Normally I trip into Quetico Park, but this year decided to do a Boundary Waters canoe trip with my daughter Sarah and her new husband John. John is a newbie to the BWCA, but an experienced hiker and outdoorsman, who had no trouble with the trip. We did the Saganaga-Knife-Seagull trip for the beauty, and also to get a look at the burned area.
As usual the scenery was pretty and the canoe trip mostly uneventful (other than the nice views), which is what we want--a nice camping trip with no mishaps or major troubles. However, we made our own amusement with "watermelon head."
We dressed a watermelon in its own life jacket for the paddle (so it wouldn't roll around) and make jokes about it, let it go swimming in the lake water to cool off at the first BWCA camp site, then sacrificed it on a tree stump alter, after which we ate it! It was soooo good after a long day's paddle. Probably had to be there to enjoy the amusement.
We did not see any big game, but did find bear claw marks on a white birch tree at one of our camp sites. Fishing was pretty bad or we were just unlucky, but most people we met said they also had little luck that week. That being said, we did catch catch saugers, pike, and bass, but they were generally small and not very many of them.
Once again, as in all previous trips, Voyageur Canoe Outfitters did a wonderful job in assisting with partial outfitting for our Boundary Waters canoe trip. We purchased some last minute items and rented a Wenonah solo canoe due to our odd number, while Sarah and John paddled my vintage 1975 Mad River Explorer.
We had to drive 7 hours to get to Voyageur Canoe Outfitters, so, really enjoyed the bunkhouse stay the night before the BWCA trip, breakfast the morning of, and the showers afterwards.
The staff is always friendly and helpful. Looking forward to our next trip, which will be back into Quetico Park. Hope to have Voyageur be our partial outfitter of choice again.
I've been meaning to send you this note of thanks for the wonderful service you provided to us during our Quetico Park canoe trip in June. From start to finish, Voyageur made the trip easy and fun. We had beautiful weather that week and good bass fishing. You couldn't ask for more. Liam did a great job with our drop off and pick up. Thanks for your terrific service and we hope to see you again next year.
Congressman Ron Kind and family.
Name: Ron Kind City: State: Wisconsin Voyage: Quetico Park Canoe Trip
My paddling buddy and I had another great stay at Voyageur Canoe Outfitters and a great trip to the Quetico Park. My paddIing buddy and I caught fish in the Quetico and appreciate all of the help the people at Voyageur Canoe Outfitters provided us for our canoe trip.
Name: Ben Shelton City: Dallas State: Texas Voyage: Quetico Park Canoe Trip
Fishing in the Quetico Park this summer? You can purchase your Canadian Fishing License online and print it prior to your Quetico trip. Save valuable paddling time by not having it issued at the Quetico Park Ranger Station.
You'll need both your Outdoors Card and your license in order to fish in Canada. Anyone 18 years and older needs a license and can get one by visiting the website http://ontario.ca/outdoorscard or by calling 1-800-288-1155.
The fee for the Outdoors Card is $9.68 and an 8-Day Conservation License is $28.84. A One year Conservation License is $48.26. You can find additional information regarding fishing in Onatrio online.
Do you have your canoe trip planned for the summer yet? If not then there is still plenty of time to get your BWCA or Quetico Park wilderness adventure on the calendar. There are permits available and summer is just around the corner. We can help you plan a great canoe camping trip.
Our first canoe groups will be heading into the BWCA and Quetico Park later this week. The water temperature is still pretty cold but they have lots of experience so we're not worried about them paddling the wilderness waters. They'll paddle close to the shore, wear their life vests and won't take any chances while out in the canoe country.
The forecast calls for the temperature to reach 70 degrees by Wednesday but then it will drop back into the 50's for the weekend. If I had a clear schedule I think I'd be planning to go camping in the BWCA yet this week. But it will have to wait until after the Ham Run Half-Marathon on Sunday.
I think this is finally the year for an early season Boundary Waters canoe trip. How about you?
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!
We love to help our guests reserve their Quetico Park permits for their annual wilderness canoe trip. Our jobs just got easier because the Quetico Provincial Park finally accepts reservations online. Most of the details are the same including the overnight camping fees for children and adults at $8.50 & $21.50 respectively. There's still a reservation deposit of $100 required that gets applied to your overnight camping fees upon your arrival at the Ranger Station. Reservation and cancellation fees depend upon whether you make your reservation online or call it in. You can find those rates on their website.
We'll gladly still reserve your Quetico permit for your canoe trip but if you want to reserve your own online then visit their website and follow the directions below.
Pick your reservation type- Quetico is a backcountry reservation
Choose your arrival date(can only reserve 5 months in advance of the start date of your trip)
Pick your park- Quetico Park
Pick your party size- 9 or less* Next you start an entry search by choosing one of the options to the right. Find on Map, In a List or On a Calendar.
Pick your Residency- Non-Resident or Canadian
Pick your entry Point- Cache Bay is our closest
You'll then be prompted to reserve or start a new search. As with any website it's easier to create a profile before you begin the reservation process so you don't lose any of your reservation information. You'll need to submit payment in the form of a credit card so have one nearby.
If you'd rather make your reservation by telephone then check out the information below. For questions regarding reservation policies you can find those ONLINE.
From the Quetico Park website...
To make a reservation, cancellation or change by phone, please call: 1-888-ONT-PARK 1-888-668-7275
Simply call our toll free hotline (14 hours a day, 7a.m. to 9p.m. EST, seven days a week, 363 days a year).
Before you call remember:
When making a telephone reservation, you will be asked for the following information:
park name
arrival/departure date
type of site required (hydro, tent or trailer, lakefront etc.)
your name, address, postal code, telephone number and email address
number in your party
method of payment (e.g. credit card number and expiry date)
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
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.
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
In May of 1971, as college students at University of Mn- Duluth, we took our first canoe trip to the Quetico, traveling with motors to Lake Agnes. Motors of 10 horse power or less were allowed in the Quetico Park until 1976. I have continued to make annual canoe trips to the Quetico (usually Kawnipi), so I organized a 40th anniversary trip for May, 2011. The other 3 original campers agreed, so we traveled to Kawnipi on May 29th. I was the youngest at 60, so I had to carry all the heavy stuff (the others will not read this blog). We traveled in in one day, single tripping, and found the lake without any other groups for the length of our stay. We reminesced and caught up on kids and grand kids, noticing that we are each still married to our first spouses. Canoers make faithful spouses, and each year we give them respite when we go canoering! We were privileged to share the Quetico Park again 40 years later and to know that it is still as pristine and secluded as it was the first trip.
Name: Douglas Anderson City: Little Falls State: Mn Voyage: Quetico Park Canoe Trip
The Voyageur Hudson Bay Crew paddled over 30 miles on June 17th, 2011. According to the SPOT they reached speeds of over 6 miles per hour. I'm guessing there was a little bit of current or whitewater to keep them going at that pace. Sounds like a fun day of paddling to me with great weather too. They started the day on Lake Numao, made a stop at the town of Pinawa and portaged around the Seven Sisters Falls. "Seven Sisters is the largest Winnipeg River producer of electricity with a capacity of 165 megawatts. The powerhouse was built from 1929 to 1931. Additional units were added between 1948 to 1952, doubling energy output. Today the powerhouse stretches 128 meters across a waterfall drop of 18.6 meters." Along the river near Pinawa and the Seven Sisters is Whitemouth Falls Provincial Park. This portion of the river doesn't look as appealing to me as other stretches of the Hudson Bay Expedition. The roads, towns, dams and boat and motor traffic doesn't appeal to me as much as the vast wilderness areas. The Crew hasn't seem much for canoers since they left the Quetico Park. I think they had only seen two canoes out on day trips but ran into a group of people on their own expedition while in Pinawa. Check out the Mountains to Montreal Canoe Trip website to read about their expedition.
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.”
The Voyageur Crew never ceases to amaze me. Today they paddled 24 miles across the big bay of Lake of the Woods. They have left behind the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Quetico Provincial Park and now the state of Minnesota and the United States of America. The rest of their canoe camping trip will be in the great country of Canada. Their adventure on Lake of the Woods continues tomorrow. Having paddled on the Lake of the Woods with Mike many moons ago, I am envious of the Voyageur Crew. Mike began his canoeing career as a camper and guide at Lake Trails Base Camp. I fondly recall the summer after my Junior Year in High School when Mike asked if I wanted to be a camper for a session. I was a bit perplexed when he said there wasn't electricity on the island. I kindly declined since there would be no place to plug my curling iron in. Things have changed over the years and flat irons have replaced curling irons. I've also adjusted to no power and living in the middle of nowhere. I would love to be able to join the Crew on this amazing expedition and am so proud of them and their accomplishments. There are amazing adventures awaiting the Voyageur Crew and you if you're interested in paddling the BWCA with Voyageur this summer, just give us a call! 1-888-CANOEIT!
The Hudson Bay Crew spent another day on the Minnesota Canadian Border of the Rainy River. Their days of paddling the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and the Quetico Provincial Park are past. They paddled just short of a marathon yesterday but made great time and progress on their journey. Another day of paddling will put them onto Lake of the Woods and into Canada for the duration of their expedition.
Yesterday the Expedition Crew would have paddled past the Rainy River First Nation. "Rainy River First Nation is situated 39 kilometers west of Fort Frances, Ontario. Presently occupying 2,464 hectares of reserve land, an additional land area of 18,725 hectares was awarded in 2005...Rainy River First Nation is a community dedicated to the restoration and preservation of its ancestral Ojibway culture and tradition..."the Rainy River First Nations were ideally situated at the centre of an active network of established trade routes. “Kay-Nah-Chi-Wah-Nung” (The Place of Long Rapids), was Manitou Rapid’s designated meeting and trading destination. With a 5,000 to 6,000 year history, this site is regarded as sacred to present day." the site now houses 20 – 25 burial mounds, the largest of its kind in Canada. The sacred mounds edging the river terraces of Rainy River and Long Sault Rapids were declared a National Historic Site in 1970...With architects working to create a reproduction of a tribal Elder’s vision, a world-class Interpretive Cultural Centre was built at Kay-Nah-Chi-Wah-Nung, over three decades in the making, officially opening in 1999. Also known as “Manitou Mounds”, (Manitou meaning “Spirit), the Centre is literally built into a riverbank, containing five galleries with over 10,000 artifacts, a conservation lab, a gift shop and restaurant serving traditional Ojibway cuisine. Manitou Mounds attracts thousands of annual visitors, eager to observe displays and interpretations of ancient Ojibway culture. "
I don't think the Voyageur Hudson Bay Crew took a break to visit the Historic Site but I bet they noticed the burial mounds and center. With rain in the forecast we'll see how far they get on Day 17, Lake of the Woods, here they come!
The Voyageur Hudson Bay Expedition Crew paddled 20 miles today and rewarded themselves with some pizza in International Falls this evening. They called to check in with us and reported everything is going perfectly. They really enjoyed their time canoeing in the Quetico Park. They loved the old stands of White and Red Pines along the Maligne River, the great fishing at the bottom of the falls and the solitude of the wilderness. They didn't enjoy waiting out the wind or paddling against it all day today. They haven't seen a canoe for a few days but they have seen hundreds of motor boats. Of the many boats sporting huge motors only three have bothered to slow down to not produce a wake for our Hudson Bay paddlers; two of which were government boats. There's a different attitude about canoeists in Voyageurs National Park. The next few days will find the crew paddling the Rainy River to Lake of the Woods. It isn't wilderness canoeing but it is canoeing nonetheless.
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.
The funny thing about not having contact with a group of paddlers but being able to see their tracks is that you have know clue what they are really doing. Thanks to SPOT we can tell the Voyageur Hudson Bay Expedition Crew spent the day on Quetico's Sturgeon Lake and didn't decide to break camp and move until the afternoon. A person can guess at what or why they spent most of the day at their wilderness campsite in the Quetico. I think it could have been the rainy, windy morning that forced them to sit at their campsite. Adam's dad took a guess at the strange tracks from the other day saying, "Maybe they got lost paddling the canoe country, maybe they were catching so many sturgeon in the wilderness lake they didn't want to leave, maybe they took the holiday off." Mike thought maybe one of them wasn't feeling good. Whatever the reason for their staying put at the Quetico Park campsite most of the day we won't know for sure until we talk to them. We do know they paddled about 5 miles across Quetico Park's Sturgeon Lake and then set up camp for the evening. We also know they are paddling their canoes again this morning in spite of the windy weather and we're guessing they'll canoe more than 5 miles in spite of it. Only time will tell.
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