Bad News in Duluth

 We checked in at Lakehead Boat Basin in Duluth MN shortly after noon on Saturday, August 21 for three nights.  Lakehead is a wonderful facility and a favorite stop when we are in the area. It primarily is a marina, but in the summer they offer about 25 RV parking spots adjacent to the Duluth Harbor.  In the winter they haul the boats out of the water and park them where the RVs are parked.  Since we were here in 2016 they have repaved the parking sites and re-striped all the spaces, making for fewer, but larger sites. The park is within 3 blocks of Canal Park, a major shopping and dining district, and the famous Aerial Lift bridge.

Site 13 at Lakehead Boat Basin

About an hour after checking in we received horrifying news: Our Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness entry permit had been canceled by the USFS. EGADS!!!  Our wilderness trip into the Boundary Waters was to have been the climax of this trip.  We knew it had been extremely dry in Northern Minnesota, and there was a total burning ban in the Superior National Forest due to ongoing fires there and in Quetico Provincial Park in Canada, but we had never considered there could be a total closure.  The email from the USFS said all Boundary Waters entry points had been closed until 8/27, which happened to be the same date as our entry permit.  

Extreme drought, multiple fires and limited resources prompt closures

Duluth, Minn., August 21, 2021 — The Superior National Forest is closing the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, effective August 21, 2021, due to active and increasing fire activity, extreme drought, limited resources. The closure will be in place for seven days, and may be modified or extended as conditions allow.

This closure includes all lands, waters, trails, portages, campsite, canoe routes and Wilderness entry points in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The Forest has notified permit holders and outfitters and is cancelling permits today through August 27. Permit holders will be fully reimbursed. At this time, all overnight paddle, day use and motorized day use is cancelled. The Forest will reopen portions of the Wilderness and/or some uses when it is safe.

This action is unprecedented.  I don't think there has ever been an occasion where the entire Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness has been totally closed.  I immediately acquired another permit for entry on 8/29, 2 days after our original entry permit, but information from the USFS strongly suggests that the BWCAW closure will be extended.  You can read about fire updates HERE and the Boundary Waters closures HERE.  After 3 nights in Duluth we have 3 nights reserved at Fall Lake Campground outside Ely MN.  Fall Lake Campground is in Superior National Forest, but just outside the BWCAW and is open.  We will regroup and consider our options after we get to Ely.  

Lift Bridge down

Lift Bridge up

On this weekend there was an arts festival at Bayfront Festival Park across the harbor from our camp.  I rode over to see what was happening.  Duluthians apparently love their Aussies.

Watching the ore boats from our camp

Views across Duluth Harbor from our camp site.  From Wikipedia:

The Port of Duluth is the world's farthest inland port accessible to oceangoing ships and the largest and busiest port on the Great Lakes The port is ranked among the top 20 ports in the United States by tonnage. Commodities shipped from the Port of Duluth include coal, iron ore, grain, limestone, cement, salt, wood pulp, steel coil, and wind turbine components.

The sights around Canal Park:

Dorcas chilling on the Canal park boardwalk

 I launched the drone and took a few aerial shots of the Duluth Harbor and our camp.

It's a little tricky flying at night.  My drone's obstacle avoidance system utilizes optical sensing and doesn't work in the dark.  "George, George, George of the jungle, watch out for that bridge!"

Duluth has a number of unique buildings and architecture.  One example is the Old Central High School.  From Wikipedia:

The Historic Old Central High School of Duluth, Minnesota, United States, is a local landmark dating to 1892. One of Minnesota's leading examples of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture, it occupies an entire city block and sports a 210-foot clock tower.  It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Duluth Central High School in 1972

On Tuesday, August 24 we departed Duluth.  On this day the wind was from the north and smoke from the fires in Northern Minnesota and Canada were heavy.  At the office for Lakehead Boat Basin the owner reported folks were checking out early and others were cancelling their reservations due to the smoke.

As we drove the 126 miles north towards Ely there was heavy smoke in the air and clear evidence of the fires.  We will hang out in Ely for at least 3 nights and consider our options.  There are other USFS campsites outside the Boundary Waters and outside the closure areas that we may consider.  We're all packed for tent camping; hopefully we can find something inviting. 

Stay tuned.