New Trip Report posted by dogwoodgirl

Trip Name: .

Entry Point: 14

Click Here to View Trip Report

Great report! You take some lovely photos.

I marveled at your tarp hanging all by yourself, looked like it worked well to get out of rain and sun.

Your pup looked like she enjoyed the trip as much as you, very relaxed look on her face.

It is hard to remember the trip belongs to you and your expectations, and likely change on a daily basis. Never worry about what others might think because your plan changed over the course of two weeks.

Sounds like you had a fabulous time and I’m so glad you wrote up a report with photos.

I'm only at Day 6 in the trip report, but I had to pause my reading to comment. I truly appreciate your style (tripping and writing), and am looking forward to doing more solos in the future giving myself the grace you seem to have embraced. I have only ever done one solo of four days, but your comments immediately reminded me of Shug's comments on his recent solo of hitting your stride at/around day 5/6. I look forward to reading the rest of your report, and then embarking on some longer solos myself.

Post read edit:
Fantastic read and I concur with all the comments from your other thread. Thank you for sharing!

Great trip report, thanks for posting. Amelia is adorable and certainly looks to make a great trip partner.

It may not have been the trip you planned, but it sounds like the one you needed. Glad you enjoyed it.

I enjoyed this very much. Nice pics too.

As far as you feeling older, maybe just ramp up a vigorous exercise program 3 months before the trip. I’m 62 so understand what you’re feeling. Getting in real top shape is great for the trip and also good for us in general. It’s much harder to keep muscle unless I’m lifting or doing body weight exercises.

It’s cool that you have Amelia with you. I solo with dog too and wouldn’t want it any other way when solo. Its more fun for sure.

TomT: "I enjoyed this very much. Nice pics too.


As far as you feeling older, maybe just ramp up a vigorous exercise program 3 months before the trip. I’m 62 so understand what you’re feeling. Getting in real top shape is great for the trip and also good for us in general. It’s much harder to keep muscle unless I’m lifting or doing body weight exercises.


It’s cool that you have Amelia with you. I solo with dog too and wouldn’t want it any other way when solo. Its more fun for sure. "

It's certainly something to think about. I feel like I workout pretty hard- snowshoeing and hiking with a decent weight pack, hauling 50# jugs of water to my garden....but clearly I was not as buff as I thought. I was fine on 40-60 rods portages, but the longer one killed me on the uphill sections.

Mocha: "Great report! You take some lovely photos.


I marveled at your tarp hanging all by yourself, looked like it worked well to get out of rain and sun.


Your pup looked like she enjoyed the trip as much as you, very relaxed look on her face.


It is hard to remember the trip belongs to you and your expectations, and likely change on a daily basis. Never worry about what others might think because your plan changed over the course of two weeks.


Sounds like you had a fabulous time and I’m so glad you wrote up a report with photos."

Thanks mocha! That tarp is super easy to hang well. It's an older granite gear silnylon and I love it.

This made me laugh: "Wait, I thought you had a twig stove!" And to that I say, a woman's got to have hobbies."

I was out on a lake this morning. I'm 67 and bringing the canoe up to the car required more concentration than I've ever had to use. Everything used to be pretty easy-breazy automatic. Now I have to muster energy and plan my steps.

Loved your trip report. I understand the pressures you were feeling to cover more miles. It’s good that you out them aside and did what you felt was the right thing. I don’t know if I’ve ever done a trip that went according to “plan”. Sometimes planning is overrated. Thanks for sharing your wonderful pics. I’ve stayed at that campsite on Lower Pauness and love the trees at that site. Very pretty. I too bring the camp shower along more now then I used to and it’s quite a treat on longer trips. Cheers to a successful trip!

Tony

Great trip report... that is a good area to do a trip like that. The important thing in my book is to just stay out there... you didn’t quit! Solo tripping is a little different then a tandem or larger. Sometimes it’s best to just get used to traveling alone a bit. Save the grueling travel days for the trips your with your Sherpa... I mean your son. Haha!

I very much enjoyed your trip report, thanks for making it.

The last solo I took (not nearly as long as yours) left me with a confused feeling. I seem to always have so many tasks and demands at all times. It was a bit difficult for me to adjust to having only my own concerns to think about. I like the way you adjusted to your stride and made it your trip. Congrats!

Such a wonderful read, thank you! I was on the Gunflint putting in on 7.13 as well and experienced a couple of those storms.

I've done a bunch of solos but never a 14 day one! No matter what you say, that's a huge accomplishment. And I've always believed that the perfect trip is the one you have, not the one you thought you should do.

Thanks again.

Thanks for posting your report.

I didn't realize there was so much poison ivy in that area.

You are making me want some wild blueberry pancakes. :-) Looks like a nice benefit of the time of year that you entered.

Your tent pad on Loon seemed to be on a bit of an incline?

Great report and loved the pictures . The sunset and that Blueberry pancake picture were my favorites !

Thank you, Dogwoodgirl, for posting your trip report. I enjoyed the read and appreciated the photos you shared. The fire-cooked blueberry pancakes looked delicious! I'll admit, four tablespoons of butter wouldn't have lasted me four meals!

I also appreciated your comment about being able to stay on the shore after dusk when the bugs weren't so bad. Good for you calling out the simple pleasures.

rdgbwca: "Thanks for posting your report.


I didn't realize there was so much poison ivy in that area.


You are making me want some wild blueberry pancakes. :-) Looks like a nice benefit of the time of year that you entered.


Your tent pad on Loon seemed to be on a bit of an incline?


"

I didn't realize there would be so dang much P.I. either, or I might not have chosen that entry!
The tent pad was actually fairly level, might be an optical illusion caused by that big ol' widow maker behind the tent

I really enjoyed the report. I feel for Amelia. Those flies are vicious. The can was probably from the early 60's. I was pretty young, but I remember my dad having a newspaper around 1963 from the can company he worked for and he was worried because the pull tabs and aluminum were going to be replacing the cans his company were making. It took a few years to transition over, but not too long.

I really liked your tarp hanging. It's always one of our biggest fights. Having one person doing it might be easier since we always seem to be working against each other.

Also, the sun shower has always been with us. We use it more for handwashing than anything else, but an occasional shower is nice too. Daily rain is depressing, but I'm glad the area is not having another year of drought. Last year was way too dry. The blueberries are the compensation!

What a delightful trip report! I loved your appreciation for all the little things around you and I have deep respect for the pace you chose when you realized the hard travel days weren't working for you. Impressive on the 13 days. My max has been 7-8 days. I agree with missmolly's choice for the best quote of the report. That one gave me a good chuckle.

How much fun to get to watch the otter's multiple times. I was shocked last year at how much poison ivy was on Basswood Lake. I had almost never seen poison ivy in the BWCA, but it was extensive at a lot of campsites. I usually trip in the eastern areas (Sawbill and Gunflint trails so had never seen any. I hate the stuff though I certainly don't react as much as you.

Those blueberry pancakes had me drooling!

Awesome! Oh man that sounds like a good time, wish I could just smell the pines for starters and soak up the all of the BW goodness. Miss all that. Very cool you did a 2 week solo. Nicely played!

What a real good trip briefing. Enjoyed it even the more as I was on a 7 day solo a couple weeks ago so could really relate to your thoughts. Also we are about the same age. I'm 64.
Like you, I always imagine a trip one way in my mind but that often changes so much. But being solo it works out. The point is "just being."
I commend your pancake cooking. So many end up burning their pancakes. You have a gentle hand and pancake patience~~~
Enjoyed seeing you dog enjoying with you too.
Shug

Awesome report and loved the pictures

Thoroughly enjoyed the report. Lovely trip

Hey, DWG, I really enjoyed your trip report, both the text and the photos. Hope the staff at Menard's understood your need for wood chips!

TZ

You're a great writer and photographer. Thanks for this!

I love your trip report! You rock!

This is one of the best trip reports I have read because it wasn't about getting from here to there or how many fish you caught but about the true pleasures of being in the BWCA. Also nice to read about a solo trip by someone older. May you enjoy many more and continue writing (and photographing) trips like this one.

Nicely done! You have a great trip to reflect back on now...enjoy!

Awesome trip report. Love that area of the park. I think I have always run into a group of young people entering or exiting that area. Always seemed like local kids.