Archives for January 2016

We packed up camp this morning and headed west. It was our second time moving camp with our toboggans and sled dogs. After 100 days of traveling by canoe we had developed a pretty good routine. We still have a ways to go before all our systems are smoothed and traveling by toboggan becomes an innate activity, but today went really well. We were able to pack up camp much quicker and the dogs did really well pulling the toboggans.

On our first day traveling with Acorn, Tank, and Tina we figured out that it was very hard for them to pull both heavy toboggans up even a modest hill. I think they may have been thinking, “we didn’t sign up for this!” I think Amy and I were thinking the same thing. Today we decided to try something different. When we got to our first portage we unhooked the second toboggan. Amy worked with the dogs to haul the first toboggan across the portage while I hauled the second toboggan across. Amy and the dogs moved faster than I did, but it was a vast improvement over trying to haul both toboggans at once.
We repeated this process on all three of the portages that we did today. At the end of each portage we would hook the second toboggan up to the first one, and the dogs would rocket across the lake. Amy and I wear skis on the lakes. One of us clips a long rope to our skijoring harness and to the back of the second toboggan this way we can stop the toboggan train easily. The other person skis along behind the 40 foot train of dogs, toboggans, and skier.
Silently skiing along, watching the dogs work and the winter landscape glide by is a wonderful way to experience the Wilderness. Today was calm and the only sounds we could hear were the swish of our skis and the cold air rhythmically filling our lungs. “I know that our bodies were made to thrive only in pure air, and the scenes in which pure air is found.” – John Muir

#wildernessyear #savetheBWCA #winter #BoundaryWaters #sunset #onlyinMN #getoutstayout

“Joys come from simple and natural things: mists over meadows, sunlight on leaves, the path of the moon over water.” – Sigurd Olson

I would like to add the crimson sunset that lit the western horizon this evening as we snowshoed across Basswood Lake to Sig’s list of simple things to be enjoyed.
We must protect this place for future generations as Sigurd Olson and countless others protected it for us. Please take action today, tomorrow, and every day to permanently protect the Boundary Waters watershed from sulfide-ore copper mining. This place is too precious to risk. Please be a constant voice for the Wilderness like Sig was. Together we can @savetheBWCA, but we must take action and speak loudly for this quiet place. #wildernessyear #savetheBWCA #winter #BoundaryWaters #sunset #onlyinMN #getoutstayout

The sun came out this morning and after breakfast we decided to go out skijoring. The dogs were curled up in their beds, watching our every move, as we did our morning chores and prepared to go skijoring. When we grabbed the harnesses they knew it was time to pull. Barking and howling signaled they were as excited as we were to head out.
Today was one of those perfect winter days. It was warm and sunny, and the thin layer of snow covering Basswood Lake made for perfect traveling. We encountered a few pockets of slush, which are places where water seeps up through cracks in the ice and forms a layer of water between the ice and the snow. When it is colder the slush water freezes to skis, sleds, dogs’ feet, and anything else it touches. Slush is truly the bane of winter travelers in the Boundary Waters, but today it was warm enough that the slush didn’t stick. As long as we avoided the really deep pockets, it didn’t bother us or the dogs a bit.

Amy was skijoring with Tank today and I was skijoring with Tina and Acorn. Tina is 9 years old and she is Acorn’s daughter. Acorn is 12 years old and her fur is most black with blown markings on her face and chest.

After 104 days in the Wilderness we continue to learn something new every day. We spent most of the day floating across Basswood Lake’s frozen expanse. Basswood is one of the largest lakes in the Wilderness and a world class fishery which draws anglers from around the world in the summer and the winter. Basswood Lake is down stream from the proposed Twin Metals, the first sulfide-ore copper mine being proposed along the southern edge of the Wilderness. Basswood is a shining example of the many lakes and rivers that are threatened. Please sign the petition and help us @savetheBWCA. #wildernessyear #savetheBWCA #BoundaryWaters #BWCA #dogsledding #Basswood #winter #dogs #onlyinMN

Yesterday afternoon Frank Moe and his dog team pulled up to our campsite on Newfound Lake. He dropped off our three new team members, Tank, Tina, and Acorn. It was a beautiful, sunny day and shortly after Frank left we harnessed up the dogs, laced up our ski boots and headed out skijoring.
The dogs were ready to run and Tina and Acorn took off down the lake as soon as I had my skis on. Amy and Tank were right on my tail. We clipped along at 7 or 8 miles an hour, gliding across the smooth, snow covered lakes. An hour later we reluctantly returned to our campsite, the sun was setting and it was time to feed the dogs and then feed ourselves. Amy and I went to bed happy, knowing that in the morning we would pack up our campsite and strike out with the dogs to explore the winter Wilderness.

This morning we packed up camp and headed for Wind Bay on Basswood Lake. We chained our two toboggans together and hooked all 3 dogs up to the first toboggan. On the lakes they could easily pull the heavily loaded toboggans, but on the portages the dogs needed our help.
There is still only about 6 to 8 inches of snow in the woods and the portage trails still have exposed rocks. That made pulling the toboggans over the portages extra challenging. On the steepest hills we had to unhook the second toboggan and work with the dogs to get the first toboggan up the hill. Then we would tie off the dogs while Amy and I hauled the second toboggan up the hill. It was slow, hard work and we will not be surprised if we are a little sore in the morning.
We are so happy to be working with Tina, Tank, and Acorn. They are wonderful dogs, and we are so thankful that Frank and Sherri Moe wanted them to be a part of A Year in the Wilderness. Acorn, Tina, and Tank will make excellent Boundary Waters Ambassadors. We look forward to sharing more about them in the coming weeks. #wildernessyear @savethebwca #dogsledding #Wilderness #onlyinMN #adventure #BoundaryWaters #BWCA #getoutstayout #savetheBWCA

We had the pleasure of ringing in the new year with our friends Jason and Sarah. They skied in yesterday afternoon with games, silly hats, and a scrumptious feast. We basically ate continuously throughout the 20 hours they were with us, minus a few hours of sleep in the wee hours of the morning. We feasted on salad, fresh asparagus, baked potatoes, a roasted chicken, and enough homemade sweets to fill a small bakery. #wildernessyear #savetheBWCA #NewYears #celebration #BoundaryWaters #BWCA #instagood #onlyinMN