with 2-4 inches of rain and maybe 4 inches of snow and very strong winds. Where is are bluebird sunshine autumn or if still proper are Indian Summer.

It almost made feel better down here in drenched SW Wisconsin knowing that I wasn't missing good weather in BWCA!
Traditionally dry lovely October so far has not arrived down here, and the best of fall colors may be laying on the ground already thanks to hard rains, daily rain, monsoons...
BTW: Kickapoo River is at flood stage here for the 3rd time in less than a month!

Yepper. Mid 30's, light steady rain, and a bit of wind is about as tough as it gets. I did a week in the BW last January when it never got above 10°f and that was easier. I may still try to squeeze in a short trip, but it's definitely hot tent weather in my books.

Not a good weekend for a golf outing either!

Poobah, aka Christopher from Peru is here for his annual trip. I told him we're all thinking about moving to Peru. Hang in there Chris, we're bound to get a sunny day here yet!

Winter Advisory Weather alert>

Snowman weather
Put another log on the fire.

Today's NWS Near shore forecast for Superior Two Harbour-Duluth-Port Wing predicts wind gusts to 55 knots and waves 16-20 feet. Wish I could get up there to see that.

Jaywalker: "Today's NWS Near shore forecast for Superior Two Harbour-Duluth-Port Wing predicts wind gusts to 55 knots and waves 16-20 feet. Wish I could get up there to see that. "

That is unreal and hard to imagine. Too rough for my canoe experience.

Canal Cam is loading strangely. There must be a lot of viewers trying to take a peak. Apparently, the City of Duluth has closed Canal Park Drive due to flooding. Things don’t look as dramatic from the Wisconsin Point Cam or Two Harbors Depot Cam, but some waves are breaching the breakwaters.

inspector13: "
Canal Cam is loading strangely. There must be a lot of viewers trying to take a peak. Apparently, the City of Duluth has closed Canal Park Drive due to flooding. Things don’t look as dramatic from the Wisconsin Point Cam or Two Harbors Depot Cam, but some waves are breaching the breakwaters.


"

There usually a few wave surfers on Superior waiting for this?

Pinetree: "

inspector13: "
Canal Cam is loading strangely. There must be a lot of viewers trying to take a peak. Apparently, the City of Duluth has closed Canal Park Drive due to flooding. Things don’t look as dramatic from the Wisconsin Point Cam or Two Harbors Depot Cam, but some waves are breaching the breakwaters.

"

There usually a few wave surfers on Superior waiting for this?"

Absolutely! May be a few out further up at Stoney, but too choppy today at Park Point. Will be much better tomorrow. I'd go myself if my dog wasn't under the weather.

Jaywalker: "

Pinetree: "

inspector13: "
Canal Cam is loading strangely. There must be a lot of viewers trying to take a peak. Apparently, the City of Duluth has closed Canal Park Drive due to flooding. Things don’t look as dramatic from the Wisconsin Point Cam or Two Harbors Depot Cam, but some waves are breaching the breakwaters.
"

There usually a few wave surfers on Superior waiting for this?"

Absolutely! May be a few out further up at Stoney, but too choppy today at Park Point. Will be much better tomorrow. I'd go myself if my dog wasn't under the weather. "

Shortly after I made the post I saw a kite surfer go in front of the Wisconsin Point camera. I was shocked since I had seen waves crashing up against that two-story lighthouse. At one point he disappeared completely in a wave trough then surfed out of view.

Just got back from Canal Park, mother Superior is having a temper tantrum.
The Board Walk is EFFed again, right before the repairs from last October's storm were to start.

At least it was before. They may want to rethink the entire thing and move Lakewalk up off the beach.

We are/ were planning on going in somewhere on the Ely side until Sunday. I am planning on bringing my hot tent and stove. I can deal with the rain (would prefer snow) but the wind may be a deal breaker.

We wanted to fish, but sitting in a canoe in 35 degrees rain doesnt sound very fun.

What campground do you suggest up there if we cant make it into the bdubs. The more remote the better.

Storm pictures

Some big waves

I know folks that are in the BWCAW with a hot tent- really tough conditions with the woods being extremely wet, even a hot tent can be not a lot of fun.
Sawbill has a great drive in campground, we used a hot tent there the last weekend of September. it was snowing while we were there.

DanCooke: "I know folks that are in the BWCAW with a hot tent- really tough conditions with the woods being extremely wet, even a hot tent can be not a lot of fun.
Sawbill has a great drive in campground, we used a hot tent there the last weekend of September. it was snowing while we were there.
"

Thanks Dan. Good point on the wood. Doesnt matter if I have my hot tent if all the wood is wet.

Its hard for me to get away as I have infant at home and was really looking forward to the trip. It took some planning with my wife and some other people, but But, I watched some video from Duluth today and it was pretty crazy.

I dont know where to go. Northern WI the weather looks pretty similar.

Just keeps a blowing

We’ve been in our cabin all week. Thinking of a quick paddle on Lake One in the morning. It should be our first day without rain. We’ve got an inch or two of snow right now, nothing falling at the moment but it is supposed to start again and then let up by morning. The winds down on superior are wild but it is fairly calm up here with only 10 mph from the NW forecast for Thursday am.

Of course, we reserve the right to just enjoy our cozy cabin. Nice discovery this week is that our heater is more than adequate for these conditions. And if it gets much colder we have to shutdown anyway as our water pipes come over the ground.

Jaywalker: "

Pinetree: "There usually a few wave surfers on Superior waiting for this?"

Absolutely! May be a few out further up at Stoney, but too choppy today at Park Point. Will be much better tomorrow."

One of the web cams this morning showed a guy kite surfing out beyond the entrance to the ship canal.

Birdknowsbest: "We are/ were planning on going in somewhere on the Ely side until Sunday. I am planning on bringing my hot tent and stove. I can deal with the rain (would prefer snow) but the wind may be a deal breaker.


We wanted to fish, but sitting in a canoe in 35 degrees rain doesnt sound very fun.


What campground do you suggest up there if we cant make it into the bdubs. The more remote the better.


"

jeanette lake campground up the echo trail.

Snowman making weather in ELY

Ben you getting the plow ready in Goodland?

We decided avoid driving and had a lovely paddle on White Iron. Quiet, excellent colors, and now we’re back inside having cocoa while it snows.

andym: "We decided avoid driving and had a lovely paddle on White Iron. Quiet, excellent colors, and now we’re back inside having cocoa while it snows. "

That sounds good

A week ago today, (Friday, October 5th, 2018), my wife and I woke up to a "winter wonderland" in the BWCAW.

The week before we had driven to Atikokan to begin a seven to eight day canoe trip in Quetico Provincial Park. As we passed through Canadian customs at Pigeon River, the Canadian Customs Officer mentioned how unseasonably cold it has been and to be careful.

The day we entered Quetico, we paddled across Nym Lake to the Batchewaung Lake portage. Crossing Nym Lake we were pelted by sleet, snow, and strong winds. We encountered strong winds for several days, both day and night. After a few days the winds finally calmed down, but it was still unseasonably cold. The unseasonably cold temps weren't a big deal, because there wasn't much in the way of precipitation.

We've done fall trips before and we have the clothes and equipment to paddle and camp in adverse conditions. Nevertheless, my wife was concerned that if the strong winds returned, we might get wind bound or might be pushing our luck traveling back across the larger lakes in that area to take out at our EP.

Although my wife and I have done numerous trips in that Quetico and the BWCAW, my wife was getting uncomfortable about the wind, the capping waves, and the temperatures. If it had been warmer, she would have been more at ease about traveling across the windswept lakes on our route. Despite having less than ideal conditions, we made the best of it. We had beautiful campsites and saw no one during our five-days in Quetico.

To placate my wife, I suggested that we could pack out of Quetico early, and then go down and travel some smaller lakes in the BWCAW. She was relieved that I was willing to compromise, so we took out during the few calm days we had. She asked me, "If you were here on a solo trip, would you have pressed on?" I answered; "Yes I would have remained in Quetico and pushed on." That said, I wanted my wife to be at ease and enjoy her time in "Canoe Country". As they say; “Happy wife, Happy life”. :-)

We packed out of Quetico and headed to Grand Marais. We then went up the Gunflint Trail and put-in at Rockwood Lodge & Outfitters on Poplar Lake. We had come to know Mike & Carl, (the proprietors Rockwood), at Canoecopia 2018 and the bwca.com members dinner. A couple a nice guys that run a great operation. We purchased some Rockwood "swag" from them after our trip and enjoyed good conversation and some good laughs.

I had done a solo trip out of Poplar in 1986, so I was familiar with the area. My wife had never been out of Poplar Lake before, but she has put-in on many other EP’s along the Gunflint. Unlike our time in Quetico, we did encounter some people on a portage or two and talked with a few other fellow canoe-trippers, including "MrBadExample" and his paddling partner on one portage. Despite less than ideal conditions, my wife enjoyed the smaller, more placid lakes in the region of Entry Point #47.

The last morning of our trip, we awoke to 4” on heavy, wet snow. It was actually quite beautiful, and despite the snow and cold, we were quite comfortable. We have an old North Face VE-25 mountaineering tent, three-season bags with down liners, and NEMO Cosmo insulated pads. Additionally, we have good rain gear, a lot of fleece and pile clothing, as well as Chota boots with the "Hippies" and/or the Chota waders. We were comfortable despite the conditions in Quetico and the BWCAW.

We felt somewhat bad about having to compromise our original trip plans and we would have enjoyed more time and longer travels in Quetico. Nevertheless, it was still great to be in “Canoe Country”, plus the colors were peaked and stunning!

Hans Solo

looks awesome!!! That 3rd pic from left to right is stunningly beautiful!!!
Thanks for sharing!

Hans. Thanks for sharing your experience and photos. It was a great story and I’m happy you had a great time and are safe. The snow really looks wet in the photos. It sounds like a really memorable adventure!

Thanks for the pictures and story Hans. Canoe camping in snow is a great experience. Looks like temps may be rising slightly this week. Andy at Tuscarora said this morning was 17°. A hot tent makes conditions like this a bit more enjoyable.

One thing in this weather you won't have to worry about getting a campsite.

HansSolo,

Beautiful pictures, looks like a lot of fun. It looks like you stayed on Horseshoe at the site close to the portage to Caribou? We stayed at the one directly across from that site a few weeks ago. Great area. Supposedly moose in that vicinity but we didn't see any.

Hans, Even in less than ideal conditions, you experienced something magical - the season as it is. I'd have gladly traded my nice warm place on the couch with you any day.
Jim

JackpineJim: "Hans, Even in less than ideal conditions, you experienced something magical - the season as it is. I'd have gladly traded my nice warm place on the couch with you any day.
Jim "

Yes I agree its something you can't put into words. It is so neat it is the natural conditions and you and very very few people.

HansSolo...
Great story and great photos. Thanks for sharing. Yes....Mike and Carl are good people.

I showed this picture of in 1977 about October 10th-14th of a road just off Highway #1 by isabella We also chopped trees off Highway #1 to get thru,it was a whiteout snow storm in some area it was like 16-18 inches deep in a small area and common was 10 inches, trees were across the highway everywhere.

HansSolo: "We have an old North Face VE-25 mountaineering tent[.]"

I'll see your VE-25 and raise you a VE-24 that is still in service. Years ago the door zipper failed. I sent the tent to the good folks in CA. They sent it back with a new door zipper and an (unneeded) new screen zipper. My total outlay? The shipping cost – one way.

Five years ago I had it set up in a rain so hard that I pulled off the highway while out visiting a friend nearby. I came back to the campground and it was bone dry inside.

You can have my VE-24 when you drag my cold, dead body from it. ;-) Until then, I will be spending the night NOT listening to the wind flapping it. Bucky was sure onto something with that dome thing.

Oh, and I had 4 inches of the white stuff west of Ely on Thursday morning.

We decided to go anyway (Oct 12-14th) and actually completed our 45 mile loop. Definitely a memorable adventure. We saw one canoe, and three moose, and the canoe was on our entry point lake. Never felt more alone up there. Lots of ice, snow and water levels were very high.

Night temps were 21, and 28 with a heck of a lot of wind. A little bit much for my 40 degree bag!

I'll do a trip report.

Moose are in the rut now and very active. Glad you seen some moose. It seems like people are seeing a few more this year.

2 men from town returned from sawbill a day early yesterday. snow, wind rain, cold. it was his first trip. boy did he get a wake up on the weather. sounds like they had a good time.