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 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.
A fantastic light and sound show on the Gunflint Trail Friday night disrupted our telephone service. Lightning struck something that made all of the phone lines on the Gunflint Trail not work. We thought we'd have service last night but now they are saying maybe tonight the phone service to the entire Gunflint Trail will be restored. Until then drop us an email if you need to get a hold of us vco@canoeit.com!
After another day of waiting for a window of opportunity to paddle the Voyageur Hudson Bay Expedition Crew got their chance to paddle on June 30th, 2011. They paddled the shoreline of the Poplar Nanowin Park Reserve past the Poplar River and the Black River. According to websites it seems this area is at risk for development and the First Nations would like to create a World Heritage Site called the Heart of the Boreal, Manitoba's Gift to the World. Living in a boreal forest on the Gunflint Trail I know how interesting and diverse of an eco-system it is and am all for protecting other places like it. You can visit their website to learn more about the project.
I wonder what the Voyageur Hudson Bay Expedition Crew is able to see as they paddle this region. According to the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society website I found the following information. I'm sure the Hudson Bay Crew is loving every minute and mile of it.
This region of predominantly closed canopy coniferous trees is underlain by Precambrian rock of several types, including sedimentary, igneous and volcanic. Precambrian rock outcrops and geology are major visual characteristics of the region. There is an abundance of poorly drained fens and bogs. Forest cover is predominantly a Spruce and Pine mixedwood forest interspersed with a few pure hardwood stands. White and Black Spruce, Jack Pine, Balsam, Poplar, Tamarack, Trembling Aspen and White Birch, Ash, Elm, and Maple can all be found in the East Side Forest. A wide diversity of shrubs, flowering plants, fungi, mosses and lichens are also part of the East Side Forest ecosystem. The area is home to many vegetation species, which are at the edge of their ranges. This diversity of vegetation naturally leads to a diversity of wildlife.
Many species of birds can be found across the area, including songbirds, the Bald Eagle and Osprey. Mammals also abound, including species-at-risk such as Woodland Caribou, Wolverine, and the Eastern Cougar. Scientific data has shown repeatedly that species such as Woodland Caribou are extremely sensitive to human activities and habitat fragmentation caused by clearcut logging and roads.
The cold oligotrophic lakes of the region are not overly “productive” in terms of tonnes of fish produced. However, they do support a wide diversity of aquatic species, including the “vulnerable” Chestnut Lamprey and pockets of Lake Sturgeon, which is important for historical and cultural reasons. Inappropriate logging practices are a threat to the water quality of the region’s lakes, rivers, streams and wetlands.
This area has been the traditional lands of many First Nations communities for thousands of years and supports their subsistence needs through hunting, trapping, fishing, and wild rice, fungi, berry and medicinal herb harvesting.
Flowing through the region are many of Manitoba’s and Canada’s most scenic, wild and ecologically diverse rivers. Included in these rivers are the Pigeon, Berens and the Bloodvein, which is Manitoba’s oldest member of the Canadian Heritage River System. Manitoba’s eastern rivers are the destination of many recreational canoeists and have the potential to support a sustainable community-driven ecotourism industry.
It's obvious from the number of hours the Voyageur Crew has been paddling on a daily basis their bodies have become fine tuned paddling machines. After the first week of paddling they no longer became fatigued or suffered from muscle soreness. Too bad they won't be around for the Annual Canoe Races on the Gunflint Trail in mid-July. They would surely sweep all of the events. The Voyageur Crew started paddling around 7:30AM on June 23rd and paddled straight through the night until 6:30AM on June 24th! They canoed over 50 miles and have rested all day on the 24th. I'm not sure if they will paddle tonight or tomorrow or why they paddled all night long. All I know is that's alot of paddling!
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.
It was a beautiful day for paddling again today. The Voyageur Canoe Outfitters Crew paddled 22 miles on Lake of the Woods. They don't have too many miles left to paddle and they'll be off of the mighty lake. The International Falls Newspaper wrote a great article about the guys and their Voyage in today's edition.
The trip of a lifetime, By EMILY GEDDE, Staff Writer
By Emily Gedde
Created 06/11/2011 - 1:00pm
The longest trip Will Tanner has ever been on lasted five days. This summer, he will exceed that trip by 75 days.
Along with three others who call themselves the Voyageur Hudson Bay Expedition Crew, Tanner is embarking on an 80-day, 1,400-mile canoe and portage trip from Lake Superior to Hudson Bay in what the foursome call “a trip of a lifetime.”
“I made a list of pros and cons and then I was like, ‘heck yeah,’” Tanner said of his decision to go on the journey.
Tanner, Andrew Spaeth, Adam Maxwell, and Mike Swenson, all 23 years old, are now leaving their cell phones and the life they knew behind for almost three months to take on the wilderness and develop a true appreciation for nature and everything that comes with it. The mission of the Voyageurs Hudson Bay Expedition is to promote the continued protection of the scenic waterways of Minnesota and Canada through experience, education, and outreach.
Planning the journey
The idea for the trip that brought the crew through Voyageurs National Park, International Falls, and Baudette this week, started last fall when Maxwell came up with a plan to spend his summer in the wilderness.
“I wanted a big adventure,” he said.
Maxwell approached Swenson, his friend and co-worker, to see if he’d be interested in planning a canoe trip that would take them around Minnesota and Canada and into the unexpected. The two wilderness buffs had previously worked together during the summers at Voyageur Canoe Outfitters north of Grand Marais, Minn., at the end of the Gunflint Trail. They decided this summer would be the perfect opportunity for the adventure since the outfitting store was celebrating its 50 year anniversary.
Mike and Sue Prom, who own the business, offered their full support for the crew and their journey.
“They are part of our family,” Sue said of the Voyageur crew. “Any dreams of our crew are our dreams, too. Anything we can do to help any of them along the way in life we want to do, especially if it involves a wilderness adventure we would love to be a part of.”
With the stage set, Maxwell and Swenson brought Spaeth and Tanner on board to complete the crew they would spend 80 days with.
Sponsors were lined up and donations were made and the crew launched their canoes in the waters of Lake Superior at Grand Portage May 23.
A rough start
After almost eight months of planning, setting sail came as a relief for the Voyageur crew.
“After planning so long, it is such a relief to finally be out here,” Tanner told The Journal Tuesday.
However, the group agreed, the first two days tested their physical abilities.
“We took Grand Portage, which is an 8.5 mile portage that is basically all up hill,” Spaeth said. “We had to carry our canoes and packs the entire way. It is one of the most difficult things I have ever done.”
Spaeth added that while paddling the Pigeon River, which is located in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, the crew had to wade waist-deep through the cold water steering their canoes and gear.
“The water (in the river) flows towards Lake Superior and we were going against the current,” he said. “In the first two days, we kind of got thrown into the trip head first.”
Maxwell agreed. “Those first few days were interesting.”
Developing a routine
After spending almost three weeks on the water, the four young men agree a routine has noticeably set in.
“This is starting to feel very natural,” Tanner said with a laugh.
“This is becoming more of a lifestyle than a vacation,” Swenson added.
Each morning, according to Maxwell, morning light gets the crew moving and if the weather will allow them, they will spend about 10 hours paddling each day.
They experienced their first thunderstorm while paddling Rainy River Tuesday morning and have had several days of rain so far.
“We just don’t want wind,” Maxwell said. “Wind is way worse than rain for what we are doing.”
During the day, the voyageurs eat oatmeal, granola cereal, and pancakes for breakfast; trail mix and candy bars in the afternoon; and freeze dried foods for dinner.
“I think 60 out of the 80 nights we have freeze dried foods that Richmoor Foods donated to us,” Maxwell said laughing. “They actually aren’t too bad, but our favorite is the Hudson Bay Bar. It is basically as many calories as you can stuff in a little bar.”
They also fish several nights out of the week to fill their plates.
While paddling, Spaeth, Maxwell, Tanner, and Swenson rotate partners every day.
“It helps us get to know each other better every third day,” said Tanner who came into the crew not knowing his three counterparts as well as they knew each other.
Tanner added that while daily entertainment mostly consists of conversation between canoes, singing fills the air every now and then, too.
“You find out who can sing, who can’t sing, if it doesn’t matter,” he joked. “I’m a song singer — good or bad.”
Each night, the group sets up camp, sometimes in the backyards of people who live along their route.
“People in International Falls and along Rainy River have been super hospitable,” Spaeth said. “One night the people whose yard we stayed in came down and had s’mores and a beer with us.”
Evenings and windy days also bring out a running cribbage tournament between tent mates.
Tanner said that as of Tuesday, he and Spaeth were beating Swenson and Maxwell 11 games to 10.
Keeping in contact
The Voyageurs Hudson Bay Expedition crew have equipped themselves with a SPOT locator device that sends a satellite signal to the Voyageur Hudson Bay Expedition website every 10 minutes updating those who are following their journey.
“It’s super exciting to watch their progress and wonder what the scenery they are seeing is like,” said Prom of keeping tabs on the group.
“It makes the trip really cool for us and for everyone we meet along the way,” Spaeth noted.
The crew say they spot each other if they’re not paddling side by side by the pink paddles they are using.
“We’re paddling with pink paddles to raise awareness for breast cancer,” Spaeth explained. “We’re really proud to do that.”
The men have also had two planned stops, including one in Baudette, to pick up food and supplies and make a phone call or two.
Their last stop to refurbish their supply will be in Pinawa, Manitoba. The food collected on that stop is expected to last the final 43 days of the expedition.
“The last leg our journey won’t be very populated,” Swenson said. “I think it’ll be kind of nice.”
A life changing experience
Each crew member shared similar feelings that this trip would change their lives forever.
“I already have more of respect for the wilderness,” Spaeth said.
“Oh man, it is so great to be on the trip,” Tanner added.
Swenson said that in the modern world, people are constantly bombarded by so many things, but for him to be able to leave that and go into the wilderness is such a rare opportunity — especially for this amount of time.
“I think it’ll be hard to adjust back to normal life when this is said and done,” he said.
The trip is scheduled to conclude around Aug. 10 when the crew reaches York Factory, a former settlement and trading post located on the southwestern shore of Hudson Bay in northeastern Manitoba. From there, the four men will board a float plane and then a train to Winnipeg where friends will transport them back to Voyageur Canoe Outfitters where a celebration will await.
“It’ll be a big one,” Swenson said of the party.
The four have no doubt in their minds that their bond will be as close as ever once the trip is over.
“I kinda went on this trip with three strangers, but I already have made three of my best friends,” Tanner said.
“I love that every day I wake up and I’m in a new place,” Swenson said. “This is just awesome.”
Spaeth said once he returns home he will “figure out my life, I guess.”
And Maxwell calls the experience “as good as it gets.”
The four voyageurs together encourage anyone who is thinking about a trip like the one they’re on to take advantage of the opportunity because it may only come around once.
“This kind of trip is possible if you want to make it possible,” Tanner concluded. “Find the people who know how to do it — or think they know how to do it, and buddy up with them. You can become the person you want to be.”
Meet the members of the Voyageur Hudson Bay Expedition Crew:
Will Tanner Although Tanner has not been a part of the Voyageur Canoe Outfitters crew, he has lived and worked on the Gunflint Trail just three miles away at Wilderness Canoe Base as a canoe trip guide and stayed through the winter. He graduated from New London-Spicer high school and from St. Olaf College in Northfield in 2010. Tanner said he is ready to experience a sense of timelessness on the canoe trip — free from the scheduled hours of the day and is looking forward to discovering the state of mind an 80-day expedition produces.
Andrew Spaeth Spaeth has been a part of the Voyageur Canoe Outfitters crew since he graduated from high school in 2007. He’s been a key employee who most guests know by name. He is originally from Montevideo and graduated from Bemidji State University in 2010. Spaeth says he is looking forward to the pure adventure, amazing fishing, and being away from his cell phone and e-mail while on this canoe journey.
Mike Swenson Swenson was a crew member at Voyageur Canoe Outfitters for the summers of 2006 and 2007 and then went to work as a canoe guide at Sommers Boy Scout Base in 2008 and Wilderness Canoe Base in 2010. He is from Plymouth and graduated high school from Maple Grove. In 2010, he graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College and is currently working as a chemist. While he is on this journey this summer, he said he wants to find a place that is truly wild.
Adam Maxwell Maxwell started working for Voyageur Canoe Outfitters in the fall of 2007 and has worked every summer since. He’s contributed to the success of Voyageur over the years through his dedication and hard work. He was a frequent guest who came up to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness for canoe trips with his uncle. He’s originally from Crystal Lake, Ill., and is attending Lake Superior College in Duluth. Maxwell says he is most looking forward to the sense of true adventure, where paddling and camping will become a way of life.
For more information or to track the journey, visit http://blog.canoeit [3]. com/blog/voyageur-canoe-outfitters, www.voyageurhudsonbayexpedition.com [4] or search Voyageurs Hudson Bay Expedition on Facebook.
On the Gunflint Trail today we saw gusts of wind up to 40 miles per hour. Lake Superior had small craft warnings for gale force winds and locals around Duluth were advised to secure anything that might be blown away. With the wind blowing an average of 15-20 miles per hour from the South, South West and West South West all day long in our area of the Boundary Waters my mind was on the Voyageur Crew heading pretty much into the wind all day. 30 mile per hour gusts were the norm today and with that much wind the Hudson Bay Crew needed guts to be paddling the canoe country even on the narrow expanse of the Maligne River. We're not sure if they encountered the same wind we had but our best guess is yes. Hopefully they enjoyed the warmer temperatures that got up into the high 70's on the Gunflint Trail. The Crew would have portaged around many of the rapids on the Maligne River today. I'm guessing the guys saw very few people as this is a remote area of the Quetico Park. I can't wait to see pictures and hear more about it. In just a half of an hour it will be Adam's birthday. I know it will be one he'll always remember.
There's been lots of Gunflint Trail wildlife spotted recently. Mamma moose and last year's calf have been spotted numerous times, a set of 2 year-old twins have only made a couple of appearances and Malachai has only been spotted once. Three timber wolves were seen ambling down the Gunflint Trail the other day. And lots of grouse have been seen and heard drumming in the woods. The deer have migrated north from the winter feeding grounds at Gunflint Lodge back up to Sag Lake Trail. Several have been spotted browsing over the past week. We've seen robins, goldeneyes, juncos, bald eagles and even a loon has returned to the edge of the Boundary Waters. It's a great time to visit Voyageur Canoe Outfitters and watch for wildlife. Come give it a try.
Everyone feels good when they know they are doing their part to take care of Mother Earth. By participating in the Ham Run Half Marathon or 5k Fun Run you are showing your support to a race dedicated to implementing green initiatives.
Our Cup Free Racing reduces the amount of waste produced because there aren't hundreds of paper cups strewn about the roadway.
We reuse our racing bibs and banners from year to year so we're not wasting precious resources.
Any plastic, glass, aluminum, tin, cardboard or other recycleable materials generated at the Ham Run are recycled.
We replenish the nutrients in the earth by composting food waste from the Ham Dinner at the end of the race.
Trees are planted for each participant as a way to restore the pines trees in the Superior National Forest.
Along with doing good for Mother Earth you'll be helping support wellness and fitness in Cook County. Young runners are able to participate in the Little Runts Run free of charge and area non-profits are able to earn money for their group by volunteering to help at the Ham Run Half Marathon. The Ham Run takes care of the planet and the people by promoting fitness and outdoor recreation.
We hope you will tell your family and friends about the Ham Run and head up to the Trail Less Traveled on Sunday, May 1st, 2011. If you need a place to stay then Voyageur Canoe Outfitters can help you out. In addition to bunkhouses there are cabins and lodge units available for the race weekend.
Just call 1-888-CANOEIT for help.
Thank you to our wonderful Sponsors of the Ham Run 2011!
The ice on Saganaga Lake went out on April 10th last year but it's a different story out there this year. Sag is usually one of the last lakes in the Boundary Waters and on the Gunflint Trail to go out. It's deep, it's large and it's pretty far north. Other lakes in the Boundary Waters and on the Gunflint Trail tend to go out a week or so earlier than Saganaga. We have clues we look for on the Gunflint Trail to determine/guess when the ice will go out. We keep track of when the Cross River starts flowing, when the ice is gone from the moose pond and when the Seagull River opens up. We also keep track of other lake ice out dates in Minnesota at this website. For a few days we were making good progress on melting ice. There was quite a bit of open water in front of the Voyageur Canoe Outfitters lodge. Then it got cold again and we got a layer of insulating snow on top of the ice and that put a halt to the melt. The forecast for this week calls for warmer temperatures and that should get the ice melting again. The average ice out date for Saganaga is May 3rd but we've had it as late as May 17th in 1996. Ever wonder how the ice goes out? Wonder no more.
How Lake Ice Melts
A wonderful description of how lake ice melts away appeared on the web blog "Air Mass", hosted by the Star Tribune's Bill McAuliffe. Ed Swain, of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency describes the process of freezing and thawing lakes.
In the late fall, the lake loses heat to the atmosphere, and then on a day or night when the wind is not blowing, ice forms. The ice gets thicker as long as the lake can continue to lose heat.
In most Januaries and Februaries, snow both reflects sunlight and insulates the lake. With a thick snow layer, the lake neither gains nor loses heat. The bottom sediment is actually heating the lake water slightly over the winter, from stored summer heat.
Around March, as the air warms and the sun gets more intense, the snow melts, allowing light to penetrate the ice. Because the ice acts like the glass in a greenhouse, the water beneath it begins to warm, and the ice begins to melt FROM THE BOTTOM.
When the ice thickness erodes to between 4 and 12 inches, it transforms into long vertical crystals called "candles." These conduct light even better, so the ice starts to look black, because it is not reflecting much sunlight.
Warming continues because the light energy is being transferred to the water below the ice. Meltwater fills in between the crystals, which begin breaking apart. The surface appears grayish as the ice reflects a bit more light than before.
The wind comes up, and breaks the surface apart. The candles will often be blown to one side of the lake, making a tinkling sound as they knock against one another, and piling up on the shore. In hours, a sparkling blue lake, once again!
There's a fresh coating of snow on the Gunflint Trail today and it's looking more white than green outside. No worries though, Minnesota's Greenest Race will be here before we know it. The Trail Less Traveled was completely snow free yesterday and will be again soon. The temperatures are expected to be in the 50's this week and with a little luck we'll have an average high temperature on Race Day in the 60's. No matter what the weather brings be ready to enjoy your run along the rugged and scenic Gunflint Trail.
Being a cup free race is just one of the Green Race Initiatives theHam Run Half Marathon is implementing again this year. Participants will be given a HydraPouch to use at the Aid Stations along the Race Course. Water and Gatorade coolers will be equipped with HydraPour Valves to ensure a speedy fill. The HydraPouches work great and if you aren't familiar with them then be sure to watch their video online or try them out at Packet Pick Up at the Senior Center in Grand Marais on Saturday the 30th of April.
We still have openings at Voyageur Canoe Outfitters for lodging the weekend of the Ham Run Half Marathon. A camper cabin is not heated or insulated but is equipped with bunks with mattresses for your overnight stay. For just $20/person you can bring along your sleeping bag and pillow and spend the night. There are other lodging options to choose from so give us a call if you need help finding a place to stay. 1-888-CANOEIT
We need your help in growing the Ham Run Half Marathon and 5k Fun Run. We have almost as many volunteers as we have runners and we would love to have twice as many runners. We hope you'll spread the word about our race and invite your friends and family to join you on the Trail Less Traveled this Sunday, May 1st, 2011.
Thank you to our wonderful Sponsors of the Ham Run 2011!
We always used to call the Boundary Waters the BWCA. Then, I can't remember when, they added the "W" to call it the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. We still primarily refer to it as the BWCA especially when we're putting it on new garments to sell in our store. It's that time of the year at Voyageur Canoe Outfitters when Billy UPS brings us boxes and we act like it's Christmas on the Gunflint Trail. I'm not sure who gets more excited, me or Rugby our dog because Billy brings him doggie treats. In any case it's pretty exciting to get new things in for the store. The first delivery of T-shirts arrived last week and I couldn't resist immediately tearing into the box. It's a simple blue t-shirt with Voyageur Canoe Outfitters and the established date on it, 1961. Yep, it's our 50th Anniversary at Voyageur and we'd love to see you in the BWCA or BWCAW.
I told Abby and Josh I would give them the proceeds of the first sale of t-shirts from this blog post for modeling and playing photographer. So for $15 plus $4 shipping you can have a t-shirt and make their day!
How do you choose your BWCA entry point if you've never been to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area before? How do you plan your BWCA entry point if you have been to the BWCA before? Do you take a stick pin and spin yourself blindfolded and stick the pin into the map and wherever it lands you go?
It can be a difficult decision to determine where you want to enter the Boundary Waters. There are entry points throughout the wilderness from as far west as Crane Lake to as far East as the Arrowhead Trail. You can even enter the BWCA from the Sawbill Trail or near Isabella, Minnesota. There are so many different entry points it's hard to know just where to begin.
Even though we are BWCA outfitters at the end of the Gunflint Trail we have paddled all over the canoe country wilderness entering through Crane, Brule, Moose and many other Boundary Waters entry points. While each area is beautiful we are obviously partial to the entry points on the Gunflint Trail.
We have deeper lakes, higher cliffs and of course we can outfit you if you choose to enter on the Gunflint Trail. That alone should help you narrow it down to the Gunflint Trail. Once you've determined that you can think about the type of trip you want to take and how much you want to paddle, portage and fish.
If you're fishing for a particular species then you can narrow the options down even further because not every lake has every species of fish. If you don't want to have to portage at all then you can eliminate quite a few of the BWCA entry points. If you want to hike on a hiking trail while out canoe camping then your options are really limited. How can you find all of this out without spending days reading guide books?
Voyageur has a great trip route finder that will help you pick an entry point into the BWCA. You can enter criteria into the program and it will provide you with trip route options as well as maps. After you narrow it down that way then give us a call or drop us an email so we can talk about your routes. We've paddled the routes and can help you find one that may be more suitable than had you played pin the pin on the BWCA map.
There's a winter storm warning for the Gunflint Trail and surrounding Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. I guess it shouldn't surprise us since we do live in Northeastern Minnesota just five miles from the Canadian Wilderness. Still, I think back to last year when we'd experienced very warm temperatures already and had very little snow on the ground, if any. In fact in March of 2010 for the Mush for a Cure we barely had any snow on the ground. That isnt the case at Voyageur Canoe Outfitters today. I look out the window to see snow flurries and white all over the ground. The Seagull River is frozen and a large snowbank blocks my access to the canoe pile. Forecasters are calling for total snow accumulations of 5-11 inches of snow by tomorrow. The snow will be gone soon, just how soon, we just don't know.
I'm not afraid of the big bad wolf. When Josh got home from School today he was standing out on the deck and told me he saw a wolf on the river. The other day Abby said she saw a bear but it was an early April Fool Day joke so that's what I thought the wolf was today. He assured me it wasn't and sure enough when I ran down to the river there the wolf was.
The wolf population on the Gunflint Trail and in the Boundary Waters seems to be on the rise. People have reported seeing large packs this winter not only on Saganaga in the BWCA but also on many of the other lakes.
I whistled at the wolf and it paused for a moment before continuing to trot toward the rapids. It decided to cut up into the woods and bounded off gracefully into the woods. What a beautiful creature it was. A large, healthy looking wolf in the wild.
Gotta love the Gunflint Trail and all of the wildlife opportunities it provides. Come check out the Gunflint Trail wildlife yourself, as long as you aren't afraid of the big, bad wolf.
While we're still thigh deep in snow at the end of the Gunflint Trail some day summer will be here. It's been snowing off and on at Voyageur Canoe Outfittters all day long and I don't mind because next weekend is the 5th Annual Mush for a Cure a Sled Dog FUNdraiser on the Gunflint Trail. Last year it was more like the slush for a cure so we're completely content that winter is lasting this March.
If you didn't receive Voyageur Canoe Outfitter's E-mail Newsletter/Ezine last week then you missed out. Take the time today to sign up or make sure to put mailer@infusionmail.com and vco@canoeit.com on your white list. You can read it online if you want to on our website.
The USFS announced last week Reserve America lowered the processing fee for a Boundary Waters permit. The User Fees for the BWCA are still $16/adult and $8/youth. There are still plenty of BWCA permits available for paddling this summer so give us a call and we'll get you're permit reserved for you.
Gunflint Trail Events is a non-profit 501c3 Corporation that puts on two fundraising events on the Gunflint Trail each year. President of this Corporation is none other than the Boundary Waters Blogger, me!
This March 11-12th marks the 5th Annual Mush for a Cure- A Sled Dog FUNdraiser on the Gunflint Trail. Since we started this event Co-Founder Mary Black from Black Magic Kennels and all of the other volunteers and mushers have seen it grow. We had just 4 teams the first year and this year there are over 20 registered. With everyone's help we've been able to donate over $70,000 to the National Breast Cancer Foundation over the years. It's a super fun spectator friendly event for a great cause and everyone is welcome to attend.
The Ham Run Half Marathon and 5k Fun Run are also held on the Gunflint Trail. This year's event is scheduled for Sunday, May 1st and it celebrates the Greening Up of the Gunflint Trail. It started in 2008 as a commemorative run for the Ham Lake Fire in 2007. It follows the path the fire took and participants are able to see how the area is greening up each year after the fire as well as the green up happening from spring. It's also a Green Race utilizing as many green practices as we can.
There are plenty of other reasons to visit the Gunflint Trail throughout the year but these are two very special days we hope you'll join us for.
What makes an already fun place like the Gunflint Trail even more fun in the winter? Fresh snow! We were blessed with a few inches of the white stuff overnight and it looks like a winter wonderland on the Gunflint Trail once again.
I'm hoping to take advantage of the new snow conditions and venture into the Boundary Waters for a day. The portages should be much easier to travel after last week's warmer temperatures. The wilderness lakes should be less covered in snow and slush and that should make for some faster traveling by snowshoe or cross-country skis.
There are fish to be caught in the BWCA. Our guests who have been out have reported lots of success with the lake trout. Fourteen fish in one day sounds like a great day of Boundary Waters fishing to me.
The students of Cook County High School have a funny thing they say when the referee makes a bad call, "That's Bull Moose!" You see the referee's last name is Muus pronounced the same as the animal, "moose." I think it's "Bull" something else that the Minnesota DNR still allows a moose hunt in Northeastern Minnesota when the herd is declining rapidly. The Gunflint Trail is known for the moose that roam the roads and woods near our Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. These majestic creatures are not the every day sort of animal like a deer and people love to see them. We love to see them too and while we are concerned with what is killing them naturally we're also concerned with the number of moose taken during the annual moose hunt. The problem with allowing the moose hunt on the Gunflint Trail and elsewhere in Northeastern Minnesota is that healthy bulls are being killed. The ratio of bulls to cows was once 1 to 1 and now it is 64 to 100 in Northeastern Minnesota. This year's moose hunters killed 109 bull moose and area band members killed an additional 26 bull moose and 7 cows. How low does the number of moose need to drop before the MN DNR decides to stop allowing hunters to kill healthy bull moose each year? While the number of moose killed may sound like a small percentage but the number of moose continues to decline each year. Last year there was an estimated 5500 moose and this year that number is down to 4900. I know large numbers of moose are dropping from unknown causes. But I also know the reason over 100 of them are killed every year. I would think one way to stop the rapid decline of our moose population would be to not allow hunting. While researchers fly around in helicopters collaring moose the MN DNR prints packets of information to be handed out by the end of March so folks can apply to help elminate more of the already declining moose population.
From the MN DNR Released February 17, 2011
Minnesota’s moose population in northeastern Minnesota continues to decline, according to results of an aerial survey released by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
Survey results revealed lower moose numbers and the proportion of cows accompanied by calves continued a 14-year decline, dropping to a record low of 24 calves per 100 cows. The proportion of cows accompanied by twin calves was at the lowest level since 1999, which contributed to the record-low calf-to-cow ratio.
“These indices along with results from research using radio-collared moose all indicate that the population has been declining in recent years,” said Dr. Mark Lenarz, DNR forest wildlife group leader.
Moose numbers are estimated using an aerial survey of the northeastern Minnesota moose range. Based on the survey, wildlife researchers estimate that there were 4,900 moose in northeastern Minnesota. Last year’s estimate was 5,500.
Since 2005, the downward trend in moose numbers has been statistically significant. In addition to the decline in the calf-to-cow ratio, the bull-to-cow ratio also continued to decline, with an estimated 64 bulls per 100 cows.
Aerial surveys, conducted each year since 1960 in the northeast, are based on flying transects in 40 randomly selected plots spread across the Arrowhead region of Minnesota.
A study of radio-collared moose in northeastern Minnesota between 2002 and 2008 determined that nonhunting mortality was substantially higher than in moose populations outside of Minnesota. Combined with the reduced number of calves, the high mortality has resulted in a population with a downward trend.
The causes of moose mortality are not well understood. Of 150 adult moose radio-collared since 2002 in Minnesota, 114 have subsequently died, most from unknown causes thought to be diseases or parasites. Ten moose died as a result of highway vehicle accidents. Two were killed by trains. Nine deaths were clearly the result of wolf predation.
The Legislative-Citizen Commission on Natural Resources has recommended funding a study beginning in 2012 that would concentrate on identifying factors responsible for high mortality.
In August 2009, a Moose Advisory Committee convened by the DNR released its findings, which were used in the development of a legislatively mandated moose research and management plan. This plan is undergoing final internal review and should be available for public comment soon.
The Fond du Lac band of Lake Superior Chippewa and 1854 Treaty Authority contributed funding and provided personnel for the annual survey.
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