Paddling the Rivers of Michigan's UP

Au Train River   9/8/13

One thing about rivers is they usually start in one place and flow downstream to another place.  Occasionally a river's flow is slow enough that you can paddle downstream, then turn around and paddle back upstream to your beginning point, but that's not common in most places.  Or its usually rather dull, or it's more effort than it's worth.  In most cases one must perform a shuttle, meaning leave some form of transportation at the take-out point. When you are traveling by yourself, it gets complicated.  On some occasions we have performed a bike shuttle, where I would leave a bike at the take-out, so I could ride back to the put-in and fetch the car.  However, a bike shuttle is not practical for many rivers, and besides, we aren't carrying any bikes on this trip.  On very rare occasions you can do a walking shuttle.  The Au Train is such a river that a foot shuttle is rather easy because of the way that the river loops back to the road .... twice. 

We decided to paddle the Au Train because we had heard it was very pretty and because the shuttle was uncomplicated.  We drove to the first bridge on the river downstream from Au Train Lake and unloaded the boat and gear.  Then Dorcas drove the car to the next bridge, parked and walked back 0.7 miles to the put-in.  When we got to the car we would decide whether to take out there, or whether to paddle on down to the mouth of the river on Lake Superior.  The flow was good and ultimately we decided to paddle on down to the mouth of the river.  When we got there Dorcas walked back up the road another 0.7 miles to get the car.

It was a very nice paddle.  The river flowed through the Hiawatha National Forest, and there was no development until the last mile.  The first half of the river was clear and shallow revealing a white sand bottom.  The lower half opened into wide prairie, and the current was reduced somewhat.  The trip was 7.85 miles, and the current averaged almost 3 mph.

Two Hearted River   9/12/13

The Two Hearted River is a world class trout stream and was made famous in Ernest Hemingway's Nick Adams stories (although most sources suggest he was really describing the near-by Fox River).  I wanted to paddle the Two Hearted River because it is very remote and because of the Hemingway connection.  The river flows almost parallel to the Lake Superior shore before finally emptying into the lake.  Unlike the Au Train, there is no possibility of a walking shuttle.  There was a lodge and canoe outfitter near the mouth of the river.  However,  there was a massive forest fire there last year and the lodge burned.  I had received conflicting information about whether the outfitter was still in business.

So, with no real shuttle plan we set out for the put-in at the Reed and Green Bridge, about 35 miles north of our camp in Newberry.  Our plan was to unload the boat and gear at the put-in while I drove to the take-out at the mouth of the river.  There I would park the car and find a ride back to the put-in.  Sometimes you just gotta have faith.

There is a state forest service campground at the mouth and my first hope was to find a canoer camping there.  One canoer will often help another in this situation.  But after looping through the campground I found no canoes.  DANG!  Next, I went to the Rainbow Lodge site, where the canoe outfitter had been, but the lodge site was deserted.  There was little evidence of the old lodge, although there was some new construction where the lodge was starting to be rebuilt.  DANG AGAIN!  I doubled back to the campground to take another look in there when I saw a man working on a new log structure.  It turns out that "Duane" was rebuilding the Chapel of the Two Heart, a small one room log chapel; the original Chapel of the Two Heart had been destroyed in the fire the year before.  I asked him about the outfitter, and if he knew anyone who would be able to drive me back to Reed and Green Bridge.  He said he would be glad to do that.  I hopped in his truck with his Irish Setter "Maggie" but before leaving Duane wanted to let his wife, Judy, know he was leaving.  It turns out Judy thought he needed to finish his work (I think he was looking for a break), so Judy drove me back to the put-in.  During the 20 minute drive I learned all about the fire, the reconstruction and everything else I wanted to know about the Two Hearted area.

I arrived back at the put-in about 1.5 hours after I left.  Dorcas and the gear were fine.  Judy refused to take any money for her kindness, but asked that we stop in when we finished and let her know how the river was.

Lake Superior was kicking pretty good at the mouth of the Two Hearted River

It was a beautiful river.  The Two Hearted flows through the Lake Superior State Forest, and it is heavily wooded along its course.  There was no development along the way.  We saw a few fishermen near the beginning of our paddle and near the end, and they seemed to be having some success.  Our paddle was about 11.4 miles and the flow averaged about 4 mph.

As we approached the end of the trip we came closer to Lake Superior where the winds were probably in excess of 25 mph.  During the last half mile we lost much of the buffer of the trees and experienced the brunt of the wind.  It was brutal, but we made it in.  After our paddle we visited Duane and Judy at the chapel site and visited for a while.  They were cooking stew over an open fire and invited us to stay for dinner.  We need to get back home, so we politely declined.  We did convince them to take $20 for their kindness in shuttling us when we suggested they spend it on seating for the chapel.  Really nice folks.

 Tahquamenon River   9/13/13

On this day we paddled the Tahquamenon River near Newberry.  The Tahquamenon is a rather large river system, draining an area west of Newberry.  It flows through Lake Superior State Forest and Tahquamenon Falls State Park before flowing into Lake Superior about 80 river miles below us.  We visited Tahquamenon Falls State Park a few years ago.  You can read about that here.

We were again vexed by the lack of shuttle partners.  We went to the put-in on MI 123 about a mile north of Newberry hoping to find some other paddlers who would share a shuttle.  Nada. There is an outfitter who runs this river, but he is about 10 miles north, I suppose so he can also service the lower sections of the river.  Commercial shuttles are usually expensive: $20-$30 dollars and can be inconvenient.   I had called the outfitter the day before and there was no answer, so I wasn't even sure he was open.  Then a novel and brilliant idea occurred to me.  We were only a mile outside Newberry, a fair sized town and the county seat of Luce County.  Perhaps there is a taxi service!  Dorcas used her iPhone and located Dial-A-Ride.  The lady agreed to pick me up at the take-out and drive me about 6 miles to the put-in for a fare of $4.  She could meet me in 15 minutes.  Perfect!  We have never used a taxi service for a shuttle before, but it worked great.  The driver was on time, and Dorcas and our gear were still safely stationed at the put-in when I got back.



The Tahquamenon was another spectacular river, perhaps my favorite of the UP rivers.  There was no development and the river corridor alternated from heavy woods to open prairies.  It was clear with good flow.  About 2/3 the way down there was a primitive state forest campground.  I think this would be an excellent camping river; it is long, un-dammed, scenic and flows through public lands.  Maybe next year, but I doubt a taxi shuttle will be practical for a 100 mile paddle.  This paddle was 6.6 miles long and the weather was great.



We had already checked out of our camp at Clementz Northwoods CG and the coach was parked near the put-in.  After returning to the coach we headed south.

Across Michigan's UP

We departed Ashland to meet folks for a lunch date in Michigamme MI.  Tom and Nancy will be renting one of our lots in Florida this winter.  They live in Michigamme, and we arranged to meet them as we drove through.  We had a nice visit and are looking forward to seeing them again in the winter.  Our last time through Michigamme was not so much fun.  You can read about that experience here. We spent the night at Michigamme Shores CG, which is a very nice Passport America park.

The next morning we continued eastward across the UP.  We spent some time at Da Yoopers Tourist Trap in Ishpeming.  There's really no way to explain Da Yoopers Tourist Trap.  You just gotta see it for yourself.  It contains a dozens of outlandish contraptions and dioramas making fun of da Yoopers (i.e. the U.P. ers).  I'll let the photos speak for themselves.

This thing had a working gasoline engine and chain!

We thought we might stay at Bay Furnace, forest service campground about 5 miles west of Munising.  We had scouted Bay Furnace on a previous trip and it is very nice, right on the shore of Lake Superior.  However, directly across from the entrance to Bay Furnace was the Kewadin Casino, which had 50A electrical service, plenty of spaces and was free.  Bay Furnace: $16/night, no power vs Kewadin Casino: 50A electric, free.  We chose the casino and ended up staying there 2 nights.  While staying at the casino we paddled the Au Train River.  More on that in the next post.

From Munising we traveled north to Grand Marais.  Grand Marais was a bit out of our way, but our friend Patty said it was a really neat town and worth a look.  We spent 2 nights at Woodland Park, a town-owned campground.

Grand Marais is at the northern edge of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.   We explored some sights along the lake shore

While there we hiked to Au Sable Point and toured the Au Sable Lighthouse.  The lighthouse is still in use, but now it uses solar power and a very small electric marine beacon mounted to the handrail at the top of the structure.  Very cool.  The original Fresnel lens is still in place in the tower.

Au Sable Lighthouse

After our stay in Grand Marais we moved to Newberry, with the intent of paddling some local rivers.  We stayed at Clementz Northwoods Campground, a familiar stop; we were here before in 2010.  We like it because it is very clean with large grassy sites, but also because it was a Passport America member, meaning we get to camp at half price. However, when we arrived we learned that they had dropped out of the Passport America program.  They were honoring the PA discounts through the end of September, when they shut down for the season, but not after that.  It's a shame.

While in Newberry we paddled the Two Hearted and Tahquamenon Rivers.  Details on those paddles will follow in the next post.

We looked hard but couldn't find a moose.

By the way, have you ever wondered why the UP is even a part of Michigan?  Look at a map; why is it not a part of Wisconsin?  Click here for the answer!

Across Northern Wisconsin

When we came out of the Boundary Waters we had planned to spend only 3 more nights at Fall Lake before moving on.  That would give us plenty of time to regroup and repack our gear before heading south and east.  Just about that time a severe heat wave struck the upper Midwest.  The temperatures in Ely were hitting 90 degrees, and the temps in central Minnesota were over 100 degrees.  Why go south in the face of that misery?  We were parked at one of our favorite places, we had good power to run the AC, and we had no other particular place to be.  Labor Day weekend was coming up, and we had no reservations anywhere else if we moved.  So we decided to just sit tight and wait out the heat wave.  Ultimately we stayed a total of 9 additional nights at Fall Lake.

Finally, on September 2, we took off.  We had no firm plans, but planned to head across northern Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula.  We stopped briefly in Duluth for groceries, then decided to shoot for the Walmart in Ashland WI to spend the night.  However, when we checked our Walmart database, it indicated that store did not allow overnight parking.  Dang!  Dorcas called the store to confirm, and they said no problem, come on over.  So off we went.  However, when we arrived at the store, there were signs all over saying that no overnight parking was allowed.  Dorcas went inside to get the straight poop.  It turns out the store has no objection, but there is a city ordinance prohibiting overnight parking.  They said the ordinance is rarely enforced, and it was safe to park.  We decided to risk it and found a nice spot near the back of the store, not visible from the street, between a parked 18-wheeler and a class C RV.  We were not disturbed.

The badger, Wisconsin's mascot

The next day we drove out on the Bayfield Peninsula towards the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.  On the way we stopped at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center, which is jointly operated by the National Park Service, National Forest Service, the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Wisconsin Historical Society.  It is a wonderful facility and features a 5-story observation tower.  It had loads of exhibits and videos.  It would be easy to spend a whole day there.

Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center

We continued up the western shore of the Bayfield Peninsula with great views of Chequamegon Bay and Lake Superior.  We stopped and toured the quaint village of Bayfield, were we spent some time in the HQ and visitor center for the Apostle Islands National Lake Lakeshore.   The Apostle Islands are difficult to explore without a boat.  Most visitors use a kayak or take a tourist excursion.  Our open canoe is not well suited for paddling the big waters among the islands, so we didn't paddle.  While at park HQ we learned that folks could park overnight in their parking lot for a very modest fee, so we checked in.  Before the establishment of the park, brownstone limestone was quarried from a number of the islands and used in the construction of buildings.  The park HQ was built from the this brownstone and was formerly the Bayfield County Courthouse.

Camping at park HQ Apostle Islands NLS

On the pier in Bayview

After leaving the peninsula we doubled back through Ashland.  While we had spent a previous night in Ashland, we had not explored this scenic town.  At the NGLVC we had learned of Kreher Park, a town RV park in Ashland on the Superior shore.  We checked it out and it was very nice, so we signed up for 2 nights.

Our camp at Kreher Park in Ashland

The town of Ashland features a dozen or more murals throughout the downtown area depicting the town's history and heritage.  We explored the town and enjoyed the artwork.

An Ashland mural

A mural honoring Ashland veterans

Ashland Town Hall constructed with local brownstone

Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness: The Whitley Way

Warning!!! 

This post is long and contains a lot of detail. If you are a paddling or camping gear head or think you might want to travel in the BWCAW some day, then read on. If you are simply here to see where we have been and to look at the pretty pictures, you might want to skip this one.


People often ask us about the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). They ask us specific questions about a variety of topics, and I try to answer their questions, but I'm never really able to convey the essence of our experience or what we do there or how we do it. To that end I thought I would describe our methods. There are many other methods, theories and practices, but this is the Whitley Way.

The Basics


First a little basic information: The BWCAW is a unit of Superior National Forest in northeastern Minnesota. It encompasses a little more than a million acres and over 1000 lakes. It is a premier destination for wilderness canoe camping. The BWCAW is bounded to the north by the Canadian Quetico Provincial Park which has similar characteristics and is similarly managed as a wilderness canoe destination. While similar, Quetico only gets about 10% as many visitors as the BWCAW. It is said to be more remote than the BWCAW, however, based on our single visit to Quetico in 2003, I would disagree. We saw almost as many people in Quetico as we typically see in the BWCAW. And it's much more expensive. When we went to Quetico in 2003 it cost $10 per day per person, and likely costs more today. For a 2-week trip that adds up to $280, plus there are some customs expenses. The BWCAW charges a modest reservation fee (optional but recommended) and a single entry fee for each person. For the two of us that totaled $28 this year. Quetico is nice, but the value is just not there. We won't be going back to Quetico for a while.

Fresh fried fish, hash browns and re-hydrated vegetables

In order to enter the BWCAW you must acquire an entry permit. There are approximately 80 designated entry points. There are a finite number of permits issued daily for each entry point. For example, at Mudro Lake where we put in this year, 6 permits are issued each day. That means only 6 parties may put in there each day. However, once you enter you can stay in as long as you wish, go anywhere you want and take out at any other entry point. Parties are limited to nine people and 4 boats. Once in you must stay at one of the 2000+ designated camp sites. Each camp site is marked on the maps and features a cast iron fire grate and a pit latrine. The “boonie”, as we call it, is a luxury as well as an important sanitary feature. Most camp sites have a very nice view of the lake. Any particular lake may have no campsite or 30+ campsites.

Dorcas on a smooth portage

Our History

We first visited the BWCAW in 1997 and have been back every year since, except for one year when we paddled the Allagash River in Maine instead. We usually put in in late August or early September. Usually the bugs are gone by that time of year, and it is fine fall weather. Initially, we would put in for about one week (we were working, ya know?) but increased the length of our trips as time went on. We now put in for 14 days. We would probably stay in longer if we could carry more food. Most parties we talk to seem to stay in no more than 4-5 days. We also travel much farther to get here than most folks we see. About 80% of the people we talk to are from Minnesota. Perhaps another 15% are from Wisconsin and Illinois. I don't think these folks really appreciate their treasure. They seem surprised that we would drive so far to visit the BWCAW. Every year we are anxious to get back. I expect we will continue to return each year as long as we are able.

Wayne cooking country ham on the fire grate, grits and coffee

1997 was a big year for other reasons. That was the year Dorcas and I met. Our second “date” was a trip to Siler City to buy a Kevlar Mad River Explorer. Wayne and Lynda had already invited me on their BWCAW trip that fall, and I had been looking for a lightweight boat. Wayne went with us, but he had not yet met Dorcas, and she had not been officially invited on the trip (although I had already asked her to go), so she was sorta on trial. We all did a couple of river camping trips that summer. She apparently passed Wayne's muster, because ultimately he let her go on that 1997 trip. Actually I think Lynda was happy about having another lady on the trip. In 1997 I also adopted Izaak. We didn't take Izaak that first year, but he did go every year thereafter until his death in 2007.

Our Boat

The single most important piece of equipment is your canoe. You just won't get very far without one. You certainly won't have much fun without one. A very few number of folks use kayaks, but they aren't very practical here. They are difficult to portage and don't hold much gear. The BWCAW is one of the last remaining bastions of the canoe as kayaks take over the rest of the world. Long live the open canoe!

Our loaded Bell Northwind canoe, showing rod holder

In 2002 we replaced our Mad River with a Bell Northwind in Black Gold lay-up. It is a Kevlar and carbon fiber hull that weighs about 53 pounds and is 17.5 feet long. That is actually heavier than many kevlar boats up here, but this is an expedition model and is quite a bit tougher than most. Perhaps 90% of folks here rent kevlar boats from local outfitters. This is advantageous because you can beat the crap out of them and drag them over rocks and throw them off cliffs, and it doesn't really matter (note to self: never buy a used rental boat). A few folks use aluminum boats, and I don't really know why. I guess it's because they are cheap. Weight is important. Unfortunately, the lakes do not all run together in one continuous body of water where you can paddle directly from one to the other. They are often separated by rocky creeks, rapids, log jams, waterfalls, mountains and other obstacles. This necessitates a maneuver known as a portage. More on that later. Our boat is equipped with fishing rod holders, a padded portage yoke, spare paddle and a spare fishing rod. It also has knee pads made of closed cell foam. I started out paddling whitewater and still kneel in the canoe much of the time.

Our Gear

We carry the majority of our stuff in four large packs. The heaviest is the dreaded “food pack”. The food pack consists of a Duluth Pack Camp Kitchen. The Duluth Pack company has made traditional north woods canoe gear since the beginning of time; for well over 100 years. It is hand made in Duluth MN using heavy canvas and leather materials and stout copper rivets. Our Camp Kitchen has had several modifications. First, a haul loop was added to the back center near the shoulder straps to help lifting and loading into the boat. We tie a rope to the haul loop when we hoist the pack up our bear line. Second, grab loop handles have been added to each side of the bag near the large outer pockets, which enables the bag to be carried more easily by two people. Both of these modifications were performed in the factory in Duluth. Third, and most importantly, it has been outfitted with a stainless steel liner box. Wayne owned a heating and air conditioning business, is skilled at working sheet metal and has kindly made me several such boxes. The box provides shape and rigidity to the pack, makes it more water resistant and helps keep the critters out. I haven't weighed my loaded food pack in several years; it's just too depressing. The last time I did weigh it several years ago, it weighed over 80 pounds, and there is no reason to believe it has gotten any lighter. We pack all the food in the food pack for our two-week trip. More on food later.

Dorcas on a smooth portage trail

The next heaviest item is the “pack basket”. Actually it is a Duluth Pack Cruiser Combo #3. That means it is a 20” pack basket inside a Duluth Pack #3 Cruiser Pack. The pack basket is a traditional canoe pack, used for as long as canoes have been used. It is lightweight and tough. The Cruiser pack provides a means of carrying the basket, protection from the elements and from abrasion and adds some exterior and interior pockets. The pack basket has also been modified by the factory to add padded leather shoulder straps and a waist belt. The pack basket carries most of our “hard” camping gear, such as stove, fuel, Outback oven, cook set, cups, folding saw, bear spray, liquor and diabetic supplies in a hard case. It also contains other small soft items such as rain tarp, bear line kit, inflatable PFDs, first aid kit, emergency kit, Dorcas' hammock, laundry supplies, toilet paper, soap, towels, etc.

The next heaviest bag is the “dry bag”, a Sealline Pro Pack, a heavy-duty waterproof dry bag with shoulder straps and waist belt. This bag contains the tent, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, pillows, clothes bags and loose fleece items, and is always carried directly to our tent site.

Lastly is the “net bag”. The net bag is a light-weight mesh backpack with a heavy vinyl bottom made by Stahlsac. This is where we carry items that don't care if they get wet, such as Camp-Rest chairs, water bucket, water bottles, sandals, water shoes, boat sponge and spare straps and lines.

In addition to these four major packs we each carry a personal dry bag. I use a Watershed Ocoee duffel and Dorcas uses a Mad River thwart bag with a lightweight waterproof liner. In these bags, we carry those things we may need while on the water: rain gear, cameras, binoculars, GPS, walkie-talkie/weather radio, paddling gloves, sunscreen, extra toilet paper, notebook, etc. There is also a tackle bag consisting of a small medium sized fanny pack.

Finally, we pack a pair of 5.6' medium action spinning rods loaded with Spiderwire, a tough braided fishing line and a pair of Bending Branches Black Pearl carbon bent shaft paddles.

Whew, what a load!

Other paddlers we see use a wide variety of gear. A few use Duluth Packs, but most use a combination of various dry bags, nylon cordura portage packs and traditional hiking back packs and day packs. Some use large plastic barrels to carry and store their food. A few poor souls pack everything into large trash bags. Most folks have way too many small loose items to keep up with.


Portaging

Remember those non-interconnected lakes? OK, now we have to carry all this crap from one lake to the next. The quality of portage trails can vary widely. Some are as smooth and level as a country road (rare!). Others are steep and rocky. Some are thick with tree limbs and brush. Often there may be a log or tree across the trail. Some are so weedy and thick with trees and limbs that you have to make a 3-point turn to get through some bends with the boat. Some are wet, muddy and slicker than snot on a rock. You just never know what it's going to be until you do it. As Forrest Gump said “Life is like a box of chocolates ...” Portages also vary greatly in length. Portages are traditionally measured in “rods” an archaic surveying measure that equals 16.5 feet. I don't know why rods are used. It could be that that is the approximate length of a canoe and provides a good visual reference for the distance. More likely the timber companies used rods when laying out tracts and the tradition remained. In any case portages can range from 5 rods or less to more than 400 rods. Do the math; it can be a long carry. Most portages we see are between about 40r and 180r. If the terrain is difficult the 40r portage can be more difficult and take longer than the 180r. A good landing at the portage path can go a long way towards making a portage easier. Some landings are smooth sandy beaches (rare) where you can paddle right up, step out and unload the boat while standing on hard level ground. Others are rocky, wet, muddy and/or steep. There is no easy way to get yourself out of the boat, much less the gear, without leaning over the water, balancing on two rocks and/or dragging the boat up across the rocks. This is when it would be nice to have a rental boat.

Portaging the canoe

Most people really dread the portages. While we don't actually look forward to them, we do appreciate the break it provides from the paddling. Paddle a while, take a nice hike in the woods. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Some are fairly pleasant, but some can be grueling. Most are somewhere in between. I don't think Matilda ever met a portage she didn't like.

A rocky portage landing

We always double portage; there is no other way considering our load. This means we haul one load of gear over, walk back to the start and then haul the final load. I think most BWCAW visitors do the same, although we do occasionally see folks who single portage. On the first load I always carry the boat and the net bag. Dorcas usually carries the SealLine dry bag on her back with her thwart bag on her waist and the paddles in her hands. After a leisurely return, I carry the food pack on my back and my Watershed bag in my hands. Dorcas carries the pack basket on her back, the tackle bag on her waist and the fishing rods in her hands. If it is a particularly long or brushy carry, Dorcas may put the paddles and the fishing rods in a lightweight bag and carry them all together. The secret to portaging, other than a proper mind set, is organization. We have combined all our gear into as few a number of bundles as possible, and we each have specific items we are responsible for. It is amazing how many times we see folks discussing who carries what at a trail portage, when we know that to have gotten where they are, they had done several portages already. It is fun to find the neat things those people leave behind, because no one was specifically responsible for that item, or they just had too many loose items.


Our Clothing

Our clothing is pretty much standard issue hiking and paddling attire. We plan for temperatures to range from about freezing overnight to the 90s during the day. We also expect wind and rain. This means mostly synthetic fabrics with lightweight long undies, zip-off hiking pants, nylon/polyester camp shirts, fleece outer wear, Gore-tex rain gear, hiking socks and a bathing suit. I pack two sets of shirts and pants, Dorcas packs three sets, but we do usually do some laundry during the trip. We wear rubber-soled Bean Boots while traveling, sandals or Crocs while in camp. Bean Boots are great while portaging. They provide good support and are good in the mud, but if you step in water over 10” deep, they get wet. Most other folks we see seem to use tennis shoes and sandals, rather than boots.


Our Food and Meals

We eat really well on our trips. No twigs and nuts for this group! Early on while camping with Wayne and Lynda, we developed a practice where one couple would plan, carry and prepare the evening meal at a camp site, then do the breakfast the next morning at the same camp site. This couple essentially “owned” the kitchen at that camp, while the other couple relaxed and enjoyed the service. The next evening, at the next camp, the other couple would do the meals.

Hash browns with summer sausage on the fire grate

Our food consists of a variety of commercially available dry products as well many things we have dehydrated ourselves. We also carry a lot of salted and cured meat products that don't require refrigeration. Rules prohibit cans or glass food or beverage containers,. We use salmon, tuna and chicken in foil pouches. We often will pre-prepare a lot of our meals. For example, our oatmeal will be pre-measured, and fruit, brown sugar and spices already added, with the amount of water to be added written on the bag. Then all the parts for a whole meal will be put in a bag and labeled.

Salmon cakes, hash browns and veggies

We do a lot of our own dehydrating. We make beef jerky from lean ground beef. We dehydrate frozen mixed vegetables, homemade chili and canned spaghetti sauce. We dehydrate ground beef, mushrooms, and tomatoes to add to a number of dishes.

A fluffy buttermilk pancake

Typical meals include:

Breakfast:

Grits, stewed dried fruit, country ham or side meat.

Spiced oatmeal with summer sausage.

Pancakes with country ham or side meat.

Lunch:

Peanut butter and jelly on bagels

Pouch tuna or salmon on pita

Jerky, gorp, summer sausage w/crackers and cheese

Dried soup mixes while in camp

Cookies, candies, nuts

Dinner:

Chili w/cornbread

Spaghetti with sauce and bread or bread sticks

Beef stroganoff

Chicken and rice or chicken and dumplings

Salmon patties (from pouch) and mixed vegetables

Camp fire pintos

Red beans and rice w/summer sausage

Fried fresh fish w/hash browns and mixed vegetables

Deserts: marshmallows, s'mores, cookies, muffins, brownies

Dorcas enjoying salmon patties, hash browns and veggies

We cook using both the iron fire grate and a pair of lightweight backpacking stoves. Wayne and Lynda carry a large cast aluminum frying pan that is great for use on the fire. We use it to cook fish, ham, summer sausage, side meat and hash browns. We also use the grate to keep food warm while cooking and serving. Lynda carries a lightweight backpacker frying pan for use on the camp stove. We also carry an 8” Outback Oven for baking. The Outback oven is functionally an ultralight Dutch oven that can be used over a camp stove. We make biscuits, cornbread, and muffins and brownies, all from supermarket mixes. 

Lynda's s'mores on flour tortillas

On our first evening of the trip, hopefully before we have done too many portages, we will grill a steak on the fire. The first morning we will have bacon and fresh eggs. We try to salvage a leftover egg or two for recipes later on that call for an egg.

Pancakes and country ham

We eat way too much on our trips, and each year we vow to carry less food. I think part of the problem is we are preparing for the other couple, so we want to make sure they aren't disappointed and won't go hungry. Of coarse, they are thinking the same about their meals. Each year we promise we will add at least one new menu item to the meal plan, but for reasons I can't explain, it rarely happens. I think basically we are just “rut” people. Or maybe we are simply traditional.

Summer sausage in hash browns and stewed dried fruit

Fishing

The BWCAW is a world class fishing destination. We fish, but not as hard or with as much vigor as many who visit here. The majority of our fishing is trolling as we move from lake to lake. I will usually cast into a promising weed bed or rocky hump as we pass by, if Dorcas will let me. While this is not the most effective fishing approach, we usually manage to catch some fish every day. On layover days we will usually go out and fish a little more seriously, fishing the banks and weeds pretty hard. I usually use a spinner bait, because it is not prone to catch many weeds or snag on the rocks, so I can fish where the fish are. It seems to be very effective. If we are in deep water with no weeds we may use a diving lure with treble hooks, something like a rattletrap. We would likely catch many more fish if we would sit in one place and jig along the bottom, but that's pretty boring. Most years we have no trouble catching enough fish for 3 fish fries and that's usually plenty. We primarily catch northern pike, small mouth bass and walleye. All are fine eating fish.

Dorcas washing the dishes

Our Camp

We are always looking for so-called 5-star camp sites. There are a number of factors we use when rating and selecting a camp site. Good tent pads, a good landing, a good kitchen, a good scenic view and a good bear line tree are all important. The most important factor, however, is that the camp site is vacant! We usually try to make camp before too late in the afternoon, no later than 4:00 if possible. The earlier you camp, the more choices you have. If you wait too late, you may have no choices at all and must paddle to the next lake or back track to the last lake. BWCAW rules say you may not share a camp site with another party. We carry walkie-talkies so we can scout multiple camp sites simultaneously and discuss our findings before committing.

Hoisting the food packs on the bear line

Before landing at our camp we bail water from the lake. We have never treated our water here, and so far, we have had no problems. We pick a spot that seems to be a deep part of the lake and well away from shore and dip our water from as far below the surface of the lake as we can reach. We fill our water bags and jugs and use the water for drinking and cooking.

"The Boonie" a rare lidded model.

When we make camp we usually just sit and rest for a while and maybe have a happy hour. Happy hour usually consists of crackers and cheese or nuts and an 80 proof adult beverage. After we have reached the requisite state of relaxation, we start some camp chores.  Dorcas unpacks the dry bag, and sets up the tent, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, etc. My chore is to hang the bear line, which is always an adventure. The bear line consists of a 75' Spectra climbing rope, slung over a stout limb at least 20' high. The other end of the line is tied off to a tree about 30' away. Pulleys are hung from the line so we can haul our two food packs up and off the ground. The rig must be strong enough to support two 80 pound food packs, at least 8' off the ground and 6' from any trees. We have killed a tree or two in the process. I'm not really sure how important all this is. In all our years in the BWCAW we have only had one confirmed bear in our camp. The biggest concern is probably mice and squirrels. A few mornings we have woken to find our packs and the supporting tree on the ground, but we have never had a critter in our food packs. At some point everyone goes out in search of fire wood.  We carry a saw and a small axe so we can make small split cook wood.

An unidentified paddler using the "boonie"

Every camp site has a cast iron fire grate usually with rocks stacked around it to make a nice hearth. There are usually a number of logs around the hearth for sitting and some flat rocks for setting cups, pots etc. The ladies aways like to find a flat dish washing rock, well away from the water where they can set up the dish pan. Tent sites may be back in the trees, or out on the shore. If it is not likely to be too windy or cold we usually prefer an open site.

On our first trip to the BWCAW we went with Wayne and Lynda, who had been paddling in the BWCAW for several years before our first trip.  Wayne is a bit of a Northwoods paddling traditionalist had developed his own style over the years.  We subsequently were greatly influenced by the "Wayne Way".  Had Dorcas and I gone for the first time by ourselves, I expect we probably would have adopted a style that is more lightweight and more in tune with our backpacking roots.

Our Mentor: Taught us the "Whitley Way"

Out of the Boundary Waters

Our motley crew: Myron, Dorcas and Matilda, Lynda and Wayne

We took out of the Boundary Waters on Saturday Aug 24, after 2 weeks in the wilderness, and we had another wonderful trip.  This was one of our earlier put-in dates.  Normally we put in later in the month; about the last week in August.  It was actually unseasonably cool when we put in, but the temperatures soon warmed to more seasonal levels.  Amazingly, we had no rain, if you don't count one brief sprinkle that occurred after we were in our tents, and that rain never actually wet the ground.

Our Route

The queens of the canoe

As expected, the bugs were worse than usual.  We had heard reports from friends camping and paddling in Minnesota that the locals said they were worse this year than for many years in the past. We had expected the worst, but actually they were not particularly bothersome.  While on the water they were nonexistent.  At camp they seemed to swarm just about dusk, so we simply went to bed.

A glorious sunset

Relaxing in camp

Portaging a  "rapid"

We put in at Mudro Lake, which is where we put in on our very first trip in 1997.  Since we had two vehicles we set a shuttle and took out at the Moose River access.  Our trip covered about 76 miles, which included day paddles and portages.  We laid over about every other day, meaning we camped 2 nights or more at a campsite before moving on.  As the years go by and we get older, we find ways to make our trips easier and more enjoyable.  This 76 mile trip, that we took 14 days to do, would be done by most parties in 5-6 days or so.  We tell folks we are retired and in no hurry.  They are envious.  We planned our route to include a number of rivers, since water levels were a bit higher than normal.  We caught a lot of fish, but none were very big.  The largest fish caught was a 2.9 pound northern pike.  Usually we catch a few 7-8 pounders.  Regardless, we still had two wilderness fish fry dinners.

Dragging over a beaver dam

We saw beavers, a few otters, bald eagles, osprey and turtles.  Dorcas saw a moose while scouting a portage trail, but was unable to get her camera out before she bolted.  Dorcas reported that she was big and black and very close.  Actually they started each other; I'm not sure who was more scared, Dorcas or the moose.  Moose sighting are increasingly uncommon in the BWCAW.  We used to see a few every year or so, but it's been several years since we last spotted a moose.  We heard wolves howling several nights.

One that didn't get away

"Did you catch any fish?"

One of the bigger bugs, thankfully not a biting bug.

Camp fire pizza

Is Dorcas relaxed or what?

When we returned to Fall Lake the motor home was fine (always a concern), the batteries were charged, the beer was cold and the rib eyes were still frozen.  Life is good!  We had reservations for three nights at Fall Lake Campground.  Ultimately we signed up for 5 more nights.  A severe heat wave had hit the upper Midwest during the last few days.  While it was 90 degrees here, it was over 100 degrees in other parts of Minnesota.  We are relatively cool here and have good power to run the air conditioners.  This is the most pleasant place I can think of to sit out the heat wave.  Besides, we didn't want to be moving during Labor Day weekend, not knowing where we would stay, potentially getting caught without power during the heat.  So we will be here probably until Sunday September 1.

A grassy portage landing

Another glorious sunset

"Something ate my fish!!!"

"It wasn't me!  BURRRRP!"

A few days after we returned to Fall Lake camp ground our friends Bob and Sue from Florida showed up.  Bob and Sue have spent most of the summer paddling in Missouri, Wisconsin and Minnesota.  One day we paddled with them on Fall Lake and visited Kawishiwi Falls and Newton Falls.  Matilda and "Bric" had a big time playing.

Matilda and Bric