July 26, 2016 at 04:23PM

As the sun began to set, we walked out to the point facing east down Knife Lake. The stiff wind had blown itself out, leaving a mirror smooth surface. The clear emerald water revealed the rocks and boulders leading into the depths. It was calm and quiet as we sat on the warm rock waiting for the cool evening air to bring relief at the end of a hot day. Even out here it can be easy to rush around doing chores, fiddling with odds and ends and busying ourselves to the point where we miss the daily rhythm of watching the passage of the sun.

Some days we glance up and realize the cloud-covered sky is hiding the sun’s golden glow so we busy ourselves with whatever tasks are at hand or perhaps we climb into the tent early to read or write. I don’t mind these evenings, and in some ways it’s nice to crawl into the tent early on a gloomy, wet evening. What bugs me is when I look up and see the sky on fire and realize that we have frittered away a beautiful moment, not slowing down to take in a beautiful sunset.
Last night’s sunset wasn’t anything to write home about. The cloudless sky let the sun slip away without much color and fanfare, but the silence that settled over the Wilderness as the light slowly changed held its own delicate beauty.
The Boundary Waters continues to surprise us, even after 308 days in the Wilderness. Everyday we see and hear something new and we are constantly reminded what a special Wilderness we are immersed in. Please follow @savetheBWCA , sign their petition, and help protect the Boundary Waters from the sulfide-ore copper mines being proposed along the edge of the Wilderness.

#wildernessyear #savetheBWCA #sunset #onlyinMN #BoundaryWaters #BWCA #canoe #canoeing