Archives for August 2016

“Something will have gone out of us as a people if we ever let the remaining wilderness be destroyed.”
– Wallace Stegner

We simply must protect this iconic Wilderness and that will only happen if we all raise our voices in support of this quite place. Visit http://ift.tt/1x2erSX and add your voice.

#savetheBWCA #WildernessYear #BWCA #BoundaryWaters #WeAreTheWild #Wilderness #canoe #canoeing #onlyinmn #family

Something caused me to stir before dawn, perhaps it was the steady thud of spruce cones landing in the dirt, dropped a red squirrel from the treetops in its endless search for food, chickadees and sparrows signally a new day, or one of the innumerable natural sounds that surrounds us. It certainly was not the mechanical shriek of the sirens, cars, trains or other “civilized” noises that we left behind nearly a year ago. The source is not important– consciousness caused me to open my eyes, revealing a golden, mist-covered surface.
Amy stirred slightly as I wiggled out of my sleeping bag and quietly slipped out of the tent. Sliding the canoe into Nina Moose Lake I silently glided through the calm silence, drawn through the fog towards the horizon’s golden glow. I knew it would be gone in minutes, but I tried to focus on the beauty, the hint of coolness and the mist that hung in the silence. Content to live in the moment, concentrating on nothing but the feel of the paddle propelling me forward– body, boat and blade, as I was held in the sun’s fleeting, golden glow.

Coffee and muesli, conversation and plans wouldn’t begin until Amy’s first smile of the day cast its own glow across my world. For now I was alone, reminded once again how lucky I am to be here. Engulfed in silence, breaking the stillness with my cupped hand, raising the cool water to my lips, I drink it all in.
Silence, water, wilderness– I don’t want to calculate or quantify them, assigning a value seems a disservice, but they are clearly too precious to risk. This place, this water, the rice in the shallows and the wildness that surrounds us belong to all of us and its up to us to speak loudly for this quite place. Visit http://ift.tt/1x2erSX and take action today.

#savetheBWCA #canoe #canoeing #beach #sunrise #wildernessyear #natgeoadventure #wilderness #adventure #BWCA #BoundaryWaters #captureMN #onlyinMN #wearethewild

The Nina Moose River is lined with tall stalks of wild rice that are starting to bend under the weight of the ripening kernels of goodness. Soon the ricing season will be upon us. Wild rice has been a staple for this region’s native people for centuries and it remains an important food source and connection to the land for many people.
Clean water is vital to wild rice and even small amounts of pollution can decimate the rice. The sulfide-ore copper mines being proposed in Northern Minnesota threaten to pollute our lakes and rivers, and in turn threaten the wild rice and many other aspects of this fragile ecosystem.

These waters are just too precious to risk and now is the time to act. Please follow @savethebwca and visit http://ift.tt/1x2erSX. Take action today.

#wilderness #wildernessyear #savetheBWCA #BoundaryWaters #BWCA #onlyinMN #CaptureMN #getoutstayout #canoe

The Nina Moose River is lined with tall stalks of wild rice that are starting to bend under the weight of the ripening kernels of goodness. Soon the ricing season will be upon us. Wild rice has been a staple for this region’s native people for centuries and it remains an important food source and connection to the land for many people.
Clean water is vital to wild rice and even small amounts of pollution can decimate the rice. The sulfide-ore copper mines being proposed in Northern Minnesota threaten to pollute our lakes and rivers, and in turn threaten the wild rice and many other aspects of this fragile ecosystem.

These waters are just too precious to risk and now is the time to act. Please follow @savethebwca and visit http://ift.tt/1x2erSX. Take action today.

#wilderness #wildernessyear #savetheBWCA #BoundaryWaters #BWCA #onlyinMN #CaptureMN #getoutstayout #canoe

A stiff headwind slowed our progress as we paddled west down Crooked Lake. We hopped from island to island, taking shelter from the wind and waves when possible. As we neared the end of the lake the steady rumble Curtain Falls drowned out the wind.
A cool mist from the falls, driven by the wind, cooled us as we portaged past. There are few portages in the Boundary Waters as pretty as the portage between Crooked Lake and Iron Lake. Between the falls, rapids and the towering pines that line the trail, it’s hard to beat.
In the back of my mind I couldn’t help remembering that if the proposed Twin Metals Mine is built along the southern edge of the Wilderness, any water pollution from the mine would eventually flow over Curtain Falls on its way west to Lac La Croix and Voyageurs National Park.

Please visit http://ift.tt/1x2erSX and take action today. The Boundary Waters belongs to all of us and it is up to us, as engaged and responsible citizens, to ensure that this national treasure remains pristine. “The Boundary Waters Canoe Area does not belong just to Minnesotans. It belongs to all Americans, those living now and generations from now… We have no right to risk its vulnerable ecology for the financial benefit of a large international mining conglomerate and their Minnesota investors.”
— Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton
#savetheBWCA #WildernessYear #BWCA #BoundaryWaters #WeAreTheWild #Wilderness @granitegear #canoe #canoeing #natgeoadventure

Watching the light slowing change as the sun inches towards the horizon from our temporary home pitched on the edge of a Wilderness lake is one of the many simple pleasures that our #wildernessyear to @savetheBWCA affords.
With only 6 weeks left in the Wilderness, the idea that we will be trading the silence and solitude of the Wilderness for the hustle, bustle, and conviences of the modern world is beginning to sink in. Warm, idyllic weather make this an especially pleasant time to be in the Wilderness. We are consciously trying to appreciate the million moments that are happening all around us so that we can bring them with us when we leave the Wilderness. I hope our consious observations will help us share this national treasure more deeply when we leave.

#savetheBWCA #WildernessYear #BWCW #BoundaryWaters #WeAreTheWild #Wilderness #onlyinmn #captureMN @expedusa

We have continued to have fun fishing with the Goldsteins. Amy doesn’t wet a line very often, but she got caught up in the excitement and hooked this nice walleye when she decided to try jigging for a few minutes.
Today is the 324th day of our #wildernessyear to @savetheBWCA.
Please sign the petition at http://ift.tt/1x2erSX and help protect this national treasure.

#savetheBWCA #canoe #canoeing #wildernessyear #bass #fishing #walleye #wilderness #adventure #BWCA #BoundaryWaters #captureMN #onlyinMN #wearethewild #fish #catchandrelease

Shortly after my leech drifted to the bottom, something tapped my line and I set the hook. We had just dropped our anchors on a reef in 20 feet of water. Before I landed the first beautiful, 18 inch walleye Jacob’s rod was doubled over and his drag squealed as a 20 inch small mouth peeled line off his reel.

For several hours it seems like at least 1 person was battling a fish and doubles were not uncommon. The most striking thing was that only 1 or 2 of the fish we caught were small; the vast majority were walleye or smallmouth bass between 16 and 20 inches.
We let most of them go, but we kept a few and stuffed ourselves with golden chunks of fried fish for dinner, which we washed down with s’mores and Koolaid. What a way to end a day in the Wilderness.

Joshie Goldstein was so excited as his dad pulled his first smallmouth bass of the day out of the water, I thought he was going to leap right out of the canoe!

This special place needs our help. Sulfide-ore copper mines are being proposed along the southern edge of the Wilderness. They threaten to pollute our nation’s most popular Wilderness. Please follow the link in our bio, sign the petition and take action today to help protect the Wilderness for future generations.

#savetheBWCA #canoe #canoeing #bass #fishing #kids #wilderness #adventure #BWCA #BoundaryWaters #captureMN #onlyinMN #wearethewild #fish

Our luxurious campsite on Basswood Lake, that we dubbed the Hilton, became a hive of activity when the Goldsteins arrived. Joseph (15), Jacob (12), Joshy (6), and Jonah (6), their parents Jeff and Kemia, and Jason from Ely Outfitting Company paddled up as we relaxed on the expansive beach in front of our site.
The Goldsteins are not new to the Boundary Waters. They started coming to the BWCA when Joseph was 6 and Jacob was 3; this is Joseph’s 16th trip to the Boundary Waters!

We have been looking forward to their visit for a long time. Joseph has been battling Lukemia for two years, he is a remarkable young man who has become a dedicated and effective voice for the Wilderness. We are inspired by his strength and commitment to protecting the Boundary Waters. Joseph, Jacob, and Jeff set a goal of visiting us during every season of our #wildernessyear to @savetheBWCA. This is their final visit and they brought the rest of their family with them.
After swimming for an hour, most of the crew moved back to the beach and quickly began burying Jacob and Jonah in the sand. We look forward to several more days of adventures with our friends.

This special place needs our help. Sulfide-ore copper mines are being proposed along the southern edge of the Wilderness. They threaten to pollute our nation’s most popular Wilderness. Please follow the link in our bio, sign the petition and take action today to help protect the Wilderness for future generations.

#savetheBWCA #canoe #canoeing #beach #kids #wilderness #adventure #BWCA #BoundaryWaters #captureMN #onlyinMN #wearethewild

We began loading our canoe as the sun burned the final whisps of fog off of Fall Lake yesterday morning.

We spent nearly a week on Fall Lake visiting with a continuous stream of friends and family. With all the visitors came an astounding amount of fresh food and delicious treats.

Just yesterday our friend (and amazing French chef) Bernard paddled up to our campsite and delivered some of the best food we have eaten all year. As if his homemade pound cake, rhubarb compote and lasagna weren’t enough, he procured a watermelon from his pack too!

That evening we had a visit from Paul and Sue Schurke– owners of Wintergreen Dogsled Lodge and Wintergreen Northern Wear, along with their daughter, Berit, and a friend. It was such a treat to see those guys. After they left, our friend Dave arrived with the fixings for rootbeer floats. I’m not sure what got us most excited, seeing our good friend, the novelty of eating something cold or the super sweet taste of rootbeer and frozen custard.

Fresh food, friends, and family are really about the only things we miss out here, but it feels good to be on our own again moving deeper into the Wilderness.

#savetheBWCA #canoe #canoeing #sunrise #wilderness #adventure #BWCA #BoundaryWaters #captureMN #onlyinMN @wenonah_canoe