I posted a brief trip report in the trip report forum but thought the more generally noteworthy part of the experience belonged here.

Please don’t sermonize - we made enough poor planning choices (aka: really stupid mistakes) and have gone over them at length: don’t trust McKenzie and Fisher maps for hiking trails; don’t think there is even a trail because it’s on those maps; don’t plan a hike without enough gear to last much longer - like a day or more - than you planned; and maybe we should have just gone to sleep till daylight instead of risking a fall. Just like the SS Minnow, this was but a 3 (or 4) hour “cruise”.

So the 8 mile Old Pines Trail east of Disappointment seemed like a simple mid day hike, paddle over to shore on a layover day and store canoe and paddles and pfds at a campsite, and we’d be back by 1 or 2 at latest. We’re off counterclockwise, overlapping Kekekabic Trail for the west and south leg, and then heading north. Tail got a little hazy about the time it crossed a beaver dam - which was marked at either end with cairns - though maybe it was a little dodgy in retrospect - a trail on a newish looking beaver dam on a 2004 copyright map. Not much further the trail was not at all clear but we thought what the heck, we’ll come back upon it.

We are now about three miles east of Disappointment maybe around 11:30 am and just start following compass west. The underbrush just kept getting denser - sapling pines - 3/4" to 2 or 3 inches in diameter - 8 to 15" apart. Crisscrossed with larger trees fallen. Not to mention stumps, vines, other underbrush, and generally unwelcoming terrain.

Well, how long could 3 miles take us? Of course we didn’t bring food nor near enough water to drink. (Waiting to see if there are adverse effects of the stream water we finally found - say about Wednesday or Thursday?) And of course in my Chota portage boots - not ideal for hiking. Thought many tines about hitting the Spot SOS - not sure anyone would know what to think of it in the middle of the woods - or just lying on a mossy rock (3-4" of lichen on a big bolder felt really nice) but kept going somehow. As a Scout 50+ years ago, we got off track on Mt Marcy in the Adirondacks and spent a night on the trail with no bedding or shelter and had done fine, finding our base the next morning, so I was not too concerned with a few bugs and 60 degree temperatures. My son was less certain.

So in any case - 8 hours or so later at dusk - after many rests and my son trying to figure out how he would tell his mom why I didn’t return - we hit the Kekebabic trail (we correctly thought) near Disappointment and the portage to Ashub, way north of canoe. No moon, so we stumbled along trail in what we hoped was the right direction - did get to lake for more unfiltered water - feeling our way along trail because we could see nothing. I only knew I was on the trail by foot fall on dirt/stone versus vegetation. Very slow. Probably two hours later we knew we’d passed the trail to the campsite where our canoe was by maybe a 1/4 mile, and that site was occupied now.

So imagine you’re in that site, a voice out of the dark on your first night ever in BWCAW - mom, dad, son, two daughters - having just found a campsite not very long before dark (and struggling with setting up a six man tent to boot.) Thankfully, they had super bright and large LED lights, and after a little chat across the cove acknowledged our canoe was there and were OK with my son walking back to retrieve it. Granted, he kept the machete in his hand till after they’d actually met but it seemed like the end was near. In fact, they offered water and food, which we declined, but insisted on lending or giving us a map and had lamp. They were very helpful, kind, and concerned.

My son pushed off, picked me up across the cove, and we paddled the 20 minutes back to our site by the outlines of the islands and memory of our campsite. It was a glorious 20 minutes - as the sky had remained absolutely cloudless all day, no moon, and the aurora borealis about 30 degrees up the northern sky. Just breathtaking, as if our breath had not been taken away by the previous events of the day. Made camp about 11:30, swam (boy did we stink), changed clothes, ate something, and finally got to bed after midnight.

Next day, not too early, after changing our plans and deciding to layover and just exit the next day through Snowbank, we ate breakfast, baked a cake in the JMO, frosted it, and took it with map and headlamp to the family that had helped us.

So I think I’ll keep my hiking/backpacking completely separate from my canoeing in the future. Other than a little soreness, a small blister, and much wounded pride, it did turn out OK - by shear luck and good fortune.

Can’t wait to go back, and maybe hike a trail.

Glad it turned out ok. Makes a person wonder how Aaron King was able to hike through the dense forests of canoe country without shoes, and during bug season.

I'm glad all went ok in the end. I'm sure you learned quite a few lessons this trip. I think many of us here have made plenty of mistakes too.

Man Bill, that had to really suck! Happy it all turned out OK, live and learn I guess.

Glad to hear it turned out ok for you. Still can't believe how lucky the lost camper was last summer when my buddies found him on the small lake south of Ima last summer after he lost his direction while camping on Disappointment. There's a huge area of forest with no trails, water or hiking in that area.

It's funny how those daytrips will bite you in the rear!

I've gotten lost in the thousand acres of woods in my backyard because its..my backyard.

Usually we are hardest on ourselves. I had a friend self flagellate himself for years after a canoe trip that was a basecamp trip basically. He camped on an island about 1/2 a mile from the rest of us and came over in the am to talk.. After dinner it was raining snowing and he couldnt get back..And he had not brought overnight insulated gear.

After all it was just a daytrip..

Great story with some great lessons. I love that you baked a cake for the nice family. I'm glad you didn't click the SPOT button right away since you weren't in serious danger or injured. Though I'm sure it felt good to have the SPOT just in case. I'm certainly glad you managed to safely find your way out with a compass and some perseverance. Depending on how bad the swamp water was that you drank, you might consider having an antibiotic on standby in case of Giardia Lamblia symptoms start. Thanks for sharing your story. I'm leaving tomorrow morning for 4 days of hiking in the BWCAW.

Funny what goes through your head when that happens. Sounds like you kept your cool and figured it out. Glad you didn't have to spend the night out there like someone else we know did last year. :)

I think one of my quandaries is how bad do you have to be till you hit the SOS or whatever. My son worried about my heart, where there is history for pause. And I felt faint for several hours, and was very pale - white. My bp meds result in my bp going down when I work hard, not up, so who knows. Things go wrong, but when do you give up? My son was very concerned.

Thank you all for your well wishes.

quote billconner: "I think one of my quandaries is how bad do you have to be till you hit the SOS or whatever. "

I don't know. I was on a solo and stuck in quicksand. I thought I could not move.. but had a hand on my canoe.. and another on SPOT. I thought I would be highly embarrassed as I was just stuck and not sinking and had the time to think about things.. I swam into the canoe sorta.. at least the suction broke.

quote billconner: "I think one of my quandaries is how bad do you have to be till you hit the SOS or whatever.
"

My husband and I had a SPOT on our mid-May Trip and we said unless we were half eaten by a wolf, or in cardiac arrest we weren't pushing the SOS button. We were doing some guess math - and though we were probably way off -we guessed that SOS button would cost us at least 5,000.

quote yellowcanoe: "

quote billconner: "I think one of my quandaries is how bad do you have to be till you hit the SOS or whatever. "

I don't know. I was on a solo and stuck in quicksand. I thought I could not move.. but had a hand on my canoe.. and another on SPOT. I thought I would be highly embarrassed as I was just stuck and not sinking and had the time to think about things.. I swam into the canoe sorta.. at least the suction broke. "

"Embarrassed" was my son's reason to persevere.

it's really easy to get turned around in those thick woods. boy scout training really comes in handy. you got out on your own, good job. my solo backpack trips in the bwca are history, too much time spent wondering where the trail went.

My crew and I tried that same hike a few years ago also leaving our canoe at that campsite. The trail got rougher as we went along and our ambition waned so we turned back after a mile or two.

Think of the word embarrassed. It basically means
I am bare assed. Reason enough to persevere. Great story. And you live to fight another day.

Sounds like fun to me. I love being a little lost. Lack of water doesn't appeal though.

Glad it turned out ok, nothing worse than being turned around and especially when it gets dark. I learned a very valuable lesson about day trips about 20 years ago. If nothing else make sure you have water or a means to filter water because if you get off the trail it can take a long time to find it again.

Seems like there are a couple of things that could have helped out:
A portable water filter, steripen, or tablets to take the fear out of water. Really, that is a handy thing even on travel days.
A gps. Even if you want to find your way without it, it could serve as an emergency device when you aren't ready to hit the SPOT.

It can definitely get tough in those woods when it gets dense. But I also have the urge to explore, even where there aren't trails. And so I know these things could happen to me, too. Glad you made it back ok. And it was just half a day for a lifetime of storytelling.

Glad everything turned out alright. Sounds like you were out of your comfort zone for awhile. That's a humbling place to be.

When I lived in Washington state and hiked the cascades I learned to always carry the "10 essentials" and be prepared should a day trip turn into an over nighter.

The hesitancy to hit the sos button is an interesting topic in itself. Looking at incident reports of rescues, it is common to not want to call for help: and the question is always what exactly constitutes a true emergency. That really can only be answered with hindsight. It is another reason why SAR agencies are hesitant to charge prices for successful rescues.

It does make a case for a text-capable satellite beacon like a delorme, where you can communicate exactly what the problem is.

I once got good and lost in the mountains. Learned a lot on that trip.. You will never find me in the woods without my survival kit now and some way to filter water.

Glad you found your way back.
I learned my lesson 45 years ago while deer hunting alone. I was sure I knew where I was even though I was quite a ways back in the woods. I waited to dusk to quit hunting. Yep, had a devil of a time finding my way back. Panicked for a while and jogged through the woods. Finally settled down and waited forever for the wind to die while sitting in the dark. Finally the wind died and I could hear traffic every ten minutes and knew which way the road was.
Ever since then I have been gun shy about straying far from a trail unless I was sure where I was. The lesson has served me well over the years.

Wow, what an "adventure" that gladly turned out ok. This great read is another reason why this area is to be respected. A few steps out and you are in the wilderness (no matter what anyone says). And that wilderness is unforgiving.

Glad you are happily around to tell about it.

quote muddyfeet: "


It does make a case for a text-capable satellite beacon like a delorme, where you can communicate exactly what the problem is. "

Thought about that but hard to imagine someone seeing a message wouldn't have called emergency services. Deserves some thought.

quote Canoearoo: "I once got good and lost in the mountains. Learned a lot on that trip.. You will never find me in the woods without my survival kit now and some way to filter water."

Ordering Micropur tabs this week for next year! May look at steripen but the tabs seem failure proof.

quote billconner: "

quote Canoearoo: "I once got good and lost in the mountains. Learned a lot on that trip.. You will never find me in the woods without my survival kit now and some way to filter water."

Ordering Micropur tabs this week for next year! May look at steripen but the tabs seem failure proof."

You could also carry a Sawyer Mini with you when you go out on a little day trip like that. Along with a few other Essentials like a small head lamp. Some of the things I carry in an Essentials bag when out day hiking are: Compass, Knife, small First aid kit, Water treatment tablets, fire starting kit, orange bandana, Orange paracord, Sunscreen, bug dope, Whistle and a little extra TP.

You now have a great survival story to tell at gatherings.

Thank you for sharing your experience and mistakes. That is something that makes this sight special and allows us to think, learn and plan ahead. Very happy to hear it all worked out. Besides the ability to purify water, is there another couple of items that you would have brought in hind sight?

paddlinjoe

Wow! Sorry to hear about your "misadventure" on your trip with your son, but glad everything turned out well in the end. I'm sorry that an otherwise fine trip with your son ended on such a sour note.

And thanks for posting it. It sounds exactly like something I might do and is a good reminder of how easily and quickly things can escalate into a bad situation. It reminds me of the stories in "Lost in the Wild, by Cary J. Griffith", which I should reread.

quote billconner: "

quote Canoearoo: "I once got good and lost in the mountains. Learned a lot on that trip.. You will never find me in the woods without my survival kit now and some way to filter water."

Ordering Micropur tabs this week for next year! May look at steripen but the tabs seem failure proof."

I just discovered that I have some in my kit, but nothing to put the water and tab in! I also couldn't find an expiration date and have no idea what the shelf life is . . .

quote paddlinjoe: "Thank you for sharing your experience and mistakes. That is something that makes this sight special and allows us to think, learn and plan ahead. Very happy to hear it all worked out. Besides the ability to purify water, is there another couple of items that you would have brought in hind sight?


paddlinjoe"

A way to treat water and flash/head lamps were the two most missed items. We had nalgenes, compass, Spot, first aid, and maps. I'd probably at least include a space blanket or one of those cheap Coleman ponchos. And probably food but I, unlike my son, could stand the loss of ten pounds over the trip, at least half during those 12 hours.

I guess if I was considering a hiking day trip, I might pack my hiking boots, but a lot of weight and bulk to portage. I think separating hiking/backpacking from canoe trip would be wiser.

PS: if bring food, tp would be a good idea, but not an issue for this misadventure.

quote boonie: "

quote billconner: "

quote Canoearoo: "I once got good and lost in the mountains. Learned a lot on that trip.. You will never find me in the woods without my survival kit now and some way to filter water."

Ordering Micropur tabs this week for next year! May look at steripen but the tabs seem failure proof."

I just discovered that I have some in my kit, but nothing to put the water and tab in! I also couldn't find an expiration date and have no idea what the shelf life is . . . "

Unopened tabs do not expire. I have 3 ways to purify water (filter bottle, filter straw, tabs) 3 ways to start fire and a well supplied emergency kit. When you go a day in the woods with no water,no way to start a fire and nothing else it teaches you a lesson you won't forget.

I guess that explains why I couldn't find an expiration date on the packaging :). Thanks.

Glad you guys made it out OK. Even the Disappointment Lake Trail can take some real figurin' to follow, and those spur trails are even trickier, if not downright impossible at times.

I think you guys were pretty well-prepared, all things considering. I'd guess a LOT of people head out on daytrips with much less stuff; I know I have.

Thanks for sharing your tale!

quote boonie: "

quote billconner: "

quote Canoearoo: "I once got good and lost in the mountains. Learned a lot on that trip.. You will never find me in the woods without my survival kit now and some way to filter water."

Ordering Micropur tabs this week for next year! May look at steripen but the tabs seem failure proof."

I just discovered that I have some in my kit, but nothing to put the water and tab in! I also couldn't find an expiration date and have no idea what the shelf life is . . . "

Carry some quart size freezer bags.