Boudary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

[Rick]

I'm contemplating a week trip in August to the BWCAW. I've never been but I know a few of you have. I'll end up where I enter so I'm looking for advice on the best area. It will be my wife and I in one canoe and my son and his better half in another.

1. Where should I enter for a 5-7 day event?
2. Anything special I should consider taking?
3. Anything locally I need to be aware (or beware) of?

Any advice or suggestions appreciated.

There is another thread on the BWCAW but there is no information in it.

[RBB]

I'm contemplating a week trip in August to the BWCAW. I've never been but I know a few of you have. I'll end up where I enter so I'm looking for advice on the best area. It will be my wife and I in one canoe and my son and his better half in another.

1. Where should I enter for a 5-7 day event?
2. Anything special I should consider taking?
3. Anything locally I need to be aware (or beware) of?

Any advice or suggestions appreciated.

There is another thread on the BWCAW but there is no information in it.

Two easy routes.

#1. I would enter Nina Moose River (upper Moose River), paddle into lac la Croix, paddle over into Crooked Lake - then back out. Curtain Falls and Rebecca Falls well worth checking out.


#2. Fourtown Lake up Horse River, Basswood River and into Crooked Lake - back out by a series of small lakes. Upper Basswood Falls and Table Rock is on this route. Fishing good at the Riffles.

If you are interested - I could give you a PM with more details.

Anything special to take: Light weight gear and canoes. Three paddles per canoe. Duluth packs.

Get your permit early. Break camp eary - be in the canoe by six - plan on campiing by 2 PM (way too many people up there that time of year).

Bring a pack rod. Should be good bronze back fishing. Walleyes possible.

[red lake]

Head a few more hours north for a true wilderness experience. Woodland Caribou Provincial Park is bigger than the BWCA if memory serves me correctly and gets around 800 visitors per year. Pictographs, moose, timber wolves, maintained portages and solitude like you have never experienced before. Access is from the community of Red Lake which is the furthest north you can drive in Ontario year round. Ice roads in the winter expand that some 500-600 km north.

Red Lake is the Norseman Float Plane capital and holds an annual festival in July to celebrate the planes long and storied history.

Fishing here is like nothing you have likely ever experienced. Going into the remote lakes will almost guarantee you fresh walleye or trout for dinner every day.

By August the mosquitos and black flies will be just about done and the swimming will be great.

If you have your heart set on BWCA check out www.bwca.com or www.quietjourney.com

If you want more info on the WCPP further north check out www.myccr.com

[Rick]

Thanks guys. My son is just recovering from a pretty devastating illness and his strength is about nill right now. We're hoping he is up to doing something like that in August. That's the target we're working toward anyway. If not, then maybe next year. It all depends on him right now.

I have been looking at bwca.com and also the Forest Service web site. They have some pretty good info there as well.

Not locked into BWCA by any means. It's just a large wilderness area that looks like a lot of canoe fun. Solitude is high on the list, though and Minnesota doesn't honor my CCW (Grrrrrrrrr).

[sh4d0wm4573ri7]

You all will enjoy is most beautiful area of Mn so many options my advice don't forget the bear rope , fishing is phenomenal