Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Quetico Forum :: Clean sites?
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Finnboy |
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Gaidin53 |
I’ll have to ask my son who just got back from a long trip in Quetico. Ryan |
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waverider |
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TrailZen |
TZ |
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Chattysherpa |
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Pat Reddy |
In our first three Quetico trips, we did not find one piece of garbage with the exception of an occasional lost piece of rope or tent stake - always at a campsite. We recall, quite fondly, paddling great distances to pick up what looked like a white paper cup or someone's lost map floating in a lake only to find that it was a flower! We had always entered Quetico from the U.S side via a shuttle from Anderson's and got pretty deep in to the park in the first 24 hours. That has a lot to do with the amount of trash, and people, we did not see. Three 10-day trips and we only saw four other canoes total after getting a few lakes away from our drop off. And those trips were in late August. Our last trip (2022) we entered at Beverhouse in early June and it was quite different. We saw multiple people every day until we made our way in to Bentpine. We also found out, must to our disappointment, that the portages and campsites closer to the more popular entry points were not quite the same as those deeper in the park. Still, the trash was not horrible, but we did find more discarded stuff - like broken fishing rods, and old water jug, and several makeshift grills. On one island on Quetico, a group before us has laid two logs across a ravine, lined the logs with some old carpet, and used this as their community latrine. It was, needless to say, a disgusting mess. Not trash related, but disappointing nonetheless...we found two other sites on Quetico lake that had massive furniture-like structures built onsite. One site had a complete tiki bar made of plywood with a roof over the top and everything! Looked like it had been there for years. NOT what we want to see in a "wilderness" area, but better than trash I suppose. |
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Argo |
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Canoeinggal |
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deerfoot |
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Canoeinggal |
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HangLoose |
I just got back from a 10 day Quetico trip to some very remote areas. Just on this trip alone, I found trash in several places. On one occasion, paddling along a remote lake, we noticed something on the shore. As we approached we realized it was a cardboard box with some old tortillas, a squeeze tube of yellow mustard, and some miscellaneous trash. It was nowhere near an established campsite. On another lake, we found a beautiful campsite with an abundance of burnt and melted plastic and aluminum foil in the fire pit along with aluminum cans and abandoned silverware. There were also people's initials carved into live trees. We found another campsite with a man-made monstrosity of a bench made from notched logs lashed together with rope. We reported the bench to the Quetico office in Atikokan. Luckily, I've never encountered a toilet paper mess. We always carry out more trash than we create, but we have limits to what we're willing to carry out. I'd say overall, there is less of these "dirty sites" in Quetico than the BWCAW, but there is no escaping it, even in Quetico. Some folks just don't get it. |
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mapsguy1955 |
Argo: "My only complaint was moving into an adjacent site for the second day of a layover on Batchewaung and finding hot coals and a smoldering pack of smokes on the fire. I don't mind finding minor bits of refuse in a firepit but it shouldn't be burning when we arrive." Do smokers carry their used butts out? I've always wondered, since far too many just leave them on the ground after finishing... |
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uqme2 |
A 35mm film canister makes a great traveling ashtray. Very smell proof and one will hold a pack of field stripped filters from kings. I'd empty mine in every fire but I believe burning garbage may be against the rules in the BW so ymmv. What I know for sure is I'd always enjoyed the disappointment on the face of any BP person who looked into my eyes and then thought I'd be stupid enough to leave a roach in either ashtray going in either direction. |
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tumblehome |
Otherwise I had clean sites thankfully, and I left them pristine when I departed. Tom |
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bobbernumber3 |
tumblehome: "...and I did find TP in the woods which I always find....they aught to bury it before they leave.,,," Spend a minute, use a Bic lighter, and burn the TP before burying the main job. |
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billconner |
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tumblehome |
Guestman: "Burn it,really.During these times of climate change and wildfires.Please people don’t listen to this terribly irresponsible advice,bury your t.p. Like a good citizen." Dear guest, Quetico Parkrangers request that you burn your TP when you pick up your permit. I bury my TP because I don’t like to smell poop twice. Tom |
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Banksiana |
uqme2: " What is this "film canister" you speak of? How does one acquire such an object? |
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Stumpy |
Banksiana: "uqme2: " LOL ! |
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Pwilly |
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MichiganMan |
In all though, most sites looked great with no litter or damage. |