Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Trip Planning Forum :: Forecast is cold and rainy next week - should I still go?
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Fox416 |
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mastertangler |
Rain and cold is something a paddler could deal with........but throw in a bunch of wind to top it off and I start thinking about other options. Maybe you could "say" your going canoeing but in some strange twilight zone twist of fate you end up in Vegas ;-) Oh, dont forget to pack some smelly clothes for when you return........and for petes sake wipe that silly grin off your face. Remember, you have just been through a very trying time. You won't get much sympathy if you have a skip in your step. (OK, gimme a break, I'm kidding! I have never even been to Vegas ;-) |
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laurahorner |
Three of us had planned a trip from Poplar Lake to Brule and back from 10.9.18 - 10.13.18. The weather forecast is cold and rainy most of the week. I am wondering what you would do in this scenario. Would you reschedule? Book a cabin? Suck it up? All comments are appreciated :) Thanks! Laura |
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dex8425 |
Highest high of 41 and rain/snow most of the time just won't be that fun. I had my heart set on doing this, but we don't live that far away and could do it another time. It's just the two of us so we haven't made any commitments. The forecast for Hayward is way better so we might go up to the cabin instead. |
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bhouse46 |
Ultimately it comes down to the trifecta. Cold. Wet. Wind. I can handle cold alone. Add wet and it gets uncertain. Add wind and it is a no go. |
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OldTripper |
mastertangler: "I dunno.......depends kind of on your age. When I was younger I thrived in harsh weather and sort of liked it." This was my thought when I read you questions. How much are you willing to endure? Also, how easy is it for you to reschedule? I used to live up that way and could pick and choose my dates. Now that I live 1500 miles away it's a different story. Personally, I'd still go (unless the forecast the day before departure was for storms, not just rain) but just plan accordingly and stay very flexible in your plans and route. Lastly, it's just a forecast. I've been up there when the forecast was supposed to be good and it rained for several days, and vise versa. If you go, let us know what your trip was like. |
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Driftless |
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SevenofNine |
If the forecast calls for intermittent rain with times of clearing you might reconsider going. Being cold is miserable so your gear and food supply will make all the difference in this case. In the Fall I tend to bring fleece mittens with a water resistant shell to keep my hands warm as no neoprene glove I have used has ever kept my hands warm in October. Keeping dry will make a big difference so plan accordingly to have a change of clothes. If you decide to go I would make sure you have a nice big tarp or two that all of you can hunker down under. Bring your firewood underneath to dry/keep dry and you should be able to have a decent fire later weather permitting of course. We did this Labor Day weekend when it was in the 60s with waterlogged wood even and had a fire the same night. |
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schweady |
Blue Heron B&B was our base, and it was a relaxing spot to warm up and regroup. I will say that it takes some careful planning to hit the various businesses and restaurants in Ely during the more limited days and hours they are open in mid-week October. Even so, during the few days we had available, we were able to spend some quality time -- and coin -- at Winton Roadhouse, Northern Grounds, Gator's, Voyageur North, Ely Steak House, Insula, the Wolf Center, Steger's, the Brandenburg Gallery, Piragis... Knowing that we weren't camping and had a roof over our heads and a warm bed each night made the trip decision pretty easy, but I know that our ability to adequately (over)prepare and then make the best of the changing conditions meant that we won't hesitate to go back for as many September and October trips in the area as possible. |
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Jaywalker |
laurahorner: "Hello all, Whatever you end up doing, be sure to let come back and let everyone know how it turned out. |
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bhouse46 |
Cold rain is generally a no go for me as it aggravates my arthritis and as I solo can really restricts activity the activities I enjoy and go to the wilderness to experience. And I do not fish. |
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andym |
Even if planning to camp (we weren't) going to a cabin instead is an option. It reminds me of when the Monterey Bay aquarium opened. Scuba divers started going there when they showed up to dive and it was too rough to go out. There’s lots of ways to enjoy the north woods. |
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Oldtown13 |
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goatroti |
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AmarilloJim |
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ForestDuff |
Got the gear to stay comfortable. Gotta have the right frame of mind on this type of trip. And being solo, I don't have to worry how others are doing. Hopefully my time as a tarp dweller will be minimal. Fishing is nearby, so I can get out in between showers if presented with the opportunity. I witnessed many folks paddling around last Oct, it might be a little different this week. If the forecast changes towards it being wetter than today's forecast, I'll probably bail on the trip. I'm only bringing one box of wine, that can go pretty fast as a tarp dweller. :) |
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walllee |
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nctry |
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egknuti |
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Northwoodsman |
And the best part... NO MOSQUITO'S! |
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lindylair |
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mjmkjun |
I love camping but not in miserable weather conditions. |
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Gadfly |
cowdoc: "The toughest trips are the most memorable. It will test your planning and abilities as a tripper." I agree 100%. My favorite trips to think back on are the ones that left me the most exhausted ready to go home at the end. |
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campnfish |
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housty9 |
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MN_Lindsey |
Bring your rain gear. Bring Wool Bring a set of "dry clothes" you just wear in the tent so you're always warm and dry there at least. Bring an extra tarp to keep your wood dry? If you have a "dry day" go hunt for wood, and stock up. Enjoy. |
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TomT |
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mapsguy1955 |
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Birdknowsbest |
mapsguy1955: "Just got back from Quetico. I'm sure we had about 7 hours of sunshine in a week. It rained everyday and was windy. Temps for entire trip were around a high of 48 and a low of 35. We left a day early because the forecast was 37 and rain for the high and snow that night. I don't think I would do what we did again, but a single day trip in and a base camp would be ok. As previously noted, the Walleye fishing was on. " What depths were that at and lure of choice? |
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Guest Wimp |
Oldtown13: "There's no bad weather, only bad gear :-). That said, if I had the means to get a cabin and still get out on the water to fish that's what I'd do. " I know it was said tongue-in-cheek, but...INCORRECT. I have camped in a cold tent in worse than -40, and can tell you that there IS such a thing as cold. You cannot change your lung gear. |
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tashit |
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schweady |
andym: "Glad you enjoyed the Blue Heron. The owners are really good people and we know them through being good friends with his parents." Yes, great folks. We had stayed there in Sept 2015 and were really bummed that it had been closed for a while prior to the current owners purchasing it this June. Chad is especially enthusiastic about all things Ely/BW, and we kept him away from his chores for long periods with some great discussions. They said that plans are in the works for dogsledding outings this winter with pickup at Blue Heron's door. Very tempting. |
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cowdoc |
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Wayouttroy |
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Jaywalker |
Others have mentioned the importance for you to figure out if, for this trip, are you more interested in comfort or the reward of overcoming a challenge. I'll say it's also really important to have a frank discussion with your other two paddling partners to make sure you all of the same mind on this. |
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Pinetree |
Entry points will be empty and it is fun to just get away and do various day trips or maybe paddle and camp a short distance in and just see what happens with the weather. |
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nofish |
If the weather looks tolerable then go. If the weather looks bad for half the trip and ok for the other half maybe split your time between a shorter trip and the other half at the cabin at Rockwood. Personally cold I can deal with, wet I can deal with, windy I can deal with but cold, wet, and windy all at the same time is miserable. Its October so a day or two of that during a weeks trip should be expected and can be dealt with but if the entire week looks like that I'd opt for a plan B. |
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Birdknowsbest |
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TheGreatIndoors |
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