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 Boundary Waters Quetico Forum
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Date/Time: 03/28/2024 07:20AM
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Previous Messages:
Author Message Text
straighthairedcurly 08/09/2022 11:31PM
Depends on how close I am to the exit, but usually leave the campsite between 9-10am.
MikeinMpls 08/09/2022 10:57AM
As we have gotten older, we are not venturing in as deeply as we used to. Our campsites tend to be a couple hours at most from the EP. We get up, have our coffee and, aside from boiling water for coffee, usually have a breakfast that does not require cooking.

Even though we live in Minneapolis, we always stay in Ely, Grand Marais, or in the area the night we come out. (Like mmrocker, it's part of the trip.) We have a shower, a couple of cocktails, and a nice dinner. (We always crave a crunchy salad with fresh vegetables.)

Mike
cowdoc 08/08/2022 10:04PM
I usually have a long paddle out cuz I lay up short to avoid the campsite congestion near entry points. I'm not in a big hurry because I stay in Ely or along the Gunflint after cleaning up. Grab supper, shop a little, see some new sites, grab a beer, kick back and smell some roses. Pack the car early the next morning and make the 9 hour drive home.
adam 08/08/2022 07:49PM
If you are traveling on bigger water to exit, then the major consideration for leaving in the morning is that the winds tend to pickup in the afternoon and this can make for a much less enjoyable adventure out.


We tend to get up and break down camp early and then leave a little time for the dew to dry off the tents and tarp before packing up.
fishonfishoff 08/08/2022 06:58PM
Due to 13-14 hour trip home after our exit, we leave at dawn or earlier. We love the paddle in the dark, then the world comes alive.
schweady 08/08/2022 05:52PM
Up at 6 and start breaking things down...stove heat only for oatmeal, juice, and coffee...wipe out the dishes and mugs with 'a lick and a promise'...load up water bottles and a snack...on the water by 8 at the latest, hopefully...shower at the outfitter...lunch in either Ely or GM...5-6 hour drive home with a DQ stop along the way.
ockycamper 08/08/2022 05:29PM
Most of our group paddles from Red Rock, through Alpine and Seagull back to the outfitter on the last day. They typically break camp and are paddling by 9 AM on Saturday, taking their time paddling back. Usually back to the oufitter around 3 PM. The rest of us take the latest return shuttle possible (noon on Saturday) spending the morning just exploring. We are to the outfitter by 1 PM. As we all spend the takeout night in the bunkhouse (and leave the following morning early), everyone takes their time getting a shower, then we all go to Trail Center Lodge for dinner, returning and loading the cars for a 3 AM wakeup call the following morning. 16 hour drive back home.
mirth 08/08/2022 05:26PM
I make a habit out of staying not too far away from the Wilderness on exit day. I just can't force myself to stay up for the 10+ hours of driving home after a physical "working" vacation, and it gives a little more time in town to help support the local economy.
If I knew I only had a few hours to the car, I would probably pack up and savor time in camp, but plan to be underway by mid to late morning depending on the weather forecast for the day, travel route, etc.


If it's an all day paddle, then I treat it like any other travel day - wake up, break camp, coffee & oatmeal, then get the wet feet started for the day.
Savage Voyageur 08/08/2022 05:07PM
Get up at 5:30 and eat a fast light breakfast. Hit the water at 6:30 and paddle to outfitters, load gear into truck, shower. Then drive into town and have a late lunch. Then its a 5-6 hour drive to the cities.
mmrocker13 08/08/2022 03:57PM
So, our typical trip is 10-12 days on Crooked (wednesday/thursday bay area), and we go out Mudro. We always stay the night in Ely, so we're not in a super hurry...but in general, we try to be up and having breakfast and breaking camp 8ish. (No alarms, tho). We leave somewhere between 9-10 or so. Get back to ely in the later afternoon.


We always stay in ely the night before and the night after...it's part of the trip for us as much as the site on crooked. :D We're fast movers, we single portage, but on the way out, there's no timeline aside from "get to the liquor store" :D
Gaidin53 08/08/2022 12:58PM
Most of my trips I stay in Ely or at the outfitter on the day we come out. Travel home the next day. Always stay the night prior as well. I don’t like to start or end a trip stressed out! Sometimes we have to meet a tow. This last trip we paddled to the car parked at a different entry point than we entered at. One way trip. In general though I plan for a slightly more relaxed morning with later tows so we have plenty of time to get to where we need to be. Remember I’m not immediately driving home that day so I can do that. Our paddle in from Agnes on Saturday with double portaging was 11 miles so that was our longest by far final day paddle out. We got a full 8 day trip out of that though!


Ryan
cyclones30 08/08/2022 12:49PM
We're not in a rush to leave, but we typically don't dilly dally either. 8 hour drive home is waiting.


So if it's a few hours to the vehicle....we're leaving early and for sure no cooked breakfast.
RT 08/08/2022 12:06PM
I try to plan my trips so I am only 3 to 5-miles away from my out point. That way my group and I can laze around a bit in the morning. We are usually paddling back to the boat ramp around 9 or 10-am on that last day.
papalambeau 08/08/2022 12:05PM
We do sunrise on the last day so we can take in as much final day aroma on the paddle out as possible. After the pack up at the truck, we shower, catch a meal around Duluth and then a 6 hour drive home.
boonie 08/08/2022 11:08AM
I also try to get out to the shore by check-in time, so 8-9 am.
Kendis 08/08/2022 10:50AM
We time our last day departure so as to arrive at our outfitter's facility late morning, no later than noon.


We usually stay at the outfitter the night before entering and park our car at their facility while we're out in the BWCA. On the exit day we know we need some time to shower, get the gear into our car, and grab some lunch in Ely.


We always spend the night of our exit day at a hotel in Duluth. Getting to the outfitter late morning lets us get to Duluth around the hotel check-in time. We have an 8 hour drive from Duluth to home the next day.
bobbernumber3 08/08/2022 10:27AM
Paddling by 7am for an 8am tow, 9am landing, 10 am shower, 11am Trail Center lunch. Home by 9pm. Your plan may vary.
YetiJedi 08/08/2022 10:14AM
We try and leave at sunrise on the last day. It's become a tradition borne out of the fact that I have an 8-hour drive back home, unpacking, and getting ready to go back to work the next day. I could leave more leisurely the day before but the sunrise paddle-out option gives me an extra night in the bwca...always a good thing in my book.
4keys 08/08/2022 09:29AM

I know most people leave as early as possible on entry / travel days.

What time do you leave camp when it’s your last day and you know you only have 3-5 hours travel time back to the car? Are you usually underway by 9? 10? 11? 12?