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       Trip Report - Sawbill Lake Loop -- The Real World?
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Date/Time: 03/28/2024 06:56PM
Trip Report - Sawbill Lake Loop -- The Real World?

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Previous Messages:
Author Message Text
BigOarDeal 02/22/2019 04:12PM
Thanks all for reading and for the support. I am also very sorry for all of you that have had similar situations. It's definitely one thing I hope never happens to any of you!


Northwoodsman: "If you get back to that area spend a night or a week on Cherokee. You can head up to Long Island, Frost, etc. for day trips. If you want to check out Cherokee without covering a previously traveled route you can also get there from EP #50 Cross Bay Lake from the North."


Thanks for the idea--Cherokee does look really nice. I actually wanted to do a loop that went through Frost on this trip, but with 8 guys and some new, didn't think it would be possible.


treehorn: "I'm curious if you wish you had had a Sat phone with you, and/or plan on bringing one in the future? "


I am definitely considering it for my trip(s) this year. I'm not typically someone who worries, but I could see just worrying on my next trip because of what happened last year. I know my wife would also really appreciate it. I would only want to use it sparingly to keep disconnected, which is a huge part of the appeal of the BWs to me.


Kawishiwashy: "Regarding your pizza night. Try it again by using Boboli pizza crust, squeeze butter, squeeze bottle sauce, cheese and pepperoni. Butter the fry pan, put crust on with loaded sauce and toppings, then make foil tent to "cook." Really just trying to get cheese to melt. One of our favorite meals."


Thanks for the tip! I've also procured a JMO while wishing it was summer the past few months, so I might try cooking it in that.


mjmkjun: "The Real World........is both."


Well said. I would have to agree with you.
johndku 02/20/2019 12:06PM
Nice trip report, my condolences on your end of trip news.


I've had a similar circumstance, had the best man in my wedding pass away unexpectedly (back at home in Ohio) the day we entered, and we were out for 8 days. I not only missed the call, but the wake and funeral as well. That was a shocker. However, knowing him as I did, he would have been ticked off had I canceled the trip and returned for the funeral arrangements.


"In the end, it's not the years in your life that count, it's the life in your years"
- Abraham Lincoln
straighthairedcurly 02/16/2019 05:05PM
Wonderfully written trip report. Just sorry for the loss and pain in the family.
mjmkjun 02/16/2019 03:14AM
The Real World........is both. Enjoyed the read.
How could you possibly know or foresee unfolding of events? Understandably it's the shock of certain news that shakes us up and invokes the 'what-ifs'.
Hope you have many more trips in the BWCA.
treehorn 02/15/2019 09:57AM
Kawishiwashy: "When I worked for an outfitter I remember several events that happened in the "fake" world that people were shocked about, OJ was found innocent, Princess Di had died"


It's funny you mention this...during one of our trips that happened to be during football season we were excited to emerge and turn on the Vikings game. We were listening on the radio on our drive home and started wondering why a guy named Matt Asiata was getting carries instead of Adrian Peterson, who was in his prime. Soon we realized he was indicted for child abuse and suspended that week, which was pretty huge news at the time! Obviously we had heard nothing of it.


So now, one of our favorite pasttimes while sitting around the campfire is BS'ing about what wild and crazy news we might emerge to....life found on Mars, nuclear war declared, Tom Brady traded to the Jets...things like that.


I'm sure there were many people in on 9/11 that were flabbergasted 4 days later.
Kawishiwashy 02/15/2019 09:40AM
Big Oar Deal, sorry for your loss. That sucks. When I worked for an outfitter I remember several events that happened in the "fake" world that people were shocked about, OJ was found innocent, Princess Di had died, not to mention a handful of family member deaths or accidents or flooded basements. Does this play into my decision to off grid for a week or so...maybe a little, but if it's gonna happen, it's gonna happen.


Regarding your pizza night. Try it again by using Boboli pizza crust, squeeze butter, squeeze bottle sauce, cheese and pepperoni. Butter the fry pan, put crust on with loaded sauce and toppings, then make foil tent to "cook." Really just trying to get cheese to melt. One of our favorite meals.
treehorn 02/15/2019 09:29AM
I read the report, and was thinking your first day sounded like my worst nightmare...all those occupied sites and dusk setting in...travelling way farther and harder than you had planned. I know that certain people in my group wouldn't handle it as well as it sounds like you guys did.


Then the canoe tipped, and I thought, well, that's another one of my nightmares in the BW...very glad it all turned out ok there.


Then of course the ending is really the only part that could qualify as a real nightmare. Very sorry to hear about your brother in law, and hopefully your wife is doing ok, and wasn't too hard on you for being gone.


A few years back I took a trip when my mother was very sick with cancer. She had weeks to months to live, but of course those things are hard to predict. I visited her a week before the trip and she seemed to be doing pretty well, so I decided I could do 3 nights in the BW. I rented a Sat phone so someone could contact me if anything went awry, and everything ended up being fine, but to this day I still feel a twinge of guilt for taking that trip. She ended up passing I think 3 weeks after the trip.


I'm curious if you wish you had had a Sat phone with you, and/or plan on bringing one in the future?
TomT 02/14/2019 08:21PM
Yeah that's a tough one. To be honest I worry about something like that happening on my paddle out. Sometimes I'll see a float plane above and think they are looking for me to give me some news. Having a son in the Army doesn't make that easy.


Other than that it seems you guys had a pretty good time. That first day was something else! Thanks for posting.


Northwoodsman 02/14/2019 08:13PM
If you get back to that area spend a night or a week on Cherokee. You can head up to Long Island, Frost, etc. for day trips. If you want to check out Cherokee without covering a previously traveled route you can also get there from EP #50 Cross Bay Lake from the North.
Spartan2 02/14/2019 05:23PM
I enjoyed your trip report. It was awful what happened in your absence, of course, but there was no way to predict it. It doesn't alter the blessing of your experiences with your buddies, and I suspect your brother-in-law would agree with me, if he could. Of course it isn't my place to say so, but I hope you won't beat yourself up about it too much. We are there for our family when we can be. And sometimes we simply cannot be.


Your trip was in one of my favorite areas of the park, one of my favorite places of the world. It was fun to share it with you. Thanks.
Driftless 02/14/2019 03:28PM
Well, I don't know what to say. Awesome trip except for the ending of course. I know you wanted to be their for your wife, but there is never anyway of knowing when events like that are going to happen.
BigOarDeal 02/14/2019 03:00PM
New Trip Report posted by BigOarDeal

Trip Name: Sawbill Lake Loop -- The Real World?.

Entry Point: 38

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