As previously posted, I will be taking my first solo trip in August, entering at EP 16. I'm curious to hear any and all stories about everyone's "scariest moments" while soloing...
As with any trip to the BWCA there is always some type of risk along the way, so hearing about other people's experiences and "what not to do" stories will both help and also entertaining to read :)

PS The anticipation of the trip is almost unbearable! No body really understands...outside of this forum!

AD, don't worry about the "other people not understanding" part. We here are, and always will be, your true tether to reality!
I'm going on my first solo at the end of August. I'm finding it very hard to wait also. I'm interested in hearing what others have to say about their experiences and answers to your question.

Gotta be lightning. The storms up north are seriously intense and between the thundering lightning and the roaring wind, you've only got the thinnest skin of nylon.

Knock on wood I've never had a weather issue on my trips. Last year was my first solo and on the last day it was crowded on the Pauness lakes. I grabbed one of the final two campsites left. Started to set up the tent and noticed the ground covered in ants so I decided to sleep in the hammock facing the lake. Slept really good until 3:00 when a pack of wolves started howling. It sounded like they were right behind me. So I turned around in the hammock and tried to sleep facing my attackers. Your imagination at night is hard to stop once it gets going. I told myself there has never been a documented wolf attack on a human in the BW. Key word is documented. I finally went back to sleep. That was the only night I had trouble sleeping.

It is a exciting way to see the BW. I went and bought a solo when I got home for my future trips.

Have a great safe trip.

I usually solo the last weekend in October. One year I put in at East Bearskin, only car in the parking lot and only permit in the box. Came out three days later, only car in the lot and only permit in the box. I had slipped on some wet leaves on a portage and it dawned on me that my wife wouldn't miss me until Sunday.(that was Thursday) I could have laid a long time on that portage until someone came to look for me. I have since purchased a SPOT. Take extra care on portages and when getting into and out of your canoe.

Well, you have to remember that I grew up in Belfast during the height of the troubles and so I feel that any day the brits aren't shooting at me or terrorizing my family and neighborhood is a good day.
I've been scared on big water when it's been very windy and lots of wave action. Last fall I paddled most of a day through Agnes and LLC when I should have kept my arse in camp.
Also - I've been scared during a couple of big storms when the trees seem like they are just spaghetti noodles being tossed around in the wind. The tent never seems all that safe during those storms.
However, there is nothing more frightful than drinking the last of the wine or flask with a couple of days to go! It's only happened the once and I'll not let it happen again.

I've battled some nasty wind and waves and sometimes the added driving rain heading into it all and usually on Brule Lake. But last fall I came out on Brule of all lakes and had the wind at my back and a nasty one at that. There would be no crossing Brule and going home that day. But securing a campsite wasn't easy either as most were taken. I eventually got one tucked around a corner after being stranded on the shore for some time and had checked out everyother possibility. With a 80# dog in the front those tail winds are tough for me.

Walking with the pack, slipped on portage and slammed my knee onto a rock, re-injured a torn ligament, to far in to get out easy....changed trip to include more paddling less portage, came out 3 days early. I was a mess.

Lost my canoe in wind while exiting at a campsite, had to swim for it.....THAT SUCKS!!!!!..and a bit embarrassing.

Caught in heavy winds, big waves, no where to hide.....I learned that waves come in sets. Kneel down, grab canoe, ride 4 or five large, paddle like the dickens through 'smaller' ones, grab canoe and hang on for large ones, continue until safe.

BIG NASTY HEAVY WIND LIGHTING STORM.....Trees swaying, limbs breaking. Stupid luck has it, I was in a low campsite so had the illusion of being more protected from it all, slept like a baby...figured if it's going to happen, nothing I can do about it, why worry.

Raging imagination at night.....It's all really humorous in the end.

Headed in during August, will be fun.

Forgot to mention, if it wasn't obvious, this was several different solo trips.

quote Go Solo: "Caught in heavy winds, big waves, no where to hide.....I learned that waves come in sets. Kneel down, grab canoe, ride 4 or five large, paddle like the dickens through 'smaller' ones, grab canoe and hang on for large ones, continue until safe.
Headed in during August, will be fun.
"

You really do that? Wow! I would never give up paddling - sometimes I'll be bracing and using my hips to swing into the waves - not worrying so much about forward progress, but I've never just let the canoe "go", assuming it would be a recipe for disaster and capsize.

Fair play to you so, you're a better man than I.

I have done three "real" solos, the rest have been group solos. On my real ones, I have had perfect weather, and calm waters.
I do remember however, the first night of my first solo, after all the camp chores were over, and I was sitting by a warm fire, the realiztion that I was actually alone. It sort of creeped me out for a moment or two. I also discovered, that at night the loudest creature in the forest was a mouse. After that first night, I was no longer concerned about being alone.

quote mooseplums: I also discovered, that at night the loudest creature in the forest was a mouse.

Ya, mice. Them and squirrels are really loud when you are trying to get to sleep at night when you're on a solo.

Watching my brand new canoe being pulled back out into Round Lake in November. I ran pretty fast that day.

Hahaha! Good point on never again letting the well go dry, NOTED! I will do my best to stay put if the weather gets a little crazy...maybe. ;)

Where are you headed in August? Solo or group?

quote nctry: "I've battled some nasty wind and waves and sometimes the added driving rain heading into it all and usually on Brule Lake. But last fall I came out on Brule of all lakes and had the wind at my back and a nasty one at that. There would be no crossing Brule and going home that day. But securing a campsite wasn't easy either as most were taken. I eventually got one tucked around a corner after being stranded on the shore for some time and had checked out everyother possibility. With a 80# dog in the front those tail winds are tough for me."

Where are you headed in August? Solo or group?

In August, I'm headed up to the Q for an eleven day solo. I refuse to read any of the responses to this post. Ignorance is bliss.

quote OBX2Kayak: "In August, I'm headed up to the Q for an eleven day solo. I refuse to read any of the responses to this post. Ignorance is bliss."

You're right, is this case...ignorance can certainly be bliss!

a kind of embarrassing story. i was on a solo trip, i had paddled down spring creek to the beartrap river. this was in mid october and the temps were just above freezing. the last portage on the beartrap, just before peterson bay ends with a real steep rock that drops directly to the landing, if you can call it that. as typical on a solo this can be the trickiest part of the trip, i tied my painter line to the only available stick and quickly ran to get the rest of my gear, waiting for me at the top of the rock. there is quite a strong river current here, enough so that it pulled the little shrubbery i was lashed to off the rock. my canoe was drifting away, life jacket safely stashed aboard. i am thinking a swim might be my only chance, cold water, solo, no pdf and in some very remote country during a seldom visited time of year. this was looking grim. fortunately i had my fishing pole with me. after several casts i caught my canoe and was back under way, as if nothing happened. same trip, next day, i woke up on iron lake in the thickest fog i have seen. i was able to find curtain falls by the roar, next was navigating crooked lake, tough on a good day, real excitement in dense fog navigating by compass and my watch.

Worst moment was on Brule last year when I had to paddle east into a very nasty north wind. Paddling in true three foot wave troughs was not my idea of a good time. I should have stayed in camp but thought I needed to get to another part of the lake to fish. Got about 50 yards into it and decided this is really, really stupid. I made a quick turn and tried to get the stern into the wind so I could tuck behind a nearby point. Took two big ones over the side before I got turned. A little more came over the back. All told about four inches of water in the boat before I reached safety.

Then this past spring I had a lightning strike about 75-100 yds from camp. That didn't make me real happy...

quote jwartman59: "a kind of embarrassing story. i was on a solo trip, i had paddled down spring creek to the beartrap river. this was in mid october and the temps were just above freezing. the last portage on the beartrap, just before peterson bay ends with a real steep rock that drops directly to the landing, if you can call it that. as typical on a solo this can be the trickiest part of the trip, i tied my painter line to the only available stick and quickly ran to get the rest of my gear, waiting for me at the top of the rock. there is quite a strong river current here, enough so that it pulled the little shrubbery i was lashed to off the rock. my canoe was drifting away, life jacket safely stashed aboard. i am thinking a swim might be my only chance, cold water, solo, no pdf and in some very remote country during a seldom visited time of year. this was looking grim. fortunately i had my fishing pole with me. after several casts i caught my canoe and was back under way, as if nothing happened. same trip, next day, i woke up on iron lake in the thickest fog i have seen. i was able to find curtain falls by the roar, next was navigating crooked lake, tough on a good day, real excitement in dense fog navigating by compass and my watch."

Wow, i'm glad you were able to come out of all that OK! I'm going to do my best to stay put in high wind and "bad weather", but, who knows... ;)

quote jwartman59: "a kind of embarrassing story. i was on a solo trip, i had paddled down spring creek to the beartrap river. this was in mid october and the temps were just above freezing. the last portage on the beartrap, just before peterson bay ends with a real steep rock that drops directly to the landing, if you can call it that. as typical on a solo this can be the trickiest part of the trip, i tied my painter line to the only available stick and quickly ran to get the rest of my gear, waiting for me at the top of the rock. there is quite a strong river current here, enough so that it pulled the little shrubbery i was lashed to off the rock. my canoe was drifting away, life jacket safely stashed aboard. i am thinking a swim might be my only chance, cold water, solo, no pdf and in some very remote country during a seldom visited time of year. this was looking grim. fortunately i had my fishing pole with me. after several casts i caught my canoe and was back under way, as if nothing happened. same trip, next day, i woke up on iron lake in the thickest fog i have seen. i was able to find curtain falls by the roar, next was navigating crooked lake, tough on a good day, real excitement in dense fog navigating by compass and my watch."

Lol, catching your canoe was probably the best catch of that day! After reading everyone's scariest moments stories i'm trying my best to LISTEN and not do anything stupid when i'm eventually on my own...thanks for sharing!

quote armydaddy: "

quote nctry: "I've battled some nasty wind and waves and sometimes the added driving rain heading into it all and usually on Brule Lake. But last fall I came out on Brule of all lakes and had the wind at my back and a nasty one at that. There would be no crossing Brule and going home that day. But securing a campsite wasn't easy either as most were taken. I eventually got one tucked around a corner after being stranded on the shore for some time and had checked out everyother possibility. With a 80# dog in the front those tail winds are tough for me."

Where are you headed in August? Solo or group? "

Solo with the dog... Starting at Gunflint Lake...

Canoe floating away at port after return trip-- good thing I'am a good swimmer and it wasn't on a big lake. Widowmaker (trees) at a campsite on Agnes. Moved the tent in the middle of the night after getting bad vibes about it. Kind of surprised we have not had a single axe/knife issue yet. On Solos' I will not fish with anything that has more then 1 treble hook.

Waking to this on Argo this April. 12-18", wind was kicking, temps were cold and stayed cold (down to ten the next night), food was low. Plenty of coffee and whiskey though...

quote WhiteWolf: "Canoe floating away at port after return trip-- good thing I'am a good swimmer and it wasn't on a big lake. Widowmaker (trees) at a campsite on Agnes. Moved the tent in the middle of the night after getting bad vibes about it. Kind of surprised we have not had a single axe/knife issue yet. On Solos' I will not fish with anything that has more then 1 treble hook. "

Wow, what a pic! Thanks for sharing! I'm making it a goal of mine to get some winter camping in this year. Whiskey helps, A LOT!

quote WhiteWolf: "Canoe floating away at port after return trip-- good thing I'am a good swimmer and it wasn't on a big lake. Widowmaker (trees) at a campsite on Agnes. Moved the tent in the middle of the night after getting bad vibes about it. Kind of surprised we have not had a single axe/knife issue yet. On Solos' I will not fish with anything that has more then 1 treble hook. "

Thanks for the info! Widowmakers are becoming more and more worrisome for me after reading a few of these posts. Danger can come from each direction, especially from above!

It was probably in 2001 during a portage from Side Lake to Sarah (right around there). It was early Sept. but was a very hot humid and sunny day with no breeze.

The portage is known as heart attack hill and I found out why. It is a long steep up and while carrying my overloaded food pack to the top I just had to rest. I sat down and then my heart beat started racing and I couldn't catch my breath. I remember getting very light headed and laid down in the shade after finishing the water I had with me. I was very scared at that point but with time I started to feel better.

For a few minutes there I thought I was going to meet my maker. After that trip I got serious about lightening my packs.

"grab canoe and hang on for large ones, continue until safe."

I took a couple of guys on a river trip that paddled like that. When they got to anything more then a ripple, they would drop their paddles, hunker down and hold on hoping for the best. It looked like a veggie tale video. In all the years as a trip leader I never used the rescue rope or gear. I had to pull those guys out three times in one trip.

That same year in the BWCA we had two groups out on the numbered lakes. My group of four canoes came in first. The lakes had white caps and there was some chop. The guys weren't very happy when I insisted they remove all seats and pads and get as low in the canoes as they could, kneeling if possible. The second group of four canoes apparently didn't want to lose the "cushion" of their seat pads. The higher center of gravity, plus some movement in the canoe caused one of the canoes to capsize 75 yards off the shore. This was mid May. Water temps were mid 50's, and air temps about the same that day. Had to strip those guys and warm them up when we got them to shore.

What did we learn?

NEVER stop paddling
When it gets rough, get low

quote markaroberts: ""grab canoe and hang on for large ones, continue until safe."
NEVER stop paddling
When it gets rough, get low"

Amen brother. That's what I'm talking about.

quote markaroberts: ""grab canoe and hang on for large ones, continue until safe."


I took a couple of guys on a river trip that paddled like that. When they got to anything more then a ripple, they would drop their paddles, hunker down and hold on hoping for the best. It looked like a veggie tale video. In all the years as a trip leader I never used the rescue rope or gear. I had to pull those guys out three times in one trip.


That same year in the BWCA we had two groups out on the numbered lakes. My group of four canoes came in first. The lakes had white caps and there was some chop. The guys weren't very happy when I insisted they remove all seats and pads and get as low in the canoes as they could, kneeling if possible. The second group of four canoes apparently didn't want to lose the "cushion" of their seat pads. The higher center of gravity, plus some movement in the canoe caused one of the canoes to capsize 75 yards off the shore. This was mid May. Water temps were mid 50's, and air temps about the same that day. Had to strip those guys and warm them up when we got them to shore.


What did we learn?


NEVER stop paddling
When it gets rough, get low"

Hell of a story! Thanks for the advice, I WILL NOT forget it!

Didn't mean I dropped the paddle, but no way was I going to dig any water trying to paddle with the largest waves. I just let the boat roll over the them and braced myself.

This was a really bad situation I was doing my best to get the hell out of as safe as I could. These waves were serious whitecaps on everything. I didn't loose it, I got into a safe area and sat my ass down on shore. I'm not trying to be brave, a tough guy, to good to admit anything or awesome at what I do. I'm just some schmo paddling along.

Then why was I in it you're thinking? Stupidity is the answer. When I set out, it wasn't like that, but it was big water. In the middle of it the wind cranked, I started making a run for it as it rose up, but to late, waves grew fast and it raged.

As for running white water....lived in Idaho, did Hells Canyon and a few others several times at all different times of the year. Well aware of how miniscule I am when compared to angry water.

The question was scariest moments...just sharing some of the worst. Maybe someone thinks a bit more then I did and avoids the situations I put myself in. I'm sure everyone can second guess what I did, but I did the best I could in the moments I was in and it all worked out.

Good idea about no more than 1 treble hook (barbless of course).
I will now do the same.

it getting boring around here. scary story from my past, not the bwca, the snake river north of mora,mn (think vasaloppet). we had finished a couple day canoe trip in the area near woodland, some nice canoeing and fishing, we had hitchhiked back to our car in a reasonable amount of time, everything was going as planned, ,we were in our twenties and had no plans, what so ever.no one had any idea we were even on a canoe trip.
on hwy 210 to duluth we realized we were running low on gas, our gallaxy 500 was monstrous beast and ate more than his fair share of gas. problem was we had no money, like usual. lucky for us there was a hitchhiker standing on the side of the road, miles from anywhere, in the heart of the bog country. it was twilight, so what the heck, we stopped and picked him up. we told him straight out that we needed money, and would drive him to cloquet if he helped us out. he handed over five bucks and we were on our way.

now the shady character in the back of our galaxie came to life. he was huge, easy six and half foot tall, and judging from what i could see of his face he had lived a challenging life. and one endowed with a vast quanity of whiskey, he was fall down drunk yet from under his jacket he pulled out a quart of bottom bucket whiskey. we are single malt guys, he offered to share with us his riches. i'm thinking tuberculosis is the least of my problems right now, so i take a shot as we watch the endless bogs going by. we do a bunch more shots, me and cloquet, cloquet now wants my buddy to join in. my buddy is driving and he is freaking out, his voice comes out two octaves too high, he sounds like a little girl. cloquet and i really couldn't tell what his squeaking pleading meant, but cloquet was offended that his offer was refused. now he is really agitated. white freaking kids driving around with canoes are too good for his booze? next thing i know cloquet has his arms around the neck of my buddy, and is squeezing. my buddy is driving and being choked at the same time. as a passenger i was less than thrilled by the turn of events.

i have had a few chances to pick up not being killed skills over the years.i had to make good on my buddies real lack of cultural awareness. the rest of the night was a blur, my buddy smelled like dirty diapers and i think i drank most of cloquets whiskey. i do remember dropping him off at his mothers home. we waited to make sure that someone was home to let him in.