by John Kumiski
One wouldn't think that one would have to travel to Ely, Minnesota to enjoy the best coffee of one's life, but on this particular morning I found myself in a little cafe in Ely, savoring the finest cup of joe ever. At the table with me were my wife Susan and my two sons Maxx and Alex, and one of our closest friends, Ken Shannon. In between slurps of coffee we were slamming down scrambled eggs and blueberry pancakes like a pack of ravenous timber wolves. A casual observer may have concluded that we hadn't eaten during the previous week.
Such was far from the case. We had just wrapped up a five day canoe trip in Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and we had eaten fairly well. Long days of paddling and portaging will work up a serious appetite, though.
After the breakfast had taken the edge off of our hunger we discussed at some length our recent experience. What follows are some thoughts about our trip.
Portages
We enjoyed some other parts of our trip more than the portages. Carrying the canoes, gear, and supplies overland is serious physical labor. On the philosophical side, one can argue that a good portage builds character. It is not a strong argument.
With the right frame of mind one can appreciate portages, though. They give one a break from sitting in the canoe. Wildflowers and blueberries line the portage trails. Walking through the woods lets you observe close up the birch, balsam, and other trees which are often obscured by riverside alders or distance while on the lakes.
All that having been said though, I recommend that if you're planning a trip to the Boundary Waters you pack lightly and efficiently, so that you can carry all of your gear in one trip on each portage.
The Christening of Screaming Leech
One of the books I read while planning for this trip was called Living Like Indians (Allan McFarlan, Dover Books, 1999). We were visiting an area not much changed since it was inhabited by Native Americans; we would be traveling in watercraft invented by them; and we would be visiting some pictographs created by them. I wanted as much as possible to get in a Native American frame of mind.
On our second day out we were making a long portage around a set of rapids on the Nina Moose River. In the meadow that greeted us at the far end of the portage a cow moose was grazing. Since we did not plan our trip such that our portages were only one trip, Ken, Maxx, and I went back up to the head of the portage for the rest of our gear, leaving Susan and Alex to watch the moose.
Once within earshot on the return trip I could hear my youngest son screaming at the top of his lungs, sounding like he was being scalped by a Menomenee brave. Hurrying forward as best I could, the sight that greeted me was that of Alex shaking his mother, face red and tears streaming down his cheeks. "Take it off!" he screamed. "Take it off! Mom, if you love me you'll take this leech off my foot!"
Susan absolutely refused to have anything to do with the leech, so as soon as Alex saw me he made a beeline for me. I managed to get the canoe off before he knocked the both of us over, and I pulled the leech out from between his toes. The leech was returned to the river, and Alex gradually regained his composure. The moose was nowhere to be seen.
That evening over a ceremonial cup of steaming hot chocolate we gave Alex an Indian name for the duration of the trip. Although Alex wasn't particularly fond of it, of course that name was Screaming Leech.
Swimming
Leeches notwithstanding, Ken Shannon loves to swim. On a warm day at a perfect campsite on Lac La Croix we had a wonderful platform for watery fun, a rock ledge over about 12 feet of water. From this ledge we held jumping and diving contests, with cheers and hollering from the small crowd of spectators.
Do not think for a moment that the water was warm, though. Once in the water the swimmer searched for and tried to stay in a "warm spot", a small pocket of water a few degrees warmer than the surrounding liquid. Since there was some current, these warm spots slowly moved, forcing the swimmer to paddle around searching for them or to get out of the water for a blast of some sunshine.
Fortunately, none of the swimmers was attacked by a leech, screaming or otherwise.
Pictographs
On an overcast day we experienced one of our trip highlights. During a leisurely paddle of about three hours, we headed north up Lac La Croix. We were searching for a large cliff face on the Canadian side of the lake, fishing as we looked. Upon spotting the cliffs, we paddled hard to get across the lake and examine these rocks. They have pictographs painted on them.
It's believed that the pictographs were painted on the cliffs between 700 and 1200 years ago by young men, members of the early Ojibwa tribe. The paint is red ochre, made by mixing iron oxide with fish oils. This simple pigment has clung to that cliff face through 1000 solar cycles, a millennium of incredibly harsh Canadian winters, waiting patiently for us to go and visit them.
Of course the pictographs cared not that we were there. Hand prints, human figures, and drawings of moose adorn these rocks, simple drawings done in a red tint. The simple dignity of this art provoked a strong sense of wonder and a powerful emotional response within us.
Fishing
Before this trip the five of us made a little wager of a dollar each on the biggest fish, just to add a minor touch of competition the fishing. As another incentive, two of our meals were planned as fish dinners. If we didn't catch some fish, we didn't eat.
Fishing was excellent. We ate both walleyes and bass, fried to a golden brown. Hearty appetites, stoked by long days in the fresh air, were completely satisfied by delicious fried fish and accompanying rice pilaf.
The fishing competition went back and forth. I caught the first fish, then Maxx got a bigger one, then Ken took the lead. I thought I had a lock with a smallmouth bass of almost four pounds, but on the morning of the last day out Maxx got a pike of about 26 inches in length. In a little ceremony at the ice cream stand in Ely we all presented Maxx with his prize money, a small reward for a job well done.
Wildlife and CampThieves
Before we left on the trip John Schiefelbein, owner of North Country Canoe Outfitters, showed us a video about traveling through the Boundary Waters. One of the scenes which particularly struck me was one in which a black bear visits a campsite while the campers are eating, the bear more or less inviting himself to dinner. I went into the Boundary Waters expecting to see bears at every campsite, kind of like Yogi and BooBoo in Jellystone, looking for any opportunity to steal my "pick-a-nick basket."
We never saw any sign of bears, much less lose food to any. But we saw plenty of wildlife, and almost lost some of our vittles to small camp thieves.
I always enjoy seeing deer, but nowadays they can be seen almost anywhere. Much more exciting are moose. We saw two while making portages. These large creatures are certainly one of the animals one hopes to see on any trip into the north country.
My favorite north country critter has to be the loon. Its eerie cries echo across remote lakes, answered by others of its kind, adding an element to the north woods aesthetic that nothing else can being to match. The wild cry of the loon is the essence of the north country experience.
Loons don't rob your food stores, fortunately. Every night in camp we would hang up our food from a tree to protect it from bears. Since we didn't see any bears, you might look at this exercise as a waste of time.
Every wilderness campsite has furry, and sometimes feathered, "friends" that will rob you blind if given the opportunity. Sometimes they are raccoons, other times mice, skunks, or porcupines. Crows have been known to steal food from campers. On this particular trip the perpetrators were squirrels and chipmunks.
One thing about losing food in the back country- it's irreplaceable. Hanging up the food every night was a small price to pay to be sure we would have all our supplies the following day.
Insects
You will encounter a variety of insects on a trip to the Boundary Waters. Some, like mosquitoes and black flies, annoy the daylights out of you, especially if there are a lot of them. On our trip we took lots of Ben's insect repellant. We hardly used any. The mosquitoes only got thick one evening, and by that time we were nearly ready to go to sleep anyway.
Many of the insects you see in the Boundary Waters are lovely creatures that add richness to the tapestry of life there. While we were there mayflies were thick, with brown drakes and the giant Hexagenia species being particularly prevalent. Dragonflies accompanied us everywhere. If you watch them carefully you may see how they earned the name mosquito hawk. Butterflies flit hither and yon, helping honeybees pollinate the profusion of wildflowers.
There are insects in the Boundary Waters. Be prepared to deal with the biting ones, and enjoy the many that are beautiful.
Loser of Spoons
The one evening fair numbers of mosquitoes showed up and annoyed us. I decided to take my dinner on a big rock at the water's edge, hoping the breeze would blow them away. My companions recognized a good idea, so they quickly came down to join me. Instead of sitting down to eat, Maxx jumped on the same rock I was sitting on, trying to eat and keep his balance on the small space he had at the same time. His attention thus divided, he dropped his spoon.
It hit the rock and bounced into the water, fluttering from side to side as it sank into the depths. It was lost, a bent piece of stainless steel that perhaps some archaeologist will find in 20,000 years or so.
In keeping with our Indian theme we had a little ceremony in which we gave Maxx his Indian name. We christened him Loser of Spoons.
Rain as a Part of the Wilderness Experience
Like insects, rain can be a source of annoyance or of pleasure, depending on how much of it there is, how well prepared you are for it, and your own attitude.
The rain gods smiled on us for most of our trip. During the first four days we had only one heavy shower, while we visited the pictographs. That all changed on our last day, when we were heading for the take out.
We left Nina Moose Lake and headed up the Nina Moose River under a heavy overcast that promised rain. Before we reached the first portage lightning flashed, thunder crashed, and the skies opened up.
We made three portages that day slipping and sliding through mud. Although we got soaked we didn't care. Our trip was almost over.
It had been a splendid experience for all of us, with many firsts for everyone. Everyone was safe. My only regret was that we didn't have a couple more days to spend there.
Rain is a part of the wilderness experience. So are insects. So are sunsets, and loons, and sky and water. The Boundary Waters have all these things in abundance. And if a little rain and a few bugs are part of the tariff one pays to visit there, it's a small price to experience such a magnificent piece of America.
Wilderness Safety
A trip into the Boundary Waters carries the same risks as any trip into the wilderness. You will probably get some bug bites, scratches, and bruises. But never forget that in extreme cases you can die. John Scheifelbein told us that the most serious problem people have there is drowning. The solution to that problem is simple prevention- wear your life jacket while on the water.
Our entire family took Red Cross First Aid and CPR before leaving. I stressed to my boys that they had to be careful while we were in there. Unless you bring one with you (and we didn't), no doctors or emergency rooms are available.
We carried a filter and filtered all of our drinking water. The chance of water-borne disease is small, but why not eliminate it if possible?
With first aid training, common sense, and a well stocked first aid kit, traveling through the Boundary Waters for weeks can be safer than staying at home.
Outfitting the Trip
Ely has several outfitters on every block. All want your business. We mostly outfitted ourselves with help from North Country Canoe Outfitters. I highly recommend their services.
John Schiefelbein spent a great deal of time with me on the phone, finding out exactly what I wanted to do when I got to the Boundary Waters. He helps you plan exactly the trip you want.
John also spent plenty of time with us once we got there, making sure we were clear on the route and marking our maps as to the locations of all the campsites. His recommended sites had small circles drawn around them. He also obtained the necessary wilderness permits for us.
NCCO offers fly outs and an extensive menu selection. If you are planning a trip to the Boundary Waters you should contact them at 218-365-5581, or visit their web site at www.boundarywaters.com.
If you choose to outfit yourself you will need all of your canoeing equipment, tents, sleeping bags, cooking gear, and food, and you will have to obtain all of your permits from the US Forest Service. Two excellent resources to help you plan your trip are The Boundary Waters Canoe Area: Eastern Region and The Boundary Waters Canoe Area: Western Region, Robert Beymer (Wilderness Press, 1991).
Whether you hire an outfitter or outfit yourself, plan your trip early, preferably before Christmas for the following summer. There are only a given number of wilderness permits available. Once these are one no more people are allowed into the area.
Fishing in the Boundary Waters
Entire books have been written on this topic ( Boundary Waters Fishing Guide by Michael Furtman, North Word Press, 1991, highly recommended), but I can give a short guide to fish and tackle.
The principle fish species include walleyes, smallmouth bass, and northern pike. Many lakes also have lake trout. Walleyes and smallmouth bass both make superb eating and are fairly easy to catch.
We used eight pound spinning outfits. Although many lures will work, the most effective lures we used were 1/8th and 1/4 ounce jig heads with soft plastic tails. Twisty tails, shad tails, and a tail made by Mann's called the PROtein Leech were especially effective. Bring lots of extra lures. You will lose plenty to the omnipresent rocks and the sharp teeth of the pike.
Every place looks like a wonderful fishing spot, but the fish are usually concentrated in only a few places. When you catch a fish or two, note the type of habitat you're fishing and work every similar place you come to.
Good luck and tight lines!
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This article was written by John Kumiski of John Kumiski Outdoors and Travel. Contact him at his website www.johnkumiski.com or via email at john@spottedtail.com. Copyright 2007 John Kumiski.
John Kumiski 's most recent fishing guidebooks are How and Where to Catch Redfish in the Indian River Lagoon System (Argonaut Publishing Company), and Fishing Florida's Space Coast (Argonaut Publishing Company).
John Kumiski's newest book is Redfish on the Fly- A Comprehensive Guide.
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