name is Buck. Kelly asks him to go swimming with her, since she's a mess from life in the beaver lodge. We are left with the impression that she'd like to see Buck naked! Buck demurely declines.
November 9-14--Day 3 to Day 4: Kelly strips down to a very revealing bikini and again asks Buck to come swimming, and he declines shakily. Cherry tells Babs she gives Kelly three minutes before she starts yelling for help. Kelly makes an impossible dive from a rock as Babs notes that Cherry must know Kelly well. Cherry says, "Just say she's predictable." Sure enough, as Cherry counts down to zero Kelly yells to Buck for help and that she has a cramp. Buck tears off his clothes and shouts that he's coming. He quickly reaches Kelly and brings her to shallow water, but Kelly says she still feels weak. Later, Kelly thanks Buck again for saving her, saying how she's going to mention this in her article. Buck says he can't wait to tell his wife! A shocked Kelly tells Buck to give his wife her regards. Next morning (Day 4) Buck sees the ranger plane landing and tells the girls to enjoy the rest of their trip.
November 16-19--Day 4: Kelly asks Cherry to take her picture, noting that Mark will be jealous that Kelly "captured" the drug smugglers. Cherry tells Kelly to back up as she lines up the shot and then gives Ms. Welly a shove into the lake! Babs and Cherry chat as the adventure nears its end. Cherry wishes everyone could experience the Boundary Waters. Although the trip was supposed to last about two weeks, only 4 days have passed since Mark's editor called Cherry, inviting her to join the canoe expedition.