BWCA – A PERILOUS WILDERNESS ADVENTURE : (Part 1 of 3 part series)
The Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) located within the Superior National Forest in Northern Minnesota offers adventure, wilderness, canoeing, portaging and camping opportunities can be a perilous wilderness adventure.
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“All America lies at the end of the wilderness road, and our past is not a dead past, but still lives in us. Our forefathers had civilization inside themselves, the wild outside. We live in the civilization they created, but within us the wilderness still lingers. What they dreamed, we live, and what they lived, we dream.”
T.K. Whipple
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! We did, so be sure to read all three parts of this exciting adventure!!
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 blog post about BWCA Exploration Adventures can be found here! CLICK HERE.
Late July-early August of 2020, we joined forces with my husband’s brothers family once again to return to Adams Lake, a favorite spot for all of us! We departed in the evening on a Thursday and drove through the night from Michigan to Minnesota to arrive at Kawishiwi Lake entrance point #37 at day break.
PROLOGUE:
I’ve been asked what is so perilous about this adventure… If one has never ventured into the BWCA on a circuit of wilderness over the course of several days then this may very well be a legitimate question because until you experience it, you just really have no idea what you are in for…
Well, to answer this question 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.
Awareness of your surroundings and ALWAYS tying off your canoe are paramount. 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 as occurred to our group in Part#2 of this series can alter the entire “planned trip” if leaving to seek medical attention is required. We chose to wait and see how the deeply cut injury fared with bandaging instead of stitches once the blood loss was controlled because we were in such a remote area.
The BWCA can be a dangerous place for BOTH those that are unfamiliar with it AND for those that are experienced…as the story indicates.
This series is aimed at the multitude of novice adventurers flocking to the BWCA. Many have no idea what they are getting into when they venture into wilderness for the first time. Many are not mindful of the trash that is being left behind or the natural wonders that are being destroyed by their lack of stewardship.
Peril does not ONLY necessitate a rogue bear harassing a food pack, severe storms or fire….injuries that require medical attention and alter a trip suffice. Even experienced travelers in the BWCA can experience different degrees of peril, hence the warnings of this post!
BWCA – A PERILOUS WILDERNESS ADVENTURE
DAY 1 – KAWISHIWI LAKE LAUNCH TO MALBERG LAKE- (approximately 15-16 miles)
The fog was on the water as the night sky turned into daybreak at 5:30 a.m. when we arrived at the launch site. It was a cool temperature as we unloaded our gear and made breakfast. Quick egg, sausage and muffin sandwiches cooked off the tailgate of the truck fueled us up to depart. We left our vehicle here in this remote parking area for the seven day adventure ahead.
We each have 1 pack. Everything we need for the week is in the pack, raingear, clothing, hammocks, sleeping bags, tarp, ropes for food storage in trees, food, pots & pans, knives, headlamps, water purification, fuel, etc. We pack light, only the essentials. Everything is weighed and considered before being placed in the packs to be added as gear. Each time an obstacle presents itself or a portage appears, all will have to be hand carried through the portage. Preparation is key!
2020 breakfast tailgate 
#16 PIN IT 
2020 early morning fog depart #19 PIN IT
7:00a.m., our goal for the day is to paddle a series of lakes connected by shorter strips of land, conquer obstacles like beaver dams, and arrive at a stop over point midway to Adams Lake by early afternoon. We will navigate Kawishiwi Lake, Square Lake, Kawasachong Lake, and cross 3 beaver dams near the end of this paddle before preparing for a 189 rod portage followed by a puddle jump paddle across Townline Lake to complete another 95 rod portage into Lake Polly.
NOTE: 1 rod is equal to 16.5 survey feet, so 320 rods = 1 mile.
Kawishiwi Lake River #22 PIN IT – CLICK HERE TO PIN PHOTO 
Beaver Dam Crossing #25 PIN IT 
Single Portaging with pack and canoe
After paddling the length of Lake Polly, the beginnings of the Kawishiwi River are present. We will follow this river system into Malberg Lake. It will require a 19 rod portage, paddle crossing a mini unnamed lake to a 48 rod portage, and paddle crossing one last time (another unnamed mini lake) to finish with a 127 rod portage into Koma Lake. Only another 24 rod portage remains after Koma Lake to reach Malberg Lake. (see map above)
Nature ABOUNDS the senses. Flowers, wildlife, fresh clean air, it is invigorating, and a whole new sense of being evolves. Below, the butterfly attached itself to my son and rode on his hat for a very long time. It was his new friend for the day! God’s presence is felt in our simple, quiet, commune with nature. His creation surrounds us daily at home, yet here we feel it in every fiber of our being, closer somehow. It’s a Travel Destination Tranquility!
#28 PIN IT
We made camp on Day 1 at the campsite (red dot) on the above map that lies adjacent to the 15 rod portage to Frond Lake. It is a recommended site for a large group of hammockers! Evening fishing was plentiful!
#31 PIN IT 
#3 PIN IT 
BWCA – A PERILOUS WILDERNESS ADVENTURE
DAY 2 – MALBERG LAKE TO ADAMS LAKE- (approximately 11-12 miles)
Today we will navigate the remainder of Malberg Lake. We will head out to the west 67 rod portage through “the mudhole.” The Kawishiwi River offers long paddles around fingers of land to another 60 rod portage into Trapline Lake that takes one to a 30 rod portage into Beaver lake.
Here the sky opened up and rained buckets on us! A storm blew in fast and furious without much warning. We were in the middle of a lake. By the time we pulled off to the side to get rain coats on, we were soaked. Oh well! We pushed on in the rain.
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We’ll make a right hand turn on Beaver Lake around the campsite on the point headed towards the 90 rod portage of natural steps up to Adams Lake. I love this portage it is memorable with the sheer rock wall on one side and a pine grove on the other. A series of steps upwards have developed over time to make quite an impression on the hiker as you ascend to Adam’s Lake.
We navigate our way to Adam’s Lake island campsite. This location is a favorite! One of my earliest trips into the BWCA was here with my Mother and Father-in-law and again several years earlier when our sons were young. It is vacant. These sites are first come, first serve. We get the whole island! WHAT A BLESSING!
People are fairly scarce north of Lake Polly. All the sites on Adam seem to be open. This island site slopes down gradually into the lake for superb swimming opportunities! The island catches a breeze for minimal mosquitos and black flies too! BONUS! No bear on this island!!!
The campsite is marked by the US forestry Service with a fire grate and a latrine. Once at a site a trail can be found that extends inland away from camp… Watch the video below for a walk down THAT trail! 🙂
LEAVE NO TRACE! NO GARBAGE LEFT BEHIND! So sad when others cannot abide by this simple idea to protect pristine nature.
A typical BWCA camp has tents/hammocks set-up, bear ropes properly installed suspended between two trees to keep food secure and out of reach from bear, water purification system operating, kitchen tarp up and prepared to keep us dry and out of rain, if necessary, and a clothes line for drying wet clothes.
Hammock Set up 
Kitchen Tarp installation 
Bear Ropes Food storage system 
Fish Fry 
Lifestraw Water Purification System 12L 
Enjoy the view! #6 PIN IT
#9 PIN IT 
The national symbol of the EAGLE was present several times on this trip. We were in awe to watch them swoop down into the water to fish with their talons. POWERFUL! They are such a strong and majestic bird. A symbol for all Americans. We too can be strong, dignified, and powerful as a people if we can just pull together and work for a unified America!
Stay tuned for PART 2 of this saga that will cover Day 3 & Day 4 where we had injuries. PART 3 will cover Days 5-7 including the BIG FINISH! So many amazing things happened! I hope you will follow along!
To read Part#2 of this 3 Part series CLICK HERE: BWCA-PERILOUS WILDERNESS ADVENTURE: (Part 2 of 3 part series)
HERE IS A SNEAK PEAK…
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!
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!
Did you notice some affiliate links along the way?? If you plan to buy any of the products we mentioned, please consider clicking through our link on this page. It won’t cost you a dime, and it will help our website continue running and offering you further inspirational travel adventures!
Inspirationally Yours,
Barbara
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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Barbara Robinson
TRAVEL BLOG🛩 * ADVENTURE🛶 * INSPIRATION🌞 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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53 Comments
Holly B
What a beautiful place to visit and vacation! I can’t wait to read about the rest of your adventures!!
Kristin
Beautiful! I’ve never been to Minnesota. I know the winters would be harsh (and very long) there, but wow on those summers. Looks like pure serenity.
Elaina
I haven’t been up here since I was a kid. I can’t wait to take my kids on this experience. What a great trip!
Chantelle
This is so adventurous! It’s so pretty!
Beth Shields
This was a great post. Loved the videos. And that picture of the tailgate breakfast – I could smell the breakfast! How fun. And doing this with a group would be amazing. I used to do fly-in fishing trips to Canada. And you could portage. But you need to be in shape for sure. Enjoyed seeing the start to finish…thanks for this.
Amy
Looks like a lot of fun! I’m not big on camping though. I’d want to go enjoy the daily adventures and then crawl into a hot tub and snuggle into a a bed full of pillows. I think I’d enjoy the canoeing the lakes. I can only imagine the beautiful scenery.
Barbara Robinson
It was so cold at night…I was longing for our hot tub at home for sure!!!!! (and a shower!) 🙂
Alice
Growing up in Wisconsin and living in Minnesota for a short time, I have often heard of the boundary waters but have never been there. Enjoyed your journey.
Sabrina
I am always amazed at how beautiful this great country is. Thanks for sharing your beautiful pictures.
Bonnie
I would love to do a trip like this with a group of friends. Looks like a great spot!
Sabrina DeWalt
What an exciting adventure!
Debbie
What an adventure and how cool that your group does this. Would love to witness the eagles fishing one day!!
Erica Pittenger
I LOVE THIS!!! We recently really got into hiking! I love this post so much! You do the coolest things! What an amazing experience!
Barbara Robinson
I highly recommend planning a trip here…pick an easy basic destination and check it out!
Chelsea
The fog on the water in your photos is breathtaking. I’d love to be on a canoe out there! And the pictures of the bald eagles are awesome. There’s definitely a lot of nature to enjoy!
Barbara Robinson
Even better…not many 2 legged creatures!
Suz
I’ve only done a small part of the BW, by canoe, but it was fantastic. Love all your photos!
Lisa Manderino
Beautiful shots! Boundary waters sounds like a fun vacation!
Danielle Ardizzone
Looks so peaceful. We live at the Jersey Shore, and I see kayaks more than canoes. But this looks so relaxing.
Tricia Snow
This looks like a fun time. I love those canoes!
Barbara Robinson
My son built his in HS (2017). His uncle also built his in HS (30 years ago!) My husband built his in HS, but has retired his for a light weight easier to portage canoe.
Suzan
what a fun adventure! the early morning pic of the water with the “sea smoke” is breathtaking! thank you for sharing it!
Alexis Farmer
Looks like an awesome place! My favorite part of this post are your foggy boat pictures 🖤
Laura Kelly
I have never been to Minnesota so it was interesting to read of your adventures. I don’t know that I could go without the shower.
Barbara Robinson
The struggle is REAL!:)
Emily
What a fun and adventurous trip!
Leeandra
This looks like a beautiful place to visit!
Jane
This is my kind of adventure – canoe, camaraderie, fun, and food! Can I join ? 🙂
Barbara Robinson
🙂
Barbara Robinson
🙂
Taquia
What a beautiful place to spend time with family. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series!
Pam
What an adventure! Wow – I can imagine this type of trip would take a LOT of preparation to make it successful.
Angela
Looks fun. What a great vacation.
Stacey Billingsley
What a cool adventure! I’ve never traveled or camped in such a primitive way before. I admire you for doing it! The scenery is gorgeous, too.
Kristen W Allred
I love the photos. It really helps you see what the adventure would be like.
Kendra
What a beautiful and hearty adventure! I can’t wait to hear about the rest!
Cindy Moore
What an amazing adventure! It’s all so beautiful and yet rugged and wild. Look forward to reading about the rest of your trip.
Lori Nielsen
What a beautiful place! I would love to go on an adventure like this. Love the butterfly!
Barbara Robinson
That butterfly landed on my son’s hat and traveled with him through 3 lakes paddling and portages in between!
Jennifer
The lake adventure looks like fun
melissa
Wow. What an adventure!! It must be so amazing to be so close to nature and so far removed from civilization.
Barbara Robinson
We luxuriated in no masks! It was great to wash our hands because of dirt and fishing instead of germs!
Tricia Snow
What a lovely spot! It looks amazing. I love the canoes too!
Lisa Manderino
I agree being in nature is the only thing that feels normal these days!
kmf
Such stunning photos! I truly love the beauty of Minnesota…thank you for sharing a little piece of it.
Cindy Mailhot
That trip looks like a lot of fun but also a lot of work. Good you had a lot of hands to help. The water looks so serene and peaceful.
Melissa Jones
This looks like a fun adventure!
Michele
What a beautiful lake. We love lake living and all of the adventures that go with it.
Leeanne
What an adventure, for sure. I recently got to see eagles in the wild as well. What a sight they are. I haven’t slept in a hammock all night myself but what a really cool trip.
Barbara Robinson
I was a hard sell on the hammock…after doing it for a week…It was the best sleep I’ve ever experienced. The Hennessy Hammocks are designed for you to turn diagonal in them and they go flat…you can actually belly sleep flat in them!
Missy
This is the type of adventure that we would love to do. We have not done a canoe camping experience yet. Thank you for the idea.
Charles
“BONUS! No bear on this island!!!”
Um, bears swim to islands on a regular basis. Bears swim between islands. When bears get tired of swimming between islands, they swim back to the mainland and go looking for another island to swim to. For example:
“Assume a Bear is Nearby
Bear awareness and safety shouldn’t make you ‘bear-anoid’ but their presence in the wilderness should be on your mind in the backcountry.
Folks like to think that there are places bears do and don’t frequent, but the truth is that they’re likely to be anywhere in the wild. So, your best bet is to just assume they could pop up anywhere.
The one I’ve heard more than any other is, “Well, we were on an island, so I didn’t think there’d be any bears.” This is just not the case. Bears are strong swimmers, and they can swim where they want to. More to the point, when I was attacked, I was on an island, in a 25-mile-wide lake, with miles between the island and shore on every side.
And that’s where the bear was.
If humans can get there under their own power, it’s a safe assumption that so can a bear. So, conduct yourself in a safe manner wherever you go.”
https://www.friends-bwca.org/blog/bears-in-the-boundary-waters/
Barbara Robinson
I agree! Bear safety is paramount and taken very seriously. Adhering to the BWCA rules and regs for food storage is ALWAYS a priority. We have had bear pass through our camps at night. We are vigilant and cautious always. Thank you for your comment. We ALWAYS prepare wisely when in the wilderness for ALL eventualities.