Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Trip Reports :: Trip Report - Big Moose & a little girl ~ A river less paddled
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paddler480 |
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Spartan2 |
Glad it all worked out so well with taking the baby out, especially so late in the season. Looks like you and she had a good time. |
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wawasee |
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PineKnot |
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TuscaroraBorealis |
Might be awhile before I try winter camping with Aurora. :) |
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Ho Ho |
As it happens, I was just thinking today about doing a trip to Big Moose. Your report definitely made me want to do it even more. We've hiked in to both ends - over the portage from Cummings, and along the Big Moose Trail - but I've never paddled or camped on the lake. I'll have to remedy that soon. I wonder if we can get a late season trip in the next couple weeks? I had a few thoughts about your naturalist observations as I read you report. About trees - in my experience there are very few cedars up on the Echo Trail EPs. I believe cedars like less acidic soils, like those are associated with the greenstone belt that runs roughly east-west from Ely (the greenstone goes a little further north to the east, and a little further south to the west). That cedar habitat is common in the mid-section of the BWCA. But a few miles north of Ely you on the pure granite bedrock that is more acidic, and that stretches through most of Quetico (except the Man Chain), where cedars are pretty uncommon. About oaks - having now lived through an autumn on the Echo Trail, I can tell you there are a lot more oaks than you think up here, as shrubs and small trees. Not anything like further south in Minnesota, but more than I noticed other seasons. You really realize they are here when they turn crimson-brown in the fall. I have read that some scientists think that oaks are expanding up here due to global warming. But they have been here a while (maybe in smaller numbers), and Sig Olson has an essay about getting an oak from a canoe country rock outcrop to plant at Listening Point. About beaver dams - you mentioned hitting a very low beaver dam going upstream, and then a little later coming up to a monster dam. I read that beavers normally build a small dam downstream from their main dam in order to reduce the water pressure on the main dam. It sounds like that was the case here. They are clever engineers for sure! Thanks again for the great report. |
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Ozarker |
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jjjds1999 |
BTW-where did Vickie get the pants that zip off below the knee? I would love to have a pair of them, but can't find them. Thanks! |
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jjjds1999 |
quote vickieh69: "quote jjjds1999: " Thank you, I'll check them out! |
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BWPaddler |
Loved seeing little A on her second BW trip - some of us haven't done a 2 mile portage after decades of tripping ;) You guys are inspirations! Love seeing A's little PeaPod in use and thinking of her sleeping the night through out there. Woohoo! |
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misqua |
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TomT |
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TuscaroraBorealis |
fitgers1 ~ Thanks for pointing out an interesting aspect of bringing her before her first birthday. It never occurred to us that she will be able to make that claim. Cool beans! misqua ~ While the Black Pearl will inevitably succumb to another larger canoe one day; We have no intentions of selling her. I'm sure we'll still get her out on the water. If for no other reason than to save our extended family from having to rent a canoe if they want to come along with us. Ozarker ~ My sincere congratulations to you & your daughter. I agree these memories will last a lifetime. Ho Ho ~ As always, you provide great insight helping to describe why things like trees, or beaver dams are the way the are. Information that is greatly appreciated. Hope you get a chance to paddle up the river before it freezes. BTW Looking forward to your Quetico trip report! The Big Moose hiking trail is apparently quite a popular way to access the lake? We seen no less the 3 seperate groups use the trail during our stay. (and we were gone from the lake for long stretches on a couple of days) As I alluded to in the report, we didn't get a chance to hike it. But, I'd like to get back to do it one day. |
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vickieh69 |
quote jjjds1999: " REI-Mountain Hardware brand |
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fitgers1 |
How great it will be for her to say when she is 30, "I've been going to the BWCA for 30 years" or any age, or "I've been going all my life" and it will be true. Congrats on a beautiful baby and a great trip! |
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TuscaroraBorealis |
Trip Name: Big Moose & a little girl ~ A river less paddled. Entry Point: 8 Click Here to View Trip Report |
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Zulu |
Sorry I missed meeting Aurora at Wingnite. When do you think she will be ready to try winter camping with you? Looking forward to seeing more photos of her growing up on canoe trips. I see from the gear forum you are already looking at getting a "mini van" type 3 person canoe for the growing family. The Black Pearl won't like getting left at home and may get jealous if a new canoe shows up at the house someday! |
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Dennisal |
Thanks for sharing. |
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wetcanoedog |
great photos and that looks like a very nice and sort of "hidden" part of the BW. |
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SevenofNine |
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ducks |
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