Walleyes and northerns and bears, OH MY!
Written: Dec 01 '00
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Very peaceful, great fishing, lots of camp sights, well maintained trails, great scenery
Cons: Lots of people and bugs
|
|
|
| justinsmith's Full Review: Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness |
People who go to the Boundary Waters say one of two things. Some people say it sucked because of the bugs and hard work. These people are the ones who went thinking it would be like car camping or spending the weekend at the cabin. The other people, the ones who love the outdoors say one thing after a Boundary Waters trip: "I can't wait to go back".
The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) has long been known as a place of mystic beauty and tranquility. The place has an energy that you can feel in your soul. Those who visit know exactly what I am talking about. I could never fully explain it in words. The true Boundary Waters experience can only be realized while sitting on the rocks by the shore of the lake right after the sun falls below the horizon. The loons call with their echoing cries. The smell of the campfire and pine trees looms in the air. Everything becomes perfectly still and the lake turns into a mirror. You forget about how sore you are from several days of paddling and portaging as you lose yourself in the moment.
That's when you go sit by the fire because the mosquitoes came out.
The boundary waters is a great outdoor experience for several reasons. The fishing is very good. You can almost guarantee a meal of fish every night (but don't count on it). Walleyes, northerns, and small mouth bass are the main fish. The small mouth bass fishing is some of the best in the world. Lake trout are common as well, but harder to find. Moose hunting is also a common activity that yields much success. Duck and grouse hunting is good as well. Bears are sighted once in awhile, but generally stay away from people (still, you must use caution and common sense camping rules).
If fishing and hunting is not your thing, the camping and canoeing is the best in the United States. Nowhere will you find such an extensive collection of canoeable lakes and rivers connected by trails. The lakes are so close together that often it takes only a 100 yard portage to get from one lake to another. On a 50 mile trip, you usually do 48 1/2 miles of canoeing and 1 1/2 miles of portaging. There are hiking trails, but the main activity is canoeing. The portages are well kept and there are frequent places to rest. The Wilderness Service put up large saw-horse-like frames along the trail to make it easy to take the canoe off your shoulders for a rest. The campsites are excellent. There is a iron fire grate and a sit-down toilet at each campsite. The toilet is just like an outhouse, but with no walls. You would be amazed at the wildlife that happens by as you do a "number 2." Almost all campsites are adjacent to water which is convenient. There is plenty of flat ground to put up a tent, but tree roots and 3/4 buried rocks are all over. Bring a sleeping pad. The tall pine trees provide plenty of shady spots.
The weather is usually nice, with the occasional rainstorm and hot or cold spell. If you go for more than a few days you will most likely get rained on. But that's FUN!
The scenery is beautiful. There are beautiful pine forests, blue lakes, cliffs, waterfalls, and wildlife galore. There is something for everyone.
Getting there is easy. There are plenty of good highways and gravel roads leading to the edge of the wilderness. The Boundary Waters is a powerful influence on the economy of the area. Resorts are common on the lakes surrounding the wilderness area. Motels are everywhere in the nearby towns. So finding a place to stay before the adventure is easy and inexpensive. If you need gear it will all be provided at a low price from one of the many outfitters in the area. All you need to do is bring clothes and a toothbrush. They can provide EVERYTHING else. Many outfitters will give you a ride from town to where you put your canoe in. They take care of you.
If you bring your own gear, you will need your basic hiking stuff. The only extras would be an extra pair of shoes (one wet pair and one dry pair), a fishing pole and tackle, and a canoe and life jackets. People who plan on fishing bring oil and batter for the fish. Bring bug spray. I've gone without it, but it is always nice to have. The bugs can get pretty bad. I always put my clothes in large zip-lock bags to keep them dry in my pack. Often they can get wet sitting in the puddle in the bottom of the canoe. Also note that dome tents work the best because they don't need to be staked down. The soil is shallow and is covering solid rock. Stakes usually bend and break and just don't go in. At least bring cord to tie your stake loops to a big rock or tree.
Make sure you get the required permits before entering the Boundary Waters. Check out http://www.friends-bwca.org for any information you can think of, including how to obtain a permit, a list of outfitters, and places to get maps. It is a great web sight.
Other than the bugs, I only have two other complaints. The first is that many people visit the Boundary Waters every year. If you don't want to see other people, this might not be your place. One option is to go into Quetico Park which is North of the Boundary Waters in Canada, but contact Canadian authorities before you do that (see the above web site for more information). There you will seldom see another person. My second complaint is the airplanes that fly over. The Forest Service sends planes over a few times a day to check on possible permit violators and other bad people. So it is not a total wilderness experience, but it is still great.
I would highly recommend this place to anyone who loves the outdoors.
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
justinsmith
|
|
Member: Justin Smith
Location: Spokane, WA
Reviews written: 30
Trusted by: 10 members
About Me:
I am an honest man.
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.