BWCA – CHEROKEE LAKE ADVENTURE : (Part 3 of 3)

The Boundary Waters Canoe Area – BWCA located within the Superior National Forest in Northern Minnesota provides a truly unique vast wilderness experience. It’s huge expanse of lakes intertwined with random portages expedites an amazing opportunity like no other for a wilderness adventure! Follow along on our BWCA – CHEROKEE LAKE ADVENTURE!

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“The wilderness holds answers to questions we have not yet learned to ask.”

— Nancy Wynne Newhall

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The Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) located within the Superior National Forest in Northern Minnesota offers adventure, wilderness, canoeing, portaging and camping opportunities. These wilderness adventures should NOT be entered into lightly. Careful planning alongside skilled guidance from others of experience or a professional outfitter’s preparation and route plan are essential to a successful outcome. Even the most skilled, prepared, experienced travelers can experience peril!

Our family has been traveling within the BWCA for 20+ years. This hiking (portaging) trip into the wilderness involves navigation of a series of lakes. We fish to eat, and move camp as we go. My first trip was the first summer after I married my husband in 1997. His family had already learned the “smart way” to experience this rugged wilderness through other’s expertise as well as through trial and error.

Each year a new way to be smarter or wiser evolves in the group of no more than 9 people and 4 canoes (permit restrictions). From lighter more efficient packed gear, to tastier and easier food ideas, each year we discover new ways of improving the ease of the trips. Greater enjoyment is found through ease of packing when portaging a lighter, smarter pack!

Another BWCA Adventure can be found here: CLICK HERE!

Here are other blog posts of similar adventures in the BWCA:

BWCA-PERILOUS WILDERNESS ADVENTURE: (PART 1 OF 3 PART SERIES)

BWCA-PERILOUS WILDERNESS ADVENTURE: (PART 2 OF 3 PART SERIES)

BWCA-PERILOUS WILDERNESS ADVENTURE: (PART 3 of 3 PART SERIES)

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PROLOGUE:

If one has never ventured into the BWCA on a circuit of wilderness over the course of several days, you just really have no idea what you are in for…

Well, one must consider the perils of nature first and foremost. Horrific storms have been known to blow into the BWCA from out of nowhere and blow massive trees over on campers. Wind storms have been known to take canoes right up off land and hurl them into the lake stranding campers. Lightning strikes have sparked forest fires that have burned thousands of acres and trapped people in the wilderness. Bear, moose, wolves, and other wild animals are present and must be respected with proper care of your provisions.

Awareness of your surroundings and ALWAYS tying off your canoe when on shore are essential behaviors. So many things can go wrong when you are 3 days away from your vehicle that is parked 2 hours away from civilization and no cell signal! One miss-step can alter the entire “planned trip” if leaving to seek medical attention is required.

The BWCA can be a dangerous place for BOTH those that are unfamiliar with it AND for those that are experienced. Proper respect for the WILDERNESS is necessary at all times. A leave no trace mentality must be observed.

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If you have not read Part #1 of this series then click here to read: BWCA – CHEROKEE LAKE ADVENTURE : (Part 1 of 3 part series)

If you have not read Part #2 of this series then click here to read: BWCA – CHEROKEE LAKE ADVENTURE : (Part 2 of 3 part series)

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BWCA – CHEROKEE LAKE ADVENTURE : (Part 3 of 3)

BWCA 2021 Time Elapse Captures

When a storm blows into this wilderness area it usually can be heard or observed from a great distance. My son Jacob set up some time elapse captures. Enjoy this capture of a storm that evolved into rain through the sunshine! Northern Minnesota had been experiencing severely dry weather and many forest fires raged through the BWCA in 2021. We were fortunate to enjoy this trip during a window of time when the BWCA was open to visitors and prior to many of the fires. This small evening rain cloud dried very quickly and left almost no trace of the wetness in its wake.

Another great capture of time elapse shows paddling the length of a lake, fishing, portaging and launching into the next lake! The vastness of this wilderness can be observed through this time elapse.

CHEROKEE LAKE provided us with great adventures, fishing, camping and fun! The video below shows the trip from start to finish. The extreme nature of the hard work to achieve these locations, set up camp, and exist in this rugged wilderness is rewarded with the amazingly beautiful views!

2021 BWCA WHOLE TRIP VIDEO

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PART 2:

BWCA – CHEROKEE LAKE ADVENTURE : (Part 3 of 3)

Day 6 FISHING ON GORDON LAKE

(5.4 miles paddle round trip)

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Day 6: Today the camp decision was to head up the long length of Gordon Lake to explore and fish for our dinner. Gordon Lake as seen from the above map is a very lengthy mass of water with many coves and narrows that provide excellent fishing. It only has two camp sites on the lake as shown through the “red dot” on the map. Most use this passage as a pass through lake to get to their destinations.

We headed out traveling North towards the 13 rod portage into Gordon Lake. We fished the very deep depths of Cherokee Lake looking for the elusive Burbot Fish that can be found in the deep depths. This “poor mans lobster” tasting fish was one of our goals. NOPE! No one caught one. It remained elusive! Many Pike, Lake Trout, minimal bass were caught. Pike was the predominant catch. Reeling in a Pike is always a fun time! They are such active fighters and provide a thrilling chase to land!

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“Nature has been for me, for as long as I remember, a source of solace, inspiration, adventure, and delight; a home, a teacher, a companion.”

— Lorraine Anderson

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BWCA – CHEROKEE LAKE ADVENTURE : (Part 3 of 3)

DAY 7 – CHEROKEE LAKE back to SAWBILL LAKE

(9.7 miles 1 way; 8.3 paddle, 1.4 portage)

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Our last morning in the wild we awoke at just before daybreak. It was still dark out at 4:50a.m. We rapidly broke camp, ate a quick breakfast, and cleared our camp site by 6:30a.m. Keeping a quick grueling pace, we retraced our path from Day 1 back out the same way we had initially headed into Cherokee Lake.

The group had a goal to be back to Sawbill Lake Campground to shower by 11:00 a.m. with all of our gear loaded and canoes strapped on the vehicles. Of course the young bucks led the charge with a rapid pace being set!

We had a 12 hour drive ahead of us from there, so whatever time we would leave would be the time we arrived home later. Leave at 12 arrive by 12. A shower here at Sawbill has never felt better after a week in the wilderness with a lake swim as your resource to be clean! We were clean, loaded, and ready to drive back from Minnesota to Michigan! A rewarding stop for hot gooey pizza and sodas was the first order of business!

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“To be whole. To be complete. Wildness reminds us what it means to be human, what we are connected to rather than what we are separate from.”

~Terry Tempest Willliams

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BWCA – CHEROKEE LAKE ADVENTURE : (Part 3 of 3)

FRIENDSHIPS FORMED

As with any “team” the bonding that occurs in a situation like this of dependent interactions for survival creates lasting bonds. Deep friendships form and strong lasting bonds evolve. Complete trust for one’s own safety must be entrusted to your teammates. The rewards of these bonds are endless as you share your mutual LOVE for the great outdoors!

God travels with each of us daily! He is listening. Start your day talking to Him. Share your burdens, ask for His guidance, plead with Him for wisdom. Put on your protective “armor” each day. Earthly distractions overwhelm. Let God’s grace be a comfort daily. Seek an inner-stillness quest! Enjoy His gifts even through His creation, like a patch of beautiful flowers!

Try to find beauty in ALL of His creation. Seek quiet for contemplation and introspection often. Others diminish us daily. Refill your cup with assurances of His promises. Don’t let others steal your joy! Don’t judge them. Love them right where they are at in their walk with HIM. Pray for them and forgive them even through their hurt of you. IT’S HARD!

Dig deep and try, even when you don’t want to…do it! It is God’s command that we Love our neighbors as we Love ourselves. Forgive them and move on. Their choice is behave how they choose to behave. Your choice is behave how you are instructed to behave! Try to focus on this!

Take God along with you throughout each day, don’t shut Him out by not including Him in your life. Especially in these crazy COVID days, seek His guidance, comfort, and peace. His grace IS ENOUGH!

We were truly blessed to have this experience again this summer. What a great respite from hand sanitizer and masks! It was such a blessing to get off the crazy COVID train for a short period and feel normal with a group of amazing people!

Are you able to figure out a way to keep your sanity amidst all the angst of COVID? Where have you been? What have you done to provide a respite from this ordeal for your family? How are you doing coping?

Leave me a reply below. I really would like to hear from you!

Inspirationally Yours,

Barbara

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BIO: https://www.inspirationaltraveladventures.com/about-us/

About Me

A 1993 graduate of Michigan State University, Barbara earned a BS in Social Science Pre-Law. She is a Business Manager/HR Director. Her passion is travel, discovering new places, experiences, cuisine, cultures while enjoying temperate climates. Barbara is a newly transitioning empty-nester who became a travel blogger. She’s a great photographer, talented writer, and has a great family to highlight in her high school/college athlete football sons.

WEBSITE: www.inspirationaltraveladventures.com

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BWCA – CHEROKEE LAKE ADVENTURE : (Part 2 of 3)

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BWCA – CHEROKEE LAKE ADVENTURE : (Part 2 of 3)

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BWCA – CHEROKEE LAKE ADVENTURE : (Part 1 of 3)

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BWCA – CHEROKEE LAKE ADVENTURE : (Part 3 of 3)

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BWCA – CHEROKEE LAKE ADVENTURE : (Part 3 of 3)

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Pin it for later: Inspirational Travel Adventures – #10

BWCA – CHEROKEE LAKE ADVENTURE : (Part 1 of 3)

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BWCA – CHEROKEE LAKE ADVENTURE : (Part 1 of 3)

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Pin it for later: Inspirational Travel Adventures – #10

BWCA – CHEROKEE LAKE ADVENTURE : (Part 1 of 3)

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BWCA – CHEROKEE LAKE ADVENTURE : (Part 1 of 3)

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