BWCA Entry Point, Route, and Trip Report Blog
April 19 2024
Entry Point 43 - Bower Trout lake
Number of Permits per Day: 1
Elevation: 1650 feet
Latitude: 47.9469
Longitude: -90.4442
Bower Trout lake - 43
Hanging Out on Horseshoe Lake in the Boundary Waters
Entry Date:
August 09, 2021
Entry Point:
Lizz and Swamp Lakes
Number of Days:
6
Group Size:
4
As this was the fourth trip for me, I wanted to try something different to start. I decided to stay at the Rockwood Outfitters bunk house the night before. This worked well and I was on the water earlier than my previous trips that included at least a 45 minute ride down a gravel road to begin.
It would be the third trip for my two oldest sons, MLG age 14 and CTG age 11. You can read about our first trip and our second trip. It was the first trip for my daughter RBG age 9. She was excited for the trip to the point where it was hard to go to sleep the night before. She was looking forward to going canoeing and staying in the bunk house.
This was our first trip under a fire ban. There were times where we would have liked a camp fire but at least it prevented a repeat of last year’s trip.
The full narrative is at my personal site.
Summary
This trip was different than past trips. The weather was warmer allowing plenty of opportunity for afternoon swimming. The younger two siblings spent lots of time hanging out together in camp. The deck of waterproof cards got plenty of use.
We had a great time in spite of some limitations from the wind. I had some of the best fishing of my life. We enjoyed three fish dinners cooked over the camp stove. The bwca was in drought conditions forcing a fire ban with forest fires in some parts of the boundary waters. When we entered some entry points were closed. About a week after we exited, the entire bwca was closed. Lessons Learned Pioneer Pack Is Great
One piece of new gear I brought along on this trip was a Pioneer Pack from Cooke Custom Sewing. This pack is purpose built for portaging and it shows. I found the pioneer size was plenty big enough for my purposes. Hammock Were a Win
The light weight hammocks were worth their weight on this base camping trip. My oldest son even spent two nights sleeping in one. The weather was nice so we didn’t have to worry about rain or being too cold. Afternoon Tea Was Nice.
We had afternoon tea on most days of the trip. This was a pleasant way to spend time in the afternoon. Next time I will bring snacks to go with the tea. Mesh Leech Bags
Using a mesh leech bag is more convenient than using the leech locker while fishing. However, I think I might have been doing something wrong. By the end of the day, the leeches that were in the leech bags were dead or dying. I think I need to be more careful keeping the bags in the water. I might also need to put a rock in the back because the bags are designed to float in a live well. When tied to a canoe the bag keeps the leeches very close to the surface of the water. Always Bring a Knit Hat
Knit hats are worth their weight. They can go a long way to taking the chill off a cold morning.