BWCA First trip to bwca, and it's a 6 day solo Boundary Waters Group Forum: Solo Tripping
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      First trip to bwca, and it's a 6 day solo     

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marcfrdly
member (9)member
  
03/02/2018 07:20AM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
Good day! Been wanting to get up north to the bw for most of my life, and am finally getting the opportunity this year, last week of May to first week of June. Booked a solo package through vnorth outtfitters in Ely, and am doing a #16 moose river up to the border and back 6 day trip. I have quite a bit of time outdoors under my belt, and a good bit of paddle time as well, and I am looking for that suggestion or nugget of advice that you figured out on your 4th or 5th trips, that you would have liked to have figured out on your first trip. Equipment suggestions, techniques, fishing advice, any and all bw knowledge is greatly appreciated. In return, I plan on importing Alabama grits into the Bwca as a token of good will.
 
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03/02/2018 08:57AM  
You will see some people on that route but not such a bad thing on your first solo. Some good day trip options for solitude. Most experienced soloist tend to whittle gear down with time. Are you bringing any of your own gear?
 
marcfrdly
member (9)member
  
03/02/2018 02:41PM  
I had planned to bring a few items that I have used over the years, and plan on ditching a few of the items the outfitter offers and replace them with my own. One item I am considering bringing is a homemade tarp I made with mosquito netting. I know the mosquito levels can vary depending on a number of factors, but what is your experience for that time of year? The tarp is maybe 2 to 3 lbs and doesn't pack down as small as I would like, so it is on the top of the cut list.
 
03/02/2018 03:29PM  
Depends on the year. I would think the black flies may be worse in your time frame with skeets coming later. I would bring the net more to escape the black flies more than the skeets though. Some years there is a brief window as the black flies thin and the mosquitoes have not yet ramped up.
 
03/02/2018 03:40PM  
......also, we'll find out together. I'll be just west of you on LIS the first week of June. I'm bringing my bug net. 5 of us in 2 tandems. Should be in the Gebe/Oyster area about June 6th. Flying Moose sticker mid-ship. Say hi.
 
WHendrix
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03/02/2018 04:28PM  
I went in on your route two years ago the first week in June and we had almost no bugs. Also went in the first week in June 3 years ago and also nearly no bugs. By contrast, last year the second week in June on Pipestone Bay we were overwhelmed with bugs, mostly mosquitoes. There are some really nice campsites on Lac La Crois in the Boulder Bay area.
 
03/02/2018 04:58PM  
I think cowdoc nailed it. Even if it's a bit heavy, bring the bug net. IMO, better to have it and not use it than not have it and wish you had.

Also, I find I do not eat as much on solos; not sure why, and many others on this site echo that. Be mindful of how much food you bring.

Be safe, and hope to hear from you once you get out!
 
marcfrdly
member (9)member
  
03/02/2018 05:14PM  
Thanks for sharing, I just wanted to mention that I have lurked on this site for quite awhile and have always been impressed with the helpful nature of postings from this community, thanks for your help! Food is the one thing that I have left almost completely to the awesome folks at vnorth, so I expect it to be well thought out and packed. This is the first time I have ever had anything "outfitted" for me which I was pretty apprehensive about initially, but I have to say so far my experience with vnorth has been great.

I will definitely look for the flying moose, hope to run into you guys! I will be the guy paddling in circles trying to figure out how to catch a fish.
 
03/02/2018 05:57PM  
No offense to any outfitters, but they usually give you plenty....or extra food. Understandably, they would rather you complained a little about lugging extra food around than have you run out of food and go hungry. It's a fine line for them to walk and they lean towards extra. I pack all my own food for my crew and it's not an easy job and I even know their appetite habits. Sometimes you need to do a couple trips before you realize what tastes good, what's quick and easy, what fills you up and what looked good on paper but not in your belly. It's a refined art.
 
03/02/2018 07:22PM  
Hi, Marc-

There's probably all kinds of advises we could give you, but a lot might be stuff you already know, depending on how much your experience is like tripping in the BW and how much solo paddling and camping you've done. You may also have picked up on a lot of it by reading through threads during your lurking period.

The first thing I learned was that I didn't know enough about the kind of paddling the BW required.

The second thing I learned was that food weight adds up in a hurry and what I didn't eat was a lot of extra weight to portage in, around, and out of the BW.

Another thing I learned was that I could drop pack weight by simply leaving things behind.

Start early (avoid wind), find a camp site early (before they fill).

Most of my trips have been solo and so what I do is geared towards that. I have to carry and do everything on a solo, so I tend towards simplicity. I try to keep my chores simple and my loads light. I do my own food and even then it took me a couple of trips to pare it down to just what I need. The food I take doesn't take a lot of preparation or cleanup. Gravity water filtration.

I'm not strong enough/young enough to single portage, so I double portage. I don't know what your plan is, but it's a good thing to think about, even if you're not doing a lot of traveling. Are you planning to come back out the same way you go in or make the little loop? Being organized - having your gear packed up without a lot of loose stuff to deal with at each portage makes it a lot easier and quicker.

A specific item you'll need to bring: painters for the bow and stern of the canoe. Tie it up; don't let it get away from you. If you do, make sure your life jacket isn't in it so you can put it on to swim it down :).

Many of us also take a spare paddle, which is attached to the thwarts.

Have a good trip. My first one was in EP #16, Moose River North to LLC, don't miss Top'O'The World on the river, see the pictos and Warrior Hill, over to Pocket, down through Gebe to Oyster and back out. Nice trip.
 
GraniteCliffs
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03/02/2018 09:01PM  
Go slow and breathe it all in. Hug the shores to look at the woods and the bottom of the lake.
My various group trips are much more of a "lets go" and go as far and fast as we can. My solo goals are going fairly far but I prefer to be up early and paddle/portage at a leisurely pace all day long. If I stop too early I get a little bored with my own company.
Bring a book! It is a lifesaver on a rainy day under the tarp and a companion for my evening bump and cigar.
I am always prepared to be a little lonely as I am a definite extrovert. But I recognize it for what it is and let it go. I just pity the poor folks I run into on a portage if I have gone several days without seeing anyone or talking to anyone.
 
GraniteCliffs
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03/02/2018 09:10PM  
One other thing: If you haven't been able to camp solo yet you might consider doing so in a place where you would be truly alone. Some folks are surprised by the fact that they don't like the solo environment at all. I know two guys that had been on several group trips and then tried a solo only to leave after one night due to loneliness and the heeby jeebys.
 
03/03/2018 08:34AM  
I love paddling solo.....hate camp time alone. I'll get up early and paddle all day, set up camp late to just get chores done and supper ate and get ready for bed. If I do set camp early, I'll either hike or go for a paddle. I sit still poorly and it's worse if I'm alone.
 
NoisyWetHermit
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03/03/2018 08:36AM  
It's colder up north in May than it should be and you can't trust those sleeping bag temperature ratings.
 
03/03/2018 09:51AM  
cowdoc: "I love paddling solo.....hate camp time alone. I'll get up early and paddle all day, set up camp late to just get chores done and supper ate and get ready for bed. If I do set camp early, I'll either hike or go for a paddle. I sit still poorly and it's worse if I'm alone."


The older I get the more I don't like the isolation of the campsite. A hybrid trip of pure solo time for a period then meeting up with other solos to hang and camp with seems ideal to me. I can only converse with my dog for so long. She's a great listener but doesn't add much to the conversation. :)

 
GraniteCliffs
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03/03/2018 10:27AM  
cowdoc: "I love paddling solo.....hate camp time alone. I'll get up early and paddle all day, set up camp late to just get chores done and supper ate and get ready for bed. If I do set camp early, I'll either hike or go for a paddle. I sit still poorly and it's worse if I'm alone."

That is not far from where I am at. If I am hooked on a book, however, I am content to sit by the shore and read for several hours each night.
When I am alone at night I sometimes find myself thinking of the oft repeated phrase "happiness is best shared." Then I set out paddling and I am good to go and revel in the alone time.
 
marcfrdly
member (9)member
  
03/03/2018 02:51PM  
Boonie-
Could you elaborate on this one:
"The first thing I learned was that I didn't know enough about the kind of paddling the BW required."

I paddle fairly big lakes pretty often, (mainly Jocaasse and Keowee nearby, I live in SC) and have a decent amount of river and whitewater experience. Do you see this as similar to bw paddling?

I have done a fair amount of solo camping, and I don't anticipate getting to bad of a case of the homesick blues, but will bring a couple of books I have been meaning to read.
I have a few "goals" for my route, mainly pictographs and such but I plan to take my time, fish and enjoy the beauty first and foremost.
I have a uncle who hitchhiked from Birmingham Alabama, bought a canoe and some gear in Ely, and ended up spending a couple of weeks paddling around when he was a kid in the fifties. Those stories have made the bw a place I have wanted to see ever since, so I want to enjoy being there and although I have a planned route that starts and ends at moose river, I hope to get detoured by the fish biting at least a few times.
 
03/03/2018 06:26PM  
marcfrdly: "
I have a uncle who hitchhiked from Birmingham Alabama, bought a canoe and some gear in Ely, and ended up spending a couple of weeks paddling around when he was a kid in the fifties. "


I know this story from somewhere. Is this in a book? Does this person now live in Illinois? I vaguely remember someone I may have met telling me about this.

Wait, it's coming back to me now. I know someone who at age 14 took a train and then a bus from somewhere in the south all by himself to go to a summer camp in the BW where he then did a month long group canoe trip. This was around 1960.

Yeah, I don't think people do these kinds of things anymore.

 
marcfrdly
member (9)member
  
03/03/2018 07:45PM  
Ha! They had some stories that should be in a book! My father and his brothers used to hitchhike everywhere. Tons of stories of them hitching to Florida with 2 dollars to their name and sleeping on the beach, cleaning up in diners and living off of nickel hot dogs. Two of them tried one time to hitch to Alaska and turned around somewhere in Yukon territory because it was too cold. These days, I don't think anyone would pick you up, and the ones that would I would be scared you would end up buried under thier house.
 
HayRiverDrifter
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03/03/2018 09:23PM  
I would recommend one of these: https://www.ebay.com/itm/GADE-Portable-Lightweight-Folding-Camping-Chair-Backpacking-Hiking-Picnic/273090646023?epid=720357852&hash=item3f95789007:g:ynEAAOSw~YxamBYL

There is generally log seating around the fire pit, but a chair is very nice.
 
03/03/2018 10:25PM  
marc-

I hadn't paddled any lakes before I went on my first trip, having only floated down some rivers - whole different ball game. Your big lake paddling will serve you better than my river floating. Does that paddling consist of paddling as many miles as you will on the trip?

What you may not have experience with is the portaging . . . ?

You'll start with a half-mile portage from the parking lot. I double portage, which means I carry two loads across the portage, walking it three times or 1 1/2 miles total. First load is a small pack and the canoe. Second load is bigger pack, pfd, paddle. What's your routine or your plan?

Giving a little thought to these things now will give you more time "to take my time, fish and enjoy the beauty first and foremost".

It sounded like you had done some solo camping and that shouldn't be a problem.

One other thing I discovered a few years ago is the advantage of a water filter bottle (such as my Sawyer) for drinking on the go. It saves me from carrying pounds of water or stopping to filter some.

I don't know how fast you'll travel, but you'll have plenty of time to fish, relax, etc. I'd figure 8-10 hours for me to get up around the pictos, so a couple of half days of travel.

Enjoy yourself! You'll do fine.
 
pswith5
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03/04/2018 12:53PM  
Traveling early in the day is good advice. Find your campsite early enough to ensure you get one before dark. Plan on getting your feet wet! Getting in and out of your canoe can be challenging in most lakes in the bwca. Portages as well. I don't know how young you are but I have really learned to enjoy having some sort of chair. Has anyone mentioned water filtration? The water can still be pretty cold in May but precautions might be prudent. Have fun. Pete
 
TheBrownLeader
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03/07/2018 02:13PM  
When I go solo, I bring food that doesn't require me to be doing a lot of dishes. PB&j, cheese, sausage, eat in bag meals. I discovered how much work it can be without others around camp to share the workload, so cutting out serious dishwashing helps me a lot.

Also, I found it harder to fish solo than I anticipated on my first trip. Over time I have gotten better.

TBL
 
03/07/2018 07:11PM  
TheBrownLeader: "When I go solo, I bring food that doesn't require me to be doing a lot of dishes. PB&j, cheese, sausage, eat in bag meals. I discovered how much work it can be without others around camp to share the workload, so cutting out serious dishwashing helps me a lot.

Also, I found it harder to fish solo than I anticipated on my first trip. Over time I have gotten better.
TBL"


I started leaving my fry pan home on solos about 7 years ago to simplify things. To cook fish I season and lightly oil the filets and put in a foil "tent". I go in Quetico where there are no fire grates so I bring a small collapsible grill that backpackers use. It saves a lot of mess.
 
muddyfeet
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03/07/2018 08:32PM  
This:
boonie: "
A specific item you'll need to bring: painters for the bow and stern of the canoe. Tie it up; don't let it get away from you. If you do, make sure your life jacket isn't in it so you can put it on to swim it down."


Also: bring a couple bungees or dealy bobs or nite-ize gear ties to lash things to the canoe. Loose items like fishing rod, paddle, painter lines, etc. this will help keep your kit organized for portaging.
 
primitiveguy
senior member (55)senior membersenior member
  
03/08/2018 11:07AM  
I’ll be doing the same route starting May 10 and also going solo. I like to be in the. BWCA on opening day. I find it more difficult to fish from a solo canoe so I try to find campsites with fishable water nearby and use live bait. Last year on opening day I caught a 29” Walleye while reading in my camp chair on Adams. This year I’m hoping for a trout on Oyster. I’ll try to log a trip report quick enough for you to read before you head out.
Jon
 
03/08/2018 03:15PM  
Have a plan B, as mother nature's agenda may be different than yours. Keep in mind - it doesn't have to be fun to be fun.

You'll probably forget something you wish you hadn't and carry something you don't use.

I agree with previous comments regarding food - it is easy to bring too much. Despite what we may believe, you CAN go without food for a minute. This past September, I found that on the last day, after oatmeal in the morning, I really didn't want much more than a granola bar. It made the victory meal at the Ely Steakhouse all the better (Steak, Walleye, Fries, Cheese curds, cheesecake, and a coke).

Simple things work well: +1 on gravity water filtration. I also prefer a trangia stove for solo trips.




 
Duckman
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03/08/2018 11:10PM  
>


The older I get the more I don't like the isolation of the campsite. A hybrid trip of pure solo time for a period then meeting up with other solos to hang and camp with seems ideal to me. I can only converse with my dog for so long. She's a great listener but doesn't add much to the conversation. :)


"


Get a blue heeler. It'll add to the conversation and then some.
 
Duckman
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03/08/2018 11:10PM  
>


The older I get the more I don't like the isolation of the campsite. A hybrid trip of pure solo time for a period then meeting up with other solos to hang and camp with seems ideal to me. I can only converse with my dog for so long. She's a great listener but doesn't add much to the conversation. :)


"


Been awhile since I pulled off the double post.
 
marcfrdly
member (9)member
  
06/12/2018 08:26AM  
Been back from the BW for a couple of weeks and just wanted to thank all of the members who posted on this, and the knowledge I gained from reading countless other threads on this board . I even ran across a member while I was out! Everything you guys talked about was pretty much spot on, and helped a lot with prep. Truest statement was about the outfitter providing food. It was good but I felt like I could have fed half of Ely buffet style on a Sunday after the preacher went long. Outfitter, Voyageur North, was awesome though and when I come back can't imagine using anybody else. Also first experience with a Kevlar canoe, felt like going from a mini van to a Ferrari compared to my Mad River and my Old Towns. Biggest surprise, no bugs. Didn't use bug spray once. Which is good cause I always feel like I am going to grow a extra ear every time I use deet. Fishing was good, no Lakers but gave it a solid effort in a lot of wind and rain. But everything was in a lot of wind and rain. Thanks again, and I look forward to going back!
 
06/12/2018 11:02AM  
That's awesome! I like it when people come back to the forum after their trip to let us know how it went.
 
06/12/2018 11:23AM  
ducks: "That's awesome! I like it when people come back to the forum after their trip to let us know how it went."


+1 It's always good to know the advice was useful and the trip went well :) Glad you had a good trip!
 
GraniteCliffs
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06/13/2018 02:36PM  
Glad you had a good time!
 
06/14/2018 06:23AM  
Agree with comment thanks for doing a follow up post and great you had good trip. Perhaps next time you can trade the wind and rain for bugs and Lakers.
 
mjmkjun
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07/07/2018 12:09PM  
Glad you enjoyed the BWCA solo. As well, the grits. Love me some good old-fashioned, stone ground yellow grits with pat of butter + S & P. Yum!
 
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