New Trip Report posted by bbrown6057

Trip Name: Be careful what you ask for!.

Entry Point: 47

Click Here to View Trip Report

I am glad you at least had some good times. Your experience makes me nervous to even consider asking any new people to go as our trip partners. It was something I had been considering but I think I have changed my mind!

Thanks!

Great report! Thanks for sharing it. I'm glad my wife and I have always tripped alone. It's a great way to fully enjoy each other's company and bond in ways you can't back home or with other people along.

My daughter and I had a great time staying at that site after you and then after MagicStik and his family. I still can't believe the plan actually worked. :) Lucky for us when we were there the 2 sites you can see across the way were empty both nights.

What's with that site and people not wearing clothes? :) 3 years ago on our trip to Gaskin we got to the end of the portage from Lizz around 7 am and there were several people running around that campsite with no clothes on.

Enjoyed your trip report, but didn't enjoy thinking about your companions. A good lesson in choosing your companions wisely, I guess.

We have always traveled just the two of us. We are taking our trip this year with another couple, but I don't expect this sort of problem, since they are a very experienced tandem pair also, and we know that their wilderness ethic is a good match for ours.

It is good to read, however, that you found time to enjoy the BW, even with your difficulties. Loved the slide show.

So, is Daphne going with you next time, or is it solo time? :)

On a solo, it's just "me, myself, and I", and everybody thinks the same, Well most of the time anyway ;). We eat at the same time, sleep at the same time, change our mind at the same time...

It's just hard to tell about people sometimes, I guess. They're probably thinking: Brian and Daphne are nice people, but they're a little "funny" about some things, you know :) LOL

Sorry, it turned out the way it did, but I'm glad you were able to extract some joy out of the experience nonetheless. I really enjoyed the slideshow.

Brian - Sorry that your long awaited return trip was somewhat muddied by your partners. But like troopers, you and Daphne sure made the best of it. In time, you will remember only the good parts of the trip. I sure hope Daphne's appetite for another trip has not been dampened.

Jeeze, I would hate to use precios vacation time in a situation like yours. That's one reason I do a lot of soloing. I'm very cautious who I go with.

Anyway, lesson learned and I hope you and Daphney get to try it again sometime. The portage video was pretty cool. Takes me right back there. I like your wet foot approach too. The heck with walking around those puddles! Thanks for posting.

Your report was a good one. You sound like a very patient person as many would have snapped from the get go. Glad you had the good times you did. Yeah, that Kendra is something else... She cuts all the wood for our Wing Night fires and doesn't bat an eye. Hope you can get Daph to join you under better conditions and enjoy the BW to it's fullest.

Nice report, although I wanted to leave after reading day one! I know the feeling of having trip partners that are less than ideal. Good job not snapping!

entertaining to say the least brian! LOL! thanks!

You demonstrate more restraint and patience than I ever could. Even when my regular trip partners grate my nerves it couldn't compare to what you had. I've considered putting out feelers on BWCA.com for a trip partner now and then but then I'd get someone with experience and understanding of what it's all about. In your case.....

It sounds as though you still had some moments to treasure on this trip so be thankful for that and, as you said, chalk it all up to experience.

It's hard to believe that there were directions given by the outfitter and I have to believe that they saw the "video" and not much seemed to sink in. One thing I continue to "discuss" with guys I normally go with is the fact that they want to do "4 man carries" with a fully loaded canoe on shorter portages and I want nothing to do with it for the sake of the canoe and my back and safety. Would your partners have assumed $ responsibility for the canoe had they wrecked it with their actions?

Thanks for sharing your story.

Thanks for the kind words everyone. Even though they weren't the perfect trip partners, we did manage to enjoy ourselves, I wasn't about to let them totally ruin our trip.

Now I just have to convince Daph that LIS north is our next route. Not sure she'll go for it but I'm gonna give it my best shot. If not, maybe a group solo is in order if I can find some takers =)

Reminds me of the high school trips, there was always at least one in the group who decided they did not want to be there or where just plan different. Glad to see that you made the best of it.

It changes the trip when my brother goes, much less somebody who was really off base. I know him very well and we get along, but we're just enough different...slightly different goals, preferences, desires, attitudes, experience levels. Nothing major, but just enough.

Maybe I'm just too used to doing my own thing :). I must be getting old and set in my ways.

Wow....what an adventure. Like others....I am very picky on who I trip with!

And if it makes you feel any better...they carried the canoe front and back to Liz but it wasn't loaded with gear. :) I grabbed an arm load of their gear since I was heading back empty anyway. When I caught up to them I offered to flip the canoe over and carry that the rest of the way...while they carried the bags. Turned out we were almost at the portage so they continued on.

Certainly try to talk her into LIS and let me know when you go. I am heading back up that way in two weeks for my 2nd trip.

Magic

quote MagicStik: "Wow....what an adventure. Like others....I am very picky on who I trip with!


And if it makes you feel any better...they carried the canoe front and back to Liz but it wasn't loaded with gear. :) I grabbed an arm load of their gear since I was heading back empty anyway. When I caught up to them I offered to flip the canoe over and carry that the rest of the way...while they carried the bags. Turned out we were almost at the portage so they continued on.


Certainly try to talk her into LIS and let me know when you go. I am heading back up that way in two weeks for my 2nd trip.


Magic


"

I'll let you know how the conversation goes Magic. It may very well be a 2 word sentence that ends in .... NO! Thanks again for your help!

quote MagicStik:


Certainly try to talk her into LIS and let me know when you go. I am heading back up that way in two weeks for my 2nd trip.


Magic


"

Lucky! :) Can't wait to hear how that trip goes for you. That's another one of those EP's that's on my list of trips that I want to do but the list is a lot longer than the number of trips I am able to do :)

bbrown I didn't say it earlier but I really like how you wrote your report. Very witty and I enjoyed the humor.

quote ducks: "

quote MagicStik:



Certainly try to talk her into LIS and let me know when you go. I am heading back up that way in two weeks for my 2nd trip.



Magic



"

Lucky! :) Can't wait to hear how that trip goes for you. That's another one of those EP's that's on my list of trips that I want to do but the list is a lot longer than the number of trips I am able to do :)


bbrown I didn't say it earlier but I really like how you wrote your report. Very witty and I enjoyed the humor."

Thanks Ducks, and thank you also for the trash clean up! Hope to get to meet you both some day.

Made me laugh. I knew you were excited to return to the Boundary Waters, sorry to hear about the trip mates? Maybe plan a trip with some people from this site? I'm sure the experience would be better.

Wow, what a bittersweet trip, but at least you found some enjoyment from it.

My wife and I will leave out from Rockwood and head into Vista Lake on September 9th. I can't wait! Thanks for the trip report!

Seems we all run into a "Bob" somewhere along this journey called life. To trip with a "Bob" in the Bwca would be hell on earth. Hats off to your patience and ability to suck it up.