Stuart River to Lower Basswood Falls - BWCA 2023

With the goal of seeing Lower Basswood Falls and permits unavailable for our three target entry points, we defaulted to a still available permit for the Stuart River entry point. This entry point starts with a 433 rod portage, plus five more mapped portages, as well as several additional unmapped beaver dams to climb over before arriving at the first campsites from Entry Point 19. Maybe this causes some unpopularity for this entry point, and perhaps it is this unpopularity that allowed us the permit.

Frost River Loop - BWCA 2022

My husband, our teenage daughter and I set aside 10 days to spend together canoe tripping in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) in August, 2022. We wanted to single-portage along a loop route, and put in some travel time as well as time laying around on a couple of nice campsites and doing, well, a whole lot of nothing. With an entry permit for Entry Point #50 Cross Bay Lake in hand, we studied our maps.

BWCA 2020

 

Those of you who have visited the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) know that summer trips include cold and rainy days. You come to expect inclement weather days with just enough nice days sprinkled in to inspire deep appreciation. With Covid19, the riots, and stories about how crowded the BWCA might be in mind, our family wasn't super focused on the weather when preparing for this trip. By luck we stumbled into atypical, beautiful warm days, with only a little rain. We've never had an August trip this beautiful before. 

2019 10-Day Family Trip in the Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness

Seeking solitude and a large dose of vitamin N, our family decided to enter the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) from a relatively unpopular entry point, #4 Crab Lake. There are no pictographs or big waterfalls to see from this entry point. The trip starts with a long paddle across Burntside Lake or the hiring of a tow. Once at the portage, the entry into the Boundary Waters kicks off with a once 370 rod portage, now 408 rod portage to Crab Lake.

How to Plan Food Menus for Back-country Adventures

Preferences being what they are,  it can be a challenge to plan lightweight, nonperishable menus for a group. In our family, I do not eat sweetened foods while my daughter and my husband love candy, granola bars and candy-infused trail mixes. My daughter is very fond of high-carb foods, while my husband likes meats. We've found the prepared freeze-dried backpacking meals that can be purchased to be very salty while containing minimal meat. Now, I purchase mainstream what I can, and dehydrate the rest at home. Presented here is my menu planning strategy and our 2019 3-person 10-day back-country canoe trip.

Boundary Waters 2018: Moose River Entry Point 16 to Campsites on Nina Moose Lake, Lac La Croix, Iron Lake, and Oyster Lake

Kicking off our 2018 trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA), our family entered the BWCA at Entry Point #16, Moose/Portage River. We spent 9 nights camped on Nina Moose, Lac La Croix, Iron and Oyster Lakes before exiting on day 10. We got rained on, paddled against gusty winds, sunned on slabs of rock and swam. We started awkwardly, careful with each move, then fell into a rhythm with our packing, portaging, paddling and camp-setting that made us feel like part of this place. Just as we began to feel like we truly belonged, our time in this quiet wilderness, like the summer of 2018, began to draw to a close.

Boundary Waters 2017: Meeds Lake Entry Point 48 to Campsites on Meeds Lake, Omega Lake, Gaskin Lake and Vista Lake

On our 2017 trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) our family entered the BWCA at Entry Point #48, Meeds Lake. We spent 8 nights camped on Meeds, Omega, Gaskin and Vista Lakes before exiting at Entry Point #47, Lizz Lake. We stuck our feet into mud holes and slipped and fell on slick rocks and roots. We paddled against 30 mph gusts, sunned ourselves on slabs of bedrock, swam in pristine waters, and marveled at the wonders of nature. We grew closer to one another as we worked as a team to travel, set camp, and overcome the challenges of life away from modern conveniences.

Boundary Waters 2016 - Little Indian Sioux EP#14 to Campsites on Shell, Hustler, Gebeonequet, Little Beartrack, and Loon Lakes.

The  BWCA (Boundary Waters Canoe Area) is the kind of magical place that casts a spell over visitors, drawing them back. Our family first visited the BWCA three years ago. We now return each year for our fix of loons, lakes, and love of the wilderness. Each year we add a day or two, and leave feeling that we could have used a bit more time.

BOUNDARY WATERS 2016 BACKCOUNTRY MENU PLAN & FOOD PREP LIST

Warm, delicious meals around the campfire after a rainy day of paddling and portaging make the trip. Nothing feels better than sharing a well earned meal with the one’s you love while reliving the day and making memories.  On our trips, traditional family favorites like beef stroganoff and chili nourish the heart and fuel the body, while new treats add fun. Let’s gather around the food barrel, and find out what’s for dinner.

Boundary Waters 2015 - Kawishiwi Lake EP #37 to Amber Lake

We drove north with Jerry Van Diver's True and Deep - Songs for the Heart of the Paddler playing and our 7 year old singing along. I looked at my husband and smiled. With the mad dash of a long work week behind us, we found ourselves doing the very thing which seemed infinitely out of reach just a few days earlier. We were headed to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Northeastern Minnesota.