Boundary Waters, Message Board, Forum, BWCA, BWCAW, Quetico Park
Chat Rooms (0 Chatting)  |  Search  |   Login/Join
* For the benefit of the community, commercial posting is not allowed.
 Boundary Waters Quetico Forum
    Trip Reports
       Trip Report - 1st solo
          Reply
Date/Time: 12/13/2024 09:38PM
Trip Report - 1st solo

* Help stop spam. Please enter the lake name you see over the flying moose.

  

Previous Messages:
Author Message Text
OgimaaBines 03/10/2022 12:43AM
Good read! Thanks for sharing. I've always enjoyed my conversations with the rangers, always different circumstances when we run into them.
YetiJedi 03/06/2022 11:47PM
Nice report, BearPath. Glad you were able to get rehydrated and thankfully the rangers were understanding. Sounds like you had some luck fishing but pretty slow. Hopefully you took some pics of the smoky sunsets. Thanks for sharing your trip report!
WonderMonkey 01/22/2022 09:15PM
I enjoyed the report, thanks for taking the time to type it in.
Ioway 10/19/2021 08:23PM
Nice report, solo is a great way to go. You learn something new each time. As I have aged I now have to triple portage. That's right; three trips over and two two back every time. I walk several times a week year round so the distance isn't the problem, its the weight.
Knee deep in the lake to call your wife is a true sign of devotion. Probably scored some brownie points too.
Counting the days until I get to solo again. Hope you are too.
mjmkjun 09/07/2021 07:01PM
Bearpath9: "mjmkjun: "Thank you for packing out the broken glass. Probably saved a critter from getting cut badly.
An 8x10 tarp would have created nice shade at #1147. I hope you do another solo and the 2nd one feels much easier. You walked into the lake to make a phone call? That's dedicated!"




I generally pick over the ground wherever I stay, even at portages. Given the low water levels, I would guess that the glass had been under water. I don't know if a tarp would have worked there. Those are two very big open spaces. Need a lot of rope. Dedicated ? More like being married for 41 years !"



When the sun is beating down hard like that or it's pouring, a centerpole w/4 staked corners is a blessing. This
Hope you can make the next trip with your son. The years. They do fly by after 50ish, it seems.
HighnDry 08/24/2021 09:17PM
Good report! I especially enjoyed the part where you were in knee-deep water to get cell service. Classic!
Bearpath9 08/24/2021 11:19AM
Snorty: "I’m scheduled to begin my first solo on the 8th provided the BW out of moose towards SAK is once again open. I benefited from reading your trip report and guess I need to be prepared to deal with the obstacles that I will surely encounter. I’ve been preparing myself for those obstacles but it sounds like there’s a wide variety that you just can’t anticipate. I’ve got a few years on you and I feel like I’m in very good shape, however the rubber will meet the road that first day as I attack the portages heading over to the isle of pines area. That’s the point where I’ll know for sure how fit I am. Check back in the 3rd or 4th week of September for a possible trip report. "


Another thing I learned was be flexible, don't get your mind set in stone. That is probably why I wasted so much time trying to find that channel.


I hiked at a local park for a year, all seasons, kind of rough ground, about 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 miles a day to get the legs in shape, and a month before I went, I loaded the pack with about 25 lbs. of gear and walked around the neighborhood park for about a mile. It sure helped, but it was on level ground for the most part. Definitely not portage terrain. My fully loaded pack came in at about 48 lbs. I am going to try to reduce it to under 45, or less.


Good luck on re-opening and I will look for your report.
Bearpath9 08/24/2021 11:14AM
mjmkjun: "Thank you for packing out the broken glass. Probably saved a critter from getting cut badly.
An 8x10 tarp would have created nice shade at #1147. I hope you do another solo and the 2nd one feels much easier. You walked into the lake to make a phone call? That's dedicated!"



I generally pick over the ground wherever I stay, even at portages. Given the low water levels, I would guess that the glass had been under water. I don't know if a tarp would have worked there. Those are two very big open spaces. Need a lot of rope. Dedicated ? More like being married for 41 years !
OldTripper 08/23/2021 06:46PM
Congratulations on your first solo!
As others have said, they are addicting.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
Snorty 08/23/2021 06:10PM
I’m scheduled to begin my first solo on the 8th provided the BW out of moose towards SAK is once again open. I benefited from reading your trip report and guess I need to be prepared to deal with the obstacles that I will surely encounter. I’ve been preparing myself for those obstacles but it sounds like there’s a wide variety that you just can’t anticipate. I’ve got a few years on you and I feel like I’m in very good shape, however the rubber will meet the road that first day as I attack the portages heading over to the isle of pines area. That’s the point where I’ll know for sure how fit I am. Check back in the 3rd or 4th week of September for a possible trip report.
Prospector 08/23/2021 05:01PM
Great trip report! Thanks
gravelroad 08/23/2021 01:52PM
Thanks for sharing your experiences.
mjmkjun 08/22/2021 04:19PM
Thank you for packing out the broken glass. Probably saved a critter from getting cut badly.
An 8x10 tarp would have created nice shade at #1147. I hope you do another solo and the 2nd one feels much easier. You walked into the lake to make a phone call? That's dedicated!
boonie 08/22/2021 01:08PM
Thanks for the report. I always enjoy hearing about first solos. First solos (and second, third, . . . ) are a learning experience. They got easier for me just knowing what to expect, making a few "improvements", and simplifying. It's usually a challenge for me to stay hydrated too.
straighthairedcurly 08/22/2021 11:52AM
Congratulations on completing your first solo trip. Warning: they can be addictive. I also learned a lot when I took my first solo and made a number of changes for the next ones. At 57, I found that lightening my load was the best favor I could do for myself. It made portaging easier and safer. Hope you have many more solos in your future.
Bearpath9 08/22/2021 11:31AM
New Trip Report posted by Bearpath9

Trip Name: 1st solo

Entry Point: Lake One (EP 30)

Click Here to View Trip Report