BWCA Trip Report - Polar Bear Express Boundary Waters Trip Reports
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11/04/2009 10:17AM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
New Trip Report posted by dogwoodgirl

Trip Name: Polar Bear Express.

Entry Point: Other

Click Here to View Trip Report wc-20091101-1730
 
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Mort
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11/04/2009 01:01PM  
Sounded like an awesome adventure, ...but unfortunately, I couldn't make out your hand written words (too small and blurry), so I wasn't able to share in it.

Any chance you would type the notes out again so others could savor the adventure with you?
11/04/2009 02:37PM  
Alternatively, scan the pages at high-res and save them that way. Then include instructions for readers to save the pictures to their computers (Desktop works well) and open them in a full-screen browser window.
11/04/2009 02:50PM  
OK, will see if I can figure out how to do that tonight. My son should be able to tell me.
11/04/2009 04:50PM  
ok, see if that works!
11/04/2009 06:57PM  
Delightful! Thanks, DWG. There's something touching about reading a teenager's handwriting that type just doesn't convey. You had a poet's voice and an adventurer's heart back then. I imagine they've both grown strong and fine-tuned over the years.
BrownTrout01
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11/04/2009 10:36PM  
Nice trip report Dogwoodgirl.... and very cool that you still have the notebook. I enjoyed reading it, thanks for sharing.

That is a fairly long trip with some good water mixed in from what I understand. Wish I had gotten into canoeing while growing up... didn't 'discover' paddling until after high school.

What other river trips did you go on?


11/05/2009 07:48AM  
Now that was a great trip report. You were very blessed to do such trips at a young age. There is something so magical about that age and to spend it on canoe trips is simply magnificent. Wish I had done the same.
11/05/2009 12:21PM  
cool stuff. I love the old pics. :) fun to see.
11/05/2009 01:12PM  
browntrout- I got in a couple good 10 day trips on the English River, and on the White Otter system when I was 14 and 15 respectively. I wish I'd written journals on those trips!
drought
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11/05/2009 08:22PM  
dwg - that is awesome! We're about the same age and at that time the only camping I did was when we could score a 12 pack and a woods.

Who organized the trip? Were your other long trips with the same group? I had no clue those type of adventures were even out there!
BrownTrout01
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11/05/2009 10:40PM  
dwg- I am downright jealous!

Well I think Koda and Kip summed up your journal entry better then I can. Magical is a good adjective to describe what I was reading. We may have gotten bit at an early age, but that magic is not lost on the youth alone. I think also that we owe our parents a lot.

I have heard about some of those rivers flowing north since childhood and would love to hit the bay at least once. Actually, I am looking into doing a river trip within the next couple years.

11/06/2009 02:24AM  
drought...all my early trips were with a canoe camp called Voyageurs Landing, across the lake from Menogyn. The Missinabe trip was with a group of girls and counsellors that I'd been tripping with for years, so we had a real rhythm and sense of how to move together through the woods.

Funny, when I started taking DWboy into the woods, he always wanted to bring beer, and I couldn't understand it. For me, the woods was it's own high...although we DID buy a bottle of booze in Mattice and split it around the fire that night, halfway through the trip. I guess our counsellors could have gotten in trouble for that, but those were much simpler times.
Beemer01
Moderator
  
12/01/2009 08:08AM  
My kinda girl!

Wonderful, thanks so much for the unique approach to a report!!!
sotaman
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12/01/2009 01:21PM  
Very nice
tremolo
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12/02/2009 10:40AM  
dogwood lady-- this made me cry, in a good way.

it is so wonderful that you kept your journal all these years, and cool to see how your young paddling soul became so much part of who you are now.
12/06/2009 08:26PM  
That was very fun to read. You mentioned the voyageurs and how you were doing exactly as they did. You were very thoughtful and romantic back then. I was similar as a teenager. I never did anything like this though. You were very fortunate to have experiences like these.

Was wondering if you kept up with your paddling pal Linda? Sounds like she was really into it also.

and what about the mystery soloist named Joey? Talk about romantic! He played his guitar all night and you guys didn't invite him over?? :)
12/06/2009 09:32PM  
Tom...I have lost touch with Linda, as one of my counsellors she was huge influence on me, the first really strong, active woman I knew. I'd like to find her again....I do keep looking.
We had chatted with Joey at poratges, etc. I think that our counsellors may have not wanted to have a guy at camp with a bunch of teenage girls!
12/07/2009 09:32AM  
dogwoodgirl,
What a wonderful find. As stated already it has a lyrical sense to it even if unintended it is there. A very enjoyable read and what a memory to revisit.

Thanks for sharing.
Boppa
kschwink
  
03/10/2010 10:48AM  
Dogwoodgirl, I went on several canoe trips through Voyaguers Landing. The owner of the camp was Dick Luben. He was arrested, and convicted for molesting several boys at the camp over several years. The camp was shut down.
Dougherty90
member (13)member
  
01/12/2013 10:19AM  
My first trip to the BWCA was with Voyageurs Landing. The camp closed the following year & I didn't learn the reason until I read this thread. My trips have been on the West side, and I find myself with five kids & want to return to those same lakes with them. I need your help finding the lake or campsites Voyageur's Landing used.

The route included stairway portage & I'm pretty sure height of land. I remember paddling past amazing rock walls may stories high. We base camped at what I recall was a fairly big camp site. You could wade in the water and swim from the landing area. There was a bronze medal drilled into the rock locating the US Canada border. I thought it was great being able to "take a short walk to Canada". There was also a cliff "cliff around the corner" with three different levels from which you could jump into the water. I think it was a week trip. I was a few years too young to go but my brother was going so the camp made an exception.

I'd be thrilled if anyone has any insight to the lake we likely camped on.
orion64
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01/12/2013 01:21PM  
Most Awesome!


Bob
01/14/2013 01:19PM  
Unique to read pieces of the trip journal. Last page is like a poem. Liked it a lot; thanks!
HammerII
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01/18/2013 01:26AM  
truly a great trip
Dan M
Guest Paddler
  
05/01/2017 08:45AM  
quote kschwink: "Dogwoodgirl, I went on several canoe trips through Voyaguers Landing. The owner of the camp was Dick Luben. He was arrested, and convicted for molesting several boys at the camp over several years. The camp was shut down. "


I also attended Voyageurs Landing, the canoe camp between Hungry Jack and West Bearskin lakes. I went three times, around 1966, 1967, and 1971. The camp was 2 weeks long. First few days were at the camp teaching the kids to paddle, portage, set up tents, and cook over a fire. The next 10 days were canoeing a route through the BWCA. Each group of ~10 kids, plus two college age leaders, planned their own route so each trip was different. The food was marginal with powdered eggs, powdered milk, spam, pancakes, chocolate bars, rye krisp, and more that I can't remember. My last trip finished up by canoeing down the Pidgeon River, then the Grand Portage. It was a great camp experience for a tween.

I heard that the owner, who I recall was a school teacher in Lutsen, went to prison for molesting boys. Sad for his victims, and also for the loss of the camp as it was an excellent concept done well.
Guest Paddler
  
05/01/2017 08:45AM  
quote kschwink: "Dogwoodgirl, I went on several canoe trips through Voyaguers Landing. The owner of the camp was Dick Luben. He was arrested, and convicted for molesting several boys at the camp over several years. The camp was shut down. "


I also attended Voyageurs Landing, the canoe camp between Hungry Jack and West Bearskin lakes. I went three times, around 1966, 1967, and 1971. The camp was 2 weeks long. First few days were at the camp teaching the kids to paddle, portage, set up tents, and cook over a fire. The next 10 days were canoeing a route through the BWCA. Each group of ~10 kids, plus two college age leaders, planned their own route so each trip was different. The food was marginal with powdered eggs, powdered milk, spam, pancakes, chocolate bars, rye krisp, and more that I can't remember. My last trip finished up by canoeing down the Pidgeon River, then the Grand Portage. It was a great camp experience for a tween.

I heard that the owner, who I recall was a school teacher in Lutsen, went to prison for molesting boys. Sad for his victims, and also for the loss of the camp as it was an excellent concept done well.
05/02/2017 12:37PM  
old report,but still very interesting as day 1.
pswith5
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05/03/2017 05:15AM  
Nice report. What a great youthful memory. Thanks
05/03/2017 09:44AM  
Thanks for sharing those wonderful memories of the past.
mapsguy1955
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05/31/2017 11:31AM  
Wonderful... Thanks for sharing. My first 2 canoe trips were 5 weeks long in Maine on the Moosehead lake to Fort Kent Maine (Allagash system) and I was 14 and 15. It was with a few classmates and a couple of High School teachers. These are the things that shape our lives.
Oceanlove
  
03/20/2018 07:07PM  
Pinetree you quoted kschwink who quoted dogwoodgirl about Voyageurs Landing. Dougherty90 too. I too attended that camp in 1967 or 68. I wonder if we were there together. I don't remember any names but I was known as Mouse, the smallest girl. It was quite an adventure. Today I watched the show about the first Outward Bound girls and realized that was 2 years before I went to camp. We were pioneers and we were young! If anyone reads this who was there with during those years please write!
03/20/2018 08:39PM  
Oceanlove: "Pinetree you quoted kschwink who quoted dogwoodgirl about Voyageurs Landing. Dougherty90 too. I too attended that camp in 1967 or 68. I wonder if we were there together. I don't remember any names but I was known as Mouse, the smallest girl. It was quite an adventure. Today I watched the show about the first Outward Bound girls and realized that was 2 years before I went to camp. We were pioneers and we were young! If anyone reads this who was there with during those years please write! "


No, I didn't think I quoted anyone,I just mentioned it was a interesting thread-forum to read that was started in 2009 and revived in 2017 when I made a comment to that effect. I really know nothing about Voyageurs landing.

I do agree you were pioneers in many ways in canoe- camping.
Hope you can get in touch with some of your old friends.
 
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