Ten miles in just under ten hours of canoeing on the Hayes River for the Voyageur Expedition Crew. The day included a kilometer long portage around Robinson Falls and concluded with camping on Logan Lake. With a somewhat early quitting time I hope the Voyageur Crew had time to catch some trophy fish. Tomorrow they will experience some rapids along the Hayes River before they get to Oxford Lake.
On a website I read a person should have at least 18 days to paddle the Hayes River from Lake Winnipeg to the Hudson Bay. The Voyageur Crew has canoed almost 1000 miles and only have about 300 more to go. With the amount of current in the river and the way the Voyageur Crew has been paddling my guess is they could be done with their trip by the end of the month.
If they are going to take some time to enjoy the scenery and the wilderness then they are going to have to do so soon. Otherwise they will be in polar bear country where extended stays are not advised.
From the Canadian Heritage River Site...
The Hayes River provides an outstanding opportunity to learn about Canada’s history and experience its wilderness. Nine lakes and the connecting river offer alternating whitewater and flatwater paddling, the beauty and wildlife of the boreal forest, and outstanding fishing. Sport fish species include northern pike, walleye, perch, goldeye, whitefish, brook trout and lake trout. In the lowland portion, with the portages and obstacles behind, the paddler can quickly cover long distances in a very different environment, adding a new dimension to the traveling on the Hayes. Watch for foraging harbour seals, beluga whales and polar bears in the lower 10 km of the Hayes. Plan to spend time visiting the York Factory National Historic Site while in the York Factory area between June and September. The Hayes offers unparalleled wilderness canoeing and kayaking. Its remoteness and difficulty calls out to those experienced in whitewater navigation and familiar with the demands of the northern forests. Travelers should take special care to properly equip themselves and should take precautions to avoid bears, particularly polar bears on the northern reaches of the river. Paddlers should be prepared for challenging rapids, insects, extreme water and weather conditions and remoteness. Wilderness camping is possible at numerous sites along the river. However, camping is not permitted at York Factory National Historic Site due to the possibility of polar bear encounters. All fly-in/fly-out and provision arrangements need to be made ahead of time. Outfitters and guides are available to assist in trip planning and implementation.
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.
The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness has been in the news lately. They say, "Bad news is better than no news." but they also say, "No news is good news." I don't understand or agree with either of these statements but the BWCA is in the news.
Last Thursday night around 7pm a son left a campsite where he, his brother and his father were camping. He paddled away from camp to go fishing for awhile but he never returned. He wasn't wearing a life vest and maybe if he had he'd still be alive today. We'll never know because since Thursday his body has sat at the bottom of Swan Lake in over 80 feet of water. Recovery efforts have not been successful due to the location and weather. I imagine they will be able to retrieve his body or it will eventually float to the surface. But the life in his body is gone and no amount of time or effort to retrieve his body will bring it back. Tonight it will be a full week since he sunk to the bottom of the wilderness lake. Even if the life jacket wouldn't have saved his life it would have made recovering his body alot easier and it would have made things a little less painful for his family and loved ones. Please wear your life vest, it only works if you wear it.
On Monday a small fire on Gaskin Lake was reported by a group camping in the Boundary Waters. It's a small fire on a peninsula that isn't expected to grow in size and the USFS is keeping an eye on it. Similar to the small, cigar shaped fire back in 2007 that was expected to burn out into the wilderness never to be seen again. Only Mother Nature had other ideas and that was the start of the Ham Lake Fire. Structures were burned to the ground and people's homes and lives were disrupted and changed forever.
One person was responsible for the Ham Lake Fire. An individual who was careless with his campfire. Something many of us have been at one time or another. Maybe we've thrown paper on a fire, left the fire from breakfast smoldering while going out fishing during the daytime or not made sure the coals were cool. Then "Poof" that's the time a major wildfire starts and we're responsible. It could happen to any of us and maybe the Gaskin Lake Fire was from a lightning strike, then again, maybe not. Being responsible for a wildfire is a huge burden to bear and the person who started the Ham Lake Fire couldn't handle it and took his life. Be careful with fire folks.
I don't want to read about the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in the news unless it's a report of a great canoe camping trip. I don't want to read about you in the newspaper unless it's because of some great achievement. The BWCA is a great place let's keep things positive by using caution with fire and always wearing your life vest.
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.
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!
If a man's best friend is his dog then he's in trouble no matter where he goes! But seriously dogs and family pets are very important members of the family and some people would rather stay home than go somewhere without their pet. While I love my dog I do leave him home sometimes but he usually comes along when I go on a canoe camping trip in the Boundary Waters. My dog has grown up at Voyageur Canoe Outfitters in the wilderness where loons call, moose mosy and fish splash next to the canoe. Even with all of his canoe time he is still an animal and an unpredictable one at that. Last year I was paddling a canoe in the BWCA with my nieces and Rugby decided to take a leap for Josh who was in a kayak next to us. Rugby had never jumped from a canoe before and we have no clue what possessed him to do it that day but he did. We struggled in the wind and the waves to scoop him back into the canoe and thankfully we didn't tip in the process. Things could have turned out differently had we capsized the canoe or kayak in the Boundary Waters. I was responsible for my two nieces, my daughter, my son and my dog. The water and air temperature were warm and we were close to shore however I risked the safety of my people family to save my dog. Every time I hike a BWCA portage or let my dog off the leash at a wilderness campsite I risk losing him. If he gets on the trail of a moose, deer or grouse he could easily become hurt, lost or worse. It's very sad to see a sign at a BWCA canoe landing that announces a lost dog. It could happen very easily and I worry about his well-being and how I would feel if something happened to him.
With all decisions you must weigh the risks versus the benefits. Is having your pet along worth risking his safety or a fellow paddler's safety? That's for you to decide.
Consider the following when deciding whether or not to bring your dog into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
Taking responsibility for your dog is a necessity if you want to bring it into the BWCA wilderness with you. You must protect other visitors, wildlife, the wilderness and the dog itself. The owner must be responsible for picking up after their pet, keeping the dog quiet, making sure the dog doesn’t harass wildlife or defecate at campsites, dig up lichen or get into someone’s packs at a portage. The dog may always stay at your side while walking in a park but on a wilderness portage it may not act the same when it is unfamiliar with its surroundings. Even if the dog is leashed it can escape with the leash on and become tangled in brush, injured or worse yet, it can become lost in the wild never to be seen again.
Voyageur Canoe Outfitters Hudson Bay Expedition Crew went for a test paddle over the weekend. It was the first time all four of them had canoed and camped together and from the way it sounds they'll be able to get along just fine for the 80+ days of their summer wilderness canoe trip.
The good thing about the weekend was the weather was not ideal for canoe camping. Freezing cold temperatures and sleet would have prevented most folks from taking a canoe trip for the weekend, but not the Voyageur Hudson Bay Crew. They went out in spite of the less than ideal weather and had a great time paddling and camping. Anyone can go camping when the sun is shining but when the elements aren't friendly it's a different story. Patience can get short when you're canoeing when it's cold and wet and that's the true test of a group's ability to get along. If you aren't convinced they can get along on their wilderness canoe camping trip then watch this quick video clip to see they are not only surviving but they are having fun too.
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.
A question we are asked frequently as Boundary Waters Canoe Area outfitters is, "How far can we paddle in a day?" Unfortunately this question is not an easy one to answer. Unfortunately there are many variables that factor into how far and how fast one can travel by canoe during a day. Among these factors are type of canoe, experience of paddlers, amount of gear/weight, how the canoe is loaded, weather conditions, wind, waves and type of water you're paddling. There are rivers with fast currents, lakes with no current and portages to consider as well.
Our Voyageur Hudson Bay Expedition Crew must factor in all of these variables and then some in order to complete their voyage from Lake Superior to Hudson Bay this summer. This trip won't take a few days or weeks but a few months to complete. A shorter BWCA wilderness canoe trip route is a little easier to figure out.
The average paddlers travel about three miles per hour in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. This isn't paddling at a race pace or running across wilderness portages but it is a normal leisurely pace for the BWCA. When you're on a canoe camping trip you may find yourself not paddling continuously because you want to take a swim break, cast a line or stop to take pictures of the BWCA wildlife. All of these things take time as does setting up and breaking down camp.
If you don't want to be setting up or breaking down camp in the dark then you'll need to keep in mind how many hours of daylight you have. In the middle of the summer when there are 16 hours of daylight in the canoe country wilderness a person can cover quite a few miles in a day. But in the early spring or fall the same Boundary Waters canoe route may take more days. You'll need to know how many hours and days of travel you want to do in order to determine how far you want to go.
A 50 mile Boundary Waters canoe trip could look quite different depending upon who is paddling it. One group of people may paddle 5 hours every day for 10 days, 10 hours each day for 5 days or 20 on Day 1, rest on Day 2 and Day 3, paddle 10 on Day 4, Day 5 and Day 6. It really just depends upon what the group wants to do. It's best to determine this before you're out in the wilderness.
The Voyageur Hudson Bay Crew will no doubt be in better paddling condition a week or so into their trip. They will be stronger paddlers and once they are in a groove their portaging should be swifter too. The portions of the trip on rivers will find them covering alot of area quickly while paddling across Lake Winnipeg may be very time consuming.
You'll be able to keep an eye on the progress of the Voyageur Hudson Bay Expedition by checking out the website where we'll keep track of where they are at. We'll know how far and fast they can paddle in a day but we'll also know there's going to be alot of variables related to it.
This blog entry was written by Adam Maxwell and edited by me. He and three other young men are paddling from Lake Superior to Hudson Bay this summer.
The most feared experience among people paddling the Boundary Waters Canoe Area is the fear of capsizing. There aren't polar bears, grizzly bears, poisonous snakes or other deadly creatures to worry about in the BWCA but capsizing in the canoe country is a real risk, especially to those who paddle early in the spring or late in the fall.
I experienced the fear of capsizing in the Boundary Waters in early May of 2009 while working at Voyageur Canoe Outfitters. I started my canoe camping trip the day before fishing opener for an early season, 8- day solo wilderness canoe trip. When I left American point there were still a few ice chunks floating on Saganaga Lake and plenty of snow hidden by the shade of the trees. After months of winter this trip was just what I needed. The solitude of the woods and the lake trout crusing the shallow water were calling my name.
On the fifth day of my Boundary Waters trip things took a turn for the worst. Just after leaving my BWCA campsite on Ogish I made the mistake of looking at my Boundary Waters map instead of the waves that were hitting my canoe. A gust of wind kicked up and the freezing cold water hit me like a brick. I was completely submerged in the water and at least 100 feet from shore. I could hear the last words Mike had said to me before I left, "Be careful, if you tip in this cold water you have about three minutes to get out of the lake."
I realized I needed to leave my canoe and main pack to swim toward shore with the little dry bag I had strapped to the thwart of my canoe. The bag contained a few items of clothing and some matches. When I made it to shore I was completely exhausted and with my first step onto land I stumbled and hit the ground. Struck with fear I retreated to the woods to escape the wind and put on what little dry clothing I had.
About an hour later I saw a group of canoeists, the first I had seen in three days. I yelled to them and in no time they had retrieved both my canoe and my pack. I knew I would make it through my worst moment in the BWCA.
Looking back I’m glad I experienced what I did. Nothing helps a person become a better paddler faster than a life threatening experience. The realization that a great day can turn deadly in a heartbeat has forced me to think through my actions better. It was a lesson that I had to learn the hard way, but a lesson I will never forget. Adam Maxwell
This lesson will help the Hudson Bay Expedition Crew as they make their way from Lake Superior to Hudson Bay this summer.
The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness has gotten a bad rap for its bugs. I personally don't think the bugs are bad in the BWCA. I think there are plenty of mosquitoes, gnats and other nasty insects in abundance elsewhere but people just don't notice them because they don't spend any time outside. Our bugs in the Boundary Waters don't normally carry diseases, lethal bites or deadly stings, they just have a tendency to "bug" people who are outside 24-7 on a canoe camping trip.
If you're looking to avoid bugs in the Boundary Waters altogether then I like to suggest visiting us from November to April. These six months you'll rarely see a bug. Of course you won't be able to paddle the canoe country during these months either.
The next best time to avoid bugs in the canoe country is as soon as the ice goes off of the lakes. The ice usually leaves the lakes of the Boundary Waters during the last week of April or first week of May depending upon the size of the lake and the thickness of its ice. This isn't a guaranteed bug free time in the BWCA but there should be a an open window for bug free paddling especially if you're trying to avoid mosquitoes.
There are over 50 species of mosquitoes in Minnesota and just a little over half of them bite. Not all of them bite humans and each have their own unique life cycle. Some species need specific conditions such as length of daylight or water temperature and these conditions usually can't be met immediately after ice out.
The first mosquitoes to arrive in the BWCA are usually the big, slow ones that don't bite. It usually isn't until the end of May when the biting mosquitoes arrive in numbers. Mosquitoes continue to hatch throughout the summer until we get a good frost but the numbers dwindle quickly and considerably by the end of June. Each month after there are fewer and fewer mosquitoes in the BWCA to contend with and with a little common sense and preparation you'll barely be bugged by them.
Although mosquitoes fly about during the day they most actively feed at dusk. If you can be in your tent before that then you can listen in comfort to their buzz as they descend to the forest floor. If you do happen to be outside then you'll want to protect yourself with clothing, a headnet and some type of mosquito repellent. If you are outside then they will find you because they detect their meal of blood by the carbon dioxide we exhale and the heat we give off. Unless you are better than I am at not breathing and altering my body temperature they are going to find you in a hurry.
Compared to the mosquito the other bugs of the BWCA don't receive much attention. Some folks are worried about the biting flies and I'm never even sure what they mean because I am rarely bitten by a fly. The first biting flies on the scene are what I usually call gnats because they are so small. They sometimes arrive earlier than the mosquitoes because they lay their eggs in moving water that thaws before calm water ice. They peak in the early part of June and since they only produce one generation a year they are almost obsolete after that. A sheet of bounce in a cap, wearing light colored clothing and only going outside at night will keep you safe from these daytime swarming insects.
There are so few biting flies in the BWCA that are out for such a short time most people don't even know about them in spite of their existence. Size and speed at which they fly help distinguish a Horse Fly from a Deer Fly. I can always tell when a Horse fly is attacking my paddling partner in the Boundary Waters. Since they like water, legs and wet skin I'll feel the canoe shift abruptly from movement before I hear the sound of a hand slapping skin. Horse flies fly faster than Deer flies and normally escape the palm of my partner's hand.
Deer flies are more annoying than anything as they buzz around and around your head until you grab them from the air. I can usually pluck them out of the sky, throw them to the ground and stomp on them before they have time to react. Both the Horse and Deer flies appear around July, only produce one generation and are only out during the daytime.
The stable fly is a biter that produces more than one generation and both the male and female bite so they are more abundant than the other types of flies. They too are more of an annoyance(just ask Rugby) and we refer to these flies as ankle biters because that's where they tend to get you when you're trying to set up your tent. As with all bugs they tend to prefer some people over others and luckily for me they don't like me as much as the rest of my family.
The last Boundary Waters bug of any concern is what we call "Jaws." The real name is the No See Um and when I first saw this in print on a product that had "no see um netting" I thought it was a joke but they really do exist. If you've ever been bitten by one then you won't deny their existence because for such a little insect it packs a good sized hurt. It maybe isn't so much of a hurt as it is a shock that you are feeling pain yet you can't see anything. They are so tiny they are difficult to see and the slightest breeze will carry them away so most people don't get to experience them. They are usually around for parts of June and July and only come out on calm nights.
There you have it, the best time for bugs in the Boundary Waters. By the end of July the bugs are barely an issue in the BWCA and in August and September you probably won't know there are any at all. So if you're wondering when a good time to visit the Boundary Waters is when there aren't any bugs now you know. But if you ask me when the fishing is good then that's a different story altogether.
Just like all of the different shapes and sizes a snowflake can fall to the earth as Boundary Waters routes come in all shapes and sizes. There are so many lakes and portages in the 1.3 million acre Boundary Water Canoe Area Wilderness they say there are over 1200 routes to choose from. I would guess there are even more routes than that since the park stretches over 150 miles in some places. No wonder folks have a difficult time determining what Boundary Waters Route they should travel with the over 2000 wilderness campsites to choose from who would know exactly where to go?
The first place I reccommend asking about canoe routes is a BWCA canoe trip outfitter. As an outfitter and an avid paddler I have paddled in most of the lakes in the Gunflint Ranger District and many of them out of the Ely District. Not all outfitters paddle the lakes of the canoe country but most of them have at one time or another. Regardless most BWCA outfitters have a vast knowledge of the lakes and portages in their area.
A wilderness canoe camping trip is normally a great experience but I've heard people tell horror stories about BWCA lakes and portages. When I've inquired asking for further detail and to show me on the map they'll point to some route that isn't even maintained as a route anymore or they'll describe where it was and I'll know from previous experience that's where a moose path is, not a portage. If they would have checked with an outfitter first then most likely they would not have spent an afternoon bushwhacking through shoulder high brush or dragging their canoe through a dried up beaver pond.
Most outfitters are willing to give you a little advice even if you aren't outfitting with them. We charge for a full map routing session but if it's just a question or two then we're more than happy to answer the questions. We want people to have a good BWCA experience so they will return again and bring their friends or their kids or their friend's kids.
Deciding your canoe route is an important decision you should think about carefully. We have a trip route planner on our website as well as maps to go along with it. If you have questions then feel free to give us a call or drop us an email. We can even send you maps of the area so you can plan and dream in the comfort of your own home.
While you're at it, keep an eye on the snowflakes and remember the BWCA has endless route possibilities just like the shape of a snowflake.
It's been cold and snowy in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness but I still can't quit thinking about a wilderness canoe trip. There are so many lakes to camp and paddle in and I only have to catch a glimpse of a map to start dreaming about where I'll canoe this summer. Dreaming of and planning a canoe trip are two different things. If you want to take a BWCA canoe trip this summer then just give us a call at Voyageur, 1-888-CANOEIT. We can help you plan the route, reserve the permit and get you set up with all of the gear you need. We're trying to help another group of people plan a different kind of canoe trip this summer. Voyageur Canoe Outfitter crew members Andrew Spaeth, Adam Maxwell, Mike Swenson along with Ranger Janice Matichuk's son Leif are planning to paddle from Lake Superior to Hudson Bay. We're not quite as familiar with the lakes and rivers of the area in Canada but we're very excited to be a part of their trip. Every canoe camping trip is an adventure whether it's in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, Quetico Park or the vast wilderness of Canada. We get excited to help everyone plan their trip because it's such an awesome experience. So, don't delay, give us a call today so we can start planning your 2011 BWCA trip.
Wilderness canoe camping trips in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area and Quetico Park can be a bit physically challenging. Paddling for miles and portaging across rugged terrain can get your heart pumping as do other types of exercise. I usually say it's difficult to get into "shape" for the rigors of a canoe trip unless you want to walk around your neighborhood carrying packs and a canoe. I'm not sure if these folks have outfitted with us but they are taking my advice and taking great care to be in shape for their next wilderness canoe camping adventure.
They can tote a boat - canoe? Pair practice portage
First, a little context: They met in 1995. They were both new teachers at Germantown Friends School. Taia Harlos was coaching the powerlifting girls. Jeff Fetterman was coaching the wrestling team. She used to stop by his practices to tease the grapplers, and to flirt.
On their first "date," Jeff goaded Taia into trying single-leg takedowns. During one attempt, she injured her foot, and he loaded her into his VW bus and took her to the hospital, where they spent six hours getting acquainted in the waiting room.
Taia, 41, a nice Polish girl from Buffalo, and Jeff, 44, a nice German boy from Haddon Township, have been married 14 years. They live in a cozy post-and-beam house in Germantown heated by a woodstove. The walls are decorated with moose antlers, snowshoes, bows and arrows, paddles, axes, and banjos.
Taia teaches music to students from kindergarten to sixth grade and directs the lower-school orchestra. She can play many instruments, but her favorite is the violin. Jeff teaches sixth grade and coaches the middle-school wrestling team. He is a mountain biker and snowboarder and is restoring a vintage Toyota Land Cruiser.
Taia is an avid snowboarder as well, and they both love the outdoors. They have hiked and backpacked and rock-climbed. They have made several cross-country camping trips. Every summer for the last 11 years, they have taken groups of GFS students on canoe expeditions in the Lake Temagami region of Ontario. The more advanced trips require 20 to 25 portages.
All of which helps explain, I hope, the spectacle that occurred in Germantown's Cloverly Park the other night. As snow fell steadily, Taia was carrying a red 17-foot canoe, while Jeff was walking Otter, their German wirehaired pointer. As is their custom, they would later switch.
Taia calls it "portaging for fun." Jeff calls it "a workout with a purpose." I call it functional fitness with a ridiculous and imaginative twist. However you describe it, the Canoe Couple have been performing this unusual ritual every evening since Thanksgiving, causing plenty of bemusement and bewilderment on the avenues and byways of Germantown and East Falls.
"It's a terrific whole-body workout," Jeff says, especially effective for strengthening the core.
"It's great for warding off the muffin top," says Taia, referring to the bulge of fat around the top of pants and skirts that often materializes in winter.
The canoe weighs north of 85 pounds. In the middle of the canoe there's a contoured piece of wood called a yoke that spans its width. When portaging, after flipping the canoe overhead, you support the yoke on the back of your neck and shoulders. You balance and stabilize the canoe with your arms, which are extended up and forward, your hands gripping another wooden crosspiece called a thwart where it meets the gunwales.
The Canoe Couple usually portage between 8 and 11 p.m. when the neighborhood is quiet, the sidewalks deserted. Their short walk is about a mile and takes about 20 minutes. Their long walk is about two miles and takes about 50 minutes. Needless to say, they attract lots of amazed looks and stares. Some people smile and give the thumbs up. Motorists often toot their horns. Wiseacres sometimes shout, "When's the flood?" and "The river is thataway." Jeff thinks they must look like trash pickers.
The other night, after crossing the park, Taia carried the canoe down School House Lane. This stretch can sometimes turn into a wind tunnel, and holding the canoe steady can require a battalion of stabilizing muscles. "It gets the heart rate up," Taia said. To heighten the exertion, the Canoe Couple sometimes jog while portaging. At a fire hydrant at the end of Oak Road, which borders the campus of William Penn Charter School, the Canoe Couple switched places, with Jeff hefting the canoe, Taia taking the leash.
Jeff calls street portaging a "getting to the point" workout. The point is preparing for the rigors of summer canoe expeditions. Some of the wilderness portages are as short as 50 meters, others as long as three miles. But the shorter portages are not necessarily easier. They often involve steep and treacherous terrain, and traversing waist-deep marshes and pools of mud and moose muck.
"The thing that's hardest on the trips is carrying the canoes," Jeff says. "As guides, we have to be at least one step ahead of the strongest participant."
Taia calls street portaging "a more natural way to work out."
"We get great exercise, Otter gets a great walk, and we talk a lot," she said. "It's a wonderful way to unwind and reconnect."
On Midvale Avenue, a jogger passed and acknowledged the sight with an amused smile. To him, Jeff and Taia seemed to be transporting a canoe; in truth, the canoe was transporting them - to recollections of sylvan splendor, solitude, and tranquillity.
We get asked this question by quite a few BWCA families who want to bring their kids to the woods. I say you are never too old or too young to visit the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The challenge with canoe camping in the BWCA with small children is getting them to keep their life vest on. If a child doesn't fuss when they are wearing a PFD then by all means bring them to the Boundary Waters. We made our kids wear their lifevests almost constantly when they were little. I still worry sometimes when they are out on the dock without them on. There's no need to take it off even around camp or when swimming. Having your child wear their lifevest at all times takes a little bit of the worry away when camping in the BWCA. No one wants to harm their child so common sense is key when bringing your children to the wilderness canoe country. The sun's glare can be extremely harsh so lathering tons of sunscreen on your child, having them wear a wide brimmed hat and keeping them out of the direct sunlight is very important. You'll want to protect your child from other elements of the BWCA as well. If a child is not paddling then they can get pretty cold in the middle of a canoe especially if it is raining. A good set of rain gear, an umbrella, a tarp or other protection from the rain is needed. Bug bites can affect children's sensitive skin so dressing them appropriately, using bug deterrents and having bug screen along can help keep them safe. Remember to bring along some sort of itch cream in case the bugs do reach your child. The attention span of all individuals is different. There are some two-year-olds who will refuse to sit in a canoe for 8 hours just as there are adults who will refuse to do the same. Knowing how much paddling to do and more importantly, when to stop will make life much more pleasurable while camping with your family. Some people need to be entertained or they will get bored from doing the same thing over and over. Paddling the wilderness lakes of the Boundary Waters may not seem repetitive to you but to others it might. Tie toys to the inside of the canoe for tots to play with, play I Spy, sing songs, tell stories, read a book, take pictures, use binoculars and think of a number of other creative ways to pass time while in the canoe. Plan the BWCA trip according to your group's abilities. A trip with alot of long portages isn't going to be easy with some small children. One hike from an entry point parking lot into a wilderness campsite might be just perfect. That way you're always within a short distance if you need to cut your trip short. If you're really worried you or your child won't do well while camping in the Boundary Waters then plan to stay in a cabin near the BWCA. That way you can take day trips to introduce your child to the wilderness lakes and islands. Enjoy swimming, picknicking and paddling during the day and return to a cozy cabin at night. If everyone does good then make the step up to a wilderness canoe camping trip in the BWCA.
Canoes dot the wilderness lakes of the Gunflint Trail and Boundary Waters during the summer but when the lakes freeze other modes of transportation become necessary. Snowmobiles aren't allowed in the BWCA but dogsleds, snowshoes and cross country skis are. The woods and lakes of this region provide the perfect place for cross-country skiing adventures. There are many groomed trails to ski on the Gunflint Trail including the 17.4 mile long Banadad Trail that passes through the Boundary Waters. While this ski trail can be enjoyed during a one day excursion it is best enjoyed with an overnight stop at Boundary Country Trekking's yurt located about 8 miles from the Banadad's Western trailhead. The Croft Yurt is a comfortable place to rest and recharge when skiing the Gunflint Trail's Banadad Trail. A kitchen allows guests to cook a meal while a wood stove keeps them warm. The nights are quiet as there is no hum from electrical appliances. A trip to the bathroom provides the ideal opportunity for star gazing from the outhouse. After a good night's rest skiers make their way to the Eastern trailhead at Boundary Country Trekkings doorstep. It's a 12 mile trek that passes near Boundary Waters lakes and across wilderness portages. The Banadad Trail provides the cross country skier the equivalent of a BWCA wilderness canoe camping adventure. It's a great way to experience the vast outdoors of the Gunflint Trail when snow and ice cover the lakes of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
You won't normally hear a Boundary Waters outfitter recommending BWCA trips in November. Canoe camping this late in the season poses more safety risks than most people are comfortable with. With a forecast like this week I wouldn't rule out a November BWCA trip.
Today...Mostly sunny. Highs 53 to 58. Southeast winds 10 to 15 mph.
Tonight...Mostly clear. Lows 30 to 35. Southeast winds 10 to 15 mph.
Tuesday...Mostly sunny. Highs 48 to 53. East winds 10 to 20 mph.
Tuesday Night...Increasing clouds. Lows 37 to 42. Southeast winds 10 to 20 mph.
Wednesday...Partly sunny in the morning...then mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of light rain in the afternoon. Highs 50 to 55. Southeast winds 10 to 15 mph.
The forecast looks pretty nice for a canoe trip especially if the BWCA route chosen is a sensible one. The warm daytime temperatures should alleviate the risk of getting stuck in a frozen bay and the moderate nightly lows are comfortable for Boundary Waters camping. Choosing a BWCA entry point on a small lake will make the winds a non-issue. Capsizing in the cold wilderness waters is always a concern but with sunshine and warm air you aren't much worse off in the Boundary Waters now than you would be any other time. If my schedule wasn't filled to the brim then I'd be planning a Boundary Waters camping trip and packing my bags. Actually, I would have left last Friday already since it's been such a beautiful weekend. But instead I'll be doing what is normal for November in Minnesota and making sure my son gets to hockey practice. After all, this nice fall weather can't last forever, can it?
There are so many BWCA routes to choose from and all winter to dream over your BWCA maps. If you're anything like me then you're already planning your next BWCA route to paddle while you're still canoe camping in the Boundary Waters. There's only so much time to paddle and portage when you're on a BWCA canoe trip and you can't make it to every wilderness lake in the area. Often I sit in the tent at night planning the next day and wishing I could take a side trip into a nearby lake. Unfortunately I don't have endless time to explore the Boundary Waters even though it is right in my backyard. I often find myself in an internal debate. Do I want to see something new or would I rather go back to a BWCA route I've been on? Maybe a little bit of both is the perfect mix for a Boundary Waters trip. There's something comforting about the known but exciting about the unknown. Good thing I have all winter long to pour over my BWCA maps and plan my first BWCA route of paddling season 2011.
Our Voyageur crew member Andrew went out paddling and camping in the Boundary Waters this past weekend. On Saturday morning he woke up to a blanket of snow covering his campsite and canoe. It takes a hearty soul to canoe camp in the BWCA at the end of October and that's what Andrew is. We don't recommend just anyone goes out into the canoe country wilderness in the fall. It's best to have previous experience, common sense and a bit of caution when the weather turns cold. Cold water temperature combined with cold air temperatures can make hypothermia a real possibility in the event of capsizing. With five years of experience at Voyageur Canoe Outfitters and multiple trips into the wilderness Andrew had a great weekend in the Boundary Waters. I'm taking bets on whether or not we'll see Andrew one more time before the lakes turn solid. We know we'll see him when winter comes to the BWCA.
It's rare to find a camp chair at my Boundary Waters campsite unless I'm not planning to portage. Camp chairs add extra weight that I don't like to have to carry in the BWCA but on my last solo canoe trip I decided to bring one along.
The best thing about the chair I brought into the Boundary Waters with me was I didn't have to carry it. That's because the sleeping pad I brought along could also be used as a camp chair. This double duty piece of Boundary Waters equipment only weighs 21.6 ounces and was very comfortable for both sleeping and lounging around the camp. It's longer than most camp chairs so you can either double it up for extra cushion underneath or use the extra length to protect your legs from the ground.
Now that I've experienced the luxury of having a camp chair in the Boundary Waters I doubt I will ever not bring along a sleeping pad that can be used as a chair. It was great to be able to relax around camp and not worry about puncturing a self inflating mat in the process. The Crazy Creek Lounger even worked as a wilderness yoga mat.
If you're in the market for a new sleeping pad for your BWCA canoe trips then look no further than the Crazy Creek Powerlounger. You won't be disappointed with the versatility or comfort it can provide you in the Boundary Waters.
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