Good evening,
I am looking at planning a trip into the BWCA in July. The only other time I've been there is with the Boy Scouts at Okpik in wintertime. Over the past two years, I've kayaked MN river trails, doing 30-plus miles a day. We have our own equipment.

I'm struggling with planning a route and figuring out how it works. If nothing is marked, how would I know my location? If someone who is experienced would like to chat, I'd be interested.

Thanks!

You use a map and a compass. Many use a GPS device but those can be spendy. I am not compass knowledgeable, but can sort of find the right direction. My trip partner has a GPS which makes life easier.

Get the maps and just stay found. Not hard. Some people plan a route with every night predetermined. I make up each day's route each day. Both work.

I never forget thinking after my first trip that it was much simpler and easier than I thought it would be.

You know where you are by staying found using map and compass.

Go here to familiarize yourself with the regulations and to check permit availability. You will need an overnight paddle permit. They are specific to a date and place of entry, and are limited. For many dates and entries there may be none available, so don’t spend a lot of time planning a route until you check permit availability. After that, plan a route and reserve a permit.

If you need more help, just ask.

Where are you from?? I enjoy talking about bwca over a beer. I am in twin cities. Pete

Paddling a maze of lakes is very different from river paddling. It could be quite confusing at times. GPS with preloaded maps (including campsites and portages shown) is convenient. But if you don't bring maps and compass along or are not fluent in using them then any mishap with GPS, like dropping it in the water, is a potential for disaster. You might want to start with National Geo maps - they could be less detailed (on smaller scale) than alternatives, but at the very least they are excellent for planning: one can see the whole BW area at a glance.

Hey Zootown... welcome to the board. Lots of great paddling folks here who are willing to share thoughts and information on canoe tripping. Ask questions, read responses, and just basically interact with people in the threads. You'll be surprised at how willing people are to help new people going on their first trip.

Question: You said you're going in July. Considering that July begins this week, do you have a permit yet? If so, which entry point?

Jackfish: "Hey Zootown... welcome to the board. Lots of great paddling folks here who are willing to share thoughts and information on canoe tripping. Ask questions, read responses, and just basically interact with people in the threads. You'll be surprised at how willing people are to help new people going on their first trip.


Question: You said you're going in July. Considering that July begins this week, do you have a permit yet? If so, which entry point? "

yes have a permit registration. north fowl lake

pswith5: "Where are you from?? I enjoy talking about bwca over a beer. I am in twin cities. Pete"

hour west of the cities. I'd be down for a beer or two as long as I don't have to drive deep into the cities.

zootownboarding:


yes have a permit registration. north fowl lake"

Go to maps and entry points tab at top, select entry points, select your entry point, read information including trip reports and discussions.

To plan a route - how many days and how far each day. The simplest route when new is an out and back, but you have decent options for a loop. Doing a point-to-point would be your most complicated.

I assume you are using a kayak vs. a canoe: what’s your experience with portaging and what’s your plan for portaging?

What method do you use to protect your food from bears?

For the navigation locate your entry point on the map at the beginning, orient it to your direction of travel, follow the landmarks - campsites, islands, points, portages to stay found. Reorient your map as direction of travel changes. If you aren’t sure where you are, stop and figure it out before continuing.

If you get a chance to meet Pete for a beer he would be very helpful. It might be useful to have your maps with you.

Looks like an interesting area which I haven’t been in yet. You’ve definitely got loop options. Makes sense that with you having to go into North Fowl Lake that you’d follow the border for a bit and loop South to get back out.

What everyone else has said about navigation makes sense. Get good maps. Study them before the trip and know the route with everyone knowing the plan for the day. Have a back up plan if the initial plan is too much for you to do. Navigating really isn’t that hard just work to always know where you are at as you are moving on the maps and the water. Go through before the trip and label the good campsites.

I’m going to recommend taking a canoe on this trip as opposed to a kayak. Cliff Jacobson talks about it in his books but that is up to you. I know people do it on paddle boards as well and that is pretty impressive so other forms of transportation work.

Ryan

For navigation a map is all you need. I would recommend a compass…
The trick is to get oriented and calibrated with the map vs what you “see”… calibrated mentality for the scale. Go point to point. The points, bays and islands are your reference points. Using topography along the shore can help… it really helps with finding portages.

Thant being said, I use a compass to check and stay on course so to speak. And it generally takes me a bit to get calibrated with the scale… is “that” the next point on the map or “that”…

Generally, if you can figure out N, S, E and W (actually, if you figure out one of those the rest should become apparent… if not, get a GPS and some batteries LOL).

Also, what has worked for me almost universally for about 40 years is that generally the direction you need to go in is into the wind…. (Most of my experience is in the Quetico, but I’m seeing similar trends in the BW)

freeandcold: "For navigation a map is all you need. I would recommend a compass…
The trick is to get oriented and calibrated with the map vs what you “see”… calibrated mentality for the scale. Go point to point. The points, bays and islands are your reference points. Using topography along the shore can help… it really helps with finding portages.


Thant being said, I use a compass to check and stay on course so to speak. And it generally takes me a bit to get calibrated with the scale… is “that” the next point on the map or “that”…


Generally, if you can figure out N, S, E and W (actually, if you figure out one of those the rest should become apparent… if not, get a GPS and some batteries LOL).


Also, what has worked for me almost universally for about 40 years is that generally the direction you need to go in is into the wind…. (Most of my experience is in the Quetico, but I’m seeing similar trends in the BW)"

I've been fine navigating in the mountains of new mexico with a map and compass. also bringing my small gps (lowrance H2O) with as a backup. I've been overthinking this, just trying to cover bases.

portaged through low water for a few hundred yards. all of my gear fits into 4 20L wetbags and a backpack. we run hammocks. so 2 two bags and sling over each shoulder and wear the backpack. carry the kayak. or do two trips. as far as food. going to run peak backpack meals since they are good. rope them up in a tree or ideally between two trees far apart.

You'll be fine. You have enough experience. Having said that, it's easy to get turned around on a big lake--especially one with many islands. Although you are not 'lost' it might take some time to orient yourselves (group). Not advisable to venture into Canadian waters without proper papers so be careful with straying into their territory if fishing. Have some fun!

A few things that may be helpful but should not be taken as etched in stone : look for portages at the end of the lake, look for small sometimes rocky openings , you may need to be fairly close to a portage to recognize it. Many camp sites are situated on rock points, look for open areas and a fire grate, the actual site could be back from the water. Many smaller islands won't be shown on the maps only the large ones, counting islands is not a sure way to navigate. If in doubt pick a side and keep a shore line in sight. Your compass can be affected by metal so make sure it's free and clear. Orient your map , maps such as the Fisher maps are printed with North at the top of the map, if your heading south turn the map around so your reading it south (making west on the right). if you do get "LOST" don't panic, this is a temporary situation that you will soon figure out and get back on track.

Check out the forum, everything that concerns you has been addressed many times and it has tons of helpful info. I would also suggest watching some You tube videos on using a compass and especially anything by Cliff Jacobson.

zoomtown, not sure if you are kayaking or renting a canoe but either way I think you should know that with a North Fowl entry you are looking at significant east to west travel on some pretty big lakes. North Fowl is good sized, Moose Lake is bigger, Mountain Lake is huge. If the prevailing winds are blowing from west to east you may have a challenge that you don't want to face. Honestly, these lakes are best travelled west to east. Even then it can be interesting.

I would encourage you to consider a different entry point with small to medium sized lakes, if available. It's all beautiful up there, some areas are just more user friendly and safe than others. Not sure what might be available on your proposed entry date but if there are a few choices, ask for advice, I am sure you will get some good ideas.

Smaller lakes are also easier to navigate on which seems to be a concern. As said, large or small, stay found and you won't be lost.

zootownboarding: "portaged through low water for a few hundred yards. all of my gear fits into 4 20L wetbags and a backpack. we run hammocks. so 2 two bags and sling over each shoulder and wear the backpack. carry the kayak. or do two trips. as far as food. going to run peak backpack meals since they are good. rope them up in a tree or ideally between two trees far apart.


"

The first trips I did I had trouble with the measurement of rods - 320 rods = 1 mile, so 80 rods is a quarter mile, etc. A lot of the portages are from lake to lake and not along a river. Some can have significant elevation change, but you can get some sense of it from the contour lines on the map. I think you will find the navigation not difficult.

North Fowl is basically a river trip, right? You'd be following the Pigeon River east. Just do a loop down through Clearwater and back via the pike lakes. Easy.

Aldy1: "North Fowl is basically a river trip, right? You'd be following the Pigeon River east. Just do a loop down through Clearwater and back via the pike lakes. Easy. "

isn't north fowl also through little John, John, royal river, north fowl lake, moose lake, mountain lake, Clearwater lake, pine and back to MacFarlane?

Be prepared for wind! Travel early in day. Don’t take unnecessary risks. Allow extra day or two due to bad weather.