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10 Steps in Planning an October Canoe Trip to the BWCA
Fall is a magical season in canoe country: a brief respite of quiet calm between the relative chaos of summer and the icy grip of winter. And, in many ways, the experience of a canoe trip in the BWCA is greatly enriched by the season. Once October 1st rolls around though, the looming threat of…
A Wilderness of the People – The 2023 Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Situational Assessment
The June 28th USFS newsletter contained the results of a six-month-long survey with confidential feedback from 100 individuals representing a wide scope of BWCAW users, affiliated businesses, nonprofits, and managing agencies. Their survey delved deep into the complexities of managing America’s busiest, and often one of the most complicated and controversial, wilderness areas. The results…
BWCA Superlatives – Setting the Facts Straight
It all goes back to a BWCA trivia contest. That’s when it sank it anyways. I consider myself a BWCA nerd, down to the root, so maybe these things are more obvious to me. In any case, an organization that should have been experts in the topic were incorrect in the answers they provided for…
Paddling The Margins
Buy Tickets After five years of planning, preparation and training, Jack sets out on his most ambitious kayaking project yet. Paddling The Margins follows the journey to paddle unsupported over 2,000 kilometers along some of Canada’s most beautifully remote coastline, the Pacific Northwest. Director and Producer: Jack River Hampton
Is it Possible to Circumnavigate Minnesota by Canoe?
Preface: This route plan should not be utilized without extensive personal research. I have not completed this route nor do I specifically intend to. It exists for entertainment purposes only. As with all adventures, do your due diligence and research in vetting any part of this article before attempting a dangerous or challenging activity. With…
How to Start Wilderness Winter Camping on a Budget
The wind howls around the steep rocky palisade displacing snow which softly blanketed the lichen-speckled crag the night before. The cold wind bites the face as the eyes turn upwards towards brilliant hues of pink and orange igniting the morning sky. The evening dark and long makes the dawn all the more magical. And with…
Wildlife in Wildlands – A History of BWCA Wildlife
The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Superior National Forest, and Voyageurs National Park make up the largest wild landscape in Minnesota as well as being one of the largest wild spaces east of the Mississippi in the US. Combine that with wildlands directly across the border in Quetico Provincial Park and the surrounding crownlands, and…
In the Context of Wilderness
Earlier this week, September 3rd, was the 59th anniversary of the 1964 Wilderness Act which established the BWCAW and 53 other areas as newly defined wilderness. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness has since gone on to become one of the most well-known and widely-beloved wilderness areas in the country. In examining the BWCAW today,…
The Comprehensive Guide to Portaging Like a Pro
We all took our first portage somewhere. From those first tender rods on wobbly legs, we each struggled to carry all our gear from lake to lake. For many of us, this was also a time of questions: “Why did I bring so much gear?”, “Why is my canoe so heavy?”, “Am I in good…
