Boundary Waters, Message Board, Forum, BWCA, BWCAW, Quetico Park
Chat Rooms (0 Chatting)  |  Search  |   Login/Join
* For the benefit of the community, commercial posting is not allowed.
 Boundary Waters Quetico Forum
    Trip Reports
       Trip Report - Prisoners on Pine
          Reply
Date/Time: 03/28/2024 01:16PM
Trip Report - Prisoners on Pine

* Help stop spam. Please enter the lake name you see over the flying moose.

  

Previous Messages:
Author Message Text
RaisedByBears99 03/29/2012 05:33AM

As to the survey marker -


After many years running a logging camp, my great grandfather was a timber cruiser for the state of Minnesota. At some point in the 1920s and 1930s he was also involved in placing a lot of survey markers in Superior Nat'l Forest and the BWCA. When we used to run across them, my grandfather would look them over carefully. His father had apparently left some mark to show it was one he'd done. Wish I knew what it was.
toddhunter 03/23/2012 04:42PM
Sounds pretty harrowing. We stayed on this very site on Pine in August '11. Cool seeing the same views through your lense (literally). Plenty of smallies just east of the site too.
TuscaroraBorealis 03/23/2012 02:14PM
With regards to the resolution of the illegal hidden base camp on Gadwall lake. Here is an excellent follow up trip report by Cowdoc. Fall 2011 In it he reports that the forest service did indeed clean the area up.
jamotrade 07/05/2011 11:01AM
Loved the report. Lots of drama and a happy ending. I also like the spot on your canoe where you have recorded the names of the lakes on your past trips. Very cool!


Congrats on the new baby girl!!
Savage Voyageur 07/04/2011 04:34PM
Very nice little one, so cute, Congratulations. Thanks for the trip report, glad all went well after the swim. That lake is always windy.
PINETREE 07/04/2011 03:41PM
I wonder if she got her own canoe paddle yet? So cute.
Big Tent 07/04/2011 03:07PM
Great report and a wonderful ending. Congratulations.


Jay
AndySG 07/04/2011 01:43PM
quote vickieh69: "quote PINETREE: "Congratulations. We do need a name or is that in the next addition,the new beginning story book."



Aurora Isabel Jean..."

Beautiful name for a beautiful child. You must be extremely happy. Congratulations!
oldgentleman 07/02/2011 08:28AM
Thanks for the report. Congratulations on your baby. Your daughter has gotten a really early start going to the wilderness!
SevenofNine 07/01/2011 01:01PM
Vickie and Paul, congratulations. Paul, you're one lucky guy to have a trooper like Vickie. Vickie, I think Paul is one nice considerate guy. I hope you feel lucky too!
cheesewiz 07/01/2011 12:02PM
Congratulations! What a story! We were in Quetico at that same time and experienced those same winds, 30-40 mph and gusts to 50 mph for 28 straight hours. Luckily we came out a few days later. Ran into a guy at Prairie Portage that was on a solo and swamped his canoe. Luckily some campers nearby rescued him. He was paying for their tow out of P.P. as a "thank you" to them.
vickieh69 07/01/2011 12:08AM
quote PINETREE: "Congratulations. We do need a name or is that in the next addition,the new beginning story book."


Aurora Isabel Jean...
lars54 06/30/2011 05:46PM
congratulations
ducks 06/29/2011 10:13PM
Congratulations! I'm guessing her name is Winnie or Morgan.....
PINETREE 06/29/2011 08:44PM
Congratulations. We do need a name or is that in the next addition,the new beginning story book.
TuscaroraBorealis 06/29/2011 08:12PM
As a storybook ending to this story. I'm happy to announce that Vickie gave birth to a beautiful, healthy baby girl this morning at 8:03!
PINETREE 06/11/2011 09:14PM
Sounds like you two make one good team.
TuscaroraBorealis 06/11/2011 08:43PM
Vickie is definitely an awesome "tough cookie."


Not that we planned or hoped things would go the way they did. But, after it was all said & done, it's something of a reassuring feeling to know that we were able to handle the crisis' (or at least as close to a crisis as I've come or hope to?) without panicking. Quickly diffusing the situation by just focusing on what we needed to do & doing it.


As the old saying goes. "What doesn't kill ya only makes you stronger." It was definitely a humbling experience. Yet I feel we learned something about our outdoor skills & each other that we can take with us going forward. Gaining a greater appreciation for the ficklness of Mother Nature as well.
AndySG 06/11/2011 10:37AM
GREAT Report TB. When I met Vicki at WingNight, I never suspected what a cool headed, tough cookie she is. Quite an adventure of thrills, spills, discovery and scenic beauty. Though not quite here yet, I am sure this trip had a positive influence on your child. You can always tell the child this was their 1st trip to the BW.
vickieh69 06/11/2011 09:59AM
quote nojobro: "Vickie is awesome...what kind of air mattress did she have to sleep on? My back was so bad when I was pregnant, that the time we went camping, I drove back home to sleep at night. LOL!!! (It was only 12 miles away.)



When is the baby due? So exciting..."



Nojobro-I just used my normal pad..Thermarest Trail Pro. I did use TB to to prop myself against at times. Especially after the swim...my hips were sore. Overall I slept better on the pad than I do in my own bed.
vickieh69 06/11/2011 08:34AM
K here is my 2 cents.....


I knew going into this trip that it was going to be a challenge. Not only for myself, but for TB as well. I never had any doubts that we would not rise to the challenge. As all of our other trips have gone so well...so easy. I also had a plan if I went into labor....3 hours to medical assistance, no problem, my labors are very slow. I never did take into account of being a prisoner to mother nature.


TB was ever so patient when I would need to take a rest or a bathroom break during paddling. A few times, I did not even know he had stopped on the trail ahead of me to make sure I was ok. Brought a smile to my face when I would catch a glimpse of him just starting to walk again. I did get a pretty good laugh on our day trip to Gadwall. He had mentioned he wanted some pics of him portaging into Gadwall. Ha Ha...there was know way I could keep up with him on that one, after knowing what the trail was like from walking it on day one. Heck, I probably could not have even kept up with him even if I was not pregnant. Got a few pics....all from the very beginning of the portage trail.


It was so nice out relaxing and enjoying our paddle around Gadwall, such a small, beautiful lake. I had decided that once back at camp I was going to boil some water and take a wilderness bath. However, a short time later, I distinctly remember noting a wind change (direction). Every once in awhile the wind would really give us a push...just for a few seconds. Not enough to deter me from my desire to bathe. But, I wondered out loud "Wonder what its like out on Pine?"


Back out on Pine.....looked good, but we did decide to forgo checking out the other campsite on the south side. Off and eventually IN we go. Now I must say...I would hope and pray to GOD that any Emergency Nurse would not panic in a situation like this. But I do appreciate TB acknowledging my lack of panicking. We (ED nurses) are trained and often times thrive on the adrenaline rush that these types of situations bring to us. I do remember TB and I just making small talk as we swam and rode the waves to shore. One of the things I said "Well, guess I don't need to bathe once we get back to camp!"


As TB mentioned in the report, we did attempt to leave on our original day. The plan in theory sounded good but in practice did not work so well. WOW, I think the part where we attempted to walk the Black Pearl around the point was the most challenging portion of our trip for me anyway. Now keep in mind, TB is 8 inches taller than I am, so while the water line was to his equator, it was to my lower abdomen. Not to mention the additional 15 inches added to my girth. I could not just step up onto the boulders....I had to literally crawl onto them. . Brrrrrrr. I tried for maybe 5 minutes and then a wave caught the Black Pearl and smacked her into me...me down on my arse and into the rocks. I decided that between the waves bashing us and the craggy rocks it was just to dangerous. I did not know if that whack was hard enough that it may have resulted in a ruptured placenta..... defiantly not good for me or the babe (life ending with out treatment). I was DONE. After an hour or so on shore, I quickly assessed that I did not appear to have a ruptured placenta. WHEW. Never did share that with TB while there. Did not feel the added stress would help in anyway.


Fast forward to our unplanned camp. I was exhausted and did not look forward to setting paddle to water with even the littlest white caps or waves. It was getting later (1800ish) and TB was thinking we might be able to head out. I felt it best to get a good nights sleep and awake first thing in the morn refreshed, even if it meant getting up before the sun broke to pack things up. After little negotiating, we agreed on a time that we would say we were staying put. I did not sleep well this night as TB mentioned in the report. It had seemed somebody opened a box containing all types of wild life. When in reality Mother Nature was just being quite. Of course, by now my mind was thinking....none of this has ever happened on any of our trips before. Why not get the whole sha-bang. I remember laying there and thinking "Oh great, now a bear is gonna take my food!" LMAO. One thing I did not hear was water....none crashing, not even lapping at the shore. Soooooooooo, at the sound of a grouse, it was time to pack up. TB wanted another 30 min, but oh no, I changed into my paddling gear, packed up my gear all before even opening the zipper to the tent. One look down by the shore and I ran back to the tent and said we are going, NO oatmeal for breakfast, just eat a clif bar and we are going......At last I had a mirror:)


danhawk 06/09/2011 03:40PM
Thanks for the report! I bet you won't forget this trip.
alpine525 06/09/2011 12:26PM
I really enjoyed your trip report - those east/west lakes sometimes seem like big wind tunnels - I'm glad that you and your wife recovered well after tipping over.
wawasee 06/08/2011 09:05PM
Great trip report! Glad that you survived the wind!
serenityseeker 06/08/2011 07:55PM
Thanks for the awesome report and reporting the illegal campsite to the FS. makes me sad to think some people feel they have the right to trash the forest.


The wind is what makes me scared of the big east/west lakes in the arrowhead. You handled it extremely well, but proved how dangerous it can be. thanks for the report
TuscaroraBorealis 06/08/2011 06:29PM
Agreed. Well said Ho Ho. Nature was DEFINITELY in control for those couple of days. Or you might say? Nature was OUTTA control. ;-)


Having the brook trout for supper ensured we had the chicken fajitas in reserve.


PINETREE 06/08/2011 05:30PM
Well said HO HO sometimes you just have to stay put a extra day. That is why on many trips I allow for that extra day on when I am coming out. Nature rules and you just have to be patient.
ripple 06/08/2011 12:40PM
Very cool report! Great stuff to learn from too you guys handled stuff nicely!
Ho Ho 06/08/2011 12:30PM
Thanks for the excellent report - and for reporting the illegal camp to the FS. I'm glad you all weathered the weather okay. Those were a couple of windy days. Definitely "windbound" conditions, particularly on a lake that big and long. It reminds me why I always pack a spare day's food. The hardest part is recognizing when your commitments outside the wilderness have to yield to the reality of the conditions in the wilderness and stay put.


TuscaroraBorealis 06/08/2011 09:04AM
Zulu ~ thanks for the kind words. With the baby coming we will be staying home for the next couple of months. Alas, it will be early August before I ply the waters of canoe country again. Vickie would like to try a short trip with the baby later in August. Of course if that goes well we'd like to try a little more ambitious trip in late September. We'll see?


I think we will try to make it at least one night for the fall wingnight. Hope to see you there as well.



nojobro ~ For this trip Vickie used a one of a kind sleeping pad called TuscaroraBorealis. It really worked well for her as she was able to manipulate it several times throughout the nights to ensure her complete comfort. Unfortunately, after the baby is born it will be going off the market. ;-)


The baby is due July 3. But Vickie will be going in on the 29th of June for a C-section as long as nothing happens before then.
nojobro 06/08/2011 08:34AM
Vickie is awesome...what kind of air mattress did she have to sleep on? My back was so bad when I was pregnant, that the time we went camping, I drove back home to sleep at night. LOL!!! (It was only 12 miles away.)


When is the baby due? So exciting...
Zulu 06/08/2011 08:21AM

TB - Thanks for the great Trip Report and photos. You always do a great job writing them. This one describing the capsizing and slog to get to the last nights camp was by far the most dramatic! I'm glad you and Vickie came through it OK. It was exciting imagining what it must have been like in the water making your way toward shore.


I am glad your wedding reception went well. What a great place to have it. You really hit the jackpot when you found Vickie!


Are you staying close to home with the upcoming birth of your baby this year or do you think you will be able to get a trip in. Tripping with the baby will add a whole new dimension for you and Vickie. It will be great.


Hope to see you and your family this fall at wingnite.
ChazzTheGnome 06/08/2011 07:49AM
great report.


thanks for sharing and for reporting the 'base camp' you found.
whitecedar 06/07/2011 08:50PM
Hi Paul: Great report, Pine is one of my most favorite lakes. That wind can be a bugger! Glad you are both A/OK.
PINETREE 06/07/2011 08:25PM
Thanks for reporting it. There is absolutely no reason for it. On tipping over it happens so fast and when a person gets sideways in rollers everything gets out of balance. PFD's do work. It has been a windy spring.
TuscaroraBorealis 06/07/2011 07:26PM
I've already talked to & sent an email with the pictures to the Gunflint ranger station. They said they would send a crew up there as soon as they can to clean up the area.
boonie 06/07/2011 07:19PM
Glad you were able to "escape" your prison. I know that feeling quite well from some of my Sept trips.


Also glad you survived your "mishap" without injury or too much difficulty, and that losses were small. I've avoided that on my BW trips, but dumped once in the ADK's in Oct. It happened real fast, too. Fortunately it was in a small stream and it wasn't real cold. I was thankful my clothes dried pretty quickly, too.
PINETREE 06/07/2011 07:07PM
Good report and glad everybody was Okay from the swim. Hope you will report the illegal campsite to the forest service. To not do it would be a great mistake. They not only lowered the quality of your trip but others to follow. Also you mentioned them probably taking more fish than allowed or needed in those lakes,people like that only have one rule and that is the rule of I,and blankly blank to the rest of the world. Its time to end that type of crap. Nice report,thanks.
TuscaroraBorealis 06/07/2011 06:13PM
New Trip Report posted by TuscaroraBorealis

Trip Name: Prisoners on Pine .

Entry Point: 68

Click Here to View Trip Report