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 – Wilderness Adventure SAWBILL to MAKWA.
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“The wilderness holds answers to questions we have not yet learned to ask.”
— Nancy Wynne Newhall
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!
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, terrifying 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, snakes, beaver, otter, chipmunks, 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.
On this trip my oldest son Jacob was determined to capture a time elapse of a beautiful sunrise or a sunset. The challenges of battery power limited his efforts. He really wanted to capture a storm rolling in and the rain that would follow. Believe it or not, we did not experience rain on this trip or a storm overhead. Below is his six second video that took many hours to film with time elapse. He enjoyed the challenge of a capturing this footage on our last morning on Lake Phoebe.
SAWBILL LAKE to PHOEBE LAKE (8.2 miles, 6.4 miles canoeing, 1.8 miles portaging = TOTAL TRAVEL TIME 4:12 if single portaging and paddling 3 mph)
PHOEBE LAKE to LAKE POLLY (8 miles, 6.6 miles canoeing, 1.4 miles portaging = TOTAL TRAVEL TIME 3:53 if single portaging and paddling 3 mph)
Today the camp decision was to head out of Sawbill Lake campground (#38 on the above map) at daybreak moving towards Phoebe Lake. We moved steadily and safely through a series of lakes portaging and canoeing through the wilderness determined to take advantage of the cooler morning air and calm waters. Once there even though physically tasked, the decision was made to continue on to Lake Polly to secure a campsite providing a better position to move on towards our ultimate goal closer to MAKWA.
We pushed through successfully and were able to secure the campsite of our choice closest to the Phoebe River portage. Campsites on the lake are shown through the “red dot” on the map. So, as we move we must be aware of the time, weather, daylight remaining, and location on the map versus available campsites remaining.
We eat really well on these trips! Our last night in civilization we had New York Strip steaks over the grill, red skin potatoes and salad. Tonight, our first night in the BWCA, the menu is smoked pork tenderloin medallions wrapped in bacon with Velveeta macaroni and cheese. Chef Joe plans the menu. He’s a rock star when it’s time to eat!
We were told over and over that the water was high this year when planning this trip. In comparison to the recent past few years of severely low water, perhaps this year was considered high, but overall we felt that the water was 2-3 feet lower than what we remember the water being here during our past visits to this area over the last 10-15 years. We portaged this trip a lot more than we remembered performing during past visits to these locations.
There were many new beaver dams too. Several additional portaging sections (not listed on the maps) were necessary. This of course just adds to the overall adventure of the trip! It ups the challenge! BRING IT ON!
Many Pike, Walleye, and Bass were being caught on this trip. We predominantly caught Walleye and Bass, always good eaters! Pike were caught too! Reeling in a Pike is always a fun time! They are such active fighters and provide a thrilling chase to land! They are not so fun to clean though. If possible we catch and release the pike! We plan our food pack around 3-4 fish dinners that need to be caught, so this was not a problem! Fishing was plentiful!
Don’t overcomplicate things! This is all you need for tackle. I never change my lure and several trips the same unchanged tackle (maybe a new white worm was necessary, but not the spinner!) saw me through the entire trip. As fast as I can cast…I’ve got one on! Easy peasy! No tricks. The guys all change lures every five minutes…not me!
“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
BWCA – WILDERNESS ADVENTURE : (Part 1 of 3)
DAY 2 – EXPLORE LAKE POLLY
Our group was pretty gassed by the end of day 1 after landing late and making camp, so we determined to rest up and fish day 2 on Lake Polly. We enjoyed a beautiful, relaxing day of fishing and napping in the wilderness. After our early morning fishermen returned, we started our day with a BIG PANCAKE BREAKFAST! Lake Polly is easier to get to than most lakes past this point, so it does get heavily fished. The group fished a great deal today. Cards were played too. It was a very chill/relax day!
Tonight for dinner is Chef Joe’s famous BWCA THANKSGIVING DINNER! Thick, solid Chicken chunk gravy over cheesy mashed potatoes and stuffing. Man o’ man, this group does not go hungry!
“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
The group decided to secure camp and plan for another move early tomorrow from Lake Polly through Malberg out to the Kawishiwi River for our next stop on this adventure. So get ready to read about Part 2 in my next blog post!
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BWCA – WILDERNESS ADVENTURE : (Part 1 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!
READ ON TO PART #2 of this blog post to learn about the next section of our wilderness trip from Lake Polly through Malberg to Kawishiwi River and up to Makwa!
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 to 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. LOOK for HIM in even small things, LISTEN for HIS wisdom through HEARING HIM talk to you, 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 everyday busy routines with a group of amazing people, we call FRIENDS!
DO you have a special remote, quiet place to LISTEN for God’s instruction for your life?? Where have you been? What have you done to provide a respite from the chaos of life for your family? How are you doing as a family overall? WHERE is your special place?
Leave me a reply below. I really would like to hear from you!
Inspirationally Yours,
Barbara
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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 adventures!
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Thanks for exploring our travel blog! We hope to assist you in your next adventure through learning from ours! We are transitioning empty-nesters perpetually seeking our next luxury snorkeling adventure! Daily God’s awe inspiring inspiration surrounds us with all of His natural beauty in every direction if we but slow down to observe. Take a moment each day to ENJOY!
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4 Comments
Pola
This is such an useful article! I really appreciate for sharing and the tips! Well done!
Barbara Robinson
Thanks for the review!
Fransic verso
This is interesting and look good experience to go on adventure like this.
Barbara Robinson
GO! You will not be disappointed!