Boundary Waters Trip Reports, Blog, BWCA, BWCAW, Quetico Park

BWCA Entry Point, Route, and Trip Report Blog

March 18 2024

Entry Point 39 - Baker Lake

Baker Lake entry point allows overnight paddle only. This entry point is supported by Tofte Ranger Station near the city of Tofte, MN. The distance from ranger station to entry point is 26 miles. Access is a boat landing at Baker Lake with a 10-rod portage into Peterson Lake to reach first campsite. This area was affected by blowdown in 1999.

Number of Permits per Day: 2
Elevation: 1497 feet
Latitude: 47.8452
Longitude: -90.8169
Summary: A 5-day loop from Baker up the Temperance lakes to Cherokee, and back through Sawbill and Smoke lakes back to Baker. A fairly difficult trip.



Day 0: We drove up from Stillwater in the morning and camped at one of the 5 walk-in campsites at Baker Lake, and it was nice.




Day 1 (Baker to S. Temperance) - A beautiful day, we decided to paddle all the way to South Temperance the first day which was a great paddle with easy portages except for the last one. We picked the campsite on top of a huge rock that was close to the middle of the lake. Tried fishing some but no luck




Day 2 (Rest) - In the night, we encountered the worst storm of the entire season. While we were there 19 people had to be rescued from the BWCA. We had about 50mph straightline winds, and I'm still surprised that the huge tent we had stood up to it. We slept in and took a rest day because of the intense winds. Amazingly beautiful sunset.





Day 3 (S. Temperance to Cherokee) - We left as early as we could to beat the heat, but it was no good. The lengthy, hilly portages were challenging and by the last portage we were pretty beat. We overpacked and single portaged which led us to speedier exhaustion. Still amazing weather. North Temperance was a beaut- I wish we had stayed there instead of South. We took the southeasterly facing campsite on Cherokee on the southeastern skinny island. Neat little site.



Day 4 (Cherokee to Sawbill) - Left a little later in the day but it was ok. We took our time going down the river letting out of the southwest part of Cherokee and it was a great area. BEWARE: The area between Ada and Skoop Lakes appears to be floatable, but a dam built recently has made the portion impossible to float. Be prepared for a long portage through muck and water. A guy that we saw there said he had been going to the BWCA for 40 years at least once per year and it was the worst portage he had ever seen. By the time we got to Sawbill it was pretty hot. We paddled all the way down to the site next to the portage onto Smoke.



Day 5 (Sawbill to Baker) - Cooler, cloudier weather for the first time on the trip. We were pretty hungry (I underpacked food a little and I felt really bad) and we were taunting each other with vivid descriptions of the burgers we were going to eat ASAP after getting out. We paddled back to Baker and returned our gear to Sawtooth outfitters.


Overall great route.

Temperance River Loop

by Bannock
Trip Report

Entry Date: June 25, 2006
Entry Point: Baker Lake
Number of Days: 6
Group Size: 2

Trip Introduction:
Baker Lake/Temperance River Loop Trip Report Entry date: June 25th (2006) Exit date: June 30th (2006) Group members: Jim Balow, Ken Brown Solo canoes – Jim’s Bell Magic; Ken’s Old Town Penobscot 15

Part 1 of 9


Prologue

About June 10th I decided I just had to have a Boundary Waters trip soon, much sooner than my scheduled July 31st trip. I checked my calendar, talked to my boss (both at home and at work) and decided I could take off work June 26, 27, & 28. With the weekend before, I’d have 5 days.

Jim Balow and I work for the same company. I see him pretty often and we have gotten to know each other through canoe activities like the CCBB Upper Iowa Rendezvous. We even have done a trip together in the BW with others from the CCBB. We have never done one with just the two of us.

I figured I’d mention my plans to him without much hope that he’d be able to go. It was less than two weeks away and I did not have a permit and had done no planning. He jumped at it!! In fact he immediately pushed back, “But let’s go for the entire week!” I was able to beg off the additional two days.

Jim wanted to do the Sawbill area, which was fine with me. I hadn’t been there in 13 years. We checked on permit availability and wound up getting a Bakers Lake permit for Sunday, June 25th.

We agreed that we would each paddle our own canoe but would travel and camp together. We would be double portaging. We agreed we were not trying to set any records and would take our time, both paddling and portaging. We would check out campsites, explore bays, drift sometimes, etc. A relaxing trip was the goal.

Jim did the food – planned, bought and prepared. He did a great job. Breakfast was always brown sugar and maple oatmeal; and hot chocolate for Jim and Folgers Coffee bag for me. Lunch was always GORP-type stuff and granola bars. Supper a one-pot meal – chili one night, two nights of burger-based side dish and two of chicken-based side dish (foil packed chicken and dehydrated hamburger).

That was about it for the planning.

I took a few cryptic notes during the trip and wrote this report from it. I also went to the “Sawbill Weather History” from the Sawbill Outfitters website and added that info to this report. I’m not too sure how accurate it is. Temperatures sure seemed hotter than what they have recorded and I’m sure we got more rain than what they had.

 



Part 2 of 9


Saturday June 24, 2006

High Temperature: 80

Low Temperature: 50

Barometric Pressure: 30.22

Relative Humidity 7AM: 82%

9 AM Temperature: 55

Moisture: 0"

Route: La Crosse, WI to Baker Lake in the SNF

Jim and I hooked up in La Crosse and started about 8:15 a.m. on our trip. We headed up the Wisconsin side on HWY 53 and caught HWY 61 in Duluth. The drive was very pleasant. We stopped for lunch at Subway in Rice Lake and reached Tofte at 2:45. Jim was impressed that we got there in 6.5 hours (including a lunch break, and potty and gas stops!). It is definitely the closest BWCA jumping off spot to our home.

We headed up the graveled Sawbill Trail 24 miles and 40 minutes to Sawbill Outfitters. On the way we saw 2 deer, a grouse and its brood, a chipmunk, a red squirrel and a couple of turtles. I pointed out a good moose-viewing spot, but none were there at the time.

Jim was interested to see Sawbill Outfiters. He felt as though he knew them through their online newsletter. I was interested too. I hadn’t been there in 13 years and there were a lot of changes in that time!! New buildings. Nice store. I was most impressed with the attitude of the people working there! What a happy bunch of people that truly seemed to love their work.

Sawbill Outfitters

Jim spotted Bill Hansen and started chatting with him. After a bit Jim says, “Oh! That’s right, you don’t know me.”  Bill said, “No.” with a look on his face that said, “this is kinda creepy in a stalking kind of way”. J

We watched the video, picked up our permit, and bought a few supper items from the store (including a 6 pack of beer). We then drove through the Sawbill Campgrounds to check out the sites. 

It was 11 miles to the Baker Lake Campground. On the way we spotted a cow moose and her calf crossing the road. We were fortunate to get the last site at the free campground -- site #3. I thought from being there previously (more than 13 years ago) that there were 5 campsites but we only found 4.

Baker Lake Campsite

Jim and I explored the grounds to get a lay of the land – Outhouse; Water pump; Canoe launch; Trails, and then ate our supper of tortillas, cold cuts, chips, and a beer. Mosquitoes were bad. 

After supper we decide to expand our exploration and take a ride to Crescent Lake to check out that campground. Then we continued down The Grade past Lichen Lake (Lichen? I’m lovin’ it!) to the turn off to Clara Lake where we turned around and went back to Baker.

Once back, another walk around Baker revealed the 5th site. It is down a completely different road and so is completely isolated from the other 4 sites. It is nice, though a much farther walk to the outhouse and water pump. I wish we had had that site.

Site #2, the one right next to us, was loaded with tents. There were 5 or 6 crammed into the site. There were also 5 trucks parked in front of it, but we saw no one there all day. If they were on a canoe trip, why didn’t they have their camping gear? If they went to town or were saving the site, why were their trucks there? It was already dark and still no sign of them. Oh, well.

Then at 10:30 p.m., when we were getting ready to turn in, the “Guys” show up - twelve of them. Brains replaced with testosterone. They must have been on a day trip. They weren’t on Baker so they must have been in the BW – 12 of them in 6 canoes.

They fired up their 4000-watt lantern, used a pint of gasoline to start the fire, and tapped the keg. They partied until 4:30 a.m. Such are the dangers of free campgrounds.

 

 



Part 3 of 9


Sunday June 25, 2006

High Temperature: 83

Low Temperature: 47

Barometric Pressure: 30.13

Relative Humidity 7AM: 79%

9 AM Temperature: 53

Moisture: 0

Route: Baker Lake to South Temperance Lake

Baker Lake

Portage 10 rods

Peterson Lake

Liftover Portage

Kelly Lake

Portage 65 rods

Jack Lake

Portage 12 rods

Weird Lake

Portage 80 rods

Temperance River

Portage 240 Rods

South Temperance Lake

Despite the prolonged serenade of my neighbors, I’m up at 5:30. I thought of making a lot of noise, but they never would have heard it and it would have only bothered the other quiet neighbors.

Jim and I had a leisurely breakfast and packed up our stuff. I don’t really know what we did that used up so much time, but we didn’t actually push off until 8:30 a.m. We rounded the bend on Baker Lake, right where the BWCA officially begins, and there was a doe feeding in the water to greet us.

We met a group on the Baker Lake portage coming in. We exchanged greetings. These were the last people we’d see or talk to until Tuesday afternoon.

Jim Portaging

We didn’t push hard but still it was sometimes hot. I’m not saying that the Sawbill Weather History is wrong, but it sure felt hotter than 80.

We checked most of the campsites along the way on our leisurely paddle. I pointed to the fire grate at one Kelly site and said, “There’s something you don’t usually see on a hot day like this.”  The fire grate was full of ice, presumably from the group we saw on the Baker Lake portage. At least we knew the fire was out!

Made it to South Temperance at 4:30 and found a campsite at 5:00. I believe we were the only ones on the lake.

South Temperance Campsite

I was beat! The lack of sleep from the night before, the physical exertion, and the heat had tuckered me out.

Jim cooked (as he always did during this entire trip) -- chicken and noodles. Jim used one of those Lipton side dishes spiked with a foil pack of chicken. Mmmmm … Good!

I set up my trapezoid tarp. I don’t like it. There is hardly any coverage beneath it. What’s up with that?! I’m going back to my rectangular tarp.

Jury is out on my tent -- Eureka Spitfire.  It is not freestanding. I’ve got it set up at this campsite, but I don’t know how well I’ll be able to do it at the others. I’m prepared to anchor it with rocks or tie off to trees. Furthermore, it is a solo tent. It is big enough to sleep in, but that is about it. Not much room to dress, etc. I’ll know by the end of this trip.

 

 



Part 4 of 9


Monday June 26, 2006

High Temperature: 83

Low Temperature: 53

Barometric Pressure: 30.01

Relative Humidity 7AM: 85%

9 AM Temperature: 56

Moisture: .23"

Route: South Temperance Lake to Cherokee Lake

South Temperance Lake

Portage 55 rods

North Temperance Lake

Portage 105 rods

Sitka Lake

Portage 140 rods

Snub Lake

Portage (?) rods

Cherokee Lake

I woke at 12:30 a.m., just to roll over, and heard a lone wolf howling. I listened for a couple minutes. Neat.

I wake at 5:00 ready to get up … and catnap till 7:00. My tent was OK, but it is small. It is high enough to sit in but not kneel. Makes it hard to get dressed in the tent. We are on the water by 9:00.

We take our time. Make Cherokee by 1:30 and have a campsite by 2:00. The campsite is in a grove of cedar trees. I’m surprised to see a small sprig of cedar needles placed on the fire grate and weighted down with a rock, left by the previous occupants as a welcome just like a mint on a hotel pillow. I’m surprised because this is the second time this has happened to me. It happened last year in August on Ogish. Same person? A new greeting? Is it wide-spread or something just starting? Interesting.

Cherokee Lake Campsite

Rain showers at 3:20 off and on, sometimes hard. The rain is done by 6:00 p.m.

Jim makes Spanish rice and burger for supper. Good.

In my notes I wrote “loons, beavers, mergansers”. I don’t know what that means. Guess we saw them, though it doesn’t seem terribly noteworthy. We did see more mergansers than usual, all with little ones in tow. We also notice seeing a lot of coots. I hadn’t seen many of them up here in the past.

 



Part 5 of 9


Tuesday June 27, 2006

High Temperature: 71

Low Temperature: 55

Barometric Pressure: 30.10

Relative Humidity 7AM: 90%

9 AM Temperature: 55

Moisture: .18"

Route: Layover Daytrips

Cherokee Lake

Portage 13 rods

Gordon Lake

Portage 28 rods

Long Island River

Portage 5 rods

Long Island River

Long Island Lake

Long Island River

Portage 5 rods

Long Island River

Portage 28 rods

Gordon Lake

Portage 140 rods

Unload lake

Portage (?) rods

Frost Lake

Portage (?) rods

Unload lake

Portage 140 rods

Gordon Lake

Portage 13 rods

Cherokee Lake

I slept in today until 7:30. It is a layover day. When I got up, the day was overcast and it was a little cool. We had breakfast and putzed around camp.

I set up the tarp differently at this camp. I now like my tarp again. The key is to set one end of the ridgeline high and the other low. The wings then make sense and add a lot of protection.

My tent is doing well, though dressing in it is a challenge.

At 10:00 a.m. we headed out for our daytrip. We were to Long Island Lake by noon. Single portaging is nice. We had lunch there and checked out some of the campsites. One looks like it hasn’t been used in quite awhile. It has an old-time fire grate – welded instead of cast. There is also an old coffee pot at the spot. Sand beach. Vegetation is in the camp very high. The site is very overgrown. There is a latrine so it appears to be a legal site. Poison Ivy? It doesn’t look like it to me, but maybe.

Old Fire Grate on Long Island Lake

We left Long Island Lake at 2:00 p.m. At 3:15 we were on the portage to Frost Lake. That is a tough portage. It is also buggy, the buggiest since the Baker Lake portage.

We explored Frost Lake and checked out some of the campsites. We stopped at the one by the long sand beach on the NE shore. The site has couches around the fire grate area. They are the typical log benches except with an additional layer creating a back. Benches you can lounge on.

Frost Lake Couches

We started back and it began to rain. By the time we reached the Gordon Lake end, about 5:30 p.m., it was a downpour complete with thunder and lightning.  Jim and I stood in the storm waiting it out. It is during this that I discover my raincoat isn’t waterproof. It is a Red Ledge that I bought as a raincoat but apparently it is something else. It looks like a raincoat but it is not waterproof. I was soaked.

By 6:30 the rain was only sprinkling and, so, we continued on. We made it to camp about 7:30. It was still raining. 

Jim doesn’t wear a watch. I do. He said, “Tell me when it’s 6:00 and I’ll start supper.” I responded, “It’s 8:00 now.”

We had chicken and noodle casserole. As always, it was great.

It sprinkled and dripped all night. We had a heck of a time getting a fire going. All the wood was soggy. I found myself wishing several times on this trip that I had brought my hatchet. Either big wood was left from previous campers that needed to be split, or, like today, we needed dry, inner wood. We finally got it going after Jim and I whittle away the outer wet wood of several pieces of firewood.

I went to bed about 11:30. Everything in my tent was dry. Ahhhh…. 

About midnight it started to rain again.

Sawbill must have had different weather than us. We certainly had much more (much, much more) than .18” of rain today.

 

 



Part 6 of 9


Wednesday June 28, 2006

High Temperature: 80

Low Temperature: 54

Barometric Pressure: 30.15

Relative Humidity 7AM: 74%

9 AM Temperature: 59

Moisture: 0"

Route: Cherokee Lake to Sawbill Lake

Cherokee Lake

Cherokee Creek

Portage 180 rods

Skoop Lake

Portage 90 rods

Ada Lake

Portage 80 rods

Ada Creek

Portage 60 rods

Sawbill Lake

Up at 6:30 to a cool, drippy, foggy morning. I don’t know what’s worse, the rain or the mess it makes. Not only was our stuff wet but dirty as well from the mud and spatter.

Before we left, I replaced the cedar sprig and rock on the fire grate to welcome the next guests. We were on the on the water by 9:00 and to Cherokee Creek by 9:30. A pine martin greeted us almost immediately. He posed for a picture for Jim on a branch overhanging the water. The weather turned nice and the paddle was beautiful. I love paddling these creeks. The portages are pretty tough.

I had been telling Jim about the fun paddle along Ada Creek – very narrow and windy, barely deep enough for a canoe. It would be right after the 12- rod portage out of Skoop Lake – well my 15-year-old Fisher Map says 12-rods. My 15-year-old McKenzie says 10-rods. However, Jim’s map, the one he just bought at Sawbill Outfitters, says the portage is 90 rods. Jim’s is right. A beaver built a dam at Skoop cutting off the water to the creek. That beautiful little paddle is now gone and has been replace by a rock-hopping, ankle-busting, too long of a portage.

We crossed Ada Lake, did the portage, and were drifting down Ada Creek when we heard … noise… around the corner. It was a big bull moose feeding in the creek. The noise was the water coming off his antlers when he brought his head up from under water with a mouth full of moose food. Think of two 5-gallon buckets of water being dumped into the creek from 8 feet in the air every 20 seconds. That’s the sound. We watched him for perhaps 30 minutes.

Moose (he’s hard to see but he is there and much closer than this picture seems)

We made it to Sawbill at 3:00 and to our campsite at 3:30.

Sawbill Campsite

Chili tonight with corn bread I made in the reflector over. The cornbread is my first contribution to food preparation for the trip. I think I’ll start calling Jim “Cookie”. Either that or “Froggy” because he has been conversing with bull frogs the entire trip. He’s got the sound down perfectly.

It was a nice evening - a great, red sunset. “Red sun at night, Sailors’ delight…” I went to bed shortly after dark, about 10:30. This time of year it stays light so late!

Sawbill Sunset

  

 



Part 7 of 9


Thursday June 29, 2006

High Temperature: 83

Low Temperature: 53

Barometric Pressure: 30.06

Relative Humidity 7AM: 85%

9 AM Temperature: 58

Moisture: 0"

Route: Sawbill Lake to Peterson Lake

Sawbill Lake

Portage 100 rods

Smoke Lake

Portage 90 rods

Burnt Lake

Portage 230 rods

Kelly Lake

Liftover Portage

Peterson Lake

Up at 6:30. I have a pretty nasty sore on leg from my Chotas. A part of the boot is doing a lot of rubbing above the ankle of my right foot. Those boots aren’t made for walking. Furthermore, the boots stink – BAD! I try to take care of it but am only marginally successful. The problem doesn’t go away until after the trip is over.

We leave our camp on Sawbill at 9:00 and get to camp on Peterson at 4:00.

Smoke Lake Portage

On the way we met a nice young woman from England on the portage between Smoke and Burnt. She was leading a group from a summer camp by Ashland, WI. She seemed very capable and had good control of her group of Americans.

We wanted to camp on Kelly Lake but only one site was open and it looked low-lying and buggy.  We elected to push on and try for the one campsite on Peterson. We knew that the campsite was marginal from our quick inspection on the way in. The entire site is rooty, but it was better than buggy.

We find the site open and decide to take it. The site has a poor fire pit area. There are no log benches, but we didn’t care because we had chairs. One of our mantras during the trip was, “Chairs are good”. We found ourselves often appreciating them, doubly so at this campsite.

Peterson Lake Campsite

There was only one tent pad big enough for Jim’s two-man tent. I found a space for mine on a game trail. Tell me that that didn’t make me nervous. I thought Bullwinkle or Smokey might rudely awaken me.

My Tent on a Game Trail

Jim’s fantastic entrée was Beef Lomain with burger and red peppers. Mmmmm … I contributed a couple biscuits from the reflector oven.

Biscuits Baking

You know, for as poor as this site was, I know I will have fond memories of it. It served our purposes very well. There was tons of firewood. We saw no one else. Even though we were only a 10-rod portage from an entry point, we could have been in the middle of a PMA. We knew that the Baker Lake Campground was probably noisy and certainly buggy. But not here.

Jim on (in?) Peterson Lake. “Chairs are Good”

    

 



Part 8 of 9


Friday June 30, 2006

High Temperature: 84

Low Temperature: 45

Barometric Pressure: 29.71

Relative Humidity 7AM: 87%

9 AM Temperature: 64

Moisture: .25"

Route: Peterson Lake to Baker Lake

Peterson Lake

Portage 10 rods

Baker Lake

Up at 6:00. Left camp at 8:15 and were out at Baker Lake at 9:00.

Take Out on Baker Lake

We had two beers left over from our first night tucked away in Jim’s mini-cooler. Several times during the trip Jim would ask if hot beer exploded. He thought we might return to an aromatic car. We opened the cooler and not only were the beers not exploded, but were still cool. Yep. Before 9:30 in the morning Jim and I were drinking (Jim’s idea, not mine!). They tasted good, too.

We pulled away from Baker Lake at 10:00. Jim zeroed out the trip mileage on the odometer. At 10:20 we were back to Sawbill Outfitters for showers and souvenirs.  As we walked into the store there sat Frank Hansen. It was déjà vu all over again as Frank got Jim’s stalker routine just like Bill Hansen did days ago.

We left Sawbill at 11:00. Saw a doe and her two fawns on the trail.

Once in Tofte (about 11:45), we did a little shopping for our wives at the Waters Edge. Then next door to the Coho Café for lunch. Excellent food. Good prices. Then across the road to the store for cokes, and back on the road at 12:30.

Jim at Coho Café

We reached Two Harbors at 1:30. Two Harbors was just a town I have always passed through. I never thought about what could be there except what I saw on Hwy 61. Jim decided we’d check it out, so we made a left turn and followed the signs to the harbor. 

What a treat! There was a lot to see: The Edna G. Tug Boat; Iron Ore Dock; Train Depot with real antique trains; the Historical Society; The Community Center; The Lighthouse; The Crusader II, a wooden, 36-foot, Lake Superior fishing boat built in 1939; and a nice city park. To top it off we got to see a huge, iron ore freighter, The Edwin H. Gott, dock at the Iron Ore Dock. Very cool.

Edna G. Tug Boat & Iron Ore Dock

Old Train

We left Two Harbors at 2:45 and made it to Rice Lake by 5:00. Jim wanted to show me the Bear Paw. Basically it is a Cabelas-lite. You can see it along highway 53. A convenient stop if you realized you’ve forgotten something on the drive up.

Then off to the Rice Lake Cullvers for supper. We get out of town at 6:15.

We make it to La Crosse, WI at 8:45 p.m. and Jim drives me the additional 30 minutes to my home. 11 hours and 15 minutes for the return trip. Significantly longer than the 6-and-a-half hours it took us to drive up.

We check the mileage counter. 375 miles since we left Baker Lake. Pretty good, especially considering all the side trips we took on the way home.

Great trip. Just what the doctor ordered.

   

 



Part 9 of 9


Wrap Up, Lists, and Notes

Jim and I got along great. We are already talking about our next trip together.

Bring a hatchet. I own a hatchet. It is lightweight – one of those Gerber-like ones with the resin handle. I never have needed it and so never bring it. This time I could have used it.

We didn’t plan it but both Jim and I had brought along Cutters Advanced Formula bug dope. This is the new stuff that uses Picaridin rather than DEET. I think that both Jim and I agree that the stuff seems to work but has to be reapplied often. It seemed like it got sweated off fast and had to be reapplied before every portage. After the trip was over Jim read the label (What? You think we’d read it before use!? Ha!). It said do not apply more than once daily. Opps! Both of us had the spray pump bottles, but I also had some of the wipes (a free sample from somewhere). I really liked those!

Once home I spent 3.5 days de-stinking my Chotas. What foul things! I hosed them out. Then filled then with water and a cap full of bleach. Let them soak. Hosed them out again. And again. And again. Let them dry thoroughly in the sun. Sprayed a can of Lysol into them. Let them dry in the sun. Emptied a can of foot odor spray into them. Let them dry in the sun. They still smell, but not so bad now.

Buy some smart wool socks. Jim recommends them. I wore polypros and wool. But after getting that sore on my leg, I’ll try the smart wool. Besides I have to spend my money on something.

Remember Chotas aren’t good for a lot of portaging. On the longer portages, Jim changed into hiking boots. That seemed to work well for him. He also used the hiking boots as his camp shoes. I have always used sandals for my camp shoes. I did this time as well, only I accidentally took my son’s instead of mine. His are smaller. Oh! My poor feet. Either the Chotas were rubbing or the sandals pinching. Jim’s system makes a lot of sense to me now.

The tent is OK. It staked out fine at every site we were in. The only issue was getting dressed in it, but I can live with that. I didn’t mention it previously, but this was my first BW trip with my Big Agnes insulated air mattress. Two thumbs way, way up. One-third the size of my thermarest rolled up with three times the comfort inflated.

The tarp is OK, but remember this one has to be set up differently. It’s good for one or two people but probably not for a group.

I have to buy a good camping lighter. My BIC didn’t flick, but Jim saved the day with his grill lighter.

I need to add moleskin and tape to my solo first aid kit.

RAIN COAT!!

Bring personal hygiene wipes. Prevent that chaffing problem.

Velcro Straps for thwart bag. The carabineers just don’t cut it. In order to portage, I have to disconnect my thwart bag (otherwise it hangs in my face) and reconnect behind the seat. Velcro should allow me to disconnect and reconnect it quickly.

I never even strung my fishing pole. Another BWCA trip without catching a fish! I never catch anything! Jim can attest to that! 

My canoe +/-  Oh, Boy! Every time I go around and around with this -- Buy a new one or not. I have an Old Town Penobscott 15. I like it on rivers, but I sure would like a lighter one for the BW, although I can still carry mine on the portages. It’s not the carry that concerns me most. It’s the abuse I give it picking it up, setting it down and getting in. I’m not lazy. I have a back that doesn’t bend like it should. Of course, if it were lighter perhaps I could do a better job. //  I’d also like one with some glide. I can stop mine on a dime. Simply stop paddling. // I just haven’t found the right one yet. Of course I could wait forever for the right one, so maybe I should settle for a “good enough”. I dunno. Maybe I’ll build one.

 


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