Boundary Waters, Trip Reports, BWCA, Stories

i think its getting lighter out. (WCPP, may/june, 2010
by kanoes

Trip Type: Paddling Canoe
Entry Date: 05/26/2010
Entry & Exit Point: Other
Number of Days: 9
Group Size: 4
Trip Introduction:
"i think its getting lighter out".

that phrase became very common and a running joke during the first three quarters of this trip...we saw a lot of rain to say the least. however, not even the precipitation could dampen our excitement about being in this special place. we were awestruck.
Day 1 of 9
Wednesday, May 26, 2010

the alarm sounds at midnight and i don't even think about hitting the snooze.


coffees brewed and i hit the road to gbusks (gregs) house. his gear and canoe are loaded.

we are on the road by 1:15 to gather whiteh20 (kyle) and kiporby (dan).


at 2:45 the long drive begins.

its a boring drive thru minnesota. we hit the border at IF/FF by 9am and get thru without hassle. only about 6 more hours to drive til we hit red lake.

the drive becomes a lot more enjoyable and beautiful once we start traveling in canada...a roller coaster ride of ups and downs.

red lake is infront of us now, its approximately 2:30. i hug and kiss the trailer...being very happy that this previously unproven design has gotten us this far.


stopping at the government center we meet claire to gather any pertinent info about our loop and the park in general. you can really see how much claire loves her job as assistant park manager. she knows that place so well. some additional campsites and fishing spots get marked on the maps and we head to the motel.


we eat dinner at howeys. from the outside the place looks like a total dump...looks are deceiving here though. turns out to be a very nice place with way above average food.

after dinner we are back in the room doing some final gear checks. suddenly this hits me..."i dont remember putting my PFD in the truck". sure as sh*t, i forgot it! unbelievable! ive never forgotten anything before, nothing. walked over to a gas station to see if they carried any, they didnt. i was told that a marina opens at 6am...i will have to go buy one in the morning. im officially embarrassed now.

maybe because of the PFD screw up, my trip EC gets hit up about 24 hours earlier than planned. :)

we had a blast in the motel room, slinging BS and laughing hard. little did we know, that would go on for the entire trip.

im not sure what time we hit the hay but we were all able to sleep well.