Ok so my wife is willing to go to the bdub with me and that's great. She however doesn't want to put in a ton of work and would like some scenery. I am thinking of a Basecamp putting in at pine ep 68 and checking out Johnson falls as well as Clearwater. I am thinking of setting up camp on little Caribou, Caribou, or Clearwater but am flexible. Other than the cliffs on Clearwater and falls what else should I go see in that area? Also any fishing advise would be appreciated, it's not the purpose of the trip and my wife could care less for it, but I will definitely be giving it a go.

Also any advice on other routes will be taken into consideration. Priority being an easy and scenic route, I'm fine seeing other people and with poor fishing.

Thanks.

All women are not created equal.......if your wife is anything remotely close to mine then her idea of "camping" is a four star hotel. OK, maybe my wife is not that bad but she definitely doesn't want to rough it.

Rather than worry about day trips and fishing I would be concentrating on the details which would make the trip enjoyable for her. And that means defining her tolerances when it comes to such things as bugs and sleeping preferences as well as understanding if she gets "bored" easily.

I took my wife and daughter canoeing on a day trip down a spectacularly beautiful northern river and within a few hours they were both rather bored and uncomfortable.

If your wife has a low tolerance for insects then accommodations should be made. You can go during August when bugs are not so tough and weather is usually comfortable or you can get a screened shelter if you go during the spring or early summer.

I am also a firm believer in comfort and consider chairs with back rests as required gear......both in and out of the canoe.

And of course one must consider if she is fine reading a book while your out fishing. If not, other activities should be brought along. In other words, particularly on her first trip, every effort should be made to let her know and understand that she is the priority. i am a firm believer that when a mans wife is made to feel special she is far more apt to feel content, happy and secure.

If your wife enjoys hiking you've got two great options for a day trip on Clearwater. First is the portage to Moose-this portage intersects the Border Route Trail and you can walk a shortish distance to some pretty breathtaking vistas. The second is the portage on the East end that goes to West Pike. This portage is mellow trail with great scenery, bang a right on the trail to Geobic lake and you'll have great views of a really pretty lake that not many people visit.

Pine lake is a big lake, and if it's windy it can be a real pain to paddle. I wouldn't steer you away from it, just be aware and don't be shy of cutting a paddle day short to stay out of the waves.

I've found that the key to bringing new people and especially new people who are not typically into "roughing it" is to set expectations ahead of time. If you set out with her expecting some hard work at portages, dealing with bugs, unpredictable weather, then its less of a shock to her when she gets there as she went in knowing that. Once you set her expectations then you work your tail off to make things much better than what she is expecting but don't tell her that. Leave her expecting something lower than what you reasonably expect to deliver, then she'll be pleasantly surprised when its easier than she thought.

Also its helpful if you know what issues your wife is going to be most annoyed by. For my wife its mosquitoes. They love her and her skin really reacts to bites so a bad mosquito trip would make her really hate the trip. For this reason we usually go in mid to late August when the bugs have started to die down but the weather and water is still warm. If you know the one thing that will really compromise the trip for your wife then you know the major thing to avoid either by when or where you plan your trip or perhaps by how you pack for the trip.

Good luck, I hope you both have a great time.

Bug net, chair, solar shower......all you need to know

Looking at this trip plan maybe I should just put in on Clearwater and go from that end rather than pine? Any suggestions? Also anyone ever have issues with motor traffic on Clearwater? If there are not to many motors may Basecamp on that lake and just do day trips from there.

Is she willing to go or wanting to go?
Sounds like you may want to offset a few days in the wild with a few days on the North shore and/or Ely.

Yes she is willing and wanting to go. She just doesn't want to put in the kind of work she knows that I typically do. And I want to give her a good experience

Moose River North to Lac La Croix. See the picto's and day trip to Curtain Falls. I just took a newbie to Lac La Croix and she loved it. But my friend does not mind work and likes to camp. We broke it up into 4 spots in 6 days. 1 night on Agnes, 2 nights on Lac La Croix, 2 nights on Agnes, 1 night on Nina Moose Lake. For her she was fine moving a few times. She just did not want to spend all day traveling only to move again the next day. We never made it to Curtain Falls, instead opting for a lazy day on the big lake exploring the back waters.
Another option is to enter at Lizz and head to Horseshoe. Basecamp and look for moose on Horseshoe. Day trip to Vista and Gaskin. 3 easy portages to Horseshoe. Beautiful scenery.

One suggestion that I always give to someone taking females first-time camping in the wilderness. Be sure to take a sun shower with you. The gals will be ever so grateful.

quote burck17: "Looking at this trip plan maybe I should just put in on Clearwater and go from that end rather than pine? Any suggestions? Also anyone ever have issues with motor traffic on Clearwater? If there are not to many motors may Basecamp on that lake and just do day trips from there."

The close portage to Caribou from Clearwater isnt that bad. Some mud early and a little up and down. Paddle east to the last campsite on the left or go check out the 5 star site on little caribou. I dont suggest taking the middle portage out of caribou into Clearwater. It is very steep and leaves you with a really long paddle back to EP 62. And you are heading west so likely into the wind.

Why not just go in at Lake one and find a nice spot to basecamp on Lake 2? Its really easy and can give you a good test to see how she does.

Caw

Similar situation here. My wife enjoyed camping more previous to our camping in the same Alaska campgrounds that endured grizzly maulings. I was considering Lake One but hadn't been there in 20+ years.

Like MT said time of year is very important.

My wife does like to rough it, but if I brought her in June she would hate it. Sure the fishing is better but it is typically wetter, more bugs, and can be cold...swimming is hit or miss. For those of us who like to fish big deal but for just plain camping it isn’t typically the best time.

While late July or early August we typically can swim daily as it is warmer, it is drier, thus less bugs as well.

i don’t know if anyone mentioned or maybe it is obvious but the simplist thing to do for new people is actually have a conversation on what they want and expect and then try to match it or re-set expectations if they are way out of proportion.

T

I would not take my wife in during June or early July. Can be very wet and the bugs are bad. Also, I think Lake One is a good choice to put for the first trip. Camping on Lake 2,3 or 4 gives you options with only 2 very short portages from 1 to 2. If you hit rain on your entry day you do not have far to go go for a campsite. Plenty of things to explore without killer portages. It is an absolute must your wife has a good rain suit for the trip.

I thought about numbered lakes, however when I had her rank her priorities scenery was the most important thing to her followed by ease. She didn't care if she had a ton of solitude or fishing. We are definitely going lake August or September so she will be comfortable. She doesn't mind long paddles but would like to avoid long portage's. These factors are why I chose the trip I did for now (she loves waterfalls). I just don't think numbered lakes have enough to see ( from what I have heard) for her however I may take my dad up there in the future.

I took my (now) wife, Debbie, to the BW for the first time about four years ago in September. We had talked about it and I had encouraged her to go without being overly insistent because I knew she would do great. She agreed to go because she wanted to do a canoe trip with me and because I enjoy them so much. We had previously taken a 4-day, 3-night trip to the Sylvania Wilderness in the U.P. of Michigan (similar, but sort of Boundary Waters Lite) and she enjoyed it thoroughly.

The trip was really all about her and helping her enjoy the trip without me being overly doting. She still had to portage a pack and do some of the camp things, but this was really my way of treating her to an experience that I had been enjoying for over 25 years. We had a great time. We were comfortable, we had some nice campsites and we ate well. (I even packed in some frozen walleye fillets to guarantee that we had a good shore lunch!)

After the trip, we spent a night at the Grand Ely Lodge and went for massages in town, then out for dinner at Burntside Lodge - some nice pampering that we both knew would be fun.

Everyone is different so, for some, this may not be your cup of tea, but my wife still talks about the entire trip, both canoeing and in town, with a smile on her face. She enjoyed it very much.

Good luck to the two of you.

Hmmm. I have always considered myself a low maintainance wife. After reading some of these comments I need to revise that. I must be a no maintainance wife.

I think the only concessions my husband has made for me is to lift my pack onto my back (my pack is usually heavier, but he carries the canoe) and he usually handles the saw while I collect kindling. But I must say I'm ok with most portages (sense of accomplishment after a tough one), and dealing with bugs and such is just part of it. I'd rather have bugs than people or car camping.

But that's just me. If your wife needs a solar shower or whatever, and you're willing to make the adjustments, then definitely do it. Being together and sharing the experience is more important than carrying a few extra pounds or doing a few extra chores.

quote 4keys: "But that's just me. If your wife needs a solar shower or whatever, and you're willing to make the adjustments, then definitely do it. Being together and sharing the experience is more important than carrying a few extra pounds or doing a few extra chores. "

Couldn't have said it better myself!

quote 4keys: "Hmmm. I have always considered myself a low maintainance wife. After reading some of these comments I need to revise that. I must be a no maintainance wife.

I think the only concessions my husband has made for me is to lift my pack onto my back (my pack is usually heavier, but he carries the canoe) and he usually handles the saw while I collect kindling. But I must say I'm ok with most portages (sense of accomplishment after a tough one), and dealing with bugs and such is just part of it. I'd rather have bugs than people or car camping.

But that's just me. If your wife needs a solar shower or whatever, and you're willing to make the adjustments, then definitely do it. Being together and sharing the experience is more important than carrying a few extra pounds or doing a few extra chores. "

I admire your tact.

Many responses, mine included, have been how to make the trip more comfortable for the fairer sex. Perfectly logical considering its her first canoe trip. The same messages could be applied to men on a first canoe trip as well. I remember my big black belt buddy being a bit panicked in Algonquin on our first canoe trip while we unloaded in a thick swarm of black flies. I also remember two young ladies I met with ice axes who were going off trail in the Cascade mountain range for a week.

Its not always about gender but rather experience.

quote 4keys: "Hmmm. I have always considered myself a low maintainance wife. After reading some of these comments I need to revise that. I must be a no maintainance wife.


I think the only concessions my husband has made for me is to lift my pack onto my back (my pack is usually heavier, but he carries the canoe) and he usually handles the saw while I collect kindling. But I must say I'm ok with most portages (sense of accomplishment after a tough one), and dealing with bugs and such is just part of it. I'd rather have bugs than people or car camping.


But that's just me. If your wife needs a solar shower or whatever, and you're willing to make the adjustments, then definitely do it. Being together and sharing the experience is more important than carrying a few extra pounds or doing a few extra chores. "

This was definitely me. My first trip didn't make many concessions to me being a woman, as it was six rigorous days, and no frills. And I loved it (except for the second day.) And I'm still going up there 46 years later! ;-)

However, since you want something different. . .

Your initial plan is a good one, in my opinion. There are some very nice campsites on Pine, and I would personally prefer those over Little Caribou, probably, but it is up to you. The one on Little Caribou is very popular and hard to attain, but Clearwater, Caribou, and Pine all have nice sites. Johnson Falls is a fun hike and she should enjoy that.

I would suggest starting at Clearwater, and staying overnight in the historic lodge in one of the charming B&B rooms, having their hearty breakfast in the lodge dining room before your trip. And I would also wholeheartedly agree with Jackfish about the night at the Grand Ely Lodge and especially the dinner out at Burntside Lodge on the night after. Burntside Lodge is probably my favorite place to dine in all of the canoe country, except for Naniboujou Lodge up at Hovland.

As a secondary suggestion, I would not go for Lake One. I suppose I would find starting at Rockwood (Poplar to Lizz) and doing Horseshoe, Vista, Gaskin, etc. might be another idea. There are usually moose around that area, and it is a lovely area of smaller lakes. But no waterfall, as I remember.

Whatever you choose, have a great time!

My wife will never entertain the idea of camping. Not because she can't handle sleeping in a tent or being without a shower, but because she doesn't want to. She spent a year in Iraq and a year in Afghanistan sleeping in tents, dealing with insects and wildlife, carrying all her necessities on her back, not having adequate shower facilities and eating bad food.

Now she says that she won't ever do that willingly, and I respect that. If she ever did come to me and say she wanted to go camping with me, I'd check the back of her neck for alien insertion. The closest I got her to camping was going to Estes Park and getting a cabin for our honeymoon (her idea.) This was in 2013 when they had that devastating flood and we barely made it back to Denver to catch our flight home... and now I'm pretty sure anything that involved mountains or wilderness will receive an immediate veto from her from now on.

Besides, we do plenty of stuff together. Camping is my thing, my chance to have some me time and/or spend time with my friends I don't get to see very often, to be dudes doing disgusting dude stuff. It's also her chance to have some time to herself. We're both homebodies and love spending time together, but we also need to have alone time occasionally - so there's no resentment from her if I go camp, and there's no resentment from me if she has no interest in going.

Not critical of anyone's stance on this topic. Just a different perspective that works for my wife and me.

Gunsmokes 1st trip was camping at Gran Marias for a few days. Paddle out to an island on big Saganaga for two days and then stay on camper island in Big Sag. a couplke of days, she had a great time.
2nd trip paddled through BIg Sag to Red Rock to Seagull and she loved that trip.
3rd trip Paddled from Mudro to Fourtown and she wasn't so excited about the goat path portage so realized no hard portages for her. If we had done that on the 1st trip it would have been her last.
I'm just sayen start small and work your way to more and more difficult until she decides what's enjoyable and what isn't.