Hey all,
I've been spending some free time reading old posts about things people have found in the BWCA. It seems like most of the stuff is from the logging era, so it's mostly iron.

When the BWCA was formed, if the plan was to return the area to its more natural condition, there no effort made to remove these items. I think of the effort that went into removing almost all signs of Dorothy's camp up on Knife Lake, but yet there are remnants of the logging era everywhere.

Brad

Mostly the FS burned all structures and threw things that would sink into the lakes. Way too much stuff to get to it all. Lots of little shit left behind.

For how many homes, resorts, burials, logging there was in the BWCA in the past I feel the opposite…I am amazed at at how little there is to find. Many people paddle by or camp at old homesteads or logging camps and never even know.

T

timatkn: "For how many homes, resorts, burials, logging there was in the BWCA in the past I feel the opposite…I am amazed at at how little there is to find. Many people paddle by or camp at old homesteads or logging camps and never even know.


T"

True

There is a old trash dump behind the big northern campsite on insula. Mostly cans and such.

Not trying to dissuade folks from posting new stuff but, for those who are interested. Artifacts thread

TB,

Wish I had seen that thread before I made a new one.
I personally have a hard time calling any of that stuff " artifacts". And I would think the FS would be happy to have people carry some of it out with them. Is there a logging museum in the area where these items could be placed?

Brad

FWIW, when I did a Philmont trek in 2013, anything 50 years or older was considered an artifact and was to be left. That's now 1973. That makes a few Nalgenes artifacts. Really makes me feel old.

riverat: "TB,


Wish I had seen that thread before I made a new one.
I personally have a hard time calling any of that stuff " artifacts". And I would think the FS would be happy to have people carry some of it out with them. Is there a logging museum in the area where these items could be placed?


Brad"

No worries. I think it's beneficial to revisit old topics on occasion.

I hear ya when you say you wouldn't call that stuff "artifacts" but, I generally finding old stuff fascinating. Its been a loooong time since this area was truly a wilderness so there's bound to be a bunch of "stuff" all over the place. I always consider that old arrowheads etc. were also likely considered trash or, at least used up, by original owner. And for all that anyone really knows, the pictographs could originally been construed as just graffiti??? Yet, now would be considered a highlight of the trip if running across them.

P.S. I'm not advocating people intentionally leave things behind so one day in the distant future it might become a curiosity.

I have attended a couple of FS archeology lectures and there are many human "artifacts" that I have seen and touched that are centuries old. Many are prehistoric, others from the Voyageurs days. Old clay pipes, beads, needles, arrowheads, buckles, knives, metal and stone tools, etc.

Every time there is a fire, the FS tries to search burned campsite areas for old junk. They generally find quite a lot.

The BWCA is not and never was a wilderness in the truest sense of the word. The evidence of human habitation is everywhere. The lakes and rivers have been a super highway for many, many generations.

Almost every campsite in the BWCA that exists today has been a campsite for hundreds of years. Today's junk will be tomorrows treasure.

awbrown: "I have attended a couple of FS archeology lectures and there are many human "artifacts" that I have seen and touched that are centuries old. Many are prehistoric, others from the Voyageurs days. Old clay pipes, beads, needles, arrowheads, buckles, knives, metal and stone tools, etc.


Every time there is a fire, the FS tries to search burned campsite areas for old junk. They generally find quite a lot.


The BWCA is not and never was a wilderness in the truest sense of the word. The evidence of human habitation is everywhere. The lakes and rivers have been a super highway for many, many generations.


Almost every campsite in the BWCA that exists today has been a campsite for hundreds of years. Today's junk will be tomorrows treasure."

True..... Including my Hamm's cans
;)

I once found an old aerosol can in a dump pile on Clove lake.
It was some sort of insecticide and on the can it said 'Now with DDT'.
Those were the days.

Tom