Since we always go on our personal trips in early June, our canoeing was not impacted by the fires this year. But I'm already obsessing over what to do next year.

1. We typically travel through Crooked/Iron/LLC. I wonder how the fires will change our potential route (if at all). This year we floated from Peterson Bay on Iron and through the PMA to Beartrap Lake and we loved that part of the trip.

2. There are places I've never been that I dreamed of seeing but now are fire damaged. Are you still intending to see some of those places despite the fires? Or will you be able to, since campsites may be impacted?

3. We put together two fun church BWCA trips for youth every year--one to Ely and the other to Grand Marais. This year's Ely trip was cancelled (LIttle Indian Sioux) but we found a late permit (Cross Bay Lake) on the Gunflint that actually turned out pretty sweet for the kids. I was relieved. Next year we would like to do more--a women's trip, young adults, etc. I wonder if some of us Ely-trippers will look to the east.

4. I'm in Ely now and we are staying at Camp Van Vac. Our son dropped in to stay with us and we day-tripped to Crab and Wood Lakes. I had not been to either but they were both fun days. I think the fires are going to force me out of my groove (rut?) and see more new places.

Just some thoughts on next year...ruminating.

I haven't thought about 2027 yet, since I have one more trip planned for this fall. My original plan was to go to Mudro, but not sure if that area will be open, or safe. So I'm looking at the east side instead.

For our 2027 group trip we were planning to revisit either Iron lake or the SAK area.

For now we are taking a wait and see attitude.

Wait and see what campsites survived

Wait and see what portages survived

Wait and see how many snags are around.

Still plenty of time to make any decision.

It would be great to hear from the FS on the conditions of portages and campsites post fire, so everyone can make the appropriate decisions.

My trips have so many variables that it is hard to plan a trip by permit day, but I may delve into all of it and plan a trip in June next year. I know that I will have to deal with the bugs, but if I am early enough, perhaps just mosquitoes.

More permits available in first 2 weeks of June anyhow.

I usually enter through LIS. I’m probably going to go through their next year. Some of the lakes I travel through look to have been hit hard. A few other lakes I stay on did not. I’ll at least want to see the fire damage and then I’ll determine if I will continue in this area.

egknuti: "I usually enter through LIS. I’m probably going to go through their next year. Some of the lakes I travel through look to have been hit hard. A few other lakes I stay on did not. I’ll at least want to see the fire damage and then I’ll determine if I will continue in this area. "

Hi there egknuti,

Please update us with your observations next year. It would be interesting to hear from someone who has been there before.

It seems the Ely side of the bwca got hit harder this year by fire as compared to the Gunflint side.

-rdgbwca

rdgbwca: "

egknuti: "I usually enter through LIS. I’m probably going to go through their next year. Some of the lakes I travel through look to have been hit hard. A few other lakes I stay on did not. I’ll at least want to see the fire damage and then I’ll determine if I will continue in this area. "

Hi there egknuti,


Please update us with your observations next year. It would be interesting to hear from someone who has been there before.


It seems the Ely side of the bwca got hit harder this year by fire as compared to the Gunflint side.


-rdgbwca"

Definitely! If it opens up after September, I may try and do a day trip up to Shell.

I was up on Knife a few weeks ago. We paddled north around Thunder Point, camped at 1446 and then paddled to Eddy Falls, through Toe and back west along the north shore of South Arm, taking our time and looking closely at the fires. I don't think we saw a single campsite that was destroyed and would need closing. Most of what we saw was not devastating. In one word: patchy. There were some patches that had completely burned trees, especially on the tops of the rocky knobs, but most of the white pines and cedars along the lake itself are going to survive I think (I am no expert). Most of what we saw on the edges had been just ground/underbrush fire, especially near the Toe Portages and the east side of Eddy Falls. However, we did not portage north from SAK. We did not investigate the interior of the fire, just the southern edge. But I want to see more! The entire trip was way more fascinating than I anticipated.

My list of lakes-to-camp-on last spring was topped by Gijikiki, Kelsey and Pocket. Gijikiki and Kelsey remain on the top of that list, now joined by Toe, and I hope to camp at one of them next summer and paddle deeper into the fires. We'll have to wait and see what others say about the campsites on Pocket but I know the Toe campsite is open for business and it looks like the site on Kelsey and the island site on Gijikiki will be as well.

This picture was taken just north of campsite 2037, looking east. In the background you can see patches of dead spruce and balsam that did NOT burn.

Thanks for sharing that Z4K. Feels encouraging that it was far from total devastation. Hoping it is a similar story north of the echo trail.