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Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Listening Point - General Discussion :: What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen in BW?
 
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Duckman
07/30/2020 10:06AM
 
Was going solo from Frost back to Sawbill. On the longer portage from Cherokee Creek to Ada I passed a guy with a giant dog. Then three more guys each with giant dogs. Two guys in the group had open frame packs carrying nothing but multiple cases of beer.


Kind of surprised me. I think I read somewhere on here that it was a group doing an annual base camp fishing trip, so I guess it made sense. I was just surprised to see a group with 500 pounds of dog and the same weight in beer in the middle of the BDUB.
 
inspector13
07/30/2020 09:06AM
 

Mixed middle-aged nudists on an island in Saganaga coming down to shore to greet us as we paddled toward Cache Bay. And it was at the end of June when the bugs were bad to boot!


 
RRHD
07/30/2020 08:23AM
 
After reading the thread about the Fourtown Lake rescue, I got to thinking about crazy or interesting things I’ve witnessed in the BW and want to hear other people’s stories.

Last year, my husband and I saw a large group with many children and they kept standing up in their canoes, paddling standing. I’m fairly certain there were way more than 9 people in that group, too, and they were all wearing gauzy dresses and other strangely inappropriate clothes.

A few years back, a family with four plastic kayaks came over a portage as we were heading out on a route with numerous long portages. Their gear was all in drybags with no packs, so they were having to make many trips over the portages and they were just dragging the kayaks.

To be fair, the craziest thing any of us have done story: my daughter and her college friends were putting in at Brule. One friend was a strong paddler and experienced camper, the other two weren’t. They paddled fairly slowly the length of Brule as their friends learned how to paddle. Set up on a site on S. Temperance and realized they’d forgotten tent stakes, knives, and someone’s book. Strong paddling friend and my daughter decided to go back and get the missing gear and paddled the entire length of Brule against the afternoon wind. The missing gear wasn’t at the car! So they drove to the Forest Service site where they’d camped and found it, back tracked to Brule, then prepared to set back out. Some people taking out asked if they were going fishing. Setting in so late in the day with no gear? Daughter and friend got to the portage as the sun went down, and made it to their friends in the dark! It’s good to be young! I hope to never paddle the length of Brule three times in one day.

So how about you? Any interesting stories of misadventure?
 
Ausable
07/30/2020 09:37AM
 
Compared to the Fourtown Lake incident or the nudists, any "crazy thing" I've seen (or done!) is nothing. I guess I've been fortunate.
 
nofish
07/30/2020 11:20AM
 
unshavenman: "A few years ago while waiting for our pickup at Hook Island an outfitter dropped off a group of six young men and their gear, which included two whole pineapples that they were hand carrying. Gotta fight the scurvy!"


That almost sounds like they lost a bet. Losers have to carry in 2 random items selected by the winners. Bet that pineapple tasted amazing at the end of a long day though.
 
RRHD
07/30/2020 06:16PM
 
Thank you everyone! This gave me some much needed levity today! Great stories!
 
unshavenman
07/30/2020 11:04AM
 
A few years ago while waiting for our pickup at Hook Island an outfitter dropped off a group of six young men and their gear, which included two whole pineapples that they were hand carrying. Gotta fight the scurvy!
 
Savage Voyageur
07/30/2020 12:08PM
 
We were leaving Pine Lake and what looked like three canoes were approaching us as we paddled. When they got closer, we realized there were two guys paddling solo canoes and one of them was towing a large inner tube with a keg in it.

As far as a ten pound bag of potatoes, we bring in ten pounds of potatoes almost every trip. Eight guys can eat a lot over a week, and they never last the week. Not much better than fresh caught fried walleye and fried potatoes.

 
Michwall2
07/30/2020 11:20AM
 
On my second trip into the BW, we came across a group headed to Polly Lake and they were carrying among other things a 10 pound bag of potatoes. One older gentleman (I get to say that now that I resemble that remark.) in the group looked at me and shrugged. He explained that he hadn't planned this trip and that one of their members would not eat instant potatoes. They were on their second trip over the portage and had gone back for the third.


On that same trip we encountered a pair of ladies who had wrestled their food bag away from a bear on Polly the night before. (Some gals!) They had packed up and moved campsites in the middle of the night.


I have often wondered how long that 10 pond bag of potatoes lasted on Polly Lake before the bear found them?!


I have since learned that some people (BWJ's Stu Osthoff for one.) take entirely fresh food for their entire trip!
 
K52
07/30/2020 12:56PM
 
Saw a young couple with a very young child, and I mean a little guy, on paddle boards paddle by while we were fishing on Sucker. I assume they went to Prairie Portage, turned around and paddled back by us to Indian portage. The wind was starting to have a chop on the water as they paddled back by later in the afternoon. I couldn't believe that someone would be that lacking in common sense to risk a young child like that. I guess they made it but sure thought that ranked up there with one of the most stupid decisions I've seen.
 
merlyn
07/30/2020 12:00PM
 
About 15 years ago at the gull- alpine portage we came upon a group with Samsonite luggage rather than packs. One man looked like death warmed over, so we asked if everyone was ok and did they need help. He told us in no uncertain terms that it was his blank @#$% canoe and to mind our own business, so we left.

On that same trip we looked at a campsite on Alpine and saw where a tent had been set up in a large patch of poison ivy.

At site 677 on Horseshoe, a guy was nude all day. Unfortunately, we were on site 672 - way too close for comfort.
 
salukiguy
07/30/2020 12:40PM
 
A group of guys dragging their royalex rental canoes over all the portages. They actually made very good time over the portages.


Another vote here for fresh potatoes and onions!
 
MikeinMpls
07/30/2020 12:17PM
 
As SV, I've seen people bringing a keg in. Also lawn chairs. Not camp chairs...but lawn chairs like you'd buy at Target or Menards, etc. In those trippers defense, those chairs are probably lighter than what we would consider "camp chairs." However, I know those are an item frequently found abandoned in the woods also. I've seen coolers, bags of sweetcorn, and sleeping bags set on top of packs unprotected from water. I even saw a pair of trippers use a large lidded plastic garbage can to carry their gear.

My philosophy has always been: if you want to carry it in, and what you're bringing is not against the rules, and you can pack it out, go for it! Though bringing in a lawn chair isn't for me, if someone wants that, and will carry it in and out, good for them.

Though I often shake my head at what I see, I realize that I was new to the BWCA at one time. My first trip ever, at age 13, I carried my gear in an army duffel bag. Not comfortable to portage, even considering we did the Granite River, which has no portages of significant length. My sleeping bag got wet because I thought the duffel bag (canvas at that time) was at least water resistant, so I did not wrap it in plastic. My kit has evolved, of course, to exactly what I want, how I want.


Two Mondays ago I went out to the Lake One landing just to get out and eat a sandwich before my Tuesday morning put in at Mudro. I got to talking to a young couple, from South Dakota, first time ever in the BWCA, actually putting in at 7:30 PM. As they packed their canoe, they asked for advice about a BWCA trip in general, and soaked in everything I told them. I thought it unwise to put in that late, but I didn't say anything about it, though I encouraged them to just start paddling. Clearly they didn't even know how late they were putting in relative to their first BWCA experience. I dunno if I'd put in on Lake One at 7:30 in the evening, and I know the put-in, route, and lake!


I know the modal number of trips that people take to the BWCA is one. I think that's because the trippers that do the type of things we're discussing figure out that the BWCA can be a hostile weather environment, that has bugs, portages, and other unpleasantries that don't make the effort worth it. But I'm glad people are trying, as long as they can follow the rules. Of course, that's been the problem this year.


Mike
 
scat
07/30/2020 01:15PM
 

My lawn chair at an Island River campsite. Kiddin' me. Don’t knock it till you tried it. I Bungee Dealee Bob it to my pack and it's worth every ounce.
 
missmolly
07/30/2020 02:35PM
 
The pineapple story reminds me of the time I carried a whole pie on the Appalachian Trail, several miles up the trail to a shelter, thinking all the way about how I was going to enjoy eating every last morsel, but when I took it out of my back, that full shelter suddenly grew silent as all eyes were on my pie and I ended up sharing. Damn it!
 
MikeinMpls
07/30/2020 02:10PM
 
scat: "
My lawn chair at an Island River campsite. Kiddin me. Don’t knock it till you tried it. I Bungee Dealee Bob it to my pack and its worth every ounce."


Nice... I'm not knocking it at all! I sincerely apologize if it sounded like I was.

Mike
 
Canoearoo
07/30/2020 02:14PM
 
Deep in the BWCA, I saw a women wearing a ballroom gown and high heels walking across a portage. Her partner carried all the stuff.
 
jwartman59
07/30/2020 02:41PM
 
We were finishing the pine / canoe portage. A family group was at the landing as we finished. They were from down south somewhere. All their gear was in paper grocery bags, everything. They also had three five gallon water jugs. It started raining a half hour later.

Years ago when I lived in Duluth, we had a stretch of beautiful weather, Indian summer, late October/November. We did a five day trip, one of my best BWCA trips. At the parking lot a group had just arrived from New Jersey. We were surprised that people came that far to canoe. We always figured everyone was from the upper Midwest. These guys had a two week trip planned, starting in November. This was way before the internet. I’ve always wondered how that trip worked out.
 
Michwall2
07/30/2020 09:33PM
 
RE: !0 lb bag of potatoes


HYOH
(Hike Your Own Hike)
I stand corrected and to each his own.
 
Inmyelement
08/06/2020 08:31AM
 
Last year there were nudists on Lake 2, and not the kind of folks you want to see without clothing.


This year, as we were about 200 yards from the Kawishiwi Lodge we saw a group of 3 canoes together. It looked like they had put in at the main EP 30 landing as their canoes were rented from somewhere in town. At this point they weren't a 1/4 mile from the landing. One canoe was picking stuff up off the water as stuff was already falling out of the canoe and the rest were staring at the map when one of them asked, "Are we almost to Lake 2 yet?" They looked surprised when I told them they had about an hours more of paddling to do. I really wonder what happened to that group.
 
scotttimm
08/06/2020 01:06PM
 
Anyone else scanning these to make sure their family doesn't show up? lol
 
Savage Voyageur
08/06/2020 09:48AM
 
shock: "do i dare even mention it again ?"



Waiting...
 
inspector13
08/06/2020 10:36AM
 

Moo!



 
shock
08/06/2020 11:24AM
 
inspector13: "Moo! "
Yup, the Inspector knows. ;)

 
nofish
08/06/2020 09:30AM
 
Inmyelement: "
This year, as we were about 200 yards from the Kawishiwi Lodge we saw a group of 3 canoes together. It looked like they had put in at the main EP 30 landing as their canoes were rented from somewhere in town. At this point they weren't a 1/4 mile from the landing. One canoe was picking stuff up off the water as stuff was already falling out of the canoe and the rest were staring at the map when one of them asked, "Are we almost to Lake 2 yet?" They looked surprised when I told them they had about an hours more of paddling to do. I really wonder what happened to that group."



Reminds me of a trip a few years ago. I was at the portage to Lizz lake from Poplar. I was waiting off shore while a large group was working on the portage. It was one of those big disorganized groups with packs, canoes, and loose gear scattered everywhere.


I sat in my canoe off shore waiting for them to load up and they could clearly see I was waiting. Instead of loading up their canoes they pulled out the map and I could clearly hear them discussing where their next portage was. Thats when I paddled closer and let them know they were on Poplar lake now and they exited the BWCA a half a lake ago. They looked confused but didn't say much.


Thats when I had to ask them to move their canoes so that I could land and get my trip started. By the time we had finished the portage they hadn't made the first step toward getting their canoes in the water or gathering their gear. It still looked like one of those garage sale portages.
 
treehorn
08/06/2020 10:47AM
 
On the long portage between Burntside and Crab a group was carrying what looked to me like a bunch of PVC piping. It was bulky and required 2 people to carry certain parts of it. Our group and theirs were both double portaging so by the time we saw it a second time we had to ask...what is that? They said it was an outrigger for their racing canoe or something...who knows, maybe they just fly across the lakes with that but it was something I've never seen before or since. And I wouldn't want to portage it 400 rods.


And just this past weekend we put some fish guts on a rock across the bay we were on and of course the wildlife swarmed. We were impressed by a seagull who fended off two separate bald eagle advances. Maybe this is normal, but he held his own on that fish pile and scared off both eagles.
 
SummerSkin
07/31/2020 09:07AM
 
Pardon my ignorance, but what is a "party ball"?
 
LindenTree
07/31/2020 09:34AM
 
SummerSkin: "Pardon my ignorance, but what is a "party ball"?"
If I remember correctly, it is a plastic ball filled with beer, about twice the size or bigger than a basketball. I think it has a tap on it just like the kegs.
 
dustytrail
07/31/2020 09:31AM
 
Don't know if this counts but last year as we came out the last "portage" at Mudro there was a group that appeared to be 2 families. They asked us how to get to the lake and we showed them the path. They go to the car, get their gear and off they go. No packs. Sleeping bags and tents all carried seperate. They came back out as we where lashing down our canoe and we just had to ease drop on their conversation. They decided they needed to take a picture of the map on the EP kiosh so they would't get lost.
 
Spartan2
07/31/2020 01:00PM
 
jillpine: "One of the most bizarre and most dangerous I've personally seen was the couple from North Carolina paddling in a lake as it began storming, bad. They were headed for our campsite and I waved them to come ashore and could not believe my ears when I heard an infant crying. They had a nine month old infant and a two year old toddler. They were completely overwhelmed. They had on cheap rain ponchos, a heavy aluminum canoe they had rented from "an outfitter". It was nuts. They huddled under our tarp and dried off with towels we gave them. We made them hot water. They wouldn't accept tea or cocoa. They left for the open campsite on the other side of the island as soon as the storm cleared, even though it was approaching 9pm and quite dark.
I was fishing alone by the mouth of a stream by the portage early the next morning. They passed by as they reached the portage. They thanked me for the kindness in letting them come ashore and get dry. The situation was just bizarre. They thought campsites would be marked and abundant, portages would be signed and that there would be well water to pump at resting areas. They were surprised there were no concessions at the entry points. And on and on. And I recall how mad they were that "they weren't told". This was at least fifteen years ago but certainly well within the time period of USFS making concerted efforts to let people know about LNT and lack of "basics" relative to other camping experiences. This summer has felt like a redux. "



That is bizarre, Jillpine. I know when we share the photo books and journals from our trips (I did a slide show once for the local Lions Club, too) people are just amazed that there is a place in the world where there are no roads, no convenience stores, no restaurants and hotels. And that anyone would want to go there.


Concessions at the entry points? It just addles my brain to think about that.


My story is what happened on our second trip, which would have been 1973 and was just a little four-day trip around the numbered lakes, as we were leaving a four year old and a 15 month old baby with friends in Minneapolis. We were standing on the shore of Horseshoe Lake and a young couple came up on the portage. They set their canoe down, took off their packs, and the woman said "At last! Lake Insula!" We hated to interfere with them on the one hand, but on the other hand, they were obviously misplaced. My husband stepped up with his maps and asked them why they thought they were at Insula. Come to find out the only map they had was a little line drawing that the FS had given them to indicate lakes where you were not allowed to camp more than one night.


They were just stunned to see our maps and that my husband had a compass with him, too. After setting them straight we gave them one of our maps (we always had one for him and one for me) and they went happily on their way. I wonder if they ever reached "Lake Insula!"

Back then there was no "video" to watch, and I think things did improve once people were given more idea what to expect. In 1973 this area was barely becoming the BWCA.
 
mr.barley
07/31/2020 09:36PM
 
Goth girl walking on the Tanner lake dam in heels.
 
G0thG1rl
08/01/2020 01:08AM
 
mr.barley: "Goth girl walking on the Tanner lake dam in heels."


Time wounds all heels
 
missmolly
07/30/2020 03:21PM
 
MikeinMpls: "scat: "
My lawn chair at an Island River campsite. Kiddin me. Don’t knock it till you tried it. I Bungee Dealee Bob it to my pack and its worth every ounce."

Nice... I'm not knocking it at all! I sincerely apologize if it sounded like I was.

Mike"

Mike, you're a mensch!
 
Arcola
07/30/2020 07:48PM
 
Crossing the Crab portage I caught up to a group with a full sized Coleman cooler,and 5 gallon jugs of water lashed to each end of a paddle carried yoke style. It was hot and the bugs were ferocious. I hoped they weren't going any farther than Crab.
 
RRHD
07/30/2020 06:13PM
 
Canoearoo: "Deep in the BWCA, I saw a women wearing a ballroom gown and high heels walking across a portage. Her partner carried all the stuff."
I think that may have been a college professor of my husband and his wife! If it was long ago. The prof showed his classes pictures of his wife in fancy dress all over the world!
 
shock
07/31/2020 02:23AM
 
On one of my trips, I took in some good old boys from Texas. They insisted on not wanting to run out of beer and wanted to bring in three party balls, (Seagull to SAK). I tried to explain to them these are not paved paths between the lakes.

Well, I talked them down to one party ball and afterwards they said, "If we known, we wouldn't have even brought one in!"

I once saw a big seagull swallow four 15" brook trout carcass one after another and the other birds wouldn't even get close to this big bird.
 
Savage Voyageur
07/30/2020 09:48PM
 
Michwall2: "RE: !0 lb bag of potatoes



HYOH
(Hike Your Own Hike)
I stand corrected and to each his own."



Dinner for our group of 8 guys is over the fire. In one 12” cast iron pan we cook about 10-12 Walleye, (not all at once). In the other 14” cast iron pan we cook about 14 potatoes sliced up and seasoned with onions, salt and pepper. That 10# bag does not last very long. We base camp on those trips with lots of unnecessary items. Every guy brings a bag chair to sit around camp on. Triple portages are the norm.
 
mutz
07/30/2020 10:23PM
 
Savage Voyageur: "Michwall2: "RE: !0 lb bag of potatoes




HYOH
(Hike Your Own Hike)
I stand corrected and to each his own."




Dinner for our group of 8 guys is over the fire. In one 12” cast iron pan we cook about 10-12 Walleye, (not all at once). In the other 14” cast iron pan we cook about 14 potatoes sliced up and seasoned with onions, salt and pepper. That 10# bag does not last very long. We base camp on those trips with lots of unnecessary items. Every guy brings a bag chair to sit around camp on. Triple portages are the norm. "




We have either four or six guys, we base camp, double portage, two guys to a four man tent, chairs and cots, all fresh food. We can get in a long way on our single ten hour travel day. Ten pounds of potatoes is not a lot.
To some our gear may seem/look crazy but that is how we enjoy our trip. To us someone with one pack, single portaging looks crazy because we wouldn’t enjoy that.
In other words what looks crazy to one person is right to another.
I draw the exception to five gallon water jugs or a live pig.
 
Canoearoo
07/31/2020 12:53AM
 
RRHD: "Canoearoo: "deep in the BWCA I saw a women wearing a ballroom gown wearing high heels walking across a portage. Her partner carried all the stuff."



I think that may have been a college professor of my husband and his wife! If it was long ago. The prof showed his classes pictures of his wife in fancy dress all over the world!"



That is funny. Did you see any lake or portage pictures?
 
scat
07/31/2020 11:28AM
 
The weirdest thing I’ve seen is the time my son and I were attacked by seagulls on Turtle Lake. We were trolling rapalas for the big pike that swim there and apparently got too close to a rocky island that the birds were roosting on. They came after us with a vengeance, following our canoe around the lake and dive bombing us. There was at least four of them. They got close enough to hit with a paddle, tho I never did. They were trying to crap on us as well. They would fly into the water, seemingly scooping up a mouthful, then dive bombed us, literally trying to hit us with a stinky discharge. Thank goodness their aim was off. I hooked a decent pike during this and I said to my son, Jack get the net! He said, it’s a little hard to grab the net while I’m being attacked by seagulls! That was nuts. Alfred Hitchcock must have been smiling.
 
scat
07/31/2020 02:52PM
 
One trip, we came up to a portage, I think we were headed into Cherokee Lake. There was a large group of Cub Scouts, way over nine people, probably twenty, and parents clogging up the works, so we elected to let them get going and sat on the rocks and had a snack and observed the mayhem.

They were lugging in the five gallon collapsible containers of water, which I found a bit odd. There’s water everywhere. One poor kid’s dad kept imploring his son, you have to drink water, drink some more water, like the kid was going to die from dehydration after a couple hours of paddling and a few walks in the woods. We were starting to snicker a bit.

I’ll never forget the little guy saying, in that high pitched, prepubertal falsetto that I love so much and imagine sounds like a tenor in the Vienna boy’s choir who just got kicked in the stones, "But dad, I’m not thirsty!’ That was priceless.

I think what added to my amusement was both our parties camped at Sawbill the night before and I walked by the ever-thirsty father and said hi. I’m usually friendly. He didn’t even look at me. He just stared straight ahead walking rigidly. Seemed a little uptight. One of those guys. I knew right away at the portage it was the same guy.

I felt kinda sorry for the kid. Seems like a long shot, but I hope he had a good trip, if he didn’t drown by the second day.
 
jillpine
07/31/2020 03:25PM
 
Spartan 2, I recall those maps, and had a similar experience. My first trip to the BWCA was through an adventurous and ill-prepared girl scout troop in 1980, just like we are all chuckling about. We took a trip on Knife, root beer of course (which never happened because the "line was too long" - it was a popular place). Based on the map, we were thinking we had gone much farther. And it was a kind couple who shared with our barely 19 year old group leader a real map.
Sometimes I see pictures of "trace" today and think to myself how bad it was when I first started going there - toilet paper, beer and pop cans, fish guts everywhere. All the greens in the campsite cut. Trees carved with initials. If today's crowds had the campsite use behaviors of those times, there'd be nothing left. That said, it has been pretty bad this year. Noticeably worse.
 
Jakthund
07/31/2020 10:13AM
 
LindenTree: "SummerSkin: "
Pardon my ignorance, but what is a "party ball"?"



If I remember correctly it is a plastic ball filled with beer a twice the size or bigger than a basketball. I think it has a tap on it just like the kegs."



That's correct. I think they were 3-4 gallons. Back in the 90's I used to do some easy couples trips and we would bring one. It was nice to have a beer, but there were issues:
- Only came in Bud and Coors
- Hard to keep cold
- Had to drink whole thing once opened as would go flat quickly


One year we camped next to one of those small stocked Brook trout lakes and sank it 10-15 feet down which actually worked pretty well. Pretty nice to come back to after a day in the sun.
 
jillpine
07/31/2020 12:08PM
 
One of the most bizarre and most dangerous I've personally seen was the couple from North Carolina paddling in a lake as it began storming, bad. They were headed for our campsite and I waved them to come ashore and could not believe my ears when I heard an infant crying. They had a nine month old infant and a two year old toddler. They were completely overwhelmed. They had on cheap rain ponchos, a heavy aluminum canoe they had rented from "an outfitter". It was nuts. They huddled under our tarp and dried off with towels we gave them. We made them hot water. They wouldn't accept tea or cocoa. They left for the open campsite on the other side of the island as soon as the storm cleared, even though it was approaching 9pm and quite dark.
I was fishing alone by the mouth of a stream by the portage early the next morning. They passed by as they reached the portage. They thanked me for the kindness in letting them come ashore and get dry. The situation was just bizarre. They thought campsites would be marked and abundant, portages would be signed and that there would be well water to pump at resting areas. They were surprised there were no concessions at the entry points. And on and on. And I recall how mad they were that "they weren't told". This was at least fifteen years ago but certainly well within the time period of USFS making concerted efforts to let people know about LNT and lack of "basics" relative to other camping experiences. This summer has felt like a redux.
 
OgimaaBines
07/31/2020 12:51PM
 
Mine would be a group of around 8 big guys carrying a keg on a stretcher, about 9-10 miles in from the Seagull entrypoint, somewhere towards Ogishkimuncie. Turns out they were firemen. They said they'd sink the barrel to keep it cool.
 
shock
07/31/2020 02:09PM
 
Jakthund: "LindenTree: "SummerSkin: "Pardon my ignorance, but what is a "party ball"?"
If I remember correctly it is a plastic ball filled with beer a twice the size or bigger than a basketball. I think it has a tap on it just like the kegs."

That's correct. I think they were 3-4 gallons. Back in the 90's I used to do some easy couples trips and we would bring one. It was nice to have a beer, but there were issues:
- Only came in Bud and Coors
- Hard to keep cold
- Had to drink whole thing once opened as would go flat quickly

One year we camped next to one of those small stocked Brook trout lakes and sank it 10-15 feet down which actually worked pretty well. Pretty nice to come back to after a day in the sun."

Correct, I believe they were 6 gallons and plastic so they were BW legal.
 
RRHD
07/31/2020 04:38PM
 
jillpine: "One of the most bizarre and most dangerous I've personally seen was the couple from North Carolina paddling in a lake as it began storming, bad. They were headed for our campsite and I waved them to come ashore and could not believe my ears when I heard an infant crying. They had a nine month old infant and a two year old toddler. They were completely overwhelmed. They had on cheap rain ponchos, a heavy aluminum canoe they had rented from "an outfitter". It was nuts. They huddled under our tarp and dried off with towels we gave them. We made them hot water. They wouldn't accept tea or cocoa. They left for the open campsite on the other side of the island as soon as the storm cleared, even though it was approaching 9pm and quite dark.
I was fishing alone by the mouth of a stream by the portage early the next morning. They passed by as they reached the portage. They thanked me for the kindness in letting them come ashore and get dry. The situation was just bizarre. They thought campsites would be marked and abundant, portages would be signed and that there would be well water to pump at resting areas. They were surprised there were no concessions at the entry points. And on and on. And I recall how mad they were that "they weren't told". This was at least fifteen years ago but certainly well within the time period of USFS making concerted efforts to let people know about LNT and lack of "basics" relative to other camping experiences. This summer has felt like a redux. "



That sounds really frightening! I feel bad for all involved in that misadventure!
 
Blatz
07/31/2020 09:39PM
 
These are all great reads. I saw a guy portaging in bare feet. It wasn't that dude from Duel Survival.
 
mr.barley
07/31/2020 09:32PM
 
Savage Voyageur: "We were leaving Pine Lake and what looked like three canoes were approaching us as we paddled. When they got closer, we realized there were two guys paddling solo canoes and one of them was towing a large inner tube with a keg in it.

As far as a ten pound bag of potatoes, we bring in ten pounds of potatoes almost every trip. Eight guys can eat a lot over a week, and they never last the week. Not much better than fresh caught fried walleye and fried potatoes.
"

Our group always required each person to carry their own first night steak and a potato in there own pack. After the first night instant potatoes is fine with me.
 
WhiteWolf
08/01/2020 02:19AM
 
mr.barley: "Goth girl walking on the Tanner lake dam in heels."+++

Don't know about Goth, but I've seen heel prints from lady's high heels on the end of the Bottle Portage. No question about it.

On a different level, seeing BeaV go from the east end of the Gunflint to Superior in one quick push - after starting from I-Falls something like 40 hours earlier - and the BIG part of Rainy.

I've done Clove to Superior in one push with a BeaV-lead group - (hell) doing it solo is simply nuts. BeaV - solo from Gunflint Lake- to Superior is crazy ( most at night and after starting at I-Falls just 2 days or so before) = that's nuts. The craziest thing that will beat this is SUP doing it almost as fast. That is coming in this years Kruger's Challenge. If the SUP can finish. My bet is they will. That's crazy/
 
sylvesterii
08/01/2020 02:14PM
 
Coming over the Hudson to Insula Portage, we came across a couple that just had everything tossed in big plastic garbage bags. Not even tied off, just in them. no backpacks. So crazy!~
 
shock
08/04/2020 04:21PM
 
do i dare even mention it again ?
 
Savage Voyageur
08/06/2020 07:13PM
 
I was going to tell about my Bigfoot encounter...but reading this is much more fun.
 
JimmyJustice
08/06/2020 08:18AM
 
Back in the day, I witnessed a guy pack in a partyball, hunt down a logging chain on Fourtown, wrap the chain around the partyball and submerge it in the lake to cool it down. I've probably seen crazier but this one I remember.
 
missmolly
08/06/2020 06:01AM
 
shock: "do i dare even mention it again ?"


I double dog dare ya!
 
mooseplums
08/06/2020 05:05AM
 
A well endowed topless girl standing on the shore of a campsite waving as we paddled by. Insula Lake
 
OtherBob
08/06/2020 12:16PM
 
We overtook a Boy Scout group on a river (can't remember which one). Athwart the lead canoe was a plywood kitchen box 4 x 4 x 3 (that's feet). Stretcher poles were 8 foot long 2 x 4s, permanently attached. Musta been everyone's first trip; bet the box never made a second trip.


These Boy Scout kitchen boxes were a big deal in the mid-50s. Our troop built one, but it only rode to camp in the troop trailer.



 
RT
08/06/2020 12:39PM
 
Wow... you all have meet up with some actual crazy. Knock on wood I have only dealt with one instance, and it's not even crazy, more funny.


Many years ago, while sitting at Eddy Falls eating lunch after a swim in the falls, a group of scouts (boy and girl group whom it turned out were from Chicago), two adults and about six 10-year-old kids, paddled up to take the portage.


One kid pointed at our Summer sausage, cheese and crackers, and very pointedly TOLD us that "people from Minnesota call that 'chub'!" We laughed and explained it was Summer sausage. "NO! You call it 'chub'!" The kid was adamant. Then... he wandered off and got back with his group.


We didn't call Summer sausage 'chub' at the time, but we absolutely call it 'chub' now. Cheese & Chub is a staple lunch.
 
shock
08/07/2020 08:45PM
 
Savage Voyageur: "shock: "do i dare even mention it again ?"




Waiting..."
ok for the new members and old one's that have forgot what i shared when i first hopped on the best outdoor site on the web !
i was doing a trip into the SAK fall time from seagull mid 90's.
so were coming up to the ogish portage from kingfisher , and i noticed all these turkey buzzards feasting on something in the water . told my partner to paddle over there . and there in the water by shore half above water line was a holstein cow , black and white as black and white can be , most want to say it was a piebald moose or something to that affect .
well all i can say in my defense is i had a uncle in wisconsin who was a dairy farmer , visited many times , i know the difference between a moose and a holstein
and it did stink to high heavens , came back through that area 2 days later and the whole carcass was gone , i'm sure wolves smelled that from miles away.
thats my story and i'm sticking to it .
now i've seen 1 UFO while fishing on lake waconia (winter time) and last winter i saw something i'm still not sure if it was a drone or not , because it showed up and disappeared as i was looking at it , a refection i'm not sure ???? but it was right there within a football field of us and my friend saw it too and looked away then back and asked where the hell did it go , weird !
 
airmorse
08/07/2020 09:21PM
 
Who told the story of when they were up in the Q on a portage and had strange lights that followed them?
 
shock
08/07/2020 09:03PM
 
O.T. ,,,to elaborate on the UFO i saw on lake waconia ,
it's winter time tip up fishing out of my old bronco , hopped out to take a piss and some lights caught my attemtion in the sky , a combination of orange/yellows/reds and this thing started to move and i said to my friend do you see this , and he didnt say anything , and i felt he was watching it , when it disappeared out of sight , i said tell me you saw that , and he said i sure the F did and i was in the air force and we have nothing that moves like that .
since that event i've watched commercial jets fly over the lake even aircraft going up to camp ripley. and it takes minutes for them to be out of sight , and this thing was out of sight into the atmosphere in maybe 8 seconds , it was crazy fast . thats my other story i'm sticking to.
now if you want to hear about the black cougar i saw on my way to bow hunting outside the belle plain area , thats another story.
1 of those things you dont see for any great length of time , but you say to yourself i know what i just saw.
 
missmolly
08/08/2020 07:04AM
 
RT: "Wow... you all have meet up with some actual crazy. Knock on wood I have only dealt with one instance, and it's not even crazy, more funny.



Many years ago, while sitting at Eddy Falls eating lunch after a swim in the falls, a group of scouts (boy and girl group whom it turned out were from Chicago), two adults and about six 10-year-old kids, paddled up to take the portage.



One kid pointed at our Summer sausage, cheese and crackers, and very pointedly TOLD us that "people from Minnesota call that 'chub'!" We laughed and explained it was Summer sausage. "NO! You call it 'chub'!" The kid was adamant. Then... he wandered off and got back with his group.



We didn't call Summer sausage 'chub' at the time, but we absolutely call it 'chub' now. Cheese & Chub is a staple lunch."



Funny story!
 
shock
08/07/2020 09:21PM
 
O.T. ,,ok the black cougar ,
on my way through belle plain to st. thomas to bow hunt like 4-5am ? on a curve where your head lights kind of show out into the fields well this Cat wasn't in the field it was on the shoulder and looked like it was feeding on something , but when my lights hit it , it looked up right at me and it's head was like 8-10" across and it's tail was about a yard long in a S shape , well over a 100lbs , definitely no farm cat. there has been many cougar sightings in the minnesota river valley from henderson to burnsville , they are top of the food chain there and plenty of deer to feed on , one guy caught 1 on a trail cam in savage after seeing some deer kills,, but never a black one.
 
scat
08/08/2020 10:09AM
 
I watched a cougar for a minute or so at the Island River EP. There is a clearing heading to the Isabella Lake Ep and it was right at the edge, sauntering around, went back and forth across the road, foraging or whatever. Unmistakable body shape, coloring, the way it moved. It was definitely a cougar. I would estimate the distance at 200 yards or so. I got a good look at it. It was more than a glance, I watched it for a bit. That was cool.