One thing I love about the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is when it is compared to other outdoor recreation opportunities a person doesn't have to be overly brave or experienced to enjoy it. There are some very beautiful places to visit around the world but many of them aren't forgiving when it comes to human error or the wrath of Mother Nature.
Take for example a local from Grand Marais who is planning a trip to Mt. McKinley. His outdoor adventure will find him attempting to summit during the winter when there's only four hours of daylight and possibly minus fifty degree weather. Only sixteen people have summited in the winter and six have died trying.
Dangers exist around every corner in some forms of outdoor recreation. Avalanches, falling in an ice crevasse, slipping off a mountain into oblivion, freezing to death in a winter storm, skiing at a high speed into a tree are all ways to end a vacation quickly.
Even in places where one would think they were relatively safe there exists the possibility of becoming the next meal for an animal. Specifically a polar bear or grizzly bear that likes the taste of human and may roam a regular campground next to a highway. Our black bears in Minnesota are like big raccoons that get into our food or garbage but don't prey on humans.
While some folks may think weather in the BWCA can be questionable the temperatures really don't vary much during the summer paddling months. It may get down into the 50's at night and up into the 90's during the daytime but generally the temperatures are in the 60's and 70's and it's quite pleasant.
Then there are the dangers that lurk beneath the canoe. Luckily in the canoe country of Minnesota we don't have hippos, piranhas, sharks or other people eating animals to worry about if we capsize. Sadly for a 35-year old kayaking the Lukuga River in the Congo he didn't even capsize but was still plucked from his kayak by a crocodile never to be seen again. I like knowing what's beneath me when I'm canoeing isn't going to come up and eat me. I might be surprised to see an otter, beaver, loon or snapping turtle but I can't picture any of them pulling me into the water to eat me.
Bugs are a big concern for many Boundary Waters canoe campers. While we do have mosquitos and black flies I don't think they are that bad. I've been to the Everglades when my arm turned instantly black with mosquitos the second I got out of my car. I've been to places where upon returning to the US they won't let you give blood because you've visited that country in the past year. We've never had a case of Malaria or West Nile Virus in the BWCA.
While no outdoor recreational activity is considered safe and there's risk involved in everything we do I like to think the Boundary Waters is a better option than other wilderness trips. You won't find poisonous snakes or spiders, petty thieves hiding in the bushes or the need for expert wilderness skills. A little common sense, a focus on safety and wearing a lifevest makes the BWCA a good bet for a safe return. I think I'll keep paddling the canoe country of Minnesota and if I'm feeling brave enough to paddle in the Congo or summit Mt. McKinley in the winter then I'll make sure my funeral plans are arranged.
was recently plucked from his kayak in the Lukuga River in Congo by a crocodile. don't leave much for error
Take for example a local from Grand Marais who is planning a trip to Mt. McKinley. His outdoor adventure will find him attempting to summit during the winter when there's only four hours of daylight and possibly minus fifty degree weather. Only sixteen people have summited in the winter and six have died trying.
Dangers exist around every corner in some forms of outdoor recreation. Avalanches, falling in an ice crevasse, slipping off a mountain into oblivion, freezing to death in a winter storm, skiing at a high speed into a tree are all ways to end a vacation quickly.
Even in places where one would think they were relatively safe there exists the possibility of becoming the next meal for an animal. Specifically a polar bear or grizzly bear that likes the taste of human and may roam a regular campground next to a highway. Our black bears in Minnesota are like big raccoons that get into our food or garbage but don't prey on humans.
While some folks may think weather in the BWCA can be questionable the temperatures really don't vary much during the summer paddling months. It may get down into the 50's at night and up into the 90's during the daytime but generally the temperatures are in the 60's and 70's and it's quite pleasant.
Then there are the dangers that lurk beneath the canoe. Luckily in the canoe country of Minnesota we don't have hippos, piranhas, sharks or other people eating animals to worry about if we capsize. Sadly for a 35-year old kayaking the Lukuga River in the Congo he didn't even capsize but was still plucked from his kayak by a crocodile never to be seen again. I like knowing what's beneath me when I'm canoeing isn't going to come up and eat me. I might be surprised to see an otter, beaver, loon or snapping turtle but I can't picture any of them pulling me into the water to eat me.
Bugs are a big concern for many Boundary Waters canoe campers. While we do have mosquitos and black flies I don't think they are that bad. I've been to the Everglades when my arm turned instantly black with mosquitos the second I got out of my car. I've been to places where upon returning to the US they won't let you give blood because you've visited that country in the past year. We've never had a case of Malaria or West Nile Virus in the BWCA.
While no outdoor recreational activity is considered safe and there's risk involved in everything we do I like to think the Boundary Waters is a better option than other wilderness trips. You won't find poisonous snakes or spiders, petty thieves hiding in the bushes or the need for expert wilderness skills. A little common sense, a focus on safety and wearing a lifevest makes the BWCA a good bet for a safe return. I think I'll keep paddling the canoe country of Minnesota and if I'm feeling brave enough to paddle in the Congo or summit Mt. McKinley in the winter then I'll make sure my funeral plans are arranged.
was recently plucked from his kayak in the Lukuga River in Congo by a crocodile. don't leave much for error
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