BWCACAST- High Definition Boundary Water Canoeing

March showed up with extremely warm temperatures for the season which quickly removed what little snow we had accumulated over the short winter. In the last couple of days the ice has begun to pull away from the shoreline opening up the opportunity for an early paddle. The first paddle of the spring is always a favorite time even if its only for 10 or so minutes. We had a an amazing sunshine filled day giving the ice a shimmery reflection.

Our loop out of the Little Indian Sioux entry point is coming to an end. After a heavy rain throughout the night we woke to sunny skies and calm waters. Looking at the maps we find a day filled with portaging ahead of us. With over 800 rods of portaging we knew our shoulders would be ready for some relaxation on Lynx lake which would be our destination for the day. Paddling along the way we encounter a couple of loons showing off as well as a serene beaver flooded portage.

Winter is a great time to get out and enjoy a host of winter sports. Everything from ice fishing to winter camping get you out of the house and into the crisp fresh air. Many of these winter activities involve frozen bodies of water. It doesn't matter if your riding on a snowmobile, gliding along on skies, or crunching by on snowshoes, crossing ice covered water ways need to hold your full respect. It can happen in an instant and without any warning. You could find yourself plunging into the frigid water below the ices surface.

Now this doesn't have to be a death sentence, however depending on your location and how well you are prepared for such an event the end result can vary greatly.

Glen Hooper from Northwest Ontario is an avid winter enthusiast and a writer for winter trekking.com. He spends a lot of time traversing the rugged Canadian terrain in both summer and winter. The prospect of falling through the ice is something he takes very seriously and has put a lot of forethought into what he needs to survive such and ordeal. Join me as I visit with Glen on what he has readied to aid in increasing his survival skills after a plunge into frigid waters.

After leaving behind the dead moose carcasse in Thumb Lake we paddle through fresh air under sunny skies. The wind always seems to follow us with a gental push from behind helping ease the day of paddling. We encounter a couple of beaver dams and a few mergansers as we paddle our way to Ge-be-on-e-quet Lake.

We continue our journey north out of Little Loon Lake with the clouds flying by overhead. The warmth of the sun soaks into our bodies as we paddle across open waters. The portages have been both adventurous and serene. We are nearing the end of a full day of paddling and portaging and our bodies are ready for a break. With this being our first trip of the season our muscles are beginning to long for a relaxing evening.

Our first paddling trip of 2011 we head into the Little Indian Sioux entry point on a 5 day trip. There is a steady wind blowing and the clouds are zipping by overhead. We paddle North along the river taking a beautiful portage along a small rapids. We catch a glimpse of a couple of mallard ducks and a bald eagle. The episode comes to a close as we portage from Upper Pauness into Lower Pauness.

On a stormy morning we paddle West out of Mountain lake to a steep portage heading south.  We encounter some heavy rain and lightening as thunder rolls across the the lakes.  We hunker down at a campsite waiting for the storm to subside and then continue on our way to Pine Lake.  Just North of Pine Lake we come across a cow moose and her calf.  The two are standing at the edge of a lake with a picturesque woodland backdrop.  It was great to see our first moose in the BWCAW.

Campsites come in every shape size and location in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Some have stunning views over calm waters, some are tucked away beneath swaying pines. Selecting the perfect campsite can mean the difference between a restful night and one where you can't wait to find a new place to call home.

With a nice tail wind we continue our way along the Voyagers Highway. Leaving North Fowl Lake we portage through thick vegetation and a few mosquitoes. Back on the water we come across a couple of loons swimming on the horizon. One puts on a bit of a show as it takes a bath. We finish up the day in Mountain lake enjoying a relaxing cup of tea and watching the sun disappear behind the trees.

For those of you new to camping and maybe even for you veterans out there, we have put together this little howto video showing the basic principles behind setting up a tent.  Now there are a wide variety of tents out there and each have their own specific way to be set up.  Many tents however follow the same basic steps. Here are a few things we take into consideration when setting up our tent.  First off our tent is a self standing tent which means it doesn't require tent stakes to stay upright.  There are tents on the market that do require stakes, so when shopping for a tent keep this in mind.  One advantage to having a tent that doesn't require stakes is if you are camping in an area that is very rocky, or the ground is extremely firm, you may not be able to put in stakes at every campsite.  With a self standing tent you will still be able to camp in these locations without too much trouble barring any crazy winds. The first thing we look for when choosing a tenting location is how flat the surface is, and if there are rocks or roots sticking up that might be painful to sleep on during the night.  We try to find areas that are as smooth as possible. If there is a slant to the ground we plan on sleeping on we try to position our on the slant so our heads and feet are lined up with the slant.  This way if any sliding occurs during the night you will slide into the end of the tent instead of into your fellow campers. After the tent has been assembled and the rain fly has been put on, we do a quick check on the edges to ensure our ground cloth isn't sticking out anywhere.  If the ground cloth is visible any rain that does fall on it will be taken right under your tent and may lead to a wet night for sleeping. We hope you've found this episode helpful.  If you have any added ideas, or questions, please post them in the comment section below. Thanks for watching.