BWCACAST- Standard Definition Boundary Water Canoeing

After pushing it pretty hard for the last few days we found ourselves really enjoying the natural beauty of Ottertrack Lake. With the sun slowly dipping behind the horizon and a near full moon brightening the evening sky Matt and I head out for an evening paddle. The water was like glass as we listened to the loons echoing off the surrounding trees and cliffs. Matt was doing a little fishing along the edge of the lake as we paddled along. Even now I can still remember the sound of the paddle dip into the water as we glided around Ottertrack.

With the sun still shining over head and a gentle breeze keeping us cool we continued to paddle west along the voyagers highway.  Leaving Horsetail falls we work our way across Saganaga Lake using the islands as a buffer from the wind.  Leaving Saganaga we pass through Swamp lake on into Otter Track Lake where we stop for the evening.  All in all it was a great day out on the water in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

We awoke to a beautiful day. The sun was shining with puffs of white clouds scattered across the sky. We left our campsite in Gneiss and continued west towards Saganaga Lake. We encounter a rugged portage and some beautiful scenery at HorseTail Rapids.

After a couple days of windy rainy weather we wake up to high overcast skies.  We are thrilled to be paddling without the sound of rain drops falling on our rain gear.  We paddle through North Fowl, Gunflint, the Granite River, and into Gneiss Lake.  Along the way we encounter a beaver preparing for winter and a multitude of other wildlife.  It was a great day to be out on the water.

After a day of high winds and a steady rain we leave from Rosa Lake on our way west along the Voyagers Highway.  The high bluffs along side the lakes makes for some beautiful scenery.  We find a campsite on North Fowl Lake right across from a Loon nest.  We get a nice glimpse of the egg as well as a chance to see the mother waddle her way up on to the nest.

Our big trip for the summer begins on the eastern edge of the BWCAW in John Lake.  Our plan is to follow the "Voyagers Highway" through the historic border lakes as we paddle west.  We head out from John lake through the Royal River in to South Fowl Lake then northwest into North Fowl Lake and end the episode on Moose Lake. With the recent rain in the are we encounter some vibrant colors on the portages which really makes hauling a pack almost not noticeable.  With three of us in the canoe we are able to make pretty decent time.  We have a great beginning to our trip. A theme you may hear us talk a lot about on this next series of shows is the head wind we encounter for the majority of our trip.  If you would like to take a similar trip we now recommend paddling from east to west.  :)

As we were paddling along the Voyagers Highway we ran into Steve and Ted.  10 years prior in July of 1999 the two were on Knife Lake when the severe storm which caused the blow down raged across the lake.  They were luckily having lunch at a campsite when it hit.  The two were kind enough to share their story with me.  I can only imagine the terrifying experience they had that day.  Even though they've had numerous trips into the BWCAW since they decided they should take an anniversary trip 10 years after the fact.  We just happened to bump into them on their jounrey.

Leaving Lower Basswood Falls we head south paddling up the Horse River. Emerging from the thick vegetation along the sides of the river we catch a glimpse of a deer nibbling its way along the shore. The glass like water made for an enjoyable paddle as we find a group of turtles sunning themselves on a log. To add some excitement to the trip I break a paddle on a rock attempting to paddle up a small rapids. No worries though, with a little duct tape we were back paddling in no time. The evening ends with some loons and a bobber floating just off of camp.

Spending the day at Basswood falls was amazing. The numerous falls all packed into such a confined area makes it a playground for your senses. With short paddles and quick walks to explore each fall, its an easy way to spend a day. We found a cable tram crossing the river at one point; we are not sure what it is used for. If any of you know please email us. At one campsite located right next to a falls we found half and old grumman canoe being used as a chimney for the fire grate. We continue down Basswood River through Horseshoe falls and end this episode at the spectacular Lower Basswood Falls. We hope you enjoy the fast moving water.

After a tough day of paddling into the wind we were overjoyed to find calm waters when we emerged from out tents. We head from Half Dog bay through Back Bay, and PipeStone Bay on our way up to Basswood Falls. We encounter some neat bird activity along with some scenic portages. Join us as we continue our journey to Basswood Falls.