BWCACAST- High Definition Boundary Water Canoeing

Late in the summer with a few warm sunny days hanging around we head down the Fernberg road to Lake 1. The sun was shining down on us as we talk a little bit about orienteering as we paddle through Lakes 1, 2, 3 and to the edge of 4 where we stop for lunch. It was a very nice day to be out on the water. Its a beautiful trip to take late in the year.

After spending the day exploring around Knifes Lower Arm we packed up our camp and headed out. We took a different rout on the way out that brought us over a portage scraped down by the glaciers during the ice age. We traveled through Ensign Lake where we show off a nice campsite. Jim talks about the effect the deer have one the area as they continue to push north.

After the long day of paddling to get into Knife Lake the day before, we decided to relax around camp and do a little exploring around Knife’s Lower Arm. It was amazing to see the destruction left over from the forest fire that had ripped through the area a few years ago. The remnants were still readily available and made portions of the trip seem very gloomy. We were revived however with a little rest and some great views atop a high island in the middle of the lower arm. With our camp already set up, we had the time to just explore around the lake. The shore seemed to jump up out of the water with very steep shorelines. The climb up with a little effort was rewarded with breathtaking views up and down the Lower Arm. The occasional canoe would pass by below us while we sprawled out in the soft moss under a canopy of trees. Knife Lake has a rugged beauty that makes every portage and paddle stroke worth the effort given.

Its -26 F outside here in Northern Minnesota as I edit this show. Its nice to remember the hot days paddling in the BWCAW. This day was especially hot requiring a dip in the lake at most portages. We paddled and portaged for over 8 hours until we found an open camping site on Kife lake. The portage leading into Knife lake led us to a nice little set of rappids. The crystal clear water in Knife was quite refreshing. We hopped in the water at the end of the portage and let the fast moving water revive us for the next bout of paddling. It was a good thing too, we were expecting to find a camping site in the next hour or two, but it wasn’t for another 4 hours of paddling that we came across a campsite that wasn’t either taken or surrounded by the scorched land of a previous forest fire. All in all it was a very nice day out on the water with some spectacular views.

After checking out the pictographs on the northern edge of Lac LaCroix we decided to do a little fishing. Our goal was to head into Lady Boot Bay and use some sonar jigs to try our luck at trout fishing. Well the portage we were planning on using was pretty overgrown, and the bugs were terrible. So we headed back out into the lake looking for walleye or northern pike. Both Jim and Mat caught very nice Northerns, while I let a huge walleye jump back into the lake while trying to net it. :( Let me tell you its not fun to relive the moment by watching it on video. After we cooked up one of the pike for dinner we came across a beaver munching on a poplar. It was amazing how close we were able to get, and we lucked out with some fantastic video.

After exploring around Curtain Falls, we headed back down the portage to our canoes. Along the way we ran into Melissa and Chelsea, two young ladies working for the Forestry Service maintaining the portages. One had an axe, and the other had a shovel. They were kind enough to do a short interview with me about their jobs. After talking to them it sounded like they had quite the gig going. Eight days in the BWCAW at a time out checking and maintaining the porages in the area. I can think of a lot worse ways to spend a summer. :)

Day three on our trip into Lac LaCroix we took off early in the morning in search of Warrior Hill and some vivid pictographs. We paddled across calm waters and under sunny skies. There were a couple of bald eagles chattering away in a tree nearby. As we rounded the bend into the bay that Warrior Hill resides we encountered a little wind that made paddling a little more strenuous. The sun was still shining and getting to see Warrior Hill rise up in front of us was worth the the struggle against the wind. The Pictographs were abundant when we finally found the cliff face they resided on. The moose figures and hand prints were really something to see. Thinking about what it must have been like when they were placed on the rocks really makes you appreciate what their lives must have been like.

We set out on our second day in Lac La Croix with the goal of visiting Curtain Falls. We had heard how beautiful it was and were really excited to check it out. We had a few portages and a little paddling to get there from boulder bay so we set off early in the morning. We paddled across calm waters and basked in the warm sun. When we finally made it to Curtain Falls it was amazing. The water was raging out of Crooked lake over the top of the falls pounding its way down into Lac La Croix. Mat and Jim did a little fishing in the fast water below the falls while Erin and I did a little swimming at the top of the falls. It felt so nice to cool off on such a hot day. We found a nice little pool on the edge of the falls that had water boiling into it without the danger of being swept over. If you sit in one side it feels like you are sitting in a jacuzzi tub. If you ever get the chance to stop by Curtain Falls you won't be disappointed.

Continuing our trip on the Nina Moose River and making our way onto the Boulder River we encountered a couple of deer. They didn’t seem too concerned about our canoes gliding by in the water as they munched on the grass by the waters edge.

Our second camping trip of the summer was off to a great start. The sun was shining through the trees as Matt, Erin, Jim, and I headed down the portage from the Moose River entry point. The word on the river was that a moose had been spotted not too far from where you put in your canoe. We weren’t lucky enough to see it, but had high hopes for the rest of the trip. This is the first episode of our trip out to Lac LaCroix. You’ll see how beautiful the Nina Moose River is with a variety of scenery on the sides of the river.

While paddling from boulder bay in Lac LaCroix, we came across a ranger station nestled in the woods at the edge of the lake. Tim a Wilderness Ranger who is based out of the LaCroix ranger station in Cook, MN was out working around the buliding and asked to see our permit.. After showing him our documentation I asked if we could get an interview. Tim was gracious enough to ablige and gave us the skinny on what goes on behind the scenes to keep camp sites and portages up and running as well as enforcing the rules and regulations that keep the BWCAW a quiet place in nature we can all excape to.

Jesse Glass helps me on this beautiful day trip out to the Devils Cascade. The sun was shining and with a little head wind we headed up the Little Indian Sioux River. On the river we saw a couple deer standing in water along the shoreline. We paddled against a pretty steady head wind on Upper Pauness before taking the short portage into Lower Pauness. It was a quick paddle across Lower Pauness to the Portage into the Loon River. At the portage is where you’ll find the Devils Cascase. The water was rushing through the narrow canyon, spilling over rocks with a high cliff face on the far side of the river.

Our camping trip had to come to a close. We started out in Mudro Lake and had a great time on Lower Basswood River and Crooked Lake. This episode has us portaging out of the bottom of Friday Bay in Crooked Lake and going through a number of lakes including Boot, Fairy, 4 Town, and back into Mudro to finish the trip. Along the way we had a number of portages, one as long as 300 rods. It was a doozie leaving us with tired shoulders and a few mosquito bites. We had hoped to camp right after that portage, but all of the camp sites on Gun Lake were full. So we ended up camping on Fairy lake. That evening we caught a beaver on the shore chowing down on some tree branches and a turtle at the edge of the water. We continued the next day through 4 Town Lake where we saw an immature eagle eating some fish. Our trip finally came to an end back in Mudro. It was a great trip and we hope you enjoyed experiencing it with us through the video.

Our last day on Crooked Lake was a great one. We had beautiful weather and a nice little current helping us along our way. We were lucky enough to watch some mergansers take off and a couple loons doing what they do best… Fishing…

The pictographs on Crooked Lake are not quite as vivid as the ones on North Hegman lake, but the location is just breathtaking. The cliff face coming up out of the water containing the pictographs creates mirrored images off the water that can look like abstract paintings.