May 2021 Wildflower Canoe Trip in the Sylvania Wilderness

Setting off for four days in the Sylvania Wilderness, my husband looked forward to retesting our gear set, our daughter hoped for a cell signal, and I dreamed of spotting spring wildflowers after a long winter of bare trees and dull coloration. We drove to Michigan's Upper Peninsula and stopped view Burned Dam Falls before entering the wilderness. Burned Dam Falls proved to be home to several wildflower species and I grew excited thinking about what I might see in the wilderness.

2020 July Family Trip to Whitefish Lake in the Sylvania Wilderness

Capturing our precious family canoe tripping memories is one of my favorite things to do. As working parents know, finding the time to do the things we want to do isn't always easy. I feel rather anxious finding myself here in June 2021, recording the events of July 2020. But the memories are precious and few due to my having only a sparse allotment of vacation time. Although I come to the party late, I am glad I made it.

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. 

Our Family's Last Canoe Trip of 2020

You waste weekends in the summer accomplishing obligatory chores. You think to yourself, "It's summer, I can camp and paddle anytime." Then suddenly, night begins to come earlier. The leaves shine brilliant gold, orange, red, and then poof - they're gone. It sneaks up on you, the last canoe trip of the season. Now you wish you had spent more days on the water, in camp, off the grid.

Teen Finds Joy Paddling in the Sylvania Wilderness, September 2020

Our daughter Ams is a teenager now. Everything is boring. On canoe trips it's always a fight. She wants to sit in the middle seat and fiddle with her phone. Canoes, being a part of "everything", eyeroll, are sooooo booooooring. To offer her a bit of independence, not to mention exercise and fun, my husband decided to pick up a kayak and start bringing it on our canoe trips, at least the ones that require a smaller amount of portaging. Let me tell you how it went.

Backpacking in the Porcupine Mountains

2020 rolled in deliciously fat and happy, but by mid-March things looked very different. With the Corona Virus spreading and the government in denial, the virus took off before we realized it posed a threat. My daughter's school closed, my husband began working from home, I took a pay cut and then a period of reduced hours. We didn't complain, we felt lucky to have work and our health. Before long, civil unrest began to spread though cities and towns. When the  fourth of July weekend came along, the entire family needed a break from the 2020 news cycle.

Watching the Boats Go By on a Canoe Trip for Two in the Turtle-Flambeau Flowage

The Turtle-Flambeau Scenic Waters Area offers remote camping on campsites accessible only by water. Located in Northern Wisconsin near Mercer, the flowage offers fishing, boating, and paddling. On a stormy Friday night in July, we headed north. Traffic pulled to the side of the road from time to time due to poor visibility. Wind churned the dark clouds. We wondered how the weather would be spending this night in our tent.

July 2019 Sylvania Wilderness Canoe Trip

Cold snowy days are great times for reminiscing about summer days gone by. Our 2019 four day canoe trip to celebrate the 4th of July seems so long ago.  It is funny how in hindsight the first things I remember are the warm sunny swim days, little fish jumping to eat mosquitoes, and the excitement of watching a porcupine visiting our campsite and climb trees. It is only after looking through the old videos and photographs that I recall the swarming mosquitoes, or the storm that came out of nowhere and turned out campsite into mud puddles.

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.

Our First Canoe Trip of 2019 - 4 Days in the Sylvania Wilderness

There is nothing like a long, cold winter to make us ache for the warmer, carefree days of summer. Finally, the weather had become right for a canoe trip. With a song in our hearts we loaded up the car and headed north for a four day family trip to the Sylvania Wilderness in the Ottawa National Forest of Upper Michigan. As we drove it began to rain. We talked about the weather, the way people headed into the wilderness tend to do. Our goal for the day, to make it to camp without thunderstorms, and without our everything becoming entirely drenched.

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.

A Romantic Weekend for Two in the Turtle Flambeau

Ams went off to Girl Scout Camp. With a weekend to do anything our hearts desired, my husband and I took our first ever canoe trip in the Turtle Flambeau Flowage. As the day drew near, the weather forecast worsened. With two days of thunderstorms in the forecast, we headed up to the Turtle Flambeau Flowage not entirely sure what might happen.

Fall 2017 Family Backpacking Trip to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

On our 3 day family backpacking trip to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, we backpacked 18.2 miles (29.3 km) through rain and sun. We marveled at red and gold maples, and majestic views of Lake Superior. We camped at the busy Beaver Creek and quieter Seven Mile Creek backcountry campsites. Squirrels and chipmunks greeted us at every turn, begging for handouts. Even birds came by looking for a few crumbs. We played on the beach by day, and by night slept soundly in the cool autumn air. Time passed much too quickly.

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.

Family Backpacking Trip to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Famous for its gorgeous rock formations and cliffs along the south shore of Lake Superior in Upper Michigan, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore can be visited by tour boat, kayak, driving tour, or on foot. We chose the latter. With both campgrounds and backcountry sites available, we opted to backpack which may be done by permit at $5 per night per person. Pictured Rocks is located between Munising and Grand Marais on Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

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.

Family Camping Trip to Peninsula State Park

Peninsula State Park is located in Door County in Fish Creek, Wisconsin along scenic State Highway 42. Known as a hotspot for paddle sports, boating, bicycling, and outdoor theatrical productions at the Northern Sky Theatre, Peninsula State Park is Wisconsin's most popular stop for car camping. The park gets extremely busy, and we planned to arrive on a Sunday and leave on Thursday before the busy weekend began.

Sylvania Wilderness Canoe Canoe Trip - Memorial Day Weekend 2016

Our first family canoe camping trip of 2016 in the Sylvania Wilderness in Michigan's Upper Peninsula begins with a downpour. We paddle and portage what dry makes for an easy 4.3 miles (6.9 km) across Clark Lake and Loon Lake to our campsite, Eagle 1. Our daughter, less than pleased to have been caught in the downpour without rain gear on, puts her rain jacket on over her wet clothes. She then takes 30 minutes to drag herself across the normally 5 or 10 minute portage in the rain. It is clear we should have put on our rain gear before jumping into the canoe.

Northern Highlands American Legion State Forest Backpacking Trip

Our daughter's school day off for teachers in-service training provided a perfect October Friday to head out for a family backpacking trip. We headed to the Northern Highlands American Legion State Forest, stopping near in Boulder Junction for lunch at the Outdoorsman before heading into the woods. The Outdoorsman appeals to my daughter with its chickens, goats and rabbit out back. The restaurant features home baked pies and farm fresh eggs. They sell homemade goods and other artsy finds. A cute place to stop.

Sylvania Wilderness Canoe Trip to Whitefish Lake

As the loons prepared to gather, and the leaves began to turn, Labor Day brought our last canoe tripping adventure of the summer to a close. Sure, we'll get a few chances to dip our paddles out day tripping. But there is nothing like canoe camping on a motor-free lake to make our plastic and concrete world go away, if only for a few short, relaxing days.