Archives for April 2016

April 9th, the 200th day of our #wildernessyear to #savetheBWCA could have easily been our 100th day at the end of December. The snow squeaked as I left the tent this morning and the water hole was covered in 2 inches of new ice, which formed overnight. Unlike December, the days are long now so we lounged around the woodstove, enjoying a second leisurely cup of coffee before breaking camp. We were in no hurry and by 8 AM the sun was already beginning to warm the land.
Snow swirled across my skis and I cinched my hood tight as we rounded American Point and skied south down Saganaga Lake into a stiff headwind. Sag’s vast, island-studded expanse lay before us in all its grandeur. We found a protected spot and pitched camp, listening to the wind whistle through the pines and the call of a bald eagle as our dinner bubbled on the wood stove.

We look forward to spending several days here, taking trips to explore the surrounding lakes. It’s hard to believe we have been in the Wilderness for 200 days already, time slips by so fast.

Wilderness is a wonderful teacher. Even after decades of exploring the Boundary Waters, there is still so much we can learn from this special place– about ourselves and the earth. That’s just one reason we need to @savetheBWCA.
#BoundaryWaters #winter #onlyinMN #captureMN #minnesota #wilderness #BWCA #Saganaga

As we drank our @stonecreekcoffee this morning, our ritual of listening to Paul Hutner on MPR took on added significance. Several inches of wet snow had fallen over night and an unrelenting stream of puffy flakes were constantly sluffing off our tent. Talk of strong north winds gusting to 30 miles an hour made us rethink our plans to pack up camp.

We had already deflated our sleeping pads and completed the first few actions that would lead to a packed toboggan and an empty campsite. As we finished our steaming cups of dark coffee we decided to brew another batch and wait until tomorrow to move.
After breakfast we went out to find our waterhole and gather water. The wind and snow made it impossible to find so we used our axe and hand drill to make another hole as the snow continued to fall. It was beautiful and silent. We lingered for a long time in the snow.

With water gathered we headed to a nearby ash swamp to gather, saw and split more wood. These simple tasks anchor our days. Knowing that we had the whole day ahead of us to take photos, write, and enjoy the snow we were able to slow down and fully immerse ourselves in these simple tasks. Searching out the perfect snag, dried by the sun with few knots to foil our axe.

With a healthy pile of ash tucked neatly in the tent the aroma of the chocolate cake Amy is baking tickles my nose as I write. The wind and snow swirl past our Seek Outside tent, leaving us to enjoy the fruits of our labor. Life is good in the Wilderness.

Today is the 199th day of our year in the Wilderness to @savethebwca We all must speak loudly for this quiet place. Please take action today, sign the petition by following the link in our bio, and make your voice heard. This national treasure is too precious to risk.

#wildernessyear #savetheBWCA #BoundaryWaters #BWCA #winter #captureMN #onlyinMN #simple #wild #WeAreTheWild

As we drank our @stonecreekcoffee this morning, our ritual of listening to Paul Hutner on MPR took on added significance. Several inches of wet snow had fallen over night and an unrelenting stream of puffy flakes were constantly sluffing off our tent. Talk of strong north winds gusting to 30 miles an hour made us rethink our plans to pack up camp.

We had already deflated our sleeping pads and completed the first few actions that would lead to a packed toboggan and an empty campsite. As we finished our steaming cups of dark coffee we decided to brew another batch and wait until tomorrow to move.
After breakfast we went out to find our waterhole and gather water. The wind and snow made it impossible to find so we used our axe and hand drill to make another hole as the snow continued to fall. It was beautiful and silent. We lingered for a long time in the snow.

With water gathered we headed to a nearby ash swamp to gather, saw and split more wood. These simple tasks anchor our days. Knowing that we had the whole day ahead of us to take photos, write, and enjoy the snow we were able to slow down and fully immerse ourselves in these simple tasks. Searching out the perfect snag, dried by the sun with few knots to foil our axe.

With a healthy pile of ash tucked neatly in the tent the aroma of the chocolate cake Amy is baking tickles my nose as I write. The wind and snow swirl past our Seek Outside tent, leaving us to enjoy the fruits of our labor. Life is good in the Wilderness.

Today is the 199th day of our year in the Wilderness to @savethebwca We all must speak loudly for this quiet place. Please take action today, sign the petition by following the link in our bio, and make your voice heard. This national treasure is too precious to risk.

#wildernessyear #savetheBWCA #BoundaryWaters #BWCA #winter #captureMN #onlyinMN #simple #wild #WeAreTheWild

A month ago it was raining; the snow was quickly disappearing and it looked like winter was about to bid us farewell. We are so thankful that winter returned. The Wilderness is so beautiful coated in snow, and the long, warm days of spring are such a pleasant time in the Boundary Waters.
Today we skied across the unbroken surface of 10 lakes, our skis slicing through a blanket of fresh snow. That same snow melted and dripped from the trees in the heat of the afternoon. Otter, fox, and wolf tracks were common, but it is clear we are alone out here. The ice along the south-facing shorelines is beginning to rot and the streams are rushing, but the lakes are still solid, and the snow is over a foot deep on many of the portages. We skijored with Tank from our camp on Ottertrack Lake through Ester, Rabbit, Totem, Hanson, and Clam. We tried to go east out of Hanson to Link and a series of small lakes to the east, but the long, narrow arm leading into the main body of Link was open. We bushwhacked along the shore for a ways, climbing over, under, and through downed trees, but the going was too slow so we headed back to Hanson Lake. We looped back to our campsite through Ashdick and Swamp Lakes with a side trip to the western end of Saganaga Lake. A series of narrows have some tricky ice, but we were able to find a safe path through the narrows.

Tomorrow we plan to pack up camp and move east to Saganaga Lake where we will base camp for a couple days and take day trips. Saganaga is a large, island-studded lake that we have been looking forward to visiting all winter.

This is a special place, a place worth protecting. Please help us speak loudly for this quiet place. Sign the petition at http://ift.tt/1x2erSX.
#wildernessyear #savetheBWCA #onlyinMN #captureMN #snow #bushwhack #BoundaryWaters #minnesota #BWCA

Dark clouds swept over the land ahead of the storm. Rain seemed inevitable as we leaned into our harnesses, helping Tank pull our load down Ottertrack Lake. We stopped to rest in front the towering rocks streaked in white, black, and orange but after a few swigs of water and a @clifbarcompany we hurried on, hoping to make a few more miles before the storm hit.
At the east end of Ottertrack we stopped to set up camp. The ominous sky signaling it was time to pitch our tent. To our delight it never rained! We dug an 18 inch deep snow pit for our stove and staked the tent with sticks pounded into the snow. We set up camp, gathered, cut, and split a pile of bone dry spruce and were climbing into the tent when the first snowflakes appeared. A few minutes later it was hard to see across the lake and the snow continues to fall. Even now, after polishing off dinner and a freshly baked chocolate cake, we are listening to the continuous patter of snow on the tent. This morning we woke up to the high-pitched chatter of a flock of gulls– what an unusual time to be in the Wilderness. We are lucky to be watching the seasons change. “Some places should be preserved from development or exploitation for they satisfy a human need for solace, belonging and perspective. In the end we turn to nature in a frenzied chaotic world, there to find silence, oneness, wholeness, spiritual release,” – Sigurd Olson
Follow @savetheBWCA, sign the petition at http://ift.tt/1x2erSX, and help protect the Boundary Waters from a series of proposed sulfide-ore mines.

#wildernessyear #savetheBWCA #onlyinMN #captureMN #snow #canoe #BoundaryWaters #minnesota #BWCA

I think Tank was as excited as we were to see the volunteers who brought in our canoe and supplies. Maybe he could smell the dog treats they brought in for him. We are planning to use the treats to help train him to ride in the canoe. We are packing up camp and heading east towards Saganaga Lake, hauling our canoe-toboggan contraption. It looks like winter will hold on for another week at least and we want to make the most of it!

It is strange to hear gulls crying. Spring can’t be too far away.

#wildernessyear #savetheBWCA #winter #wilderness #adventure #BWCA #dog #kiss

As the first stars appeared, we trudged the final mile to our campsite. After 25 miles and more than 11 hours on the move, we were ready for a hot meal and a warm sleeping bag. The day’s persistent snow had slowly accumulated until our canoe, which was riding on top of our 11-foot Black River Sled toboggan, was dragging on the snow. Tank had pulled hard all day, but his energy was waning as our load became increasingly harder to pull. All three of us were working to pull our awkward load.

Our reward was a bounty of fresh food that our friends had hauled into the Wilderness with our canoe. We gobbled down authentic Minnesota tuna casserole, brownies, crisp apples, salad, and variety of other novel and tasty treats.

It looks like winter will hold on for a little longer, but we are now ready for break-up whenever it arrives.
Please help us protect the Boundary Waters from the threats that Twin Metals and other proposed sulfide-ore copper mines along the edge of the Wilderness bring to the region. Sign the petition at @savetheBWCA and make your voice heard.
#wildernessyear #savetheBWCA #winter #wilderness #adventure #BWCA #BoundaryWaters #canoe

I love this photo that Willy Vosburgh took of Levi as they traveled down Ensign Lake after resupplying us a few days ago. It was 50 degrees and the lakes were covered in meltwater. The tug of war between winter and spring is real and we are lucky to be in the center of it all as their struggle plays out. This is such a unique time to be in the Wilderness.
On the warm days we watch Canada geese and swans migrating high overhead. Now a gentle snow is falling, the temperature will remain below freezing all day, and a blustery north wind makes us appreciate our sheltered campsite and the warmth of our stove. The south-facing shoreline, that baked in the sun a few days ago, is once again snow-covered and frozen. The sun will surely expose the rocks and duff again soon, but today winter is winning. We are here to bear witness to this amazing Wilderness, watch the match unfold, and inspire people to take action so future generations can experience this unique seasonal battle immersed in the untrammeled Wilderness.

Please sign the petition and learn more about our efforts to protect this national treasure by following the link in our bio. Now is the time to act!

#wildernessyear #savetheBWCA #dogsledding #sunset #spring #onlyinMN #captureMn @wintergreendogsledlodge #boundarywaters #BWCA

#wildernessyear #savetheBWCA #BWCA #BoundaryWaters