Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Trip Planning Forum :: 9 year old son's first trip
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Captn Tony |
Just don't get too ambitious , when you make plans find out what he wants to do and be flexible with your plan. |
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fishinfool71 |
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jtcarn1 |
It has been a long 15 years since I've been to BWCA/Quetico, after 3 trips in 3 years and a promise to come back every year. I want to bring my 9 yo boy for his first trip and I'm looking for some input: I was planning on trying for the Carp Lake entry point the last week of May - to base camp on Carp. I'm familiar with the area, and like that it is not big water or long portages going in. I also like the fishing, but the more I think about it, I don't want this trip to be too "fishing heavy" with his first trip. Knowing I need some backup plans since I'm trying to shoot specifically for Memorial Day week, any other routes anyone could think of - either BWCA or Quetico that are relatively easy-in? I don't need too much solitude as this is his first trip. I'd love an "interesting" area to keep him engaged - think pictographs, exploreable land, etc He also seems to think that the woods is full of bloodthirsty bears ready to eat little boys, so I was thinking some island sites might be a good option. Yes, I do know bears can/do visit islands, but to the extent he would feel better as I ease him in, that would be great. He really is a happy-go-lucky kid, I just want us to be able to do this for the next several years and don't want to "scar" him in any way. Any help would be appreciated. |
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fsupp |
Otherwise, my standard entry suggestion is EP 47, Lizz Lake, which takes you to smaller, interesting lakes, including Horeshoe (moose country), Vista, and Misquah. You could get to Gaskin in a day, which has a nice island site and good fishing, and then day trip to Winchell to check out the Misquah Hills. |
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Jackfish |
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johndku |
We brought an extra map, we'd stop frequently while paddling, and check where he thought we were vs. where I thought we were. (One of those times I was wrong, he was right) I let him pick the menu before we left and what we had each night, (mostly dehydrated stuff), and kept him involved while making meals. He didn't get off easy on portages, had to do his share, though with light loads. He got to filet his first fish on this trip, with close supervision. We caught crayfish, purged them, boiled and ate them with some Old Bay Seasoning....they were good and he could brag about it later. A lightweight, decent monocular occupied a lot of time, looking for wildlife, camptites, etc. We took some Luci LIghts and he had a paperback he was reading, sack time was easy, no bear worries, etc.,read 'til he got tired and passed out. We took an inexpensive sling shot and passed a fair amount of time with that. No living thing was hurt during this exercise. Tried starting a fire with a bow drill....we weren't successful, but it was fun trying. Take if from me who learned the hard way, avoid all rapids, even the small ones. Take a few pages of printed instructions for knot tying, learn some new knots and have him tie them/use them in camp. Have a great trip! |
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Atb |
Good luck, plan well. Anything you can bring to keep it positive for him will be portaging. For us it was bug nets, checkers for in the tent, her own pocketknife, and fun foods. |
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QueticoMike |
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nctry |
Bringing young and old alike can be life changing in attitudes towards work, personal relationships and how we view and respect the wilderness and outdoor opportunities. |