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Date/Time: 03/28/2024 06:35PM
Title: Trip Report - Big Moose & a little girl ~ A river less paddled
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Previous Messages:
Author Message Text
paddler480 10/12/2011 08:29PM
Man you got it made,a great family and the bwca to explore... that is one cute little tiger.. hilarious!! thanks for the trip report
Spartan2 10/13/2011 04:03AM
Great trip report. I don't like having to click on all of the photos and usually I just don't bother, but in your case I made an exception because yours are so beautiful and interesting.


Glad it all worked out so well with taking the baby out, especially so late in the season. Looks like you and she had a good time.
wawasee 10/13/2011 08:24AM
Great trip report! Glad to see you and your wife start the family trips early.
PineKnot 10/13/2011 10:54AM
Very nice, TB. Love your pics....she is a cutie!
TuscaroraBorealis 10/17/2011 09:11AM
Regrettably the writing is on the wall for the Black Pearl relinquishing her status as our family canoe. We should be able to make it a couple more seasons though? I think we'll go with a Souris River 18.5? Hopefully there is a good deal on a used one when the time comes. We'll have to break the news to the Black Pearl gently. :)


Might be awhile before I try winter camping with Aurora. :)


Ho Ho 10/30/2011 10:33PM
Wow I really enjoyed that report! Very nice. It looks like you all had a great maiden voyage with Aurora. Many happy returns!


As it happens, I was just thinking today about doing a trip to Big Moose. Your report definitely made me want to do it even more. We've hiked in to both ends - over the portage from Cummings, and along the Big Moose Trail - but I've never paddled or camped on the lake. I'll have to remedy that soon. I wonder if we can get a late season trip in the next couple weeks?


I had a few thoughts about your naturalist observations as I read you report. About trees - in my experience there are very few cedars up on the Echo Trail EPs. I believe cedars like less acidic soils, like those are associated with the greenstone belt that runs roughly east-west from Ely (the greenstone goes a little further north to the east, and a little further south to the west). That cedar habitat is common in the mid-section of the BWCA. But a few miles north of Ely you on the pure granite bedrock that is more acidic, and that stretches through most of Quetico (except the Man Chain), where cedars are pretty uncommon.


About oaks - having now lived through an autumn on the Echo Trail, I can tell you there are a lot more oaks than you think up here, as shrubs and small trees. Not anything like further south in Minnesota, but more than I noticed other seasons. You really realize they are here when they turn crimson-brown in the fall. I have read that some scientists think that oaks are expanding up here due to global warming. But they have been here a while (maybe in smaller numbers), and Sig Olson has an essay about getting an oak from a canoe country rock outcrop to plant at Listening Point.


About beaver dams - you mentioned hitting a very low beaver dam going upstream, and then a little later coming up to a monster dam. I read that beavers normally build a small dam downstream from their main dam in order to reduce the water pressure on the main dam. It sounds like that was the case here. They are clever engineers for sure!


Thanks again for the great report.


Ozarker 10/30/2011 07:36PM
Great report and your daughter is a real cutie. Even though she won't remember this trip, you will. Keep these memories filed for easy retrieval. I just walked my baby daughter down the aisle yesterday and I can tell you it is a short time from 3 mos to 23 years.
jjjds1999 11/09/2011 05:22PM
I really enjoyed your trip report. We plan on making our trip in Sept. next year and I'm happy to see color in the trees and nice weather in your report. Your daughter is beautiful! I wish we had known about the BW when our kids were small so we could have gotten them hooked. They are too busy now to take a 2 week trip with Mom and Dad.


BTW-where did Vickie get the pants that zip off below the knee? I would love to have a pair of them, but can't find them. Thanks!
jjjds1999 11/13/2011 10:38AM
quote vickieh69: "quote jjjds1999: "
BTW-where did Vickie get the pants that zip off below the knee? I would love to have a pair of them, but can't find them. Thanks!"




REI-Mountain Hardware brand"

Thank you, I'll check them out!
BWPaddler 10/24/2011 10:45AM
That EP has been on my bucket list for a while - thanks for the descriptive report.


Loved seeing little A on her second BW trip - some of us haven't done a 2 mile portage after decades of tripping ;)


You guys are inspirations! Love seeing A's little PeaPod in use and thinking of her sleeping the night through out there. Woohoo!
misqua 10/24/2011 03:33PM
Thank you for the great report. If you have another child, of course you have to name him or her Borealis. Let me know if you sell the black pearl.
TomT 11/23/2011 07:23AM
Very enjoyable trip report. I love it that you were able to take your new daughter. Nice pics as well!
TuscaroraBorealis 11/01/2011 06:09PM
Thanks to everyone for the nice comments.


fitgers1 ~ Thanks for pointing out an interesting aspect of bringing her before her first birthday. It never occurred to us that she will be able to make that claim. Cool beans!


misqua ~ While the Black Pearl will inevitably succumb to another larger canoe one day; We have no intentions of selling her. I'm sure we'll still get her out on the water. If for no other reason than to save our extended family from having to rent a canoe if they want to come along with us.


Ozarker ~ My sincere congratulations to you & your daughter. I agree these memories will last a lifetime.


Ho Ho ~ As always, you provide great insight helping to describe why things like trees, or beaver dams are the way the are. Information that is greatly appreciated. Hope you get a chance to paddle up the river before it freezes. BTW Looking forward to your Quetico trip report!


The Big Moose hiking trail is apparently quite a popular way to access the lake? We seen no less the 3 seperate groups use the trail during our stay. (and we were gone from the lake for long stretches on a couple of days) As I alluded to in the report, we didn't get a chance to hike it. But, I'd like to get back to do it one day.
vickieh69 11/11/2011 06:01AM
quote jjjds1999: "
BTW-where did Vickie get the pants that zip off below the knee? I would love to have a pair of them, but can't find them. Thanks!"



REI-Mountain Hardware brand
fitgers1 10/24/2011 12:38PM
Great report and pictures. Thanks
How great it will be for her to say when she is 30, "I've been going to the BWCA for 30 years" or any age, or "I've been going all my life" and it will be true.
Congrats on a beautiful baby and a great trip!
TuscaroraBorealis 10/12/2011 07:14PM
New Trip Report posted by TuscaroraBorealis

Trip Name: Big Moose & a little girl ~ A river less paddled.

Entry Point: 8

Click Here to View Trip Report
Zulu 10/15/2011 01:49PM
Great report and photos as always TB! I am glad Aurora had a great time and you and Vickie are able to enjoy canoe tripping with her. It won't be long and she will be walking the portages herself! I like the pea pod.


Sorry I missed meeting Aurora at Wingnite. When do you think she will be ready to try winter camping with you?



Looking forward to seeing more photos of her growing up on canoe trips.


I see from the gear forum you are already looking at getting a "mini van" type 3 person canoe for the growing family. The Black Pearl won't like getting left at home and may get jealous if a new canoe shows up at the house someday!
Dennisal 10/14/2011 08:23AM
That trip looks 'priceless' to me.


Thanks for sharing.
wetcanoedog 10/14/2011 10:25AM
Wonderful!..after having met you and having a nice long talk at Wingnight and seeing Aurora the trip report really came to life for me.
great photos and that looks like a very nice and sort of "hidden" part of the BW.
SevenofNine 10/14/2011 11:10AM
Paul, great trip report as usual. Thanks for sharing your adventure, insights and photos.
ducks 10/14/2011 09:43PM
Another great report TB! You 2 take bringing "kids" to the bwca to a whole nother level.
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