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Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Listening Point - General Discussion :: Dead Calm and a Canoers Delight
 
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rtallent
09/02/2018 10:26AM
 

 
nojobro
08/16/2017 11:50AM
 
quote DanCooke: "Maybe another thread should be what you had to find your way through to get those very calm days.
"



But I don't take pics then; too busy paddlin'


:)
 
shock
08/16/2017 12:26PM
 
i've traveled seagull many times and seen it like glass twice when entering from rog or alpine and of course by the time we got to the east landing we were in 2' white caps, go figure ;) ,,, it can change very fast in canoe country :( ,,, 1 time i even mentioned to my group i've only seen seagull like this once before , so we better get going right away , and they were like why , well they found out why .
 
Pinetree
08/16/2017 02:12PM
 
quote shock: "i've traveled seagull many times and seen it like glass twice when entering from rog or alpine and of course by the time we got to the east landing we were in 2' white caps, go figure ;) ,,, it can change very fast in canoe country :( ,,, 1 time i even mentioned to my group i've only seen seagull like this once before , so we better get going right away , and they were like why , well they found out why ."


That happened to me on Basswood,we came out of North bay in Canada and it was super dead calm,got to Washington bay of Basswood and the wind came up so strong all at once we had to stop behind a very small Island and wait till dark to move on.
 
bwcadan
09/02/2018 07:23AM
 
August of 1989: Scouts were located on S chain in the Q. We were directly in the center of the "H" of a large high pressure center. The absolute calm we were under was not to be forgotten soon. We left camp on Lake Agnes at 3:00 AM in those conditions and wide glass surface of the lake which reflected the tree line across the lake and we had the benefit of a full moon which had eclipsed just after sundown. Add to that a very nice viewing of the northern lights until near daybreak and this is unequalled since then for me. Breakfast at Louisa Falls.


Too amazing to be true? Check it out in weather or lunar history or possibly someone here was in this high pressure system also.
 
Pinetree
08/15/2017 01:16PM
 
quote IceColdGold: "Stayed at a friends cabin on Ely island on Lake Vermilion this weekend. Had a nice calm paddle from Stuntz bay to the island Friday night, and a calm paddle from the island back to Stuntz bay Sunday morning.



What a blessing to have calm waters all weekend on such a big lake."



This last three weeks in my Brainerd area there has been almost zero wind. That is a long stretch.
 
proepro
09/03/2018 09:12PM
 
Have you ever gotten in the watter when it is like this? Put your eyes at the surface you can see all the way across the lake. It is an awe inspiring sight. Even seeing it I have a hard time grasping how flat and level it is.
 
Pinetree
09/02/2018 05:13PM
 

 
Pinetree
09/02/2018 05:19PM
 
KarlBAndersen1: "A couple views from my canoe on glass water:


(The four photos are two views taken at different times on consecutive days.)















"






Very nice,
The treeline reflection reminds me of trolling in one of my favorite lakes just about on the edge or tip of the pine tree reflection in the water. Very neat and it seems like the whole natural world is relaxed at peace with itself.
 
lindylair
09/02/2018 08:17PM
 

















Calm at dawn and dusk are fairly common but a calm day in the BWCA is one to be treasured, except maybe if its 94 and humid:).


MN is a fairly windy state, 11th windiest if I remember correctly (White Wolf?)
 
Pinetree
09/02/2018 12:08PM
 
rtallent: " "


Looks like a little fog there,very nice. Looks like big water?
I think it is very neat to paddle on a dead calm day in the morning where the fog is so thick maybe you can see a few feet and hope your going the right direction. Something mystic about that.
 
Pinetree
08/14/2017 10:23AM
 
Love those reflection pictures. Just can't get enough of them.
 
DanCooke
08/14/2017 06:16PM
 







 
QueticoMike
08/14/2017 06:43PM
 
Those are some awesome pictures!



 
Oisinirish
08/14/2017 08:44PM
 
quote DanCooke: "







"



If that whole gear making thing doesn't work out looks like you might make a decent, understatement, photographer. Awesome.
 
DanCooke
08/14/2017 09:21PM
 
Maybe another thread should be what you had to find your way through to get those very calm days.

 
IceColdGold
08/15/2017 11:37AM
 
Stayed at a friends cabin on Ely island on Lake Vermilion this weekend. Had a nice calm paddle from Stuntz bay to the island Friday night, and a calm paddle from the island back to Stuntz bay Sunday morning.


What a blessing to have calm waters all weekend on such a big lake.
 
walllee
08/14/2017 04:33PM
 
another reflection one for pinetree
 
QueticoMike
08/13/2017 03:43PM
 
I fear the wind in the woods and on the water more than anything else out there.


What did you catch the whitefish on?
 
Pinetree
08/13/2017 04:06PM
 
quote QueticoMike: "I fear the wind in the woods and on the water more than anything else out there.



What did you catch the whitefish on?"



Caught them on a panther martin spinner,either black or yellow. It would of been awesome if I had a fly rod and flies.


They actually tasted very good.
 
nojobro
08/14/2017 10:13AM
 
East Bearskin, 8/9/17



 
Pinetree
08/14/2017 10:24AM
 
quote nojobro: "East Bearskin, 8/9/17



"



That is one of the few lakes in the BWCA haven't been to yet. Beautiful.
 
SaganagaJoe
08/12/2017 09:11PM
 


Even Saganaga can calm down sometimes! About 9 AM in 2014, near Munker Narrows

Here's another from the same trip, maybe 6:30 AM, from Englishman Island.


 
cowdoc
08/12/2017 09:51PM
 
Headed up a good stretch of Sturgeon on our way to Oliphant one morning. It was magical and Kip caught the mood with this photo. I believe that is Blueberry Island.



 
walllee
08/12/2017 10:08PM
 
crocodile lake
 
riverrunner
08/13/2017 12:38PM
 
Had few of them during my life a joy for sure.


I really life fishing the clam before dark always enjoyable.
 
crumpman
08/12/2017 10:44AM
 

Russell Lake
 
missmolly
08/12/2017 01:58PM
 
quote Pinetree: "quote walllee: " it is magical when the water is so calm... Lake Superior at Grand Marais a couple weeks ago.."



I canoed lake Superior by Tettachoue(sp) park one time and I thought it was dead calm but it still had those undualating(sp) slow waves only a lake it size could have. What was weird to me was here I am in like 40 feet of water and the water is so clear it felt like I was on top of a clean clear glass panel. It felt so weird and like my balance wasn't quite right."



Superior's clarity also unsettles me. It looks like it's four feet deep when it's forty and understanding that makes me feel like I'm flying...in a canoe, which is unnatural.
 
bwcadan
08/12/2017 03:14PM
 
To have perfect calm waters, you need to have no wind. Often in the early AM, late evening PM or overnight. To get that during the day, you are likely in the center of a high pressure system. often shown on weather maps as a "H" standing for "high".


On my first BW trip which was with a scout group in 1989, we paddled the Q Agnes Lake from the Silence portage area starting at around 3:00 AM in August. Full moon, northern lights, and "glass" to paddle on. Everything was reflected perfectly. Sun up later to boot.
 
carmike
09/02/2018 12:12AM
 
Man, such cool photos. Thanks all for sharing. Makes me think I should start bringing a camera.
 
Pinetree
09/01/2018 11:21AM
 
Love those pictures of dead calm and paddling. It is so neat when you have a efficient paddle stroke and you can see the canoe cut through the water and just coast.
Lets see some of those reflection pictures of the water paddling away or just nice reflection pictures. West end of Rose lake.



Yes nice calm waters edge campsite pictures also. I am not fussy.
 
jwartman59
09/01/2018 12:52PM
 
sorry, couldn’t help myself
 
nctry
09/01/2018 12:58PM
 





Caught these two paddling the mighty miss this morning...
Very calm but good current because of a storm we had last night.
 
moosedoggie
09/01/2018 01:33PM
 



You very seldom see Basswood like this.
 
Pinetree
09/01/2018 03:12PM
 
nctry: "





Caught these two paddling the mighty miss this morning...
Very calm but good current because of a storm we had last night."

by
I just love to see the little wakes created behind a canoe.
 
Pinetree
09/01/2018 03:14PM
 
moosedoggie: "



You very seldom see Basswood like this."



No more than once I had to pull the canoe off the water in the Washington arm of Basswood.
You get a calm day of leisure paddling or dragging a lure behind on a day like that. Life doesn't get any better. Except you throw in fall colors and a few leaves floating around.
 
OregonDave
09/01/2018 05:55PM
 
And to think I was just a few miles away going to Mexican Hat.
 
nctry
09/01/2018 09:41PM
 
Pinetree: "nctry: "






Caught these two paddling the mighty miss this morning...
Very calm but good current because of a storm we had last night."

by
I just love to see the little wakes created behind a canoe."





These two were like they were training for a race or something. Looked very familiar.
 
jhb8426
09/01/2018 04:43PM
 
Had a calm day on Burntside a few years back with just a slow gentle swell on the way in. Of course on the way out a few days later it was far different.
 
OregonDave
09/01/2018 05:55PM
 
And to think I was just a few miles away going to Mexican Hat.
 
MN_Lindsey
09/01/2018 06:43PM
 
Sounds like bliss.
 
MN_Lindsey
09/01/2018 06:44PM
 
Pinetree: "quote walllee: " it is magical when the water is so calm... Lake Superior at Grand Marais a couple weeks ago.."



I canoed lake Superior by Tettachoue(sp) park one time and I thought it was dead calm but it still had those undualating(sp) slow waves only a lake it size could have. What was weird to me was here I am in like 40 feet of water and the water is so clear it felt like I was on top of a clean clear glass panel. It felt so weird and like my balance wasn't quite right."



Sounds like heaven.
 
KarlBAndersen1
09/02/2018 04:47PM
 
A couple views from my canoe on glass water:

(The four photos are two views taken at different times on consecutive days.)












 
Pinetree
08/11/2017 07:57PM
 
At least mine.
Over the years I have had some terrible strong winds while canoeing and fishing. But have been blessed with the dead earie calm winds that I love to slice the water with while canoeing. Also at times lake trout fishing we get a mayfly hatch and you can see the dimples on the surface made by trout,tullibee or a whitefish coming to the surface and grabbing them.
Many a times I could cast over there and get a fish. Great fishing for whitefish fishing on Canadian Agnes once on a dead calm 90 degree day in early June when the water was still cold.
Too get lucky and paddle in cruise mode on a calm day makes the trip complete in itself. Sometimes you can look behind your canoe and see a little bubble trail as far as you can see.
 
TomT
08/11/2017 08:30PM
 
In 2001 I was solo and did the mile long Horse portage around the rapids on Basswood. I was really concerned about paddling the length of Basswood to Prairie Portage. It turned out to be dead calm conditions. I remember it being uncomfortably hot and seeing a "sun dog". I'll take that over wind any day.
 
Pinetree
08/11/2017 08:45PM
 
I think it is extra special when I solo and calm and so peaceful. Just you-your canoe and your paddle dipping into the water.
 
walllee
08/11/2017 09:16PM
 
it is magical when the water is so calm... Lake Superior at Grand Marais a couple weeks ago..
 
Laketrout58
08/11/2017 09:15PM
 
Pinetree,you said that perfectly! I soloed once on crystal lake and departed for home at 430am on a glass surface and a sliver of a moon. Silent except drips off the paddle. A special content feeling. Have a good evening everyone! Marc
 
Pinetree
08/11/2017 09:53PM
 
quote walllee: " it is magical when the water is so calm... Lake Superior at Grand Marais a couple weeks ago.."


I canoed lake Superior by Tettachoue(sp) park one time and I thought it was dead calm but it still had those undualating(sp) slow waves only a lake it size could have. What was weird to me was here I am in like 40 feet of water and the water is so clear it felt like I was on top of a clean clear glass panel. It felt so weird and like my balance wasn't quite right.
 
jcavenagh
08/11/2017 10:04PM
 
Aug. 19, 2014, about 3:00pm Telescope Lake WCPP ... Magical paddle on glass



 
Pinetree
08/11/2017 10:24PM
 
quote jcavenagh: "Aug. 19, 2014, about 3:00pm Telescope Lake WCPP ... Magical paddle on glass



"



Awesome and love the reflection of the trees in the water.
 
GreyOwl
08/11/2017 11:59PM
 

 
WHendrix
08/12/2017 01:43PM
 
Quiet waters everywhere have the same magical effect. This is in the Snake River
Canyon just downstream from Lewiston Idaho. It was very disorienting. I felt like I was about to fall out of the canoe.
 
missmolly
08/12/2017 02:47PM
 
quote crumpman: "
Russell Lake"



Whoa, Crumpman! That's crazy smooth.
 
TomT
08/13/2017 05:57AM
 
Basswood Lake during the Pagami Creek fire in 2011. Dead calm and smelled like smoke.