Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) Ely MN Sep2018

[RBailey]

Another late post from Sept 2018. Looking to generate enthusiasm for more multi-day trips in 2019. Canoe or Kayak its all good.

This was a 5 night trip threading about 44 miles flat water. For those unfamiliar, BWAC is a huge expanse of lakes covering thousands of square miles in the Superior National Forest. It is part of the same geography as Quetico on the Canadian side which is even larger. With a few exceptions most of these lakes are for paddle craft only, you can't even hoist a sail. Overall this was a wonderful experience and I have an renewed interest similar areas such as Quetico, French River, Algonquin, and Killarney.

If you choose to enter the BWCA be ready for primitive camping and you will need some navigation sense. Be certain talk to outfitters and plan accordingly because once your out there you are really on your own. For example we saw many paddlers in the lakes near entry points, but once we penetrated 2 portages inward, we saw nobody.

We took up 2 campsites during our paddles and touched 7 or more lakes. For meals we packed provisions and also caught walleye. Several of these days included strenuous portages due to the load which included 3 Duluth packs and the Kevlar canoe.... about 140 pounds of gear (a micro-light load for 2 men for 6 days).

My brother and I encountered significant winds on the several days which caused us to hug one shore or the other. By the third evening all was still and the lakes turned to glass. We did have rain on two mornings which we used as an excuse to sleep until we got hungry. We didn't' see any moose during the 6 days but water fowl, bald eagles, and hungry little critters are every where. We even had a mink come by and take a fish right in front of us. My brother saw a wolf on the last day.

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmrZyivE

[prudenceb]

Just read Lost in the Wild, an account of two different pople who got lost in the north woods, one while canoeing and trying to find a portage in the Quetico wilderness.  Your comment about needing navigation sense and how out there on your own you are rang very true. I recommend the book:

https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Wild-Danger-Survival-North/dp/0873515897

Prudence

 

 

[Dan Foster]

I really enjoyed the photos and your trip report from the Boundary Waters.

Another vote for Lost in the Wild, and while we're discussing BWCA/Quetico books, I'll put in a plug for my wife's uncle's new novel, set in Quetico. Find it in the canoeing-action-romance-coming-of-age section of your favorite bookstore, or on Amazon at:

Alone on the Shield : https://www.amazon.com/Alone-Shield-Novel-Kirk-Landers/dp/1613739915/

 

[EEL]

Finding portages can be no easy matter when traveling in the BWCA.  When crossing a lake the shoreline features are very hard to distinguish.  My group had to navigate carefully by compass and map to hit them on a multi-day X-C ski trip in Feb.  Great place in winter as in nobody there.  It is so quiet that on a windless night you can hear the snow flakes falling except when the wolves sing.  Cold though as in sub-zero was typical at night.

Getting lost there means you can really get lost because there are no visible landmarks as a rule.  Akin to wandering off route on a mountain, you get into trouble fast.

Ed Lawson

[prudenceb]

19 hours ago, EEL said:

Finding portages can be no easy matter when traveling in the BWCA.  When crossing a lake the shoreline features are very hard to distinguish.  My group had to navigate carefully by compass and map to hit them on a multi-day X-C ski trip in Feb.  Great place in winter as in nobody there.  It is so quiet that on a windless night you can hear the snow flakes falling except when the wolves sing.  Cold though as in sub-zero was typical at night.

Getting lost there means you can really get lost because there are no visible landmarks as a rule.  Akin to wandering off route on a mountain, you get into trouble fast.

Ed Lawson

Wow, Ed, winter trip there.  That would be a grea book to read!

[rpg51]

Sometimes if the wind is a high pressure wind, it will die off at night.  If there is a moon, you can make some miles. Sounds like a great trip. I've never paddled in that area but I hope to one day.

[RBailey]

Portages and campsites alike were non obvious. Having paddled the Allagash a month earlier, which had yellow square plaques  facing the river at every site, I expected signage on the MN lakes as well. There were no such markers.  Most did have afireplace grate set near the shore or a natural landing area. Once you got in close, sites would appear and our ability to spot them improved. We also mentally calibrated our movement and locked into the map better over time.

During the circuit on day-5, we could not find one portage and resorted to exploreing on-foot for over an hour.  Apparently many others had done the same thereby creating the appearance of portage trail which just faded after a quarter mile. I am sure that paddlers have since followed my tracks thereby contributing to the illusion. We did eventually find the real path and we had just needed to slide through some grass into a slender marsh. 

 

[BethS]

I love the boundary waters! I've only been there once, but it was wonderful, I will definitely be going back. I agree, navigation can be tricky, and portages can be rough and tricky to find, our trip was honestly the toughest back packing trip I have ever been on! I was very glad I had brought sturdy boots for the portage trails. We saw very few people though in 8 days of travel. Next time I'll take less, and a lighter boat. It's a wonderful area. I'd love to got there in winter too!