BWCA Trip Report - First Solo, Knife Lake Boundary Waters Trip Reports
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02/27/2009 08:40PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
New Trip Report posted by ottoparts

Trip Name: First Solo, Knife Lake.

Entry Point: 25

Click Here to View Trip Report
 
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02/27/2009 08:43PM  
congrats on taking the first step and actually soloing. each time youll learn more. im still not sure if i like it....but it beats being at work! :)

nice honesty in your report. thanks.
02/27/2009 08:56PM  

Thanks Kanoes.

I find myself looking forward to another solo sometime despite the note to myself about never doing it again. Maybe it's the cabin fever!

I want to apologize to all for the lack of Photos (no digital camera and no scanner).

I always like to see others photos in their trip reports.
stonecutter
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02/28/2009 07:13AM  
thanks for the report. I'm thinking about a solo sometime in the fall and want to gather more info prior to committing to it. The boredom has been somewhat of a concern but I tend to keep to myself most of the time so maybe it wouldn't be all that bad.
02/28/2009 07:17AM  
I can relate to what you say about being bored. Also. a camera is a big help with this. So is fishing. I also think it's good to keep moving everyday unless you're totally beat or the weather is bad.

It's weird, when I finish a solo I always say to myself that I won't ever do it again, but inevitably I always can't wait for another.

Better luck next time. Thanks for reporting.
02/28/2009 09:17AM  
I've never canoed solo...but I have often backpacked solo...and what I have found is that boredom is a state of mind that one can learn to embrace or avoid. It was a great achievement to be able to be alone with yourself and enjoy it.
02/28/2009 11:51AM  

I learned a lot from that first solo. First and most important is that I could do it.

But as to the trip planning, the biggest lesson I think was next time don't stay in one spot. I was worried that on a solo, all the work in camp obviously would have to be done by myself. I found that I got camp set up, fire wood collection.... all the camp chores done much more quickly than I anticipated.

I do find myself thinking about the next solo, and traveling every day will be a top priority in planning the next trip.
03/02/2009 07:49AM  

On my first solo, a river here in indiana, I ran into some of the same problems. No one to talk to, share with, do some of the dirty work for me, that kinda put me off a little.

Then I decided to try again, and I laid out three things each day I would accomplish to keep me busy:

(1) I will explore the area (weather permitting); I will paddle at least 30 minutes away from camp looking for wildlife, points of interest, and get a good sense of the surrounding landscape. This has worked well, even in a few cases where I ended up doing it on foot if paddling was not a good option.

(2) I will take at least ten pictures a day after setting up camp; this helps me overcome an odd problem I encountered after one solo trip, I never took one photo! So i shot the campsite, the surrounding area, I look for close-ups of trees, plants, etc. This has worked very well and now that I am all digital, I try to shoot 25 pic's instead of ten.

(3) I will read for at least 90 minutes; This has turned into a big help, although some will say books are too heavy, I find them indispenable on my solo trips and usually read for two to three hours, generally in 30-minute segments.

Since I started this method, I have not found myself nervous, anxious, or bored on my solo trips. Sorry, I don't fish...

hummm...

03/02/2009 09:33AM  
Nice report. Thanks.

Next time try 5 days. I bet you'll feel differently. You were probably just beginning to get into the swing of things when you left.

I agree - try to travel everyday. Taking down and setting up camp takes sometime and helps to eliminate the boredum. Even a short distance helps, though I bet you'll travel further than you planned.
 
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