Yesterday typed a long post that I deleted. It was really just me talking through my trip plans. It was helpful to type it out, but just clutter on this board. The real point was that I am STOKED to get up to WCPP!

4 minutes from now it will be just 75 days left to go...

tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, ...

I know the feeling.

I love the anticipation!

Took a quick tour through my gear this evening.

Really itching for this trip.

but...there is at least 1 piece of gear missing...not for long...

BONUS DAY!

Just got my crew to agree to leave after work the day before our original departure. We will gain almost a full day in the park, and lose a day of waiting to go!

Andy and I are doing the same thing and will get a bonus day, too! 68 days....

EC- It seems you are entering the park around 8/5??
When are taking out, 8/15?
What is your take out point?
AndySG and I will be in Red Lake the night of 8/14. We are taking the water shuttle to Douglas early a.m. on 8./15. Maybe our paths will cross.
There is at least one other BWCA.com group going to be there around the same time. Andy has been communicating with them. It looks like we will just miss them by a day or two.

tick, tock, tick.....be here before we know it Jim.

Hey, Andy! Been a crazy week here for me. Lotsa pressure and I'm going crazy. I can't wait to go.

We exit 8/13 and are doing the drive strait back to MSP.

57 days, and my wife can't wait. Everything makes me think of the trip. Had the yard full of clothes I treated with permetharin (kids clothes too for hiking before then). Testing new camp recipies...

exactly 8 weeks from today...hit the road...

That's about the time my son wants to go up there. Quit getting so excited... it's rubbing off on me. :) I can't see how some people can end a trip early when there is so much excitement leading up to a trip. One of the reasons I like solo and being selective of who I take otherwise.

34 days to go!

Reworking the menu for the gluten free guy. Dehydrating the first meal now, ordering freeze dried veggies, powder eggs, etc. on Mon. Setting up ropes for some new techniques I've learned. Been over the gear checklist once, and made and amended my shopping list. Jerky making next week, candy the week after that, Hudson bay bread the week before we leave. Already treated with permethrin, restocked the picadarin. Group has done one practice paddle, my trippmates have done a couple more. Kindle is loaded. Looking for a comfortable PFD, and looking at ottertail paddles (wish I could rent one). Passport and fishing license checked and double checked. A box has been set up for when I find some gear missing from my list, or that I just think might go in the pack I just toss it in so I don't need to look for it later.

(To make sense of this next comment, I should explain, my wife and I both own businesses, so we work together and cover for each other.) the wife is not so excited. Work has thrown a few curve balls and not only am I gone, but our senior employee is gone part of the same time as well, so my wife will be stuck with any crap that happens as well as the kids. God bless her for being so understanding. She knows I NEED this trip. Just the thought of a week with no cell phone is a picture of heaven.

tick, tick, tick, tick......

You haven't made several copies of your maps and written all over them?!?!? :-)
47 days until we're wet...

quote jcavenagh: "You haven't made several copies of your maps and written all over them?!?!? :-)
47 days until we're wet..."

HA!

As soon as I posted, I realized I didn't mention maps! Then I thought I'd babbled enough anyway.

So by popular demand...

Downloaded Canadian Topos, stitched by hand in photoshop. Changed the green on the map to yellow (about 3 hours). Marked campsites by hand using the map on the park website. I realize that I may have campsites on the wrong side of the lake etc. marked portages (by hand) from the adventure series map and portage update on the park site. Listed portage lengths in meters and rods. Verified as much as I could from a GPS file someone sent me (could not get it to import anywhere) and made some notes from trip reports I have read. Marked 4 pictograph sites on or near our route. Printed 4 sets of maps in color on 11x17 paper, version A is 5 maps landscape, and version B is 4 printed in portrait. One version B set to be left at home with the wife, the other for my tripmates. The 2 sets of version A maps have been treated with Map Seal. One for use, one for backup. The maps i bought will be tucked in a corner of the pack just in case.

If I knew enough about the legal side of maps, I'd take the available data and make maps of the entire park for sale. Since I'm not a cartographer...

I knew it. ;)
Not that I've printed and annotated like 12 sets of my route maps.

35 days.......

Less than a month. Made tootsie rolls ( in light of the chocolate discussion, a perfect portaging boost!) today. If I remember I'll leave some for you with Harlan.

I don't know exactly why, but looking forward to this trip more than any I can remember.

It is because you know it is going to be awesome.

This is not good. Please keep positive thoughts, I started feeling some pain last night that has worsened. Going to see the Dr. tomorrow AM. No matter what, better now than in the wilderness, but I can't miss this trip.

Hoping the doctor gives you good news that helps with the pain and allows you to go on the trip.

38 days to go.

A probable diagnosis that looks good, but it's wait and see. He said I should know by Monday.

ECP...good luck with that Dx...
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1 month from tonight we'll be camping...

Thanks for the support.

For my pain there apparently are about 6 things that can cause it. 5 of them would require surgery and/or months of lifting restrictions. Turns out mine was #6. A few days on antibiotics and I'm feeling much better thank you. Not to mention relieved. (This kind of thing is why i keep a few leftover antibiotics in my first aid kit)

I was kinda upset (it hurt my many pride) that we have a guy in the crew that on our second meeting tossed an aluminum canoe around like it was made of paper. My 'injury' however has made me realize he will be an asset, and I should be thankful. While I am not that old, I am old enough to know that I can't just 'tough it out' like I used to. I have to learn that 'my fair share' of the load does not mean I have to carry the most.

I spent my 'rest' time sitting and compacting my gear. Reduced my kitchen gear to half the size by removing some bulky items and adding some more compact useful items. If I can get my food, or at least most of it, into a 5gal bucket then I will be able to cary food and kitchen in a #2 pack. Looking at the rest of my gear, I'm thinking i could do food and all the crew gear in a #3. If I did that, i could probably fit all our personal gear in a #4. 2 packs for 3 guys 8 days. That's the goal. I'm thinking it's possible, but not likely, and only if our food isn't too bulky.

21 days to water now. 512 hours or 30,720 minutes or 1,843,200... 1,843,199... 1,843,198...

Give or take.

Double checking recipes tomorrow to make shopping lists. I'll get groceries in 3 trips depending on prep and shelf life. That way I'm not doing it all at the last minute. I barely have the time now. But the time I am spending on trip prep is a blast!

My crewmates are rookies who want to learn. Every meal will have some uniqueness to it. I have 3 stoves and we will cook over the fire too. We will bake on stove and fire. We will eat well, we will each have a chair (under 4lbs for 3 chairs). I've had to step it up on knots a bit. I would lose my "wilderness expert" aura if I can't fake it through knots. The first thing i want to teach them is living well without carrying too much. I promised them the trip of a lifetime.

But no, I am still not counting the... 1,842,128... 1,842,127...

15 days for me...working on a new sleep system but pretty much ready to go, just a few things on the list left to do.

SunCatcher...when I know for sure what day we will be pulling into Red Lake I will give you a heads up and maybe we can grab a cup of coffee.

Scot

We roll into Red Lake late on 8-14. So, it looks like Andy and I will just miss meeting up with any other bwcadotcommies...bummer.

Leaving tomorrow to meet the rest of the crew in Duluth Friday morning for the drive to Red Lake. Most everything is packed. Grocery shopping tonight. First time to WCPP should be a great trip!

Your going to love it...be safe.

Scot

For the first timers, or anyone in fact, the Caribou is nothing like you've experienced before. What a Great Place! We are headed up there on the 6th or 7th. I'm getting serious about planning my meals now. Have all the gear, but this trip, I'm going really lite. Not much for extras.

Have a good time.

WCPP is starting to sound crowded. ;)

Wondering how water levels are. Looks like they've had decent rain.

1,734,559 seconds... 1,734,558... 1,734557...

I am still planning a trip...just not sure when. Between work and family issues it is going to have to be a short notice trip...either late August or mid-late Sept. Hard to get too excited just yet.

Last year was my first time and can relate to the planning and anticipation.

Crowded, yeah...there might be 4000 total visitors this year...the place is probably all fished out...screw it...I'm going to Opasquia. ;)

James.....you mean something like 700-800! Crowded indeed!

I've seen that same 700 number in some older materials. I wonder if it doesn't need to be updated. Still...

That is the update. The parks numbers have been holding steady for quite some time now.

Wow! 700-800? Including fly-in and motorized fishing boats?
I thought the 700 number was just canoeists.

We can confirm the park is far from crowded. We saw only two other canoe groups our entire 8 days in the park. No people straight for I think over 3 days prior to our departure. In fact many of the campsites we stayed at hadn't seen people for a long time... Best part of WCPP the solitude!

Yes, Yes, it is just paddlers...even still, with the fly in camps the number is nowhere near 4000 people.

My post mysteriously vanished. Oh well...

1,674,032...

OK...doodling with some loose numbers...
Assume all visitors come during paddling season and paddling season is 5/1 thru 9/30 - 153 days.

250,000 annual visitors to BWCA - area 4,400 sq km
3000 annual visitors to WCPP - area 4,000 sq km

During paddling season average number of persons per sq km per day
BWCA = 0.371
WCPP = 0.005

If we use the whole year as our time period...avg person/sq km/day
BWCA = 0.156
WCPP = 0.002

Assume avg traveling 10 km per day
Assume that one can see 1 sq km on either side as one travels, or 20 sq km/day
A traveler would expect to see, on average, 1 person every ten days in WCPP
A traveler would expect to see, on average, 7.4 person every one day in BWCA

I am sure there are rules of probable statistics which affect these outcomes, but I think anecdotally the numbers reflect actual experience reasonably well.

You need to factor in the number of routes/entry points as well. But then that gets a little too complex.

1637424... 1637423...

quote ECpizza: "You need to factor in the number of routes/entry points as well. But then that gets a little too complex.

1637424... 1637423..."

What I really need to do is get my gear out into the back yard for pre-trip inspection...
28 days until paddle dip..

James...love it.

Kitchen and crew gear done.

Double check personal gear and pack food.


14 days and 12 hours to go or... 1,252,800 seconds.

This is why I can't see how many people cut their trips short. The anticipation is like that for me too. Have fun!

Kinda hard to cut a trip short in WCPP, isn't it? Unless you drive in with a truck. We're getting shuttled in so no real way out until pick up...

I confess that I have never prepared for a trip like I have for this one. I don't think I've ever been so excited either. I've never spent so much on a trip, and that cost just got unexpectedly higher.

But then, another crisis at work is cutting in to my prep time at the worst time. Of course, posting here at 3 am is probably time I could use to prep food...

Going in on the 2nd day of August...Hope not to run into anyone...no offense

SunCatcher

ECpizza you need to calm down or your going to vapor lock and shame on the rest of you people for taunting this poor deranged traveler telling him your going sooner than him. Sure wish I was going back to WCPP this year so I could be "taunted" too. Try to keep yourself busy and that will help pass the months, weeks, days, hours, and minutes [that's my taunt] Travel safe. FRED

quote jcavenagh: "Kinda hard to cut a trip short in WCPP, isn't it? Unless you drive in with a truck. We're getting shuttled in so no real way out until pick up..."

Your right. Never had that problem in WCPP. But have paddled with people in the past that will want to paddle harder the last couple days to get out earlier in the BW. I'm pretty careful who I go in with now. The people I go with would rather extend the trip than come out early. :)

quote FOG51: "ECpizza you need to calm down or your going to vapor lock and shame on the rest of you people for taunting this poor deranged traveler telling him your going sooner than him. Sure wish I was going back to WCPP this year so I could be "taunted" too. Try to keep yourself busy and that will help pass the months, weeks, days, hours, and minutes [that's my taunt] Travel safe. FRED"

Yes, calm down. :) I wish I had the time at home to be doing more prep. Only doing a week in WCPP with son. Then I'm thinking of taking the time in between trips to focus on the next one as that is two weeks in the Q. I'm going back to spending the winter months planning as last minute is not enough time to do it right. 2015 is going to rock! Have fun ECPizza!

Yup, I agree, I'm headed in on the 7th of August, have most everything organized, and now doing the double check along with last minute shopping. Fun is in the preparation. Never come out too soon while in the Caribou.

Hoping the Blueberries will be in season. Blueberry Bannock, Pancakes, biscuits. Everything goes good with Blueberries.

Weather wise it looks like a great time to be heading to WCPP Red Lake weather

Yes, I was excited to see my driving day show up on the 10 day forecast. Tonight, my first paddling day forecast!

Running a cheese experiment on my counter. All food (except perishables) ready to go and split into meal bags. Group meeting for a gear check Tuesday. Final check on first aid kit tomorrow and all personal gear (clothes) packed.

818,207... 818,206...

Just back from our first WCPP trip. We traveled about 55 miles, had great weather, good fishing. If you like Quetico, you will like WCPP. It's not better, just different.

Headed out in 8 days. Can't wait, going to be a great trip. Got most everything put together this past weekend. Knowing me, I'll pack and repack for a week. Finally put clothes together the night before. But I'll be ready.

Did a 'final' gear check tonight, turned out not to be final.

Have to give food a second to last check. (Final check is when I buy the fresh ingredients.). I am struggling with the portions. I alternate between thinking I have too much and not enough which probably means right.

Need a "leaving home" checklist. I do not want to forget my passport or frozen steaks!

Watching the 10 day forecast creep into my week on the water.

And as excited as I am to visit WCPP, I just need a break. It could be. KOA for all I care, just let me have a week where my toughest choice is trout or walleye for dinner? Where I stop grasping at my belt thinking my phone is going off, I even do it when I don't have my phone. For this reason, no sat phone. I need a week where I cannot be reached. Need it more than I've ever needed it in my life.

I'm leaving town in one week. I need the call of a loon, the patter of rain, time to read a good book...

So...my departure just showed up on my two week calendar tickle!!!

quote jcavenagh: "So...my departure just showed up on my two week calendar tickle!!!"!$/i