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Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Listening Point - General Discussion :: 15 days of rain predicted for Ely
 
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TreeBear
04/30/2024 10:25AM
 
Last spring, I was pulled last minute for a guided trip for a group of kids on a four-night BW trip. For most of them, it was their first. It was rainy and even snowy the first day and a half straight. We sat down for lunch at Eddy Falls when suddenly this perfect sun ray cut through the cedars and onto our group. I don't know the last time I saw a group happier. The weather was great the rest of the trip and, weather or not, I found the seat of a canoe better than a desk chair! I can't imagine two weeks of rain on an extended trip, but it sure is amazing how sweet sunshine feels after the gloom.
 
JD
04/30/2024 03:16PM
 
I would think this bodes well for anyone worrying about an early season fire ban. I know down in the Cities we've gotten quite a bit of rain in the past month and it looked that way up north as well when I've checked. I'm headed in the weekend after fishing opener, so I'm hoping the rain trend relaxes so the water can warm up a little more and get fish hungry! My October trip was defined by the unpredictable weather and persistent rain in the second half so I'm hoping to have more sun this time! Just hopefully without crazy winds to go with it...
 
Pinetree
04/29/2024 09:31AM
 
Some significant, some not. Sunshine rare.
I've been there and done that, for a few days you can put up with it, but after a while everything gets wet and damp and you're always chilly. Wood gets wet and hard to start a fire and the fire never burns hard. I hate it when water fills the canoe while trying to fish or tripping and bags are getting wet.
Do it again-yes I would, but it does get miserable. wet windy and waterlogged
 
Pinetree
04/29/2024 09:40AM
 
No red flag warnings-wild fires
 
Pinetree
04/29/2024 09:41AM
 
I am sure we have a few survival stories of miserable weather. Wet gear,leaky tent wet sleeping bag? But yes we would do it again.

I do now to try to go with the flow and decent weather when I go.
Winter camping I have done -35 degrees F. and snowstorms and yes even a snowstorm end of May in Quetico once and snow and cold first week of June on Kawnipi.
I will be back. I hope.
 
analyzer
05/02/2024 04:56PM
 
egknuti: "I did a trip a few years ago where it rained 14 out of 15 days. And not just a few sprinkles each day. All day rains and the temperatures never got above 70. Finally the last night I had a sunny evening and beautiful sunset. "


we had one of those trips too, when I was in my teens. It must have been late 70's. We were on the south end of Englishmans Island on Sag. Back then, my dad would take us on 16-18 day trips. We rented a boat from Old Man Blankenburg. My dad would put a 10 hp motor on the boat, and tow the two canoes. We'd base camp somewhere on Sag, and make day trips from there. Back then you could motor anywhere on sag, as long as you didn't portage. So we could go all the way into 3rd bay, or up into Cache bay etc.


Going for 3 weeks with a family of 6 in the 70s present certain logistical challenges. We weren't exactly light. Dad had one of those giant canvas tents, like 10 x 14, that rolled up into a big ball, and had heavy external poles. At least that's what a kid remembers. Food storage was an issue, as it's a lot of weight to try to pull up a tree, so my dad built a storage cabinet, that was the full width of the 18' aluminum boat. I think it was probably 4' x 4' x 1' with shelves, and a lockable hinged cabinet door. Kinda like having a wood bear box.


It's notable too, that back then they had picnic tables at certain sites. Dad would always pick an island site with a picnic table. HIs thought was he could put life jackets on us kids, and let us roam free, without too much worry about us getting lost. You can only get so lost on an island.


He'd bring a big screen tent to put over the picnic table. But I remember the one year, it rained like 16 out of 18 days, and not a light rain, it was often a torrential downpour. As memory serves, during that 16 days, the water came up about 10 inches on sag. It was pretty miserable. We spent the majority of that trip in that screen house playing cards. Dad would always bring a big roll of poly, and he wrapped the screen house in poly so the water didn't get in. My poor mom. I can't imagine keeping 4 young kids happy.


Its interesting that it rained that much in August. I don't recall a year like that since then.
 
YaMarVa
05/02/2024 05:59PM
 
analyzer - great story, thanks for sharing.
 
egknuti
04/29/2024 11:35AM
 
I did a trip a few years ago where it rained 14 out of 15 days. And not just a few sprinkles each day. All day rains and the temperatures never got above 70. Finally the last night I had a sunny evening and beautiful sunset.
 
thegildedgopher
04/29/2024 03:53PM
 
Could make for some wonderful fishing on opener….
 
Pinetree
04/29/2024 06:49PM
 
egknuti: "I did a trip a few years ago where it rained 14 out of 15 days. And not just a few sprinkles each day. All day rains and the temperatures never got above 70. Finally the last night I had a sunny evening and beautiful sunset. "
wow, at least it wasn't like 40 degrees F., I hope. Gets tough t make a fire, things are so waterlogged. Yes and portages get muddy and slippery. Worst yet is going down hill on slippery rock. Banged my knee up pretty bad falling once.