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Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Trip Planning Forum :: First timer expectations
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| Author | Message Text | ||
| OldGuide2 |
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| MikeinMpls |
JimEb: "How many of you were experienced canoe campers/backpackers before you ever did the BWCA? What were your expectations and did it live up to it? As bwcadan said, stay home if this is what you expect. While I understand where you're coming from, your trip is already doomed if you enter with that attitude. That said, here are a few pointers based on common mistakes new paddlers make. I made many of these same errors in my first trips to the BWCA, beginning in 1976. After 50+ trips, I've learned a couple of things that make the experience easier. 1. Don't take too much stuff. Discuss packing lists with others before you go. You don't need two of most things. Have an honest conversation with yourself and your group…will I/we really NEED that, or do we WANT it? You can take a few wants, and usually don't need two needs. 2. Pack your stuff tight. I can tell an inexperienced group by the yard sale on a portage. Our trips have no loose stuff in the canoe. Nothing. The only loose stuff on a portage are the paddles. Even the pfds get strapped on the packs. Too much loose stuff means extra trips across the portages, lost gear, and wasted time trying to reconfigure the perfect packing you did at the entry point. 3. In my opinion, bugs are a state of mind. They are there, they are part of the ecosystem, and we gotta live with them. I use Thermacells, mostly in camp, and a high quality bug dope if on the water. You'll be sweaty and gross. You can take a bath in the woods before bed. 4. Get your feet wet. I'm a broken record on this, but I have seen more paddlers, usually noobies, dump in the water trying to keep their feet dry than all other reasons combined. 5. As OldGuide2 noted above, take some time to learn to paddle. I also have seen groups bumper car their way across a lake. Learn how to steer your canoe in a straight line (an extra bonus is you can steer from either side and not have to switch the side you're paddling just to turn.) And learn how to quarter into the waves in the wind. And if you get or use a bent shaft paddle, learn to use it correctly. Using a bent shaft paddle backwards >looks< like the way it should be used, but it's not. 6. Learn how to read a map. Many now rely on GPS for navigation. That's good, I get it. Many that rely on GPS don't bring a map backup, and of those that do, many don't know how to read it. It seems easy, but it takes practice. Orient your map to the direction you are traveling, even if the map is upside down. This goes for a compass, too. Learn how to use the map and compass together. Take a class or do a deep YouTube dive and practice. I hope this helps. Mike |
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| grizzlyadams |
As far as people go, I have only ever dealt with large amounts of people one time. It was miserable on the portages but once we got to our destination the crowds thinned out. That trip was from a busy entry point and all of the portages were fairly short so I think it was a popular route for inexperienced travelers. Some portages can be wet and muddy and some are dry and rocky. I have never been to the area that you are going so I don't know about those portages and the lakes don't appear to be too massive on your route so wind will hopefully not be too much of an issue. My thought is that it can't be an adventure if you don't face ups and downs so take things as they come and then look back and enjoy what you accomplished. |
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| portagerunner |
That's what I tell myself when I'm struggling down a portage, hunkering down in a storm or swatting bugs at least. I can safely say, I've never had a bad trip into the BW. Spent years backpacking and in the woods before adding in the paddling piece, but my first trip was everything I hoped it would be. There were a few other groups in the parking lot, but didn't see another group for the next three days. While I've had experiences with full lakes at or near the entry points, campsite availability has never been an issue for me. Maybe I've been lucky, but I haven't had issues with mega groups, packs of dogs off leashes, loud music, or other people related concerns aside from some poor portage etiquette. Your nature related concerns are just part of the experience. Plan ahead (bug repellent, head net, sunscreen, etc.) There will be mud and rocks, have a pair of camp shoes and clean socks to change into when you get to your campsite. Make smart decisions with the wind/weather, don't force a travel day in 40 mph winds and lightning. Ask an outfitter in the area for weather/route related specifics. It might be a bucket list trip, but I wouldn't be surprised if you have the desire to go back. Have a great first trip! |
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| Ahahn366 |
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| Michwall2 |
JimEb: "How many of you were experienced canoe campers/backpackers before you ever did the BWCA? What were your expectations and did it live up to it? I was not an experienced backpacker or wilderness camper before my first trip. Follow the advice of your outfitter. Maybe get into a canoe a time or two before your trip. Watch a couple of videos on map reading and how to stay found. You will be great! First, bugs. Yup, there will be both mosquitoes and black flies in June. Bring head nets and deet. Get your food preparation done before dark. Be in your tent before late dusk. Understand that black flies are needed for the rest of us to have blueberries in August! So thank you for feeding them. Crowds of people - The area that you are entering and leaving have enough of a reputation for difficulty that the biggest groups will avoid these like the plague. We exited through your entry route in August and have never had to wait at a portage. Again, there are not that many permits, and the difficulty here is a barrier to most groups. Portages - They will be plentiful to start. Embrace the walking. (Wear your head nets.). I like the walks along the burn areas. You get to see the forest in a much different phase of life. More leaves, grass, berries, flowers, etc. Especially in early June. Lots of flowering going on. Be careful on the wooden staircase! Especially if it is wet. People have said that Gotter Lake is the ugliest lake in the BW. I like it. Just feels like it could be very biologically active. Wind - I feel like being wind bound is a chance to really slow down. Bring a book. Explore the forest around the campsite. Watch an insect work. Find different flora. Mushrooms, ferns, etc. Mentioned before is that spring is a very floral time of year. Lady Slippers can be found in the right places. Did you know there are wild azalea in the boreal forest? Birds sing much more in June (September is so quiet). You can hear the male grouse thumping their chests. Bring small binoculars. Wind bound is a great time to take a nap in a hammock. Dogs - They are getting more common in the BW. Although the ones I meet now are more likely to be leashed. As with any dog, decline to engage with them without the owner's consent. Mud - I hope that you do indeed find some mud. Dry Junes are not normal. The BW needs a steady supply of water to make it work. There have been some extremes in the last few years. I hope that it is done making averages the hard way and becomes much more benign. I know you said this is bucket list trip, but, I hope you will fall in love with this place and make a more regular visit afterward. |
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| PointMe2Polaris |
In regards to the BWCA. I don't think I can say it any better than Michwall said it in the previous post. But here's my story: My first time in the BWCA was in July of 2011. It was extremely humid and 94 degrees out. According to the outfitter, it was the 3rd hottest day in the last 5 years. Also, I was sick and dehydrated. I threw up on my way to the EP. We single portaged up to Gun Lake (a 6 hour trek). Mosquitos, no see-ums and black flies were declaring war on anything with a pulse. Ants and bugs were crawling over everything, so much so that it made it unbearable to sit on anything, even large rocks. The light weight camp chairs were just coming in to market, so we did not have one because we were unaware of them. We had a crappy gravity fed Katydin water filter that barely worked, so it was very difficult to get water. My first day in the BWCA made me seriously wonder how deranged people must be to call this a vacation. My hate level for this trip was already at a 10 and we still had 5 days to go. However, about 10pm that night the temp suddenly dropped as a cool breeze moved in. From that moment on God showed my why 100's of thousands visit this place annually. The bugs drastically declined, the temp was around 75 every day, the fishing was very good and the sound of the loons highlighted my every evening. My hate level dropped to a 1 and my love level for the BWCA jumped to a 10. I live 9+ hours away and have been back nearly every summer since. When comparing the good with the bad, the comparisons IMO clearly tip the scales largely in the favor of the good. Despite all the horror stories you may have heard, try to focus on the good this trip presents and simply tolerate the few negatives. Plan and prepare. Create a forum question like this one for any concern or question you may have and I assure you'll be fully prepared by the time you enter. Have a great "bucket list" trip! With that said, I hope you have one crappy day so you can fully understand the blessings behind every good one. Darin |
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| OMGitsKa |
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| merlyn |
I have never been held up for very long at even the busiest portages, probably 10 or 15 min. tops. I have never had a problem with large groups of any kind, seeing 3 or 4 canoes paddling across the lake or even close to my camp just meant more waves hello. I have never not gotten a campsite, have never raced anyone to a campsite in whitecaps. ( don't be on the water in those conditions) I will admit to getting anxious though but always found a spot. I hate bugs but there a tons of products to help deal with them. You have been to Wisconsin dirt camping so dealing with them shouldn't be anything new. Rough portages, mud, roots rocks Oh BOY! Don't wear your dress shoes. Use some common sense as regards to footwear and you will be just fine. ( I use low hikers with gaiters in the spring and trail runners in warm weather. Neoprene sox in May wool sox in camp and summer, always wet foot. You have chosen one of the harder routes for a novice or even the experienced paddler. Take your time be safe, have fun. NO ONE will judge you! (except yourself) PS: good rain gear is critical |
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| Vinski |
I think it is important for any trip, but definitely a first trip, to have route options so you can adjust your daily travel distance based on how you feel. One thing that was really helpful was to keep a journal for each day noting how far we went, where we camped, what we ate, and how we felt. Then we did a debrief the day we got off the water to decide what food we liked and didn't like, what things we brought and didn't use, what things we wished we would have brought with us, and what felt like an optimal distance to travel each day. That little journal was clutch for planning my trips this year and I'm sure I'll enjoy my 2nd and 3rd trips even more. ; ) |
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| Canoeinggal |
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| JimEb |
People are surprised to learn I’ve never been to the BWCA knowing how into canoes/camping I am. Often these are people aren’t really into this stuff, yet they and their mother have done the BWCA. Guess thats why I’ve never done it before because it sounds like everyone does it. But anyway, for exactly the same reason I’ve been avoiding it is why I decided to go this year. My perception is its overcrowded, mainstream, etc…but there must be a reason everyone does it. There must be a reason it’s so talked about, why so many books written on just this one area. Therefore I picked a route that seems a little more off the beaten path and puts me in lake trout territory, which is a goal for this trip. Will be a solo trip, but thats usually how I roll. Guess I just need to check it out and see what the hype is all about. Started this thread to see if others have been in this situation before and how it worked out. Did the BWCA become your new go-to place? |
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| pleflar |
If you have experience bushwacking and wild camping the BWCA will be fine. Just do what you know and have fun. |
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| OldGuide2 |
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| Ausable |
JimEb: "How many of you were experienced canoe campers/backpackers before you ever did the BWCA? What were your expectations and did it live up to it?" I had taken 7 consecutive annual trips to Quetico (southern entry points) and Woodland Caribou provincial parks before I went to the BWCA. Looking at topographical maps and seeing the pictures of the BWCA on this site, I expected the BWCA to be similar to Quetico in scenery & portaging, but with more people. Those expectations were correct. The BWCA campsite latrines make the BWCA experience a bit more pleasant compared to Quetico. I prefer fewer people. I've been able to get that by choosing BWCA entry points with fewer permits/day, going deeper into the wilderness, or choosing lesser-traveled routes. Still, if I were to choose, Woodland Caribou (WCPP) fits me better than either of the southern parks for this purpose. |
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| straighthairedcurly |
The area you are traveling is not one of the more crowded ones. Try to get down to Little Sag if you can. Wind...if you go to Gabimichigami then probably...LOL. Don't know what it is about that lake (maybe its round shape) but I always end up with the harshest wind and waves there. All the rest are pretty small and hard to get too windy. Have an awesome trip and remember that the ones without strife and hardship are not the ones that end up in the memory books :) |
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| mgraber |
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| billconner |
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| bwcadan |
Until you have expectations of a positive trip, I would focus on returning to other trips for your enjoyment as in your past trips elsewhere. For me, I have nothing in my bucket list with an expectation as low as you have stated. If you enjoy the outdoors and water trips elsewhere, I hope you plan and then go. You may very well enjoy the effort and then the trip itself. Good luck. |
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| THEGrandRapids |
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| brulu |
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| NEIowapaddler |
My recommendation would be to prepare for all eventualities as best you can and then just take things as they come. Even if some part kinda sucks you'll probably look back on it in a few years and realize it wasn't so bad after all. |
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| JimEb |
I’m doing a first time trip to the BWCA after putting it off for so many years. Guess its a bucket list trip. Brant Lake in June, loop around and exit via Missing Link. Have to say my expectations are low. I’m expecting muddy/rocky portages, massive bug infestation, and crowds of people. Campsite anxiety competing for a site against massive hoards of boyscout and church mega groups, unleashed dogs running everywhere. Racing these competitors on white capped lakes with 30 mph headwinds. I know stories of the suck are always loudest. |
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| mnriver |
JimEb: "How many of you were experienced canoe campers/backpackers before you ever did the BWCA? What were your expectations and did it live up to it? I grew up tent camping, and still car camp with my family. I have canoe camped several times on the St Croix River, as well as day trips on other MN rivers, but as I've read on here if you're not portaging weight isn't really an issue, bring the kitchen sink if you want. Honestly I prefer how my canoes handle with a full load of gear. My only trip so far to the BWCA was in June 2022 and we took the same route you're planning but in the other direction - Myself, my brother in law, and my 3 sons ages 10, 13, and 16. We had heavy canoes and too much gear and food, and our first day portaging Round to Missing Link and Missing Link to Tuscarora the temperature went over 90. The first portage went ok, but as the temp climbed we were able to carry less and less gear in one trip, and our double portage turned into a triple and quadruple portage as we leap frogged gear and tried to stay cool. It ended up taking us seven hours to complete the Missing Link to Tuscarora portage, and I estimate we consumed around 5 gallons of water doing it, as well as sharing some with another group going the same way who had run out. But we made it through and got the site we had hoped for, and after cooling off in the lake and resting in the shade all was right with the world. Sheltered from a storm that blew through that night, but after that the remainig nights were calm. The days were windier than we had hoped for, which prevented us from getting in the fishing we had hoped for, but the bugs were much better than expected - we missed the flies, and mosquitoes were not at all bad, mostly on the portages, few in camp. Our complete route was Round - Missing Link - Tuscarora, camped two nights there - Owl - Crooked - Gillis - Bat, camped one night there - Green - Flying - Gotter - Brant, spent our final night there. We camped the night before and the night after at Forest Service campgrounds - Iron Lake on the way up and Devil Track on the way back, to give us an early entry time and full travel days. We planned two nights on Tuscarora to "recover" from the portage, and that worked perfectly. We left a day early because another storm was coming, and we didn't want to have to worry about wind delaying travel. Yes the portages were both rocky and muddy, bugs will be anyone's guess until you get there. That area you probably won't see many people, likely due to the difficulty of the portages. We saw only one or two other groups per day, our night on Bat we had the lake to ourselves. Water levels were high - on the Flying to Gotter portage we stepped out of our canoes onto the bottom step of the stairs - the landing area was under water. But no fire danger so we had camp fires every night. The main reason we picked this route was 1) so we could make a loop and still end up back at the same entry point, and 2) it was one of the few permits we could get. Overall it was a great trip and I plan to go back. I learned a lot from this site before I went, and a lot from the trip, and I know what I'll do differently next time. And remember, no two people travel the BWCA the same way, so get out there and find out what works for you. |
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| ProneonthePortage2021 |
That first trip lived up to my expectations but I spent months researching and planning, had a couple gear checks with the group, and even had a meet and greet with an old salt who was kind enough to go over gear with us and answer all our newbie questions. It was fantastic and I’ll always be grateful for that. I think the biggest thing is to remain flexible with the group. I’m a little more adventurous and will just power through the pain to get to where we are going, but if someone is struggling, their needs need to be considered. I’ve had great trips and I’ve had some not so great trips. I learn from the not so great experiences and vow to do better next time. Each time I’m out there things seem to get a little more streamlined. That being said, I’d love to go with some old timers to learn their secrets so I can make camping more enjoyable and well, easier. I’m always up for learning new tips and tricks. I think the trip will be what you make of it. I’ve never had a trip that was so miserable we left early bc everyone hated it. I see a lot of complaints about bugs but they’ve never bothered me that much- head net and bug spray. Again, I think the trip will be what you make of it and there’s too much to love about the BW <3 Pro tip: Do a gear check. It makes everything more streamlined. |
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| foxfireniner |
I had some experience camping and also 20+ years in the Army to get used to things that suck. My first trip I took novices. My kids were nearly adults and, my fault, had only ever car camped. They had canoeing experience though as we had daytripped and paddled around some. The other part of our group were a father and son who had never done such a thing but wanted to have good fishing. We went into Wood Lake and I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know if my kids would want to return so I packed cheaply. Did you know you can fit 2 5-gallon buckets into an old Army duffle as a food bag? Neither did they. I also took in Big Alice, the 1980s vintage Osagian aluminum canoe I inherited from my father...weighs like 80-90 pounds. The Wood Lake portage falls into the "talking to yourself" portage rating. There are (3) ratings in my estimation. 1) "this isn't so bad". 2) "i need to manage my breathing" 3) "we have to be almost there. I'll see water just over this little rise. Agh! just a sucker's hill. That next little rise, after that I'll see water." aka the "talking to yourself" portage. I chose the Wood Lake because of the long initial portage. I thought, "that'll keep the crowds out!" and I was right to an extent. It is a day use lake that sees some daily pressure. But, by God, that aluminum canoe was a mistake! Food bag too. Oh, and I brought every lure that I had ever purchased and had them in a handled, reuseable grocery bag. That bag was my kids' most hated bag. We chose the first campsite we found because it was empty. It was a skillet. No wind, no shade. We moved to Good Lake and got the air conditioned campsite on the bluff. It was a great improvement. Mosquitos were a problem (July 4th) from about 7:45 to 8:30P and on portages. We left a day early because it looked like our last day was gonna be thunderstorms. I honestly didn't think anyone would go back with me. I planned the trip poorly, didn't provide good guidance on what to bring for clothes or food. I had no BW rhythm when we got there. I just went with the flow, kept no schedules, and listened to my group. We go back at least twice a year now. We have a standing July 4th trip every year and between my kids' jobs and college, I plan an off trip just in case. I even took 2 of my daughter's friends in back to back years. To date, I have taken 10 first timers in the last 5-6 years. My advice to you is: spend the money required to be comfortable. Rent a nice light canoe, buy some of the lightweight chairs, take in plenty of snacks that your first timers can graze on. Don't get in a hurry and give yourself a day or two on the back end before you have to go back to work. Investigate a few campsites before you choose one. Take enough to make everyone comfortable. Be patient if people beat you to a portage (remember they don't like you being in the way any more than you like them.) Mountain House meal are trip savers. Plan 1 for every day and you won't go wrong. I started with gravity filter but was always thirsty before gravity could act. I moved to katydyn filters (they broke and sucked) then MSR filters (love them for instant water) but this year I'll do gravity in camp and MSR elsewhere. The basic rule in the Army is "a good Soldier is always improving his fighting position." I tell my wife that every year when the new gear starts to arrive. I have a big order coming in today! |
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| bombinbrian |
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| Crappiekillah |
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| Z4K |
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