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.
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
