There are ways to improve your odds for catching fish on a Boundary Waters canoe camping trip.  I'll share with you five sure fire ways to experience success on your BWCA canoe trip.

     Make sure the Boundary Waters lake you are fishing in has the type of fish in it you are trying to catch.  There's no bigger waste of time than jigging for walleye when you're on a lake that doesn't contain walleye.  The MN DNR has a listing of most of the lakes in the BWCA and what type of fish are in them.  Make sure you're using the right technique to catch fish on the right lake.

     When you're on a Boundary Waters fishing trip make sure you bring along a good variety of lures and plenty of them.  There's nothing more depressing than losing the hot lure and not having a replacement one in your tackle box.   You'll no doubt lose a lure or two by getting them snagged on logs or rocks so bring along plenty of them so you don't find yourself without the one lure that was working the best.

     Before you head into the wilderness waters of the BWCA make sure you have good line on your reel.  Replace old fishing line with new 8-10 pound test and plenty of it.  Remember you'll get snags and tangles and you want to have enough line even if you have to cut it a couple of times.

     Go through the hassle of bringing along live bait.  Chances are you'll be able to catch plenty of fish in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness without live bait but why take the chance?  You can increase your chance of catching fish by having a good variety of bait for the fish to choose from.

     Lastly, spend plenty of time fishing while you're on your Boundary Waters canoe trip.  If you're constantly paddling from campsite to campsite then you won't have as much time to fish.  You'll lower your odds for catching fish if you don't spend enough time fishing.  Plan to set up a base camp and spend the majority of your time with your line in the water.

     Consider these five BWCA fishing tips when you're planning your next Boundary Waters Canoe camping trip.  You'll improve your odds of catching fish and of enjoying a fresh meal of fish while on your Boundary Waters fishing trip.

     Yesterday we received a letter from the USFS outlining changes made to Boundary Waters entry point quotas and campsites.  According to the Forest Service 114 campsites were affected by the fire.  Not all of those received equal fire damage and out of those only 75 campsites will be closed at the beginning of the 2012 season. 

     The Forest service will open the BWCAW campsites when the sites are safe and rehabilitated.  Some campsites just need some snags removed while others need attention to prevent erosion.  The USFS said, "Forest Service crews will be opening most campsites early in the 2012 season."

     The were 23 lakes with campsites that were affected and of course none of these were near the Gunflint Trail.  The lakes included are, One, Two, Three, Four, Hudson, Insula, Horseshoe, Brewis, North Wilder, South Wilder, Harbor, Clearwater, Gull, Pietro, Hudson Pond, Baskatong, Bog, Isabella Lake, Isabella River, Kawashong, Quadga and Rice.  The reductions range from 1 campsite removed up to 13 on Insula. 

     In order to prevent crowding in this area of the Boundary Waters the USFS has reduced quotas for entry point lakes.  According to their document there will be no quota for Little Isabella River, Bog Lake or Island River and the Pow Wow Hiking Trail is closed until further notice.   Isabella Lake will have 1 permit a day as will Snake River.  All of these areas have restrictions regarding day use and directions which one may go so be sure to check with an outfitter or the USFS before traveling.  Lake One lost 4 permits a day but gained 2 permits called Lake One Restricted. 

     The Lake One Restricted will be in place until the other four permits are added to the regular Lake One quota.  Folks entering the BWCA with the restricted permit will not be allowed to camp on Lake One, Two, Three, Four or Hudson at any time.  This isn't a problem for people who want to travel on the fist and last day of their canoe trip.

     On the Gunflint Trail we're thankful to have all of our entry point permit quotas in place and campsites ready for use.  We can start reserving BWCA permits on January 25th so give us a call 1-888-CANOEIT or send us an email to get yours reserved.

     With the exception of a few of the big parts of the big lakes the Boundary Waters on the Gunflint Trail are frozen.  Saganaga and Gunflint Lake still have some open water due to windy, warmer weather but they too will freeze over completely very soon.

     Visitors to the BWCA must now use methods other than paddling to travel the wilderness area.  Snowshoes are a popular choice as are cross-country skis depending upon the terrain.  Travel by dogsled allows you to cover alot of territory and no matter how you get around it's a wonderful time to explore the BWCA.

     Here's hoping you'll discover the frozen lakes of the Boundary Waters this winter.

     Have you ever spent 77 consecutive days in a canoe? A few friends and I spent our summer between the mesh seat and the portage pads of a couple of Wenonah Champlains.
     Wenonah makes awesome canoes and the Champlain was nothing but impressive.  It's the perfect canoe for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and the perfect canoe for any trip! It is obvious that Wenonah got it right when they designed this boat. It has plenty of room for packs, gear, fishing tackle, and even a duffer (or two). The canoe tracked like a dream across the big water of Lake of the Woods and Lake Winnipeg. In the white water on the Hayes and God's Rivers in Northern Manitoba it did exceptionally well! Even though the canoe measures at about 18 feet, it paddles like a 16 footer in the rapids. Easy to maneuver around obstacles and keep pointed down river.
     Voyageur Canoe Outfitters   outfits their BWCA canoe camping trips with Minnesota Made Wenonah canoes.  You can test out the Champlain on your next Boundary Waters or Quetico Park adventure with Voyageur Canoe Outfitters.

Name: Andrew Spaeth
City: Truckee
State: California
Voyage: Boundary Waters Canoe Trip

     A forecast for sunshine and 50's for Thanksgiving Day on the Gunflint Trail.  With the snow melting and warm temperatures it feels more like Easter than Thanksgiving.  The temperatures will cool off soon so we'll just enjoy the nice weather while it's here.

     Thanksgiving is a reminder for us to be thankful for everything we have.  We at Voyageur are very thankful for all of our past guests and readers of our blogs.  We thoroughly enjoy outfitting canoe groups into the Boundary Waters and Quetico Park.  We love to introduce people to the wilderness waters and share our love of the Gunflint Trail.  We are thankful for your support that allows us to live year round in this magical place next to the BWCA.

     We hope you and your loved ones have a wonderful Thanksgiving.  Thanks to you, we'll be enjoying ours at the end of the Gunflint Trail.

     You can help slow the spread of invasive species in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and surrounding areas.  There are a number of things you can do and you can encourage others to do the same as well.  Spotted Knapweed is one of the invasive species the Cook County Invasive Committee hopes to control with their newly installed boot brushes.

     Check out the Boundary Waters Blog for more information about the boot brush stations in Cook County.

     Nothing gives us greater satisfaction than reading about our guests positive experinces in the wilderness canoe country.  We take great pride in offering the best service and quality there is in canoe trip outfitting in the Boundary Waters canoe Area Wilderness.  At Voyageur Canoe Outfitters we know your time is important and that's why we want to make the best of it when you're depending upon us for a wonderful BWCA canoe camping trip.
     Want to share your experience?  Then please do so on this blog or on Trip Advisor.  We'd be very appreciative and would love hearing all about your trip.

     The last thing any canoe country enthusiast wants is more people in the wilderness.  HR 1505 could put not only more people into the widlerness but possibly towers, buildings, roads and basically whatever else they wanted there.  Would it ruin the character of the BWCA? Let's just say HR 1505 doesn't make any sense in the border country where we reside.
     This is a time for people to get involved and contact their representatives in congress.  The reasons for HR 1505 may make sense for the border country down south but it certainly doesn't make sense for the wilderness areas along the border of Canada.  
    
     I've posted an excerpt from this full article for you to ponder. 

The stated reasons for HR 1505 are:

1. Reason given: To stop the turf war between federal agencies. The Forest Service (USFS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) don’t like DHS on their land. Hmmm. Maybe they have good reasons to keep DHS off their land.

Solution A: Let the county sheriff decide who comes into his county, as according to the US Constitution. This is Rehberg’s proposed amendment.

Solution B: Return all federally confiscated land back to the states. This should be done anyway.

The irony is DHS-CBP never asked for power to overrule land managers or ignore environmental laws. Last spring the Government Accountability Office found,

“Most agents reported that land management laws have had no effect on Border Patrol’s overall measure of border security.”

2. Reason given: Drug growers are hiding in our forests.

Solution A: Declare state sovereignty over federal drug laws. We don’t need feds coming into Montana enforcing federal laws that conflict with Montana laws.

Solution B: Stop America’s War on Drugs.

America’s War on Drugs is a scam. It keeps the price of drugs high by limiting supply, so drug cartels and our CIA can make money selling drugs. It hires police to catch pot growers and smokers who overflow our prisons. But wealthy drug dealers who pay off the police have a free run. The solution is not to give DHS control over our land. The solution is to stop the War on Drugs.

Solution C: Rather than a War on Drugs, how about a massive information campaign in media and schools telling people how bad drugs are? Think we can’t do it? Why did we make Joe Camel illegal? Because Joe Camel proved good advertising will influence people’s behavior. Look at what the government has done to influence people to “believe” in global warming. With massive spending, media hype, and school indoctination they have accomplished a virtual miracle in causing people to believe in global warming when no evidence exists. This proves it would be easy to get most of our population to give up drugs, and this would be far cheaper and more effective than the War on Drugs.

Solution D: Let DHS prove themselves on our southern border first.

Virtually all drugs used in America come across our southern border and DHS has not been able to stop it. So why should we allow DHS to control non-existent drug traffic over our northern border when they can’t stop the problem where it exists?

The National Drug Intelligence Center, a branch of the U.S. Department of Justice, recently released a document entitled the “National Drug Threat Assessment 2011”. The Assessment’s Executive Summary states

The illicit trafficking and abuse of drugs present a challenging, dynamic threat to the United States. Overall demand is rising, largely supplied by illicit drugs smuggled to U.S. markets by major transnational criminal organizations (TCOs).

Major Mexican-based TCOs continue to solidify their dominance over the wholesale illicit drug trade as they control the movement of most of the foreign-produced drug supply across the U.S. Southwest Border. The estimated economic cost of illicit drug use to society for 2007 was more than $193 billion.”

One of the contributing factors is the high demand for drugs in the United States. This high demand finances the drug cartels, allowing them to spend more and expand their operations.

The Southwest Border remains the primary gateway for moving illicit drugs into the United States. Most illicit drugs available in the United States are smuggled overland across the Southwest Border…”

Despite enhanced detection efforts and better countermeasures, Mexican drug traffickers will continue to build tunnels under the Southwest Border.

That DHS would be involved in controlling drug operations begs the question of what is the role of DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration)? Is DHS is taking over all police powers of the federal government?

3. Reason given: To catch criminals who are hiding in our forests.

Solution A: This is a county sheriff problem. The idea that we need HR 1505 to find Dave Burgert who is hiding somewhere in the mountains is ridiculous. He did not commit a federal crime. Besides, he may be found innocent if he could get a fair trial but he cannot get a fair trial. Finding Burgert has nothing to do with controlling our borders. The Burgert problem may have more to do with corruption in our law enforcement and legal systems that should be investigated by our FBI.

More importantly, using the Burgert example shows the real intent of HR 1505 is to control American citizens.

4. Reason given: To stop illegal aliens from coming into America.

Solution A: Stop all the benefits the illegal’s receive free from the American taxpayer.

Solution B: Elect a president who will get serious about stopping illegal immigration.

Tom DeWeese “E-Verify and the Emerging Surveillance State” says,

The fact is, the U.S. government is not doing its job to secure the border and stop the flood of illegal aliens from rushing across it. Even though Congress passed legislation demanding that a fence be built, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has dragged its feet, deliberately holding up the project.

Moreover, DHS is fighting efforts in local communities to allow police to arrest illegal’s. There is little effort to tighten visa security, or allow law enforcement to track down and deport those who stay here past their allotted time. Those illegal’s caught committing crimes are still allowed to leave, only to easily and surreptitiously return at their will. The border is a sieve. There is no border control – period.

DHS imprisons border guards who actually do their jobs, like stopping an illegal from crossing our border. Our Justice Department sues Arizona for attempting to do the border control job DHS is supposed to do. Does this sound like they are serious about stopping illegal immigration?

Obama recently announced he would allow illegal immigrants to remain in the US so long as they are not caught committing a crime. As a result, our Border Patrol has halted its long-standing routine searching of buses, trains and airports for illegal immigrants at transportation hubs. This routine has long been considered an effective tool for finding illegal immigrants. Now, these border patrol agents spend their days doing crossword puzzles.

Do you see a pattern here? All the claimed reasons for HR 1505 are the result of federal laws or lack of enforcement of our Constitution. Now the feds want another law to supposedly cure the problems they created.

     Our canoe camping guests at Voyageur Canoe Outfitters are loving the fall colors and solitude of the BWCA.  "This is my favorite time of the year to paddle!" exclaims one of our campers.  Of course, there's plenty of reasons to love a fall canoe trip into the BWCAW and one of them is because it's even more of a wilderness with far fewer people out enjoying it.

     I love being the only person on a lake and not seeing anyone else for days.  It's the time of the year when I go out to do a solo trip because I really enjoy the solitude.  I like to swing in my hammock and sit by the lake without any bugs buzzing around.  It's a great time to gaze at stars and sleep beneath them.  Some people get lonely or don't like being in the woods alone but I crave it.   And as I write about it I get even more anxious to get out canoe camping in the Boundary Waters.

     I suggest you come up and enjoy a fall canoe trip with Voyageur.  It doesn't have to be solo and I guess you could come and enjoy the BWCA on day trips and stay in a cabin.  Whatever you do, just don't miss this awesome time of the year in the Boundary Waters or Gunflint Trail.    

     Thanks to the total fire ban being implemented we'll now know any smoke we see or smell is from the Pagami Creek Fire.  Unless it gets down to 22 degrees again then it may be from someone's chimney.  Otherwise open fires of any kind are no longer allowed in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and much of northeastern Minnesota. 

NOTICE TO CAMPERS, HUNTERS, AND OTHER FOREST VISITORS:

Campfires and Open Fires Prohibited on the Superior National Forest  

Despite cold temperatures and frost, fire danger remains high to very high in the state. To reduce the potential for new fire starts, the USDA Forest Service and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources have restricted the use of campfires and open fires in specified areas.  

On the Superior National Forest, as of Friday, September 16, 2011, it is prohibited to build, maintain, or use a fire or campfire, including charcoal fires, wood-burning camp stoves, and charcoal grills anywhere on national forest lands within the boundaries of the Superior National Forest, including the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.  Use of pressurized liquid gas stoves is allowed.

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has issued restrictions on the use of campfires and open fires on private or state-owned lands within the Superior National Forest administrative boundaries, no open burning is allowed including burn barrels, campfires and recreational fires, except that charcoal fires are allowed in a grill or other receptacle designed for such use and associated with a residence, and pressurized gas stoves may be used but must be attended at all times. In addition, no burning permits will be issued, and no use of fireworks is allowed.  Minnesota Parks and Trails facilities that are included in these restrictions are Judge Magney, Cascade River and Temperance River State Parks, Hinsdale Island on Lake Vermilion, Sullivan Lake Campground north of Two Harbors, and any other forest campgrounds, waysides and day use areas within the Superior National Forest boundary.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has issued restrictions for lands outside of the Superior National Forest boundaries as well.  For details, please see:  www.dnr.state.mn.us/forestry/fire/firerating_restrictions.html. 

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the U.S. Forest Service have issued restrictions on campfires in several counties in Northeastern Minnesota. Counties with campfire and open fire restrictions are Cook, Lake, Koochiching, Itasca and northern St. Louis.

On federally owned land in the Superior National Forest (parts of Cook, Lake and St. Louis counties) all open fires and campfires are prohibited except for pressurized liquid gas stoves. – Forest Service restrictions.

On private or state-owned lands within the Superior National Forest administrative boundaries, no open burning is allowed including burn barrels, campfires and recreational fires, except that charcoal fires are allowed in a grill or other receptacle designed for such use and associated with a residence, and pressurized gas stoves may be used but must be attended at all times. In addition, no burning permits will be issued, and no use of fireworks is allowed.  Minnesota Parks and Trails facilities that are included in these restrictions are Judge Magney, Cascade River and Temperance River State Parks, Hinsdale Island on Lake Vermilion, Sullivan Lake Campground north of Two Harbors, and any other forest campgrounds, waysides and day use areas within the Superior National Forest boundary.

For the areas of Cook, Lake and northern St. Louis counties, not within the Superior National Forest, and for Koochiching and Itasca counties, campfires or recreational fires are allowed only in a designated fire receptacle designed for such use and associated with a residence, dwelling, campground, or resort.  In addition, no burning permits will be issued to the general public and no use of fireworks is allowed outside of municipalities.  Special permits and prescribed burning may be allowed.  The portion of St. Louis County covered by these restrictions is north of a line from Silica to Central Lakes to Brimson (with the exact line being the township line between T55N and T56N such that it includes all of T56N).

     There are discussions and debates taking place all over the Midwest about how the USFS has handled the Pagami Creek Fire.  The policy of the USFS is to let a fire burn if it was started by a natural cause and if it is not threatening private property or life.  But should that policy be null and void when the USFS is allowed to purposefully ignite the forest surrounding the natural lightning caused 200 acre fire with the intention of burning more acres?  
 
     The 200 acre Pagami Creek Fire could have been left to burn as the USFS policy states however the USFS made a decision to intervene.  They didn't put the fire out but they did start a bigger fire in order to create a fire break around popular BWCA lakes Lake One and Lake Two.  Also in their plan was to prevent the fire from reaching the populated Fernberg Road.  This disruption of a natural forest fire caused the fire to grow from 200 acres  to over 2000 acres.

     Was the fire forecast predicting strong winds from the south that would put private properties on the Fernberg Road in danger?  Was it necessary to light the small Pagami Creek Fire in order to save a couple of popular canoe routes in the Boundary Waters? Someone in the USFS thought so and signed their name to a burn plan that resulted in one of the biggest forest fires of this century in Minnesota.

     If a canoe outfitter can see a forecast calling for 90 degree temperatures and strong winds from the North then surely an experienced fire expert has access to the same if not better information.  It was unseasonably hot weather that helped spread the Pagami Creek Fire but that weather was in the forecast.  There wasn't rain in any of the forecasts I saw and I questioned the act of a prescribed burn under such conditions. 

     There is no doubt prescribed burns are useful and helpful in preventing the spread of wildfire.  The Gunflint Ranger District has completed many of them since the 1999 Blowdown and these have been successful at protecting private properties.  These have all been done after weeks of careful planning and monitoring of the weather.  None of these prescribed burns have ever gotten out of control.

     If the Pagami Creek Fire is defended by the USFS on the basis of a hands-off, let it burn policy then they should not have ignited the surrounding forest when there were no properties or life in danger.  The additional acreage they lit on fire could very well have been what caused the Pagami Creek Fire to explode.  Had there only been the 200 acres around the lightning strike to worry about when conditions rapidly deteriorated then would the fire have grown to over 100,000 acres in size?

     There is no question forest fires are part of the history of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.  Fires have been suppressed in the BWCA in the past while fires are proven to be wonderful for the forest ecology and are a part of nature.  This all makes sense to me but what doesn't make sense is saying, "We're going to let nature take it's course because it was a lightning strike and we're going to add a couple of thousand acres by starting more fires oursevles.  Doesn't the saying  "You can't have your cake and eat it to." apply to the USFS?  

     I don't know whether or not the USFS should let things burn but I do believe they should make a decision and take responsibility for their actions no matter how the situation turns out.

     The Pagami Creek Fire made a bold move on Monday, September 12th and grew from 11,000 acres to over 60,000 in just one day.  Due to the rapid advance of the fire and lack of moisture in the forecast the USFS has decided to close multiple entry points into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
     While the fire is not in the Gunflint Ranger District there will still be closures for public safety.  Unofficial word is entry points on the west side of the Gunflint Trail such as Poplar and Round will be closed while entry points on the east side of the BWCA remain open.  Saganaga and Seagull Lake only will be open for camping and travel but guests will be required to stay on those main lakes only.  
      While to me it is unfathomable the Pagami Creek Fire will reach the Gunflint Trail the USFS doesn't want to worry about possible evacuations.  Keeping wilderness travelers off of the interior lakes of the BWCA will help firefighters concentrate on their firefighting efforts.  Aircraft will need access to lakes for filling up their water supplies and do not want to worry about canoes in their way.
     When we receive official closures from the USFS we will post them. In the meantime please keep the safety of the firefighters and residents of the north country in your thoughts and prayers.

     The Pagami Creek Fire is prompting entry point and campsite closures in the Boundary Waters near Ely, Minnesota.  Fire activity increased over the weekend due to temperatures in the 80's, low humidity and wind.  The forest is dry and the USFS has issued fire restrictions beginning tomorrow.  Fires will be allowed from 6pm to midnight in the BWCA.

Fire Activity Increases on Pagami Creek Fire Prompting Temporary Closures

Incident: Pagami Creek Fire Wildfire
Released: 1 day ago

Contact: Fire Information 218-365-3177

Fire Activity Increases on Pagami Creek Fire Prompting Temporary Closures

Ely, MN... Unseasonably dry, warm conditions and low relative humidities yesterday allowed the Pagami Creek Fire to burn actively south of the Lakes One and Two area. The burn out operation conducted last weekend was successful in reducing the threat of the fire escaping the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) and threatening the Fernberg corridor to the north.

To provide for public safety the Superior National Forest is temporarily closing the following:

• - As a precautionary measure the campsites on Lakes Two and Three will be closed. Visitors currently in that area will be contacted by public safety crews. Alternatives include returning to Lake One for those leaving the area before Monday. Visitors who will be in the Wilderness beyond Monday are asked to head east into Lake Four or beyond. People intending to visit Lake One are encouraged to find other plans or paddle on the Kawishiwi River.
• - All campsites on Clearwater Lake
• - The portage between Lake Two and Clearwater Lake
• - The portage between Turtle Lake and Clearwater Lake
• - The portage between Camdre Lake and Clearwater Lake
• - The Powwow Trail

Public Safety crews will be contacting BWCAW visitors in affected areas to alert them of any safety concerns.

As the Pagami Creek Fire moves south it is continuing to provide resource management benefits such as preparing seed beds for pine regeneration and decreasing fuels for future wildfires. As the fire burns to the south it is reaching older burned areas. These earlier burns may function like fuel breaks and decrease the likelihood of the fire moving further south.

Paddlers are asked to avoid the fire area.

People throughout northeastern Minnesota have been experiencing smoke from the Pagami Creek Fire. The increase in fire activity means an increase in smoke as well. The location of the smoke will be dependent on wind direction. Anyone with a history of cardiac or respiratory disease should be aware that visitors to the Lakes One, Two and Three area are likely to experience heavy smoke at times.

Persistent warm, dry conditions have raised the fire danger throughout the area. Visitors are reminded to be careful with all fire use and ensure that their campfires doused thoroughly until cool to the touch.

     The USFS is taking advantage of the Pagami Creek Fire to complete a controlled burn in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.  The fire has consumed 130 acres 15 miles east of Ely and just west of Lake One and Lake Two.  A controlled burn will help protect the popular canoe route and homes outside of the BWCA from future wildfires.  If weather conditions cooperate today then they will start the burnout with their crew of over 100 firefighters from combined agencies.

Firefighters plan controlled burn today in BWCAW

Labor Day weekend vacationers in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness might have to adjust their plans today as firefighters seek to contain a wildfire in a popular area.

By: News Tribune staff, Duluth News Tribune

After our family trip to the Minnesota North Shore and a day trip to the Boundary Waters last summer, I was excited to see a Living Social deal at the end of the summer for an everything included Three Day Boundary Waters Canoe Trip, good for one year.
So after consulting with a friend, we decided it would be a great weekend getaway for the husbands and two deals were purchased. What is nice about going through an outfitters, is that they give you everything that you need for your trip, including canoe, tent, sleeping bags, cooking stuff, and even all the meals. You just bring your personal items and fishing poles!

Last Thursday, my friend and I made the 7-hour trip north to the Boundary Waters. The first night is spent in a bunk house at the Outfitters, where they give you instruction on the equipment and how to survive in the Boundary Waters without getting eaten by a bear or losing all your equipment in the middle of a lake.

The next morning, after a hearty breakfast, they headed out for the wilderness. We spent the next 2-1/2 days canoeing, fishing,
cooking over an open fire, playing Camp Cards and reading by flashlight.

We had a little bit of stormy weather, which was not fun. Although we protected all of the food supplies by hanging it in a tree (like we were taught at the Outfitters), there was no sign of a single bear. Or coyote. Or eagle. Or even squirrel. Apparently all the wildlife in the Boundary Waters takes their vacation in August. Including the fish. My friend caught 4 fish the whole time. Me, I caught none. Zero. Zilch. Nada.

We did see some incredible sunsets though.
It was a great weekend of male bonding. We learned a lot and would definitely do it again.

The people at Voyageur couldn't have been better and we would definitely go back to them again.

Name: Carl
City: Chaska
State: MN
Voyage: Boundary Waters Canoe Trip

     We know kids these days don't spend enough time in the great outdoors. Soon they will get even less when school starts back up.  Why not give them some time to play and take advantage of all of the benefits of outside play by bringing them to the BWCA?
 
     The Boundary Waters provides a great place for kids to use their imagination.  Yesterday my son and his friends were pretending they were Rescue Swimmers as they jumped off of rocks and swam to a small island in the BWCA.  Pine cones have a number of uses for a child with an imagination as do sticks and other items found in the woods.  Creativity explodes while kids are in the BWCA.

     Kids learn self-discipline and enhance their problem-solving skills by spending time outside.  There are so many things to learn and opportunities to grow while canoe camping in the wilderness.  It's a great place to bond as a family before the busy school year starts back up.  Give your children and yourself a lasting gift this year and come on up to the Boundary Waters today.

     The Voyageur Hudson Bay Expedition didn't move much on the 16th of July.  I'm wondering if they're experiencing a heat wave like we are on the Gunflint Trail and in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area?  If so, then I hope they are spending some time cooling off in the wilderness waters.

     Maybe they are spending their time fishing to supplement the food donated by Jack Links and Richmoor Foods for their expedition? We'll have to wait and see.

Voyageur Hudson Bay Expedition on July 16th

Share your Adventures with SpotAdventures

     There's more than one great entry point into the Boundary Waters accessed from traveling the Gunflint Trail.  Most of the BWCA entry points are found by traveling down a gravel road for a mile or two but there is one where the parking lot is just off of the Gunflint Trail.
     Larch Creek, Entry Point 80 into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is a great place to begin your BWCA canoe camping adventure.  It's perfect for a day trip or a multiple night wilderness camping trip.  You can choose to do a base camp on Larch Lake and come back out the same way or paddle in through the Creek and come out through Saganaga Lake or Gunflint Lake via the Granite River.
     Larch Creek is a little bit different than your typical entry points into the Boundary Waters. It's a narrow, winding creek surrounded by Larch trees and tall reeds.  The creek is quite shallow and there are numerous beaver dams along the way.  Paddlers must be prepared to get out of their canoe to make it over the beaver dams and should plan on getting their feet wet as with any other time you get into and out of a canoe. 
     Larch Lake was affected by the Ham Lake Fire in 2007 so there is new growth of jack pines everywhere.  There are some older trees along the lakeshore and quite a few at the island campsite.  The island campsite is like an oasis in a desert and it's an absolutely perfect BWCA campsite.  The other campsites on Larch are a little grown over but the one in the back bay is nice too.
     If you feel like traveling and camping at a different site then you'll head to the Granite River.  The River flows north to Saganaga but the only place you'll find much current is at the rapids and there are portages around those.  It's just as easy to paddle upstream as it is to paddle downstream.  It's farther to travel out to Saganaga so if you want more paddling then north is the direction to go and if you want less paddling and portaging you can travel south to Gunflint Lake.
     Larch Entry Point is a great Boundary Waters Route for anyone but especially for those without much canoe camping experience.  If you don't have much time then it's also a good entry point into the BWCA because you can be into the BWCA in minutes and camping in no time.  The only time Larch isn't a good Boundary Waters route is when the creek is too low to navigate.  If it's been really dry for a long time then the water levels can make the creek almost impassible.  
     Any other time Larch is a great place to enjoy the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.       


View Boundary Waters Route Larch Creek in a larger map

     The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness has been in the news lately.  They say, "Bad news is better than no news." but they also say, "No news is good news."  I don't understand or agree with either of these statements but the BWCA is in the news.

     Last Thursday night around 7pm a son left a campsite where he, his brother and his father were camping.  He paddled away from camp to go fishing for awhile but he never returned.  He wasn't wearing a life vest and maybe if he had he'd still be alive today.  We'll never know because since Thursday his body has sat at the bottom of Swan Lake in over 80 feet of water.  Recovery efforts have not been successful due to the location and weather.  I imagine they will be able to retrieve his body or it will eventually float to the surface.  But the life in his body is gone and no amount of time or effort to retrieve his body will bring it back.  Tonight it will be a full week since he sunk to the bottom of the wilderness lake.  Even if the life jacket wouldn't have saved his life it would have made recovering his body alot easier and it would have made things a little less painful for his family and loved ones.  Please wear your life vest, it only works if you wear it.

     On Monday a small fire on Gaskin Lake was reported by a group camping in the Boundary Waters.  It's a small fire on a peninsula that isn't expected to grow in size and the USFS is keeping an eye on it.  Similar to the small, cigar shaped fire back in 2007 that was expected to burn out into the wilderness never to be seen again.  Only Mother Nature had other ideas and that was the start of the Ham Lake Fire.  Structures were burned to the ground and people's homes and lives were disrupted and changed forever. 

     One person was responsible for the Ham Lake Fire.  An individual who was careless with his campfire.  Something many of us have been at one time or another.  Maybe we've thrown paper on a fire, left the fire from breakfast smoldering while going out fishing during the daytime or not made sure the coals were cool.  Then "Poof" that's the time a major wildfire starts and we're responsible.  It could happen to any of us and maybe the Gaskin Lake Fire was from a lightning strike, then again, maybe not.  Being responsible for a wildfire is a huge burden to bear and the person who started the Ham Lake Fire couldn't handle it and took his life.   Be careful with fire folks.

     I don't want to read about the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in the news unless it's a report of a great canoe camping trip.  I don't want to read about you in the newspaper unless it's because of some great achievement.  The BWCA is a great place let's keep things positive by using caution with fire and always wearing your life vest.

     The Quetico Park has had their share of fires already this summer, now it's the Boundary Waters turn.

The Gunflint District received information on a wildfire in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness on Monday night, June 13, 2011. The fire is located on a small peninsula on the southwest end of Gaskin Lake where it was first detected by campers at about 8:00 in the evening.

Fire personnel completed a reconnaissance flight early Tuesday morning to determine the agency’s response to the fire. According to the Forest Service the fire is currently about three acres in size and smoldering in a mix of white pine cedar and hardwoods and is not expanding in size. Wind conditions for the next few days are expected to be toward Gaskin Lake and as a result the fire is not expected to enlarge significantly.

The fire management response will be to monitor the fire and not take any direct action. There is one aircraft in the area today and the pilot will be routinely monitoring the fire. There is also a wilderness crew on Gaskin Lake to talk to wilderness visitors and provide a surface level review of the fire. The Forest Service says, “Our response could change if conditions warrant.”

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