I have had several trips, but not been to the BWCA for a few years. My nephew asked if I would take him so we planned a September trip through the numbered lakes to Insula. The Pagami Creek fire was under control and I was impressed with the forest service teams and what they were doing along portages. We camped on Fire Lake that night and marveled at the fire in the sky. Our second day winds were light and we moved setting up camp on the north end of Insula.

After setting camp and a little exploring we enjoyed a quiet but eerie night watching the fire reflect from its own smoke. My nephew was mostly a passenger the first day and did some paddling the second. He was in his early thirties and very fit, he was teaching advanced yoga.

Sunrise the third day was shrouded in smoke. Winds shifted raining debris from the fire on our area, nothing burning, just needles and stuff. It would clear off then smoke would move in and by noon the wind was strong from the west and temps dropping. The smoke was not a concern, but the rollers made the idea of paddling to the opening and exiting north through Kianna with my nephew wasn't appealing either.

What would you do?

Tell him he needs to paddle while you work on something in the back. Maybe he will see what it is like and figure it out. Otherwise tell him it would be nice if he could paddle with you.

I brought someone into the BW who would not paddle and it drove me nuts. You can't scream at them because they don't respond. I would try yet again to explain to this person that in these winds with a fire in the area I really really needed them to paddle just on this lake. I would make tiny goals for them hoping they could help.

I suppose much of a response depends on the relationship with your nephew, combined with the increasing gravity of the situation.

I'd start with the soft sell approach: "Gee, Timmy, we really need to move out of here. There is a forest fire in the area and our safety is a concern." Explain that the conditions (wind and rollers) require propulsion to safely navigate, and that the front paddler provides nothing but propulsion and power for the canoe. Also explain that if he does not paddle, neither of you will be safe.

You can always amp up the pressure if he doesn't cooperate. It is just crazy to me how self-unaware some people can be. Did he believe that you would paddle him around the BWCA? Had he ever paddled a canoe before (I suspect he had or, at the very least, seen other people paddling a canoe)? If so, on either account, he certainly understands that a tandem canoe needs two paddlers. These aren't the gondolas of Venice.

And as he's a yoga instructor, tell him that if he doesn't paddle, you're going to Warrior pose into a low lunge and turn him into a downward dog.

Mike

Sit and do yoga til he agreed to paddle! Or eat yogurt, one of the two!

I obviously know how this turned out, and in the pinch he pulled like a warrior. Should we have even risked it? As many know that campsite was not affected by the fire. The temp drop and wind were reassuring to me that fire would be an issue, but not a danger to us.

bhouse46: "I obviously know how this turned out, and in the pinch he pulled like a warrior. Should we have even risked it? As many know that campsite was not affected by the fire. The temp drop and wind were reassuring to me that fire would be an issue, but not a danger to us."

It is easy to say that in hindsight, but with the smoke coming closer and the wind shifting a couple times I would not want to risk it. You don't even know if the smoke would have become an issue later on. Leaving is the smart bet regardless of the water conditions. You can always hug the shoreline to get out of there.

He's a Lily Dipper. Our core group has had others join randomly through the years. Some only come on one trip, others multiple and other become part of the core. We've run into a few lily dippers through the years.

One year on a trip, there were four of us. The one canoe was two newer guys and they really struggled to keep up, like they were nearly standing still. They blamed it on their canoe. I think it was a rented Souris River if I remember correctly.

The next year we decided to split them up. I took the one that had been paddling stern and dropped him in the bow of my canoe. My usual partner took the other fella and dropped him in the bow. Neither of us (my usual canoe partner and I) have never been one to mince words...at least not when we were younger. We're not even half way across the first lake and I hear my usual partner holler to his bow paddler "Are you even f'ing paddling up there, quit being a Lily Dipper. I'm not paddling your a$$ around this entire trip"

I made it to the second lake with my bow paddler. He was paddling strong enough, but only paddled on his right side...he'd never switch. I asked initially in a polite manner and the response was "I don't know why, I can just paddle all day long on my right side." My response was "ok - well I can't paddle only my left side, so seriously dude, you gotta mix in the stranger every now and again. F'ing swith it up every now and again"

The rest of the trip went fine and the two have continued to go on many subsequent trips.

Speckled: "I made it to the second lake with my bow paddler. He was paddling strong enough, but only paddled on his right side...he'd never switch. I asked initially in a polite manner and the response was "I don't know why, I can just paddle all day long on my right side." My response was "ok - well I can't paddle only my left side, so seriously dude, you gotta mix in the stranger every now and again. F'ing swith it up every now and again" "

"Mix in the stranger..." I love it.

Mike

A 30 year old man that would not paddle. Most likely would have left his sorry butt behind.

I don't suffer fools well.

MikeinMpls: "Mix in the stranger..." I love it. "

Are we back on "what would you do" #5 again?!?

I need to insert, he is no fool and when I said something he pitched in. He was enjoying the ride with my willingness to support that. He was an LA kid thrilled with the wilderness. Once chores were to be done the farm boy showed up and did his share. My intent was to describe my situation and choice. Move and risk dumping with an inexperienced paddler, who as yoga instructor has impeccable balance. Or stay and exit under better conditions.

sns: "

MikeinMpls: "Mix in the stranger..." I love it. "

Are we back on "what would you do" #5 again?!?"

After I read this. My wife says, "What the hell are you laughing so hard at?!"

Outstanding humor...

Punch my sibling when I got home. :)

bhouse46: "My nephew was mostly a passenger the first day and did some paddling the second. He was in his early thirties and very fit, he was teaching advanced yoga. "

This just blows me away. Mostly a passenger the first day and did some paddling the second??? We would have still been in sight of the put-in spot and we would have had a serious conversation along the lines of what Speckled said. Paddle as you're supposed to - using some energy to propel the canoe and switching sides as needed - or we turn around. The guy is an in-shape 31 years old but anyone who would sit in the bow and barely paddle doesn't deserve to be there. And allowing the behavior to go on is amazing, nephew or not.

This has turned into an issue about my nephew, not what to do sitting in that campsite and looking at options.

I did not elaborate details, and perhaps I mislead that it was about him and not what we were dealing with. As we shoved off at EP 30 we revisited basics in paddling having had no opportunity to practice. He was practicing and our course was less direct. I usually solo and was comfortable paddling alone so as we went through the narrow I had him pull in his paddle.

As we got out into the first bay and headed south, his excitement was obvious. I asked if he was going to paddle and he asked if he could just ride awhile and I was fine with that. He did some paddling and paddled most of the second day, a short hop from fire to Insula. My intent was to inform readers he had very limited experience and if I was willing to let him focus on the wilderness over mastering paddling, that is on me. At portages he carried most of the load without being asked. Again, the intent was not about him, it was the situation.

How many of you would paddle out into a wind that is blowing two foot rollers that will be at your four o'clock position with an experienced paddler?

Wind has always scared me so I like to avoid it. I think I would have sit still or chose a campsite maybe just a bit further but without rolling in the high seas.

If you haven't read the incident reports and follow up on the fire, it is some of the most harrowing reading you will encounter anywhere. If you had debris falling on you, you were too close. There is something wrong with a man who will not act in his own self-preservation. Below is a link to one of the best compilations of the stories about those who struggled to survive only a few hundred yards from your campsite. While your brother/sister/parent of your nephew might not agree - I agree with "R1verrunner", paddle or swim.

Pagami Creek Fire Incident

Outcome
I was set to stay put. The wind indicated a front and the island site offered the best "safe place" other than exiting Kianna. We had resources to stay and then exit under better conditions. The risk of capsizing and gear scattered along the shore and facing what was certainly to be a cold night was clear.
A plane showed up and I hoped for some kind of loud speaker with instruction, but only a fly over. When it returned wing dipping and lights flashing I took that to leave and we did being prepacked. The plan stayed in the area until we cleared the passage into calm waters of the NE arm of Insula.
That crossing was one of the most harrowing times I have spent in a canoe. My nephews uncanny balance and strength pulling his paddle got us through a couple times. The long haul north with all campsites taken became more intense as darkness set in. We got the northern most site on Thomas.
The next morning was cold but clear. That did not last long as clouds and wind greeted us on Ima and made travel slow with continued attention to wind and wave. Sitting behind the shelter of the point where Sucker and Newfoundland meet we looked out at strong rollers from east to west and we were tired and cold. I was contemplating one of the nearby campsites when a motor boat offered a tow. We took it and greatly appreciated the arrival at LaTourell's where hot coffee helped with the shivers.
I have often questioned that lack of a loud speaker to give better instruction. And while we made it out I still believe we experienced higher risk in leaving.

Glad you guys made it safely.

I started scratching my head early in this thread and it just kept getting weirder. Why is everyone obsessing over 1 secondary fact, so quick to criticize your nephew? So strange to me. It sounds like he did pretty darn well for a first trip in conditions many of us will never face.