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Boundary Waters Quetico Forum Listening Point - General Discussion Serious question - what do you all do to occupy your time in the backcountry? |
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08/27/2022 01:25PM
hi all
Just curious as to what people do to occupy their time while in the back country.
I can see if you are only staying one night at each site and moving each day. Most of your time is spent on the water, enjoying the sights and sounds, stopping to prep meals, portaging, and setting up camp etc. For those who like to stay awhile at each site, what do you do during each day to keep busy?
I am a restless type of person who finds it hard to sit still when on vacation. When I am in the bush for two or three nights (especially during the long summer days), I often find myself with nothing to do.
I do enjoy fishing, and I am trying to slow down and spend more time enjoying the process of learning to cook on an open fire for example, but I think I need some new ideas to pass the time.
Before anyone mentions it, I am not a reader. Never could learn to enjoy just sitting and enjoying a book. lol
Thanks.
Rick
Just curious as to what people do to occupy their time while in the back country.
I can see if you are only staying one night at each site and moving each day. Most of your time is spent on the water, enjoying the sights and sounds, stopping to prep meals, portaging, and setting up camp etc. For those who like to stay awhile at each site, what do you do during each day to keep busy?
I am a restless type of person who finds it hard to sit still when on vacation. When I am in the bush for two or three nights (especially during the long summer days), I often find myself with nothing to do.
I do enjoy fishing, and I am trying to slow down and spend more time enjoying the process of learning to cook on an open fire for example, but I think I need some new ideas to pass the time.
Before anyone mentions it, I am not a reader. Never could learn to enjoy just sitting and enjoying a book. lol
Thanks.
Rick
08/27/2022 01:46PM
Fishing, finding places to hike a bit, foraging, photography, examining oddities in rocks and plant life. Those are the obvious answers when the weather is right. Crossword puzzles, pouring over maps, and adding to the trip diary can be my obsessions when it gets nasty enough to be forced under the tarp.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." -- Yogi Berra
08/27/2022 02:10PM
Bring a book of knots and work some into memory.
Get in the canoe and explore your lake
Experiment with different ways to rig your tarp
Drink your favorite beverage and just soak it all in.
Build a serious woodpile and don’t forget the kindling, always feels good to pay some forward
Set up a hammock and take a nap
But, if the fish are biting please disregard all of the above!
Get in the canoe and explore your lake
Experiment with different ways to rig your tarp
Drink your favorite beverage and just soak it all in.
Build a serious woodpile and don’t forget the kindling, always feels good to pay some forward
Set up a hammock and take a nap
But, if the fish are biting please disregard all of the above!
08/27/2022 02:12PM
I read and fish a lot but other activities include: Whittling, recording sounds (I carry in some simple equipment), sketching - I'm horrible but it is fun to try, writing letters to my daughters, macro-photography, slow-motion videos (butterflies and rocks splashing are my specialties), cooking something that takes time, effort, and creativity...And, I don't mind just sitting and observing...my daughters call it being bored.
Sometimes for fun, I put on my sasquatch suit and greet people on portages but they are not as enthusiastic about that activity!
Sometimes for fun, I put on my sasquatch suit and greet people on portages but they are not as enthusiastic about that activity!
08/27/2022 02:22PM
schweady: "Fishing, finding places to hike a bit, foraging, photography, examining oddities in rocks and plant life. Those are the obvious answers when the weather is right. Crossword puzzles, pouring over maps, and adding to the trip diary can be my obsessions when it gets nasty enough to be forced under the tarp.
"
Ah yes, foraging is a good activity...proper identification is key!
08/27/2022 02:51PM
When I travel solo, I usually start early in the morning and stop by noon or 1pm. I will spend the time in camp swimming, doing photography, observing nature, reading, or taking a nap. I also bring a deck of cards and play solitaire, as well as rite in my journal.
I move campsites almost everyday. But if I am staying at the same site, I usually plan a day trip to explore a nearby area/lake, wander up/down a stream I wouldn't normally paddle, visit any sites like waterfalls or other, or hike one of the trails in the BWCA. I like to move around.
I move campsites almost everyday. But if I am staying at the same site, I usually plan a day trip to explore a nearby area/lake, wander up/down a stream I wouldn't normally paddle, visit any sites like waterfalls or other, or hike one of the trails in the BWCA. I like to move around.
08/27/2022 03:06PM
Nature tries to teach me to settle myself. If I couldn’t be on the water everyday, then I spent some windbound days this summer knitting. Point being, a person can bring (lightweight) things from home to keep busy (besides a book or a deck of cards). Carving, sketching, photography are some examples. During breeding / nesting season, learning and identifying bird calls are a great way to pass time in camp.
08/27/2022 03:38PM
Don't just do something, sit there! Seriously. I do that, but I also do a lot of the things others have mentioned - paddle around the lake, explore around camp, observe wildlife, listen, take pictures, look for fungi, look at maps, journal, read, fiddle with tarp setup . . . but I also try to just sit quietly and observe. Play Rorschach with the clouds. Observe the stars. Getting old substantially increases your ability to do nothing, but you can start practicing now. Being free of the constant "noise" and interruption of daily life in the ordinary world is an opportunity and blessing.
When my half-brother's wife asked me what I do out there alone with no phone, no Tv, not even radio . . . I told her I was more easily amused than most people. She didn't find it humorous, which my half-brother and father found hilarious.
When my half-brother's wife asked me what I do out there alone with no phone, no Tv, not even radio . . . I told her I was more easily amused than most people. She didn't find it humorous, which my half-brother and father found hilarious.
08/27/2022 03:56PM
It sounds like you need a travel trip and not a basecamp trip.
Just travel every day or close to it...then research your trip area and come up with adventures. I usually have an itinerary of "to do" stuff...checking fishing spots, day trip, waterfalls, cliffs, swimming spots, historical areas, looking for old cabins/resorts, pictographs etc...and I NEVER get to it all.
I do like to read so a rainy day I'll read in a tent. Otherwise there always seems to be something to go do...or not do if that trips your trigger too.
T
Just travel every day or close to it...then research your trip area and come up with adventures. I usually have an itinerary of "to do" stuff...checking fishing spots, day trip, waterfalls, cliffs, swimming spots, historical areas, looking for old cabins/resorts, pictographs etc...and I NEVER get to it all.
I do like to read so a rainy day I'll read in a tent. Otherwise there always seems to be something to go do...or not do if that trips your trigger too.
T
08/27/2022 04:09PM
fadersup: "Bring a book of knots and work some into memory.
Get in the canoe and explore your lake
Experiment with different ways to rig your tarp
Drink your favorite beverage and just soak it all in.
Build a serious woodpile and don’t forget the kindling, always feels good to pay some forward
Set up a hammock and take a nap
But, if the fish are biting please disregard all of the above!
"
The fish are always biting somewhere...
08/27/2022 05:18PM
Well there’s fishing.
Paddling to go fishing.
Portaging to fish
Cleaning fish.
Eating fish.
Cleaning up after a fish meal.
Sitting down by the lake with slip bobbers for the night bite.
Talk about the fish we caught today as we sit around the fire.
Laying in my tent, wondering if I will catch a big fish tomorrow.
Repeat.
Paddling to go fishing.
Portaging to fish
Cleaning fish.
Eating fish.
Cleaning up after a fish meal.
Sitting down by the lake with slip bobbers for the night bite.
Talk about the fish we caught today as we sit around the fire.
Laying in my tent, wondering if I will catch a big fish tomorrow.
Repeat.
"So many lakes, so little time." WWJD
08/27/2022 05:24PM
...cloud watching/building up of clouds, the movement, the images that clouds become.
...wave watching/listening, watching the building of waves or the gradual quietening of the lake/river, watch the currents build around islands, rock outcrops, narrows in the lake/river...plan where to fish...
...birds/songs/flights/feeding patterns/soaring in the wind...
...watch/observe the loons...interesting lands, feeding habits/food, social habits...
...watching/listening: amazing the number of animals that move around even in the daylight: once in the Woodland Caribou...I watched two moose cross a narrows, then swim back, and then one moose swam large circles in the channel...
...the sounds of the wind/the movement along the shoreline of the breezes, plant pollen/seeds...
...insects/in the water/on land/up and down trees...
...shuffle the stuff in the packs...find a better arrangement or different packs...
...watch the lake surface: minnows on top, loons fishing, insect hatches, fish feeding on the surface or swirls that show the fishing just below the surface...
...trees: figure out the age, look for signs of an old burn on the tree trunks, study the moss, fungus growth...
...day dream...
...plan the next trip/ways to improve one's experience on the trip...
...check the canoe: yoke, thwarts, gunwales...tighten the screws of each...
...practice canoe strokes: draws, prys, any forward strokes...
...fish, read, write, write a rough draft of that letter/memo you need upon return...the flow of writing seems easier in the wilds...
...ask: why do I really want to go back...or how can I get here more often...
...wave watching/listening, watching the building of waves or the gradual quietening of the lake/river, watch the currents build around islands, rock outcrops, narrows in the lake/river...plan where to fish...
...birds/songs/flights/feeding patterns/soaring in the wind...
...watch/observe the loons...interesting lands, feeding habits/food, social habits...
...watching/listening: amazing the number of animals that move around even in the daylight: once in the Woodland Caribou...I watched two moose cross a narrows, then swim back, and then one moose swam large circles in the channel...
...the sounds of the wind/the movement along the shoreline of the breezes, plant pollen/seeds...
...insects/in the water/on land/up and down trees...
...shuffle the stuff in the packs...find a better arrangement or different packs...
...watch the lake surface: minnows on top, loons fishing, insect hatches, fish feeding on the surface or swirls that show the fishing just below the surface...
...trees: figure out the age, look for signs of an old burn on the tree trunks, study the moss, fungus growth...
...day dream...
...plan the next trip/ways to improve one's experience on the trip...
...check the canoe: yoke, thwarts, gunwales...tighten the screws of each...
...practice canoe strokes: draws, prys, any forward strokes...
...fish, read, write, write a rough draft of that letter/memo you need upon return...the flow of writing seems easier in the wilds...
...ask: why do I really want to go back...or how can I get here more often...
08/27/2022 06:03PM
Savage Voyageur: "Well there’s fishing.
Paddling to go fishing.
Portaging to fish
Cleaning fish.
Eating fish.
Cleaning up after a fish meal.
Sitting down by the lake with slip bobbers for the night bite.
Talk about the fish we caught today as we sit around the fire.
Laying in my tent, wondering if I will catch a big fish tomorrow.
Repeat."
+1... you'd fit right in with our group!
08/27/2022 06:39PM
So much has already been mentioned. Fishing, exploring, writing in a journal, searching for and preparing firewood. You might even try meditating for 15 minutes while lying on a sun-baked rock listening to the quiet sounds of the northwoods.
I know you mentioned that you aren't a reader, but hear me out. Before you go, check out "Hatchet" by Gary Paulsen from the library and read the first chapter. I really think you will keep reading this book, and if you think you might like it, you might as well get the sequels. What a great read in the Boundary Waters!
Whatever you decide to do, enjoy!
Dave
I know you mentioned that you aren't a reader, but hear me out. Before you go, check out "Hatchet" by Gary Paulsen from the library and read the first chapter. I really think you will keep reading this book, and if you think you might like it, you might as well get the sequels. What a great read in the Boundary Waters!
Whatever you decide to do, enjoy!
Dave
08/27/2022 06:54PM
I have found during recent solo trips that collecting firewood is more enjoyable than I expected. It combines a number of possibilities(exploring the lake and land, examining nature, photography, seeing how much wood you can haul without tipping your canoe, etc.)
This year after the extremely high water, I spent 2 hours gathering beaver wood along about 100 feet of shoreline, in the bay next door(I never disturb anything visible from the water).
If I’ve collected a enough wood I feel like I can have a fire anytime I want. Yet I don’t build many(4 on my 9-day trip this month). I also get tremendous satisfaction telling myself how generous I am.
Fritty
This year after the extremely high water, I spent 2 hours gathering beaver wood along about 100 feet of shoreline, in the bay next door(I never disturb anything visible from the water).
If I’ve collected a enough wood I feel like I can have a fire anytime I want. Yet I don’t build many(4 on my 9-day trip this month). I also get tremendous satisfaction telling myself how generous I am.
Fritty
08/27/2022 06:55PM
bobbernumber3: "Savage Voyageur: "Well there’s fishing.
Paddling to go fishing.
Portaging to fish
Cleaning fish.
Eating fish.
Cleaning up after a fish meal.
Sitting down by the lake with slip bobbers for the night bite.
Talk about the fish we caught today as we sit around the fire.
Laying in my tent, wondering if I will catch a big fish tomorrow.
Repeat."
+1... you'd fit right in with our group!
"
I could paddle with you!!!
You're going to HELL and you're going to drag me with ya!! -Gunsmoke
08/27/2022 07:34PM
Rick, I have a good answer for you. In place of fishing I now process wood. I bought a Gransfors Bruk Outdoor Axe ($160 on sale) and I now look forward to getting to a site, setting up camp and then going on a wood run. I can then spend time sawing and splitting up the wood into tinder, kindling, and fuel (small logs). If you watch any of the Coalcracker Bushcraft videos that discuss fire and fire prep it's hard not to get lured into the wonderful world of wood processing. Besides, how cool is it to leave a huge pile of wood for the next inhabitants of that site?! I go so far as to set up the fire lay for the next group so all they have to do is light a match.
Just my two cents...
Just my two cents...
08/27/2022 07:55PM
Most has been mentioned above. However, another activity we have picked up the last couple years is collecting trash found around campsites - usually found while collecting firewood or just exploring beyond the campsite. There is a ton of trash. In May we found a 20x40 ft piece of black poly - half buried. You can find tons of propane bottles. We can easily fill the dwindling food pack with garbage we find as we go along.
Tell me the species of fish in my profile pic
08/27/2022 11:01PM
One thing I really enjoy is working on the fire pit area. A lot of times the fire pit is just the grate with rocks piled around three sides. I tear it down a bit, find some nice flat rocks, then build it back with some nice flat areas on both sides and maybe another terrace of flat rocks on the back side. I really like having usable space around the fire.
I also enjoy finding and processing fire wood. If I can work in a cubby hole to store some dry wood into the pit area that a bonus. I also like to find some nice sized dead birch logs, clear out the center and make a storage skin for kindling and some fire wood so the next group has some dry wood to get them started.
I love my solo canoe and like to explore the lake and do day trips.
I also enjoy finding and processing fire wood. If I can work in a cubby hole to store some dry wood into the pit area that a bonus. I also like to find some nice sized dead birch logs, clear out the center and make a storage skin for kindling and some fire wood so the next group has some dry wood to get them started.
I love my solo canoe and like to explore the lake and do day trips.
08/28/2022 08:04AM
HayRiverDrifter: "One thing I really enjoy is working on the fire pit area. A lot of times the fire pit is just the grate with rocks piled around three sides. I tear it down a bit, find some nice flat rocks, then build it back with some nice flat areas on both sides and maybe another terrace of flat rocks on the back side. I really like having usable space around the fire.
I also enjoy finding and processing fire wood. If I can work in a cubby hole to store some dry wood into the pit area that a bonus. I also like to find some nice sized dead birch logs, clear out the center and make a storage skin for kindling and some fire wood so the next group has some dry wood to get them started.
I love my solo canoe and like to explore the lake and do day trips."
Wow, have you ever stayed at Long Island Lake? Someone made a nice flat spit beside the fire grate to set things on and we really appreciated that. There was also a ton of firewood.
08/28/2022 08:15AM
Captn Tony: "bobbernumber3: "Savage Voyageur: "Well there’s fishing.
Paddling to go fishing.
Portaging to fish
Cleaning fish.
Eating fish.
Cleaning up after a fish meal.
Sitting down by the lake with slip bobbers for the night bite.
Talk about the fish we caught today as we sit around the fire.
Laying in my tent, wondering if I will catch a big fish tomorrow.
Repeat."
+1... you'd fit right in with our group!
"
I could paddle with you!!!"
This is exactly how our group rolls as well!
We are anxious to be up before dawn to fish sunrise. The smallmouth seem to bite just fine all afternoon long. Sunset is another peak fishing opportunity. Fishing past sunset into the night is also great..... but that sun comes up early in June.
If anything, there never seems to be enough hours in the day to do all of the fishing that I want to do. Occupying my time while in the backcountry has never been an issue for me.
08/28/2022 11:04AM
Well there's canoeing, fishing, cooking, firewood search and prep, exploring, photography, planning, whisky laced coffee, reading a book, telling raunchy jokes to the trees and rocks (they do have a sense of humor).
butthead
butthead
"never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups" George Carlin
08/28/2022 12:46PM
We didn't base camp, with a couple of notable exceptions that were not my favorite trips. We didn't fish. We did do occasional layover days after the first 25 or so years of canoe-tripping. We always took some paperback books along, and I would read more than Spartan1. We played Racko. I liked to find a nice spot on the shore in the shade of some trees, and combine reading, photographing, and watching the water. I can watch water for an entire afternoon and not be bored. As my mother once said, "only boring people are bored." In other words (or what I think she meant) is "find something interesting in all circumstances."
As I read the lists that many of you wrote, it occurs to me that I could probably get along quite well at a campsite with oldzip. Almost everything he mentioned (except fishing and tightening screws in the canoe) is something that I have done and enjoyed every minute of doing. And I'd gladly go back and do it again if my health and mobility would allow.
For me, though, the main things I did to occupy my time in the backcountry were:
1. Sit silently and soak in the experience, the total experience.
2. Take hundreds of photographs.
3. Read a book.
4. Write in my journal.
5. Explore the area all around the campsite.
6. Repeat #1, over and over and over. . .
As I read the lists that many of you wrote, it occurs to me that I could probably get along quite well at a campsite with oldzip. Almost everything he mentioned (except fishing and tightening screws in the canoe) is something that I have done and enjoyed every minute of doing. And I'd gladly go back and do it again if my health and mobility would allow.
For me, though, the main things I did to occupy my time in the backcountry were:
1. Sit silently and soak in the experience, the total experience.
2. Take hundreds of photographs.
3. Read a book.
4. Write in my journal.
5. Explore the area all around the campsite.
6. Repeat #1, over and over and over. . .
08/28/2022 12:54PM
Can’t think of a trip that I ran outta things to do... ever! But when I’m bored, I’m off for a new place to call home. All I can say is embrace every moment. Sometimes that is just enjoying the peace and quiet. I almost always had a dog. Oh the hours of enjoyment just watching her. I always liked exploring. There’s almost always something nearby waiting to be explored!
Nctry
08/28/2022 04:14PM
When I'm in with my wife (my only paddling partner), we usually spend the first day in camp moving slow, reading, playing cards. Subsequent days we explore, and I try to fish. We frequently exit the canoe when we explore to do some bushwhacking. We also like to hike portage trails...sometimes we take the canoe, sometimes not. At night or if it's raining, we play lots of cribbage and Yahtzee.
When I solo, I do lots of nothing. I will read some, but frequently I find myself starting to read only to end up just staring across the lake. On a couple of solos, I have fallen asleep on day one once I got camp all set up.
Mike
When I solo, I do lots of nothing. I will read some, but frequently I find myself starting to read only to end up just staring across the lake. On a couple of solos, I have fallen asleep on day one once I got camp all set up.
Mike
I did indeed rock down to Electric Avenue, but I did not take it higher. I regret that.
08/28/2022 06:24PM
When I came north to the BWCA it used to be right after the end of the school year, and I just got off contract. So, I was ready to be alone and away from people... I would find a nice campsite near some good fishing and exploring and that is where we would stay for a week. Our time was spent the same way every day, I get up early make coffee, fish from the campsite until the wife got up. Once she was up, it was prepare breakfast, clean up camp then go fish and explore until about 1:00 then come back to camp, have lunch, then hit the hammocks for an afternoon nap. Around 4:00 we would prepare dinner, eat and then go fish again until the sun started going down.
That is when we would head back to camp, shower, sit around the fire for a while until we heard the roar of mosquito's then we hit the tent to go to sleep. However, now that I'm retired, I need to go back and just enjoy life...
Bruce
That is when we would head back to camp, shower, sit around the fire for a while until we heard the roar of mosquito's then we hit the tent to go to sleep. However, now that I'm retired, I need to go back and just enjoy life...
Bruce
Good Paddling, Great Fishing, and God Bless All...
08/28/2022 08:27PM
oldzip: "...cloud watching/building up of clouds, the movement, the images that clouds become.
...wave watching/listening, watching the building of waves or the gradual quietening of the lake/river, watch the currents build around islands, rock outcrops, narrows in the lake/river...plan where to fish...
...birds/songs/flights/feeding patterns/soaring in the wind...
...watch/observe the loons...interesting lands, feeding habits/food, social habits...
...watching/listening: amazing the number of animals that move around even in the daylight: once in the Woodland Caribou...I watched two moose cross a narrows, then swim back, and then one moose swam large circles in the channel...
...the sounds of the wind/the movement along the shoreline of the breezes, plant pollen/seeds...
...insects/in the water/on land/up and down trees...
...shuffle the stuff in the packs...find a better arrangement or different packs...
...watch the lake surface: minnows on top, loons fishing, insect hatches, fish feeding on the surface or swirls that show the fishing just below the surface...
...trees: figure out the age, look for signs of an old burn on the tree trunks, study the moss, fungus growth...
...day dream...
...plan the next trip/ways to improve one's experience on the trip...
...check the canoe: yoke, thwarts, gunwales...tighten the screws of each...
...practice canoe strokes: draws, prys, any forward strokes...
...fish, read, write, write a rough draft of that letter/memo you need upon return...the flow of writing seems easier in the wilds...
...ask: why do I really want to go back...or how can I get here more often..."
Word!
~On to Fort Chipewyan before the snow flies!
08/28/2022 10:27PM
Savage Voyageur: "Well there’s fishing.Yes Yes and Yes
Paddling to go fishing.
Portaging to fish
Cleaning fish.
Eating fish.
Cleaning up after a fish meal.
Sitting down by the lake with slip bobbers for the night bite.
Talk about the fish we caught today as we sit around the fire.
Laying in my tent, wondering if I will catch a big fish tomorrow.
Repeat."
" I want to know Gods thoughts , The rest are details " Albert Einstein. WWJD
08/29/2022 06:48AM
Arkansas Man: "When I came north to the BWCA it used to be right after the end of the school year, and I just got off contract. So, I was ready to be alone and away from people... I would find a nice campsite near some good fishing and exploring and that is where we would stay for a week. Our time was spent the same way every day, I get up early make coffee, fish from the campsite until the wife got up. Once she was up, it was prepare breakfast, clean up camp then go fish and explore until about 1:00 then come back to camp, have lunch, then hit the hammocks for an afternoon nap. Around 4:00 we would prepare dinner, eat and then go fish again until the sun started going down.
That is when we would head back to camp, shower, sit around the fire for a while until we heard the roar of mosquito's then we hit the tent to go to sleep. However, now that I'm retired, I need to go back and just enjoy life...
Bruce"
this sounds like my days. only difference being i would have no shower avail in the bush.....but if i did i would shower after the fire. :)
08/29/2022 09:23AM
plander: "Most has been mentioned above. However, another activity we have picked up the last couple years is collecting trash found around campsites - usually found while collecting firewood or just exploring beyond the campsite. There is a ton of trash. In May we found a 20x40 ft piece of black poly - half buried. You can find tons of propane bottles. We can easily fill the dwindling food pack with garbage we find as we go along. "
This is one of my favorites as well. Sometimes its picking up lots of tiny bits like fishing line, tin foil, and the ripped off ends of those instant coffee packets. Other times it's the big stuff. Always feels really good to leave the campsite cleaner than you found it. Sometimes you'll find stuff worth keeping! I have added a Nalgene and 3-4 BDBs to my gear just by taking a careful look around the campsite for trash.
08/29/2022 12:08PM
I have the same problem as you. It's tough for me to wind down or sit still for too long. I find that the longer I am in the BWCA, the easier it gets. I try to occupy myself with daytrips, sightseeing, and lots and lots of fishing. Working on the wood pile, and 'playing' with the fire are two things I enjoy as well. Meal time prep depends on the trip - if I am solo it's much simpler.
I spend a good amount of time staring at the water and just looking around at things. A comfortable place to sit makes it a lot easier.
I spend a good amount of time staring at the water and just looking around at things. A comfortable place to sit makes it a lot easier.
08/29/2022 12:17PM
We go for the very reason that we don't have to do anything. Most of us are business owners or retired business owners and have reached a point in life that we cherish these trips where we don't have to do anything.
It is for that reason we don't "travel/tour" in BWCA. We don't want to have to pack up camp, break down camp, portage and paddle every day. However, we don't just sit in camp either. We get up before dawn, typically, eat breakfast and are paddling/exploring/fishing by first light. We are typically out all day, coming back to base camps at dinner time.
Honestly, however, some of the best times have been when rain/wind/waves kept us land locked and we just hung out as a group of men around the fire.
PS: I can't remember any of the guys bringing books or games. I think if they did someone would pitch them in the fire!
It is for that reason we don't "travel/tour" in BWCA. We don't want to have to pack up camp, break down camp, portage and paddle every day. However, we don't just sit in camp either. We get up before dawn, typically, eat breakfast and are paddling/exploring/fishing by first light. We are typically out all day, coming back to base camps at dinner time.
Honestly, however, some of the best times have been when rain/wind/waves kept us land locked and we just hung out as a group of men around the fire.
PS: I can't remember any of the guys bringing books or games. I think if they did someone would pitch them in the fire!
08/29/2022 01:26PM
bfurlow: "I have the same problem as you. It's tough for me to wind down or sit still for too long. I find that the longer I am in the BWCA, the easier it gets. I try to occupy myself with daytrips, sightseeing, and lots and lots of fishing. Working on the wood pile, and 'playing' with the fire are two things I enjoy as well. Meal time prep depends on the trip - if I am solo it's much simpler.
I spend a good amount of time staring at the water and just looking around at things. A comfortable place to sit makes it a lot easier."
Day tripping is how our crew spends a lot of our days when base camping. The day trips with just fishing gear are great. The grandkids are always asking where will we be going next. They love the adventure.
Someone is always working on the wood pile. We enjoy cooking over wood and we have a nice end of day bon fire every night so we really go through the wood.
When it's tough to wind down try laying in a hammock for awhile. They are the best!
08/30/2022 07:53AM
On our trip a couple weeks ago we had a site with a decent pebble beach landing. We spent a lot of time watching the dog. She spent her ENTIRE camp time in the water stalking minnows. Pouncing at minnows. Staring at the water waiting for any shadow to pass by. We even had to call her out of the water to eat. We were very entertained.
Usually we fish, read, watch the waves, cut firewood, explore the lake we’re on, day trip to area sights, fish some more, drink some wine, look at the stars, watch other canoes go by.
Usually we fish, read, watch the waves, cut firewood, explore the lake we’re on, day trip to area sights, fish some more, drink some wine, look at the stars, watch other canoes go by.
08/30/2022 07:52PM
Read, journal, play cards or cribbage, photography, paddle around and explore. Watch small animals, cook a “fancy” meal, nap, fish, swim. Wash clothes, reorganize gear, study maps and day dream about future trips. Set up a hammock, have a drink.
But ultimately I like canoeing for the travel, seeing new places, adventures. I don’t think I’d want to stay more than 2 nights in the same place! 3 is the most I’ve done on a canoe trip and that for waiting for a resupply on a month long trip up in Canada.
But ultimately I like canoeing for the travel, seeing new places, adventures. I don’t think I’d want to stay more than 2 nights in the same place! 3 is the most I’ve done on a canoe trip and that for waiting for a resupply on a month long trip up in Canada.
09/05/2022 08:52PM
rdgbwca: "On my last two base camp trips I have enjoyed making tea in the afternoon.
Take some time. Brew up some tea. Pack in some kind of light weight wafer cookie. Enjoy some tea from the comfort of a Helinox camp chair.
"
Add a swiss cake roll to that and I'm in.
It seems like we never have a lot of free time after gathering and processing fire wood, filtering water,cooking and cleaning up. We usually cook full meals, so that takes up a lot of free time. Fishing is our down time for the most part. It's usually our least active period. :)
I enjoy finding rocks to "improve" the fire grate area too. There's usually a lot of good rocks in the water near shore that bored kids have thrown in that can be brought back and used to make more flat surfaces.
"Geography is just physics slowed down, with a couple of trees stuck in it." Terry Pratchett
09/07/2022 01:06PM
When our son was a toddler we started the custom of going for "explores." That could mean anything from a walk in the woods to drifting along shore in a canoe to just seeing what we could find around camp. The theme was to find something interesting and ponder it. It could be a bird call or an unusual plant or eye-catching rock. We found a wolf kill with a complete beaver skull, deer antlers, lots of stuff people left behind, and even some rocks with marks that resembled Tolkien runes.
I keep up the custom with the grandkids now when we go for walks whether in the woods or on city streets. A few weeks ago they had a treat when we found blackberries. Now approaching the 70th anniversary of my first trip to the Boundary Waters I continue to be surprised by what the area has to teach me.
I keep up the custom with the grandkids now when we go for walks whether in the woods or on city streets. A few weeks ago they had a treat when we found blackberries. Now approaching the 70th anniversary of my first trip to the Boundary Waters I continue to be surprised by what the area has to teach me.
09/09/2022 04:43AM
There are camp chores, swimming, exploring around the campsite, paddling day trips when not moving each day, journal writing, and a whole, whole lot of watching nature. And it helps to sit quietly to really start seeing in detail. One of my favorite memories was when my wife and I were alone and we spent a couple of hours watching the colors change on the hill just across the lake from us as the sun set. That might sound like it isn’t keeping busy. But if you are really looking in detail, it fills your mind.
09/09/2022 07:12AM
A durable frisbee is always entertaining. Even on solo trips, you can throw together a makeshift disc golf course and play a full 18. Obviously, do your very best not to damage any live trees, plants, etc. I’ve found that it’s easy to not cause damage if you’re careful and if you’ve got a softer, flexible disc/frisbee. I also will do workouts at camp. Nothing crazy by any means. Maybe some push-ups, planks, body squats. I won’t push books on you as you’ve stated you don’t enjoy reading. What about journaling? Maybe a quick paragraph about what you did that particular day - meals you ate, lakes you traveled, fish you caught. Jotting down patterns or notes that may help you on future trips. Or maybe you realize a better way to do something for a future trip and write it down quick so it doesn’t slip the memory bank forever. Happy tripping!
09/09/2022 12:05PM
Savage Voyageur: "Well there’s fishing.
Paddling to go fishing.
Portaging to fish
Cleaning fish.
Eating fish.
Cleaning up after a fish meal.
Sitting down by the lake with slip bobbers for the night bite.
Talk about the fish we caught today as we sit around the fire.
Laying in my tent, wondering if I will catch a big fish tomorrow.
Repeat."
Pretty much sums it up...
09/09/2022 01:41PM
Our trips are usually about distance, so travel occupies most of our time. When in camp, my wife is generally updating her journal. I'm usually wandering around with the camera or looking for a perfect bear hang. After dinner and clean-up, we'll read a few Patrick McManus stories, play a few sets of Farkle, try to capture some sunset color, then get into sleeping bags.
TZ
TZ
If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. African Proverb
09/10/2022 08:18AM
TrailZen: "Our trips are usually about distance, so travel occupies most of our time. When in camp, my wife is generally updating her journal. I'm usually wandering around with the camera or looking for a perfect bear hang. After dinner and clean-up, we'll read a few Patrick McManus stories, play a few sets of Farkle, try to capture some sunset color, then get into sleeping bags.
TZ"
Farkle is an underrated game.
09/10/2022 02:53PM
In my early days I was the anxious people pleaser type, always busy being helpful. I always left firewood and resisted temptations to build tables. A good counselor told me that life is like music, just a lot of noise without the pauses between the notes. He recommended I be busy paying attention to the sights, sounds, smells and feels. Oldzip says it well.
When not focused on travel or camp duty I pay attention to the experience with regular breaks to soak it up when doing chores. This winter I will sit in front of the home fire and remember.
When not focused on travel or camp duty I pay attention to the experience with regular breaks to soak it up when doing chores. This winter I will sit in front of the home fire and remember.
09/10/2022 09:14PM
I like to move each day because I get bored. But once in camp I read, read, read. I swim every day. We bring a camping cribbage set and play cribbage. I rock hop or walk. I bully my daughter or husband into canoeing around the lake, or if it’s calm kneel in the middle of the canoe and go alone. And I sit and watch other people canoe by. I do yoga. I daydream about where I would build a cabin on the site.
I just got back from a nine day trip and I read 8 books. We bring hammocks and e-readers. But we really covered the miles too, so I earned my book time.
I just got back from a nine day trip and I read 8 books. We bring hammocks and e-readers. But we really covered the miles too, so I earned my book time.
09/12/2022 05:16PM
I have a hard time wrapping around anyone standing in the BWCA overlooking those lakes and palisades and being bored. . . much less bringing stuff to do from home. Its like standing in a middle of a national forest and asking "what do I do?"
09/15/2022 07:09PM
There are lots of things to do to be active. However, just relaxing is something you can learn on a wilderness trip. One of my favorite things to do is lay flat on my back on a rock shelf near the lake. It does wonders for a tired back that you earned loading and unloading canoes. But the most remarkable thing is to just lay there and watch the sky, the waves breaking on the shore and any animals that might be about. Learning to be at peace with the world is a great thing, and canoe country is a great place to learn it.
09/15/2022 09:13PM
LarryS48: "There are lots of things to do to be active. However, just relaxing is something you can learn on a wilderness trip. One of my favorite things to do is lay flat on my back on a rock shelf near the lake. It does wonders for a tired back that you earned loading and unloading canoes. But the most remarkable thing is to just lay there and watch the sky, the waves breaking on the shore and any animals that might be about. Learning to be at peace with the world is a great thing, and canoe country is a great place to learn it. "
Great post!
For me, I think this song kind of sums up your train of thought.
10/08/2022 02:29PM
Hey Rick,
I am a base camper and have done tons of trips. I actually kind of just have a process.
Once I get to the site. I put the tent up and tie all the ropes to trees that I might need to use for a tarp so I can put it up quick. I sometimes rearrange the rocks on the fire place or the sitting logs if there are any. But I am assuming you mean once all this type of stuff is done.
To pass the time is many times spent finding fire wood. I don't bring a stove so everything I do is over the fire pit which means I need a fair amount of wood. Sometimes wood is easy to find and sometimes I have to travel for it. Either way I get some and then I use a hatchet and saw to make it into the sizes that I need. Find wood is usually an everyday chore.
When I wake up I put a pot of water on the grate and I get a fire going. Then I wait for the water to boil. While this happens I usually am making pancakes and fried salami.
Then I get my fishing pole and I do a slow troll around the entire lake next to the shore line looking at stuff. I find paddling and trolling to be incredibly relaxing. If I hit a fish I will usually park there for a bit and cast before I continue on.
Around lunch time its sandwich and cribbage time.
Then it is relax time for a hour or two. Sometimes stretching, sometimes getting more wood, processing the wood, or sometimes I just lay on the ground and stare into the tree tops.
Right before dinner I usually go out from the site to just cast a few times and maybe refill my water bag.
Then it is dinner time which again requires the fire to be started and I don't do pre packaged food so I have to prep a bit and stuff like that. Dinner takes a while and then there are dishes to do.
After all that I start having hot chocolate and Rumplemintz and play some more cribbage or dice or whatever ya play. Kind of a wind down time before the next day.
I am a base camper and have done tons of trips. I actually kind of just have a process.
Once I get to the site. I put the tent up and tie all the ropes to trees that I might need to use for a tarp so I can put it up quick. I sometimes rearrange the rocks on the fire place or the sitting logs if there are any. But I am assuming you mean once all this type of stuff is done.
To pass the time is many times spent finding fire wood. I don't bring a stove so everything I do is over the fire pit which means I need a fair amount of wood. Sometimes wood is easy to find and sometimes I have to travel for it. Either way I get some and then I use a hatchet and saw to make it into the sizes that I need. Find wood is usually an everyday chore.
When I wake up I put a pot of water on the grate and I get a fire going. Then I wait for the water to boil. While this happens I usually am making pancakes and fried salami.
Then I get my fishing pole and I do a slow troll around the entire lake next to the shore line looking at stuff. I find paddling and trolling to be incredibly relaxing. If I hit a fish I will usually park there for a bit and cast before I continue on.
Around lunch time its sandwich and cribbage time.
Then it is relax time for a hour or two. Sometimes stretching, sometimes getting more wood, processing the wood, or sometimes I just lay on the ground and stare into the tree tops.
Right before dinner I usually go out from the site to just cast a few times and maybe refill my water bag.
Then it is dinner time which again requires the fire to be started and I don't do pre packaged food so I have to prep a bit and stuff like that. Dinner takes a while and then there are dishes to do.
After all that I start having hot chocolate and Rumplemintz and play some more cribbage or dice or whatever ya play. Kind of a wind down time before the next day.
“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
01/11/2023 09:34AM
TuscaroraBorealis: "LarryS48: "There are lots of things to do to be active. However, just relaxing is something you can learn on a wilderness trip. One of my favorite things to do is lay flat on my back on a rock shelf near the lake. It does wonders for a tired back that you earned loading and unloading canoes. But the most remarkable thing is to just lay there and watch the sky, the waves breaking on the shore and any animals that might be about. Learning to be at peace with the world is a great thing, and canoe country is a great place to learn it. "
Great post!
For me, I think this song kind of sums up your train of thought."
I just read this today and listened to the song. I needed this today. Thanks.
01/11/2023 04:26PM
Savage Voyageur: "Well there’s fishing.That
Paddling to go fishing.
Portaging to fish
Cleaning fish.
Eating fish.
Cleaning up after a fish meal.
Sitting down by the lake with slip bobbers for the night bite.
Talk about the fish we caught today as we sit around the fire.
Laying in my tent, wondering if I will catch a big fish tomorrow.
Repeat."
blutofish
01/12/2023 05:50PM
We have always taken the position in our groups that we are at the BWCA to do the things we can't do at home.
We love to fish and all that goes with it
We love to cook meals around the campfire and eat, sit, and talk during the evening.
We watch the stars.
We explore islands, lakes, and cliffs
We look for wildlife
What we don't do is bring games, books to read and absolutely no recorded music. After 15 years in the BWCA and 10 more in the Adironacks, Missouri and Kentucky rivers. . .we have never had to ask "what do you want to do?"
We love to fish and all that goes with it
We love to cook meals around the campfire and eat, sit, and talk during the evening.
We watch the stars.
We explore islands, lakes, and cliffs
We look for wildlife
What we don't do is bring games, books to read and absolutely no recorded music. After 15 years in the BWCA and 10 more in the Adironacks, Missouri and Kentucky rivers. . .we have never had to ask "what do you want to do?"
01/13/2023 09:22AM
ockycamper: "We have always taken the position in our groups that we are at the BWCA to do the things we can't do at home.
We love to fish and all that goes with it
We love to cook meals around the campfire and eat, sit, and talk during the evening.
We watch the stars.
We explore islands, lakes, and cliffs
We look for wildlife
This! And a good bushwhack.
What we don't do is bring games, books to read and absolutely no recorded music. After 15 years in the BWCA and 10 more in the Adironacks, Missouri and Kentucky rivers. . .we have never had to ask "what do you want to do?""
01/13/2023 02:22PM
ZaSquatch: "I haven't seen cribbage yet? I know it's a little difficult on solo trips, but still possible if the weather isn't good for fishing.
Oh cribbage and whiskey. Don't forget the dried cherries!"
Cribbage and brandy or box wine, with a cigar. Sitting under a tarp with a great view of the lake for style points.
I usually cover a lot of ground on travel days, so it is nice to actually rest on rest/layover days. Sometimes we fish instead, but the afternoons are a great time to sit in the shade and just enjoy being out there.
If you want to be productive, you can toss a line in while you play. You can drink, smoke, play cards, and fish all at the same time.
01/16/2023 02:01PM
Wake up and go out fishing. I typically return for a late lunch and get a fire going. I'll spend the afternoon socializing with the group, processing firewood for the evening/night, maybe take a nap in the hammock, go for a swim if it's the warm season and then head out fishing again - back to camp around sunset, fire going, dinner is cooked, brandy and a cigar are enjoyed. Company is enjoyed, stories are told and the fire burns until it doesn't and we turn in.
"Fool me once, shame on...shame on you. Fool me, can't get fooled again" - W
01/23/2023 05:00PM
I like bushwhacking through the forest around the campsite. I like taking unique photos and videos, even with my phone. I like wading along the shore watching minnows and water bugs, listening to the lapping of the water. Shut-eye in the hammock. Cut and chop wood. In mid July, pick berries. Identify bird sounds with my phone app. Climb rocks and trees. I often choose a campsite near a trail to hike (Border Route Trail, Sioux Hustler, etc.) Blow my loon call. Clean fish. Whittle wood. Watch clouds. Watch stars. Lie on a warm rock. Paddle a kayak. Fish from shore. Lots to do!
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