Canoeing Outfitters

     A Canak is not to be confused with a Canuck, which is what we call people from Canada.  A Canak is made by Wenonah Canoe and is a hybrid watercraft that is part canoe and part kayak.  It’s the ideal boat for solo camping in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

     The Canak was made for the BWCA.  There is plenty of space for canoe packs with two compartments for gear.  One compartment is in the bow and the other in the stern with large openings on top so they are easy to access for loading and unloading.  Not only are they easy to paddle but also to portage since they are made of kevlar and have their own portaging yoke.  This feature makes portaging in the Boundary Waters a breeze and sets the Canak apart from traditional kayaks that are cumbersome on portages.

     The Canak weighs just 38 pounds, is 16.6 feet long and handles like a dream.  My 9-year old son took one out last year and was able to keep it tracking even in a fierce wind.  There is a spray skirt you can get for it to keep you and your gear completely dry.

     If you want to try one out  then come on up to Voyageur Canoe Outfitters, we’ve got four of them for you to try!

 

     Every once in awhile we'll hear the question, "Why should I paddle with Voyageur Canoe Outfitters?"  Our first thought to this question is, "Because we're the best!"  And while this statement is true it might sound a bit like bragging so we usually tone it down a little bit.

     Our answer to why take your BWCA trip with Voyageur Canoe Outfitters goes something like this.  We've been year round residents at the end of the Gunflint Trail since 1993 and have been outfitting BWCA trips since then. 

     We're 56 miles from the nearest town of Grand Marais, MN and you are already in the wilderness when you begin your trip up the Trail.  Just by driving the Gunflint Trail and coming to Voyageur you're farther into the wilderness than some people get on their Boundary Waters canoe trips.

     We love what we do and where we live and this shows.  Our enthusiasm and love of the wilderness is evident and we want to share this love with as many people as we can.  We take pride in being the best there is in BWCA trip outfitting.  We're knowledgeable about the Boundary Waters, Quetico Park, wilderness fishing and camping and everything Gunflint Trail. 

      We have an excellent facility and incredible staff and we provide a one-of-a-kind outfitting experience.  We guarantee your satisfaction with Voyageur and the number of repeat customers we have speaks loudly.  

     There it is in a nutshell.  While it may be easier to just say we're the best it's probably better to give the lengthy explanation, even though we really are the best!

     If you have your Boundary Waters Canoe Trip for this summer all planned out then you can reserve your permit beginning January 25th, 2012.  If you don't have your plans determined then don't worry, there's plenty of time to make your plans especially if you're paddling out of the Gunflint Trail.  

     The Gunflint Trail side of the BWCA is not as heavily used as entry points into the BWCA near Ely, MN.  We'll often have Boundary Waters permits available up until the last minute.  However, if you want a particular entry point on a particular day then the sooner you reserve your permit the better.

     How do you reserve a BWCA Permit? You can give us a call with all of the information below and we'll do it for you or you can do it yourself.  It's quite easy and you can reserve your Boundary Waters permit online or by telephone(1-877-444-6777) When reserving a BWCA camping permit you'll need the following.

1. Name, address and telephone number of the party leader.
2. Name of up to 3 alternate party leaders
3. Number of watercraft(estimated & can be changed) up to 4/permit
4. Number of adults & children(17 & under) estimated & can be changed upon arrival at your permit pick-up location.
5. Entry point & Entry Date(these are set in stone)
6. Exit Point(is not set in stone)
7. Permit Pick Up Location(Choose us, Voyageur Canoe Outfitters if you're outfitting with us or entering at an entry point near us).  By default the permit will be sent to the USFS Ranger Station closest to your BWCA entry point. 
8. Submit payment with a credit card($6 Reservation Fee, $16/adult, $8/youth)

     That's all there is to reserving a Boundary Waters canoe trip permit.  If you need help determining an entry point or route then feel free to give us a call.  We love to talk about canoeing in the BWCA.  1-888-CANOEIT

     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.

     If there's one New Year's Resolution that should be easy to stick to it is to Visit Voyageur Canoe Outfitters in 2012.  Whether it is for a Boundary Waters Canoe trip or a stay at the end of the Gunflint Trail you must include a trip North on your 2012 Bucket List.

     The lakes are frozen but will be liquid once again before we know it.  We can reserve your BWCA canoe camping permit beginning January 25th but there's no need to worry if you don't have your canoe trip dates determined at that time.  There will still be plenty of permits available throughout the entire summer.

     Our cabins are booking up quite nicely for the summer of 2012.  There are still plenty of weeks open for you and your family to enjoy time at the edge of the Boundary Waters at the end of the Gunflint Trail.  Call today to reserve your place in the woods.

     We're wishing you the best in 2012 and we're hoping you'll include us in your New Year's Resolutions.

      Granite Gear makes some great gear right here in Minnesota.  Their Superior One pack is the ultimate vessel for canoe tripping. This bag is ultra durable and reliable. This summer, I spent 77 days paddling and portaging from Lake Superior to Hudson Bay. The Granite Gear pack held up better than I could have ever expected. Over the nearly three month trip, I never lost a buckle, broke a strap, or felt like it was time to take it easy with the Superior One. This bag got tossed onto shore, fully loaded every day. At the end of the trip the pack got washed and it looked almost like new. Basically, these Granite Gear bags are indestructible and the perfect choice for paddling and packing in the BWCA and Quetico.
     When you outfit with Voyageur Canoe Outfitters you'll be happy to carry their Granite Gear packs across the portages in the Boundary Waters and Quetico Park.

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

     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

This summer, some former employees of Voyageur Canoe Outfitters took the trip of a lifetime. We spent 77 days paddling over 1300 miles from Lake Superior to Hudson Bay. Voyageur Canoe Outfitters helped outfit the trip! They provided us with the same great gear that they send with their guests into the BWCAW and Quetico. We paddled the Wenonah Champlain propelled by the one and only pink paddles. Our gear, food, clothes, and all the extras were stashed in theGranite Gear Superior One and 3.5 packs. You definitely need some high energy food when portaging and paddling. VCO outfits groups with Richmor and Alpine Aire freeze dried foods. This stuff helped keep our bodies fueled for those long days on Lake Winnipeg and undoubtedly kept our packs light with the panoply of freeze dried options. High quality products and a once in a lifetime experience. Thanks- VCO- for an awesome trip!

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

     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.

Decided to do my first BWCA trip solo. Voyageur Canoe Outfitters was the only outfitter I would consider. Their kindness to me during my stay with them in May to do the Ham Run Half Marathon has won a customer for life. The staff and gear were great and the trip was awesome! I will definitely be back!!

Name: Dave
City: Blaine
State: MN
Voyage: Boundary Waters Canoe Trip

     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.    

This is the first time we soloed in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area since we always went with another couple. We used Voyageur Canoe Outfitters  to outfit us and that made getting ready for the trip much easier. We stayed in a bunk house and listened to the rain while we stayed dry. For the next four days, the weather was perfect. Taking the tow boat shuttle to American Point on Saganaga Lake was a great way for us to get to Ester Lake in the BWCA for the first night and we stayed there the next two nights as well. We explored by canoe, swam on lovely beaches, watched sunrises and sunsets. The loons were calling and a big snapper visited our shores each night. The day we left, the water was like glass--even on Saganga! When we returned, our car was parked by the boat landing. The staff at Voyageur Canoe Outfitters  couldn't have been more helpful or friendly.

Name: Kathleen Sovell
City: Mpls
State: MN
Voyage: Boundary Waters Canoe Trip

     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.

What a great time we had in the BWCA! The weather was perfect. The bugs were almost non-existent. Late August is the perfect time to go to the boundary waters. We saw plenty on loons, beavers, rabbits and yes even a bear!Voyageur Canoe Outfitters was great–excellent gear and grub!

Name: Steve Siewert
City: Waconia
State: MN
Voyage: Boundary Waters Canoe Trip

We had a great time in the Boundary Waters! Gear was great, food was pretty good, and the scenery was spectacular! I wish we had more time! Even with some wind, rain, hail, and lightning we still wouldn't have changed a thing! Staff at Voyageur Canoe Outfitters was very helpful and was very very friendly and courteous! By the time we left for the exit point on the last day of our first BWCA trip we were already talking about coming back. Definitely can't wait to do it again!

Name: Ben Chorn
City: Duluth
State: Minnesota
Voyage: Boundary Waters Canoe Trip

My group of four women who have never been to the Boundary Waters were blessed with all good luck...the weather, the route, the whole experience. The whole group at Voyageur Canoe Outfitters were all so helpful and friendly. We enjoyed our first but not last trip to the BWCA!!! THANKS :)

Name: Kathy Robinson
City: Eau Claire
State: WI
Voyage: Boundary Waters Canoe Trip

     It's always nice to hear positive comments about Voyageur Canoe Outfitters from our guests.  I'm not sure why it's even sweeter when it's a celebrity but we thought we would share what Don Shelby had to say about Voyageur Canoe Outfitters. 

The endorsement:

"I spend a lot of quality time in the Superior-Quetico. The Quetico is particularly special to me. On our last trip, I asked Mike Prom of Voyageur Canoe Outfitters to find us a remote route. He found one with three lakesand a river with no names. We were alone. Exactly the way I wanted it.  When I go into the Quetico, I rely on Voyageur Canoe Outfitters, whether it's a tow or complete outfitting, nobody does it better."

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

Being a novice at the BWCA, enlisting the help of an outfitter seemed the right thing to do. Lucky for our group (of like novices) , I chose Voyageur. It was perfect. We took off on a beautiful August Sunday morning after a fantastic pancake breakfast to fully geared and packed canoes. Every crew member was wonderful. Every piece of gear they gave us, we used. Every meal was delicious. Every campsite recommendation, spot on. I would almost give them credit for the perfect weather too...almost. I can't express enough how wonderful our trip was from start to finish. We have amazing memories and look forward to many more. Thank you! We will absolutely be back to visit Mike, Sue and the Voyageur Crew!

Name: Bridget Nielsen McLaughlin
City: Minneapolis
State: MN
Voyage: Boundary Waters Canoe Trip

This was our 23rd year canoeing / fishing the Quetico. Many of the years consisted of two trips. This trip we paddled Lake Saganagons from Silver Falls to Boundary Point, camping and fished for 6 days. The weather was great, with a little of everything. Heat, storms and a few cool mornings that gets a fisherman excited. We do mainly catch and release, but do keep one or two for what I call " The best meal on a rock”. The largest Walleye was 28” (all four of us caught at least one) and the largest Northern measured out at 36 inches.

I can’t say enough about Voyageur Canoe Outfitters. With the loss of Superior Northern Outfitters during the Ham lake fire, we we’re taken in by Voyageurs. Mike, Sue and crew were great taking us in at the time and we have been with them ever since. They know how to pick a crew! The young adults they have working for them are always so friendly and helpful. We will be back as long as I’m able to carry my canoe and master the portages of Silver Falls and beyond.

Dennis Black (Stillwater, MN)

Name: Dennis Black
City: Stillwater
State: MN
Voyage: Quetico Park Canoe Trip