Clearwater, Canoes, and Covid
.....a tale of a family's 2020 BWCA trip
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| The day awakens at Clearwater Lodge |
Our family's trip planning started on the drive home from the last trip in June 2019. My parents were retiring to North Carolina and we would be losing our home base on the Ely side of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). 2020 was going to provide an opportunity to try something new and the Gunflint Trail was calling our name. As an avid listener of the
Tumblehome podcast, I was intrigued by the Eastern side of the BWCAW and new places to explore. We booked a cabin at
Clearwater Historic Lodge for 3 nights and planned for 4-5 nights of overnight in the BWCAW from Clearwater Lake (Entry Point 62). We locked the permit in when the 2020 permits opened in January. The plans for an amazing trip were set, or so we thought......
Covid...
It struck and week by week the closures and cancellations rolled in yet there was hope that by Summer we would have slowed the curve enough to start re-opening things. Grandma's Marathon was cancelled which is an event that always kicks off our trip. We were also cognizant that we would not be stopping to spend time with family but remained hopeful we could still get on the Gunflint Trail. The BWCAW opened again on May 18th and on June 1st Minnesota businesses slowly began reopening with modified operations. We locked in final details and packed the bags for a June trip!
Travel Days
We were packed and ready to hit the road Friday June 19th for the 24 hour drive to Clearwater Lake. Our kids, ages 7 & 11, are road warriors at this point in their lives but it is never easy. We packed a large cooler and bin with all the beverages and food we would need for the trip to avoid stopping at restaurants or grocery stores in NE Minnesota. There would also be no hotels to break up the trip. The drive was rather uneventful except for the normal road construction delays. We hit Chicago just after sunset to see a beautiful display of fireworks across neighborhoods as residents celebrated Juneteenth. It was a nice day to reflect on all the events of the past few weeks and how we can do better.
We cruised through Chicago and hit the Wisconsin border just after midnight. We stopped after 14 hours on the road at the welcome center so we could all nap for a few hours. We grabbed the pillows and blankets and got the best sleep we could in a truck on a warm Summer night.
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Welcome to Wisconsin!
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After a quick nap we were up by 5 am to stretch outside the truck and head for Madison. After a quick walk in downtown Madison we met up with Anne's sister and her family. It was great to catch up with Chris, Liz, and Gabby. They made an awesome breakfast to enjoy before we headed up to Minnesota.
After 5 more hours of driving we stopped in Duluth's Canal Park on what would have been the same day as Grandma's Marathon. We had a nice walk around and dinner on the outside patio of Canal Park Brewing. We had a campsite at Tettegouche State Park for the night so made the 1 hour drive further north. As we got close a passing rain shower over Lake Superior made for a rainbow sky that we just had to stop and see at Palisade Head.
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| Palisade Overlook |
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| Lake Superior shows her beauty |
After setting up camp we all put our heads down and fell fast asleep after more than 30 hours since we left home. The next morning Anne and I got some running in on the Superior Hiking Trail. I got to one of my favorites at the overlook over Bean & Bear Lakes. It was a nice way to start off Father's Day!
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| Bear Lake overlook (SHT) |
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The sun rises over Lake Superior from the Superior Hiking Trail
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After our runs we had a nice family hike to Cascade Falls along the Baptism River, temps were cool in the 50's and we were glad to be among the pines and fresh air. We could take our time as we couldn't check-in at Clearwater Lodge until after 3pm. We then hiked Shovel Point in the State Park before setting north to Grand Marais and then onto the Gunflint Trail.
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Superior Hiking Trail bridge over Baptism River
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View from Shovel Point
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We had finally made it to Clearwater Lodge and it was time to unpack and relax for 3 days. We had some day trips planned on Monday and Tuesday before setting off into the BWCAW on Wednesday morning. Clearwater Historic lodge is a great place that has been in operation since 1915. The lodge is an amazing building and worth the trip to see. Unfortunately due to Covid-19 the lower lodge is not open for guests. Check-in was quick and easy through the front window and we were off to the cabin. We relaxed with a nice dinner and drinks on the dock while the kids swam in the cool waters.
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Arrival!
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Clearwater Historic Lodge
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Day 1 - Day-trip to Rose Lake (June 22, 2020)
Most people don't realize that you can take a day-trip into the BWCAW on any day. It is free and easily done by filling out a quick day-entry permit available at most of the entry points. We had day trips planned for the first two days to get on the lakes and get our paddling arms back under us. We were up early, ate a quick breakfast, filled out a permit, turned it in at the lodge, and then drove just over a mile to Bearskin Lake (West). There is a parking lot on the west end of the lake just off Clearwater Road. It was early in the morning but the winds from the west were already kicking up. Other than that it was a beautiful morning under blue skies and temps starting the 50's.
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Sunrise on Clearwater Lake Day #1
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Since this was only a day trip we put all 4 of us in our Wenonah Minnesota II canoe with Hazel in a camp chair and Cael on a removable canoe seat. It was perfect as the kids always try to minimize paddling! Anne and I paddled down the length of Bearskin Lake to the portage into Duncan Lake (EP60). We saw a lone fisherman out but otherwise had the lake to ourselves. It is a short 75 rod (1 rod = 16.5 feet) portage into Duncan Lake. We met another group at the portage who was going in on a fishing trip. The kids were awake by now and were glad we had no heavy packs to carry across the portage since we only planned to be out for 6 hours. Next up was the paddle north on Duncan at just over a mile to the infamous Stairway Portage into Rose Lake.
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| Paddling Bearskin Lake |
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Landing at portage to Duncan Lake
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We grabbed our daypack filled with water bottles and snacks while moving the canoe out of the way of the portage. We only planned to hike over to Rose Falls and wouldn't need to portage the canoe. We hiked first to Rose Falls which is off to the right shortly after crossing an intersection of the Border Route Trail. The falls are just a short hike from the portage and you can clearly hear them well before seeing them. Hazel had been hoping to swim in the falls but these were less than ideal for taking a dip so her spirit was broken momentarily, 7 year olds recover quickly. We promised some swimming later in the day back at Clearwater Lake. From there we went back to the Border Route Trail and followed it East. There are a couple of nice views before reaching the main overlook. It was now after 11 am and time for lunch. We enjoyed snack sticks, almonds, and granola bars while overlooking Rose Lake into Canada. The kids were excited to be so close to Canada but unfortunately we couldn't go on this trip since the US-Canada border was closed due to Covid-19 until at least July 21 (later extended to August 21).
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Rose Falls
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Glad to be in the BWCAW!
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Hazel mourns the lack of swimming at Rose Falls
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Rose Lake overlooking to Canada
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It is better in person!
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Rose Lake
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Border Route Trail
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After a nice rest and rush of sugar to improve spirits, we hiked back down from the overlook back to the portage trail. Heading North on the portage took us down the stairway which was originally built by the C.C.C. in 1935. We all came up with a different count of stairs but it is between 85-95 steps. Portaging a heavy pack or canoe up this would definitely match it's notoriety. We took some more time once reaching Rose Lake to wade in the water and chat with a group of younger adults out on day trip.
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Glad to have no packs or canoe to carry!
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Rose Lake portage landing.
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We were all ready at this point to start our paddle back to the truck and go relax at the cabin. We got back to the canoe and started paddling South on Duncan Lake. The wind was pushing us towards the East shore as Mom and Dad paddled hard. In famous Cael fashion he let both pieces of his fruit snack wrapper get taken by the wind and land in the lake. Anne and I spent the next 15 minutes trying to retrieve little slivers of wrapper from the waters of Duncan Lake. I can only imagine what we looked like. After all the wrappers were safe in pocket we paddled towards the portage. We now started running into quite a few day paddlers heading in the direction we just came from. One young couple paddled hard from the portage who had their packs and were on an overnight. Then a group of 5 younger guys followed, they asked about a site on Rose Lake near the portage and if we saw it vacant, we said yes but they won't catch the younger couple ahead of them! We cruised along the portage and had a nice tailwind to help us back to our truck across Bearskin Lake. We hit shore and deemed the day trip a success!
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See you on Day #2 BWCAW!
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Back at the cabin we unwound by swimming, enjoying a cold beer or two, and just sitting on the dock. It was a perfect afternoon for Day #1. We decided for dinner to get takeout from the Trail Center off the Gunflint Trail. They had a nice setup with WiFi and parking to order from your phone and they delivered it to a table in front of your vehicle. We all enjoyed our takeout back at the cabin. Clearwater Lodge has an amazing bakery that dates all the way back to when Petra Boostrom founded the Lodge with her husband Charlie. Petra would bake 30 loaves of bread each day for the guests and was well known in the area for her pie. Hazel and I ordered a blueberry pie and a few other baked goodies to surprise Anne. It was a nice treat to end Day #1
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Swimming time
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View of Cabin #2 from the water
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Hero the resident Chocolate Lab
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Petra's blueberry pie
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Cael working out with Hero
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Day 2 - Day-trip to Clearwater Lake Palisades (June 23, 2020)
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A lone paddler sets off in the morning mist of Clearwater Lake
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Late June in Northern Minnesota brings a sunrise before 5:00 am with it light by 4:30 am. We were up fairly early again to watch the sun come up over the lake as paddlers set off on their trips. We had planned for an easy morning as we knew the next morning we would be off paddling early away from the cabin and into the BWCAW. Anne and I headed out for a nice 4 mile run along Clearwater Road to loosen the legs and get one last run in before our trip. Anne made a big batch of pancakes and bacon to fill our bellies from the run. Afterwards we relaxed with some coffee on the dock under a blue sky.
I filled out a day entry permit for Clearwater Lake for our short paddle to hike the Palisades and turned it into the lodge. The Palisades is a series of 2 rock cliffs which rise 350 feet above the water's edge. They are a prominent feature of Clearwater Lake and the main reason that Charlie & Petra Boostrom settled and built Clearwater Lodge back in 1915. The Palisades are a short 1-1/2 mile paddle from the dock of our cabin and we were excited for the views which awaited us.
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The Palisades from dock of Clearwater Lodge
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A couple of my new favorites
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Kids enjoy a lazy morning
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We loaded the canoe and set right off from the dock, it was quite the treat to leave on a day trip right from the cabin. A good wind had picked up out of the North slapping waves against the port side of our canoe the whole way down the lake. The MN II canoe is a great tripping canoe when loaded down with gear but provides an uneasy feeling with 4 people sitting high in it, no gear, and a strong wind. We told the kids to stay upright and not bounce around as we headed down the lake. We made it down the lake just fine and found the unofficial landing for the unofficial trail. Coming into the rocky shoreline was a downed tree with it's branches sticking out over the water. As we came in the wind pushed us into the branches, Cael made a quick movement to dodge it but threw his weight to the side and next we knew were were all in the waters of Clearwater Lake at the landing! We got up from the water, grabbed the day-pack, and up-righted the canoe. Hazel was soaked and upset so she got up on shore to calm down a bit.
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| Next stop, the Palisades |
We stored the canoe on shore and started hiking on the trail off to the right. There is a rocky steep section to begin with but quickly levels off for most of it. Once hiking Hazel was feeling better and drying off. We kept telling her the views would be worth it. After a final steep climb we came to the first clear opening with views back towards the lodge. We enjoyed the views, had some snacks, and took some pictures. The breeze was nice to sit and reflect as the sun warmed and dried our wet clothes. As we sat there we discussed a long list of stresses we were throwing off the edge in our minds. It truly was relaxing to sit and take in the beauty of the Boundary Waters.
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Boundary Water views!
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Clearwater Lake is a beauty
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Reflecting on life
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Views, views, and more views
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We then continued along the trail to another clearing with views to the North. The winds were a bit much to sit here for too long but we enjoyed it before hiking back to the canoes.
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Endless adventures await those who accept the trip.
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It was a nice paddle back to the Lodge and we stuck close to the shore as the winds had picked up more. Once back at the cabin it was an afternoon of relaxation, swimming, and packing for tomorrow's trip. I got the bags packed for our trip and we swam plenty. Hazel would spend her entire day in the water if she could. She puts on her goggles and grabs her butterfly net to explore the water below the surface. She enjoyed trying to catch minnows and small fryling as they hung near the rocks. The water temp was only 64 degrees but you would never know by the amount of time she spent in the water.
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Dock beverages
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Views from the dock
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Hazel relaxes on the porch of the main lodge.
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We grilled a big dinner of burgers and brats at the cabin and got a bonfire going afterwards. We sat enjoying smores and talking about the trip ahead. We were filled with wonder of what the trip ahead might offer. We polished the rest of the blueberry pie off and headed for the last night of sleep in a bed for the week.
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Truth!
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Pie time
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Sunset on Clearwater Lake
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Clearwater Outfitters was a busy place
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| The canoe is ready to float |
Day 3 - Clearwater Lake to Pine Lake (June 24, 2020)
We were up early and wanted to be on the water between 7:30-8 in the hopes of finding a good campsite. We packed up all our items from the cabin and loaded the truck up. It was bittersweet to leave the comfort and relaxation of this beautiful cabin to head into the Wilderness with nothing but what we carried on our backs and in the canoe. We checked out and said thank you to the amazing staff at Clearwater. I parked the truck in the lot for the next 5 days and we set off from the dock of our cabin. It was a beautiful morning but temps were going to continually warm throughout our trip. Today was supposed to be 75 degrees and clear, we took advantage of calm waters for a quick paddle to the first portage of the day.
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Loaded with gear and paddling
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The portage from Clearwater to Caribou is a fairly easy portage and mostly downhill heading into Caribou. There are a few old trails from the logging days so keeping vigilant at the turns is important. The kids took their packs and paddles, Anne took the kayak, and I took her pack and the canoe on the first trip. I planned to double portage and come back to get the main canoe pack with our food and heavier gear in it. The kids were in good spirits and we made quick work of the first portage. We put our gear off to the side on the shore of Caribou Lake while Anne and the kids got a snack and some water. I headed back for the canoe pack and finally ran into the first other group we would see that day. I followed the one man and his canoe down the trail, he made the mistake and kept straight onto the old logging trail so I had to shout and get his attention letting him know he was headed in the wrong direction. He thanked me and we made our way to Caribou Lake.
Coming into to this trip one of my top goals was to camp and fish on Caribou Lake. Caribou Lake has some beautiful campsites and is one of the better walleye fishing lakes in the area. I had struck out on walleye on our last two trips and knew that we had to place ourselves where the fish were if we planned to catch any. Their are a total of 6 campsites along the 3-1/2 mile length of Caribou Lake. We paddled past the first three to find them filled with campers. Since these are the less desirable sites on the lake I knew we might be out of luck. Our only hope was to time when a group was leaving a site vacant. Unfortunately each of the sites we passed were definitely set up for long base camping trips with gear strewn all over the shores. We passed the site with an island out front in which the group was using to hang their garbage on. This was something I had never seen in the Boundary Waters where a group was using a small island to place their garbage, bears can swim just fine. I began to get discouraged and wondered if I made a mistake traveling to a popular area. After getting across Caribou Lake all 6 sites were filled so it was time for a short 25 rod portage into Little Caribou Lake.
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Paddling along...
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Little Caribou lake has only 1 campsite and it is a popular one up on a ridge. We paddled past it with a group occupying it. Next up was an 80 rod portage into Pine Lake which was busy with several groups. A couple on a day trip that had left Clearwater Lodge early that morning was heading back. We next ran into a group of 8 with father/son duos out on their annual trip. They mentioned that they had just left the 2nd site on Pine Lake away from the portage and said it was a gem. We got some hope and paddled away quickly onto Pine Lake. Pine Lake is a long slender lake almost 7 miles in length from one end to the other. We paddled past the first campsite on the Western end to find it occupied but still felt hopeful the next one would be ours that the group had just left. As we neared closer our guts sank as we saw two kayaks beached on the campsite which had just been left. We decided it would be best to paddle past and ask the two guys there if they knew of any open sites on Pine Lake. They had just come from the Eastern end and said that there were a couple sites open but seemed unsure of themselves. We had about a 1/2 mile paddle to the next site and the wind was at our back. As we got close we didn't see any evidence of paddlers and hope came up. We had now been paddling hard for 5 hours and the kids were ready to find camp and swim. As we got closer a single canoe with two gentlemen was paddling from the East. We didn't know if they had paddled all the way across Pine Lake and occupied campsites so we paddled hard to land first. The wind was at our backs so we had the advantage. Anne and I dug in and we just beat them to the site by less than 100 meters. They paddled past with a cooler and definitely seemed as though they were looking for a site, I couldn't see them portaging that large cooler too far today. We felt very lucky and hugged as we hit the site just after 1:30 pm. Anne and I setup camp while the kids explored the site.
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Relieved to have a site on Pine Lake
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Room with a view
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A great view for sunrise and sunset.
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After getting unpacked and the tent setup, it was time to get some firewood. Hazel and Cael are good helpers for this. Hazel enjoys finding twigs and branches for kindling while Cael helps with the bigger firewood. We found a nice down cedar tree well away from camp and cut and split it. It provided a nice pile of firewood, more than we would need for the night. The rest of the afternoon was filled with swimming and relaxing.
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Hazel in her element
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We hadn't planned to get this far down Pine Lake on the first day. It was Wednesday afternoon and the weather before we left said that Friday would be filled with afternoon thunderstorms and higher winds. We decided that we would break camp in the morning and head for Canoe or Alder Lake to get our next site. We didn't want to try and paddle Friday on a larger lake like Pine Lake and get possibly trapped not finding a site on a Friday afternoon.
Dinner that evening was a feast with lots of fresh goods that could be frozen and packed in. We started with an appetizer of pizza biters (if you don't know, just listen to Tumblehome Podcast). We all devoured the large bag we brought and then dined on bratwurst and veggie burgers. A nice fire was had from the fresh split cedar.
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Dinner in the BWCAW just tastes better
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We toasted some marshmallows and sat around the fire early that evening. We noticed late afternoon and into the evening quite a few groups passing looking for a site. It is not abnormal to see a group out later but this was multiple groups and we had already had troubles finding a site. We also saw the canoe with the cooler come back past us after 6:00 pm headed back to the East, we pretty much figured they had given up locating a site and would be heading back for the access lot on the East side of Pine Lake. We had a large site with multiple locations of tent pads and many trees for hammocks.
Anne and I already mentioned that if we saw any group out after 8:00 pm we would invite them into our site for the night. Sure enough at 7:45 pm a single canoe with three women came around the bend from the West. I went down and could already see the disappointment of seeing another occupied campsite. I asked them if they were trying to find a site on Pine Lake or headed out for the night? They said they had been searching for a site so I invited them and told them they were more than welcome to stay the night here. They didn't take too much time to think about it after paddling all day and came ashore. They were super nice and grateful and I showed them a nice tent pad to setup on. Anne, the kids, and I were just wrapping up for the evening to go in the tent, play cards, and turn in for the night. I told the other group to take advantage of the hot fire and pile of firewood to cook dinner and enjoy their evening. They had left Minneapolis at sunrise and had paddled for 7 hours in the windy afternoon coming from East Bearskin Lake and up across Caribou Lake. They were super grateful and very nice guests to have share our site.
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Marshmallow roasting time
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Good night Pine Lake
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Day 4 - Pine Lake to Canoe Lake (June 25, 2020)
We were up by 6:00 am to pack up and get on the water. Our first morning breakfast was a treat of scrambled eggs, english muffins,and of course a side of SPAM. We had a big morning of paddling and hiking ahead of us and would need the calories. We got the tent down, bags packed, and dishes washed to get on the water by 7:30 am. We didn't know how long we might be paddling to get a campsite and we wanted to stop at Johnson Falls before leaving Pine Lake. The other camp of 3 women were up early as well packing and getting ready to head out. They were on a loop route heading up to Mountain and Clearwater Lakes before looping back to East Bearskin. They shoved away from shore just before us and we left the campsite ready for the next campers.
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Early morning on Pine Lake
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The winds were expected to be over 20 mph by the afternoon and were already picking up to rolling whitecaps on Pine Lake. We decided to cross directly to the Southern shore to gain a little protection from the wind as we paddled West. I am not an experienced veteran on paddling big lakes in the wind and had a few nerves crossing the lake but still felt it was well within our skill level. We paddled hard and made it across with no issues. As we paddled West close to the shore a bald eagle flew out from a tree branch over our heads, within 15 feet above our heads. It was an incredible experience and made the day. The size of a bald eagle at full wingspan close to you truly captures your attention. The eagle made its way across to the other side of the lake and sat perched on a tree.
We got to where the portage is shown on the map on the far West End bay of Pine Lake and unloaded everything on shore. It was time to take the hike to Johnson Falls which is about a 1/2 mile. It is not an official trail and hence is only maintained by those who hike it. We were the only ones there that morning but had already warmed up from the hike. Hazel, Cael, and I took a nice dip in the waters. It was cool but refreshing. Johnson Falls is definitely worth the trip and can be reached by day trip from a few different entry points. There is something magical about a waterfall in the middle of the wilderness that doesn't have a parking lot nearby and day hikers everywhere.
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Johnson Falls
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| Refreshing Minnesota waters |
After making our way back down to the canoe we tried to decide what would be easier in walking the trail along the shore back to the portage to Canoe Lake or reloading the gear and paddling back to it. I took the kayak and walked down the trail to gauge if I wanted to portage the canoe across it. After making my way down I decided not to, there were just too many downed trees and narrow sections. Cael and Anne hiked the trail with a little gear while Hazel and I jumped in the canoe and made the short paddle back East to the portage.
It had begun to heat up into the mid-70's now in late morning and we were not mentally ready for the difficulty of the portage into Canoe Lake. The trail makes a long climb of switchbacks before a short and rocky descent into Canoe Lake. At 232 rods it is not long but grueling. I took the canoe and Anne's pack ahead to get started. I had to make 2 short stops going up the the climb as my heart rate was pegged. On my second stop I heard the kids coming behind me and knew I better get going. I toughed it out and got to the shore of Canoe Lake with the kids right behind me. I headed back for the canoe pack and met up with Anne. She had the kayak and was struggling just as I had. By the time I got back to Canoe Lake for the 2nd time with the rest of the gear I was soaked in sweat and hungry. I was hoping we could find a campsite on Canoe Lake and just get in the lake for a while.
There are 3 campsites on Canoe Lake, all on the North shore. The far East campsite is a horrible site and only advised to stay here for a short night if you can't find anything else in the area or to avoid a storm. The middle and Western campsites are very nice and we hoped to grab one of them. As we packed up our gear a group of 6 guys brought their canoes on land and stashed them as they were just making a day trip to Johnson Falls. I asked them where they were coming from and they said they were staying on the middle site (darn, that only leaves one possibility). I asked if they knew about the 3rd site and they all said that the group who had been there left earlier this morning. Excellent, we have a slight ray of hope.
We burst away from shore paddling hard into the wind and saying a little prayer the site would stay open. As it came into view we didn't see anyone there and paddled on in to claim it! It is an amazing site on a point overlooking the water. We were so happy to be there and it was only 1:00 pm. As we started to unpack we saw several groups of paddlers coming off the Portage from Alder Lake. Most made the turn towards us until they saw it occupied. We knew the sites on Alder must have been occupied and now they didn't have many more options ahead of them. The amount of paddlers in this area on our trip just amazed me. A combination of long base camping trips and maxed out permits certainly made it a busy trip.
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Cael glad to have found a site on Canoe Lake
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We spent the afternoon setting up camp for the next 3 nights, swimming, and relaxing. For dinner that night we enjoyed camp pizzas and later smores. It was a perfect evening and we slept well that night after a couple days of paddling.
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| Pizza time |
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Canoe Lake camp
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What a view for 3 days!!
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Cheese pizza smiles!
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Campsite from the lake
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Day 5 - Canoe Lake (June 26, 2020)
We all slept in a bit as we looked forward to relaxing today. The weather report when we left was for high winds and storms throughout the afternoon. Hazel was excited for this so we could spend the afternoon hunkered in the tent playing cards and reading. With the forecast on the day we planned to get out for some morning fishing and then come back for lunch. We headed out in the canoe with fishing gear and my new fish finder. I was ready to put them to use and find the fish. I knew from MN Lake Finder and the DNR surveys that we would probably only find bass in Canoe Lake. We trolled back and forth where the water enters from Alder Lake but never got a bite. We packed up and made the short 25 rod portage to Alder Lake knowing it was better for walleye and northern. By the time we got on Alder Lake the sky had gone dark to the West, the winds picked up, and it looked as though rain was not far off. We anchored the canoe and fished for about 15 minutes before the kids were already getting bored. With the winds and dark skies I realized that while I could have sat there all morning casting, the kids were ready to go back to camp and run around. We headed back to camp and waited for it to rain.
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Ready to catch fish?
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I spent the afternoon preparing firewood for the next couple nights. My old hatchet was loosing the head off it so Anne helped me used a large rock to pound it back on the handle and then we soaked it in the water for a few hours. It did the trick and split firewood that afternoon quite nicely. The kids fought over the hammock (next year bring 2) and Anne did some reading.
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| Firewood ready |
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Lazy afternoon
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I took the kayak and paddled over to nearby Paddle Lake. I fished for a little while and caught a couple of small bass. They were aggressive and pretty sure Paddle Lake doesn't get visited much as a dead end lake with no campsites.
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| Just big enough for my hand |
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Paddle Lake all to myself
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We were sitting around camp that afternoon when 2 Forest Service Rangers paddled up to our camp. They had a canoe full of gear and were out on a long trip checking permits and campsites. They socially distanced themselves and were very friendly. The one Ranger went back through camp and did a latrine check while the other Ranger talked with me about our trip. She wrote down my name, permit number, and made sure I had a permit in hand which I had printed out this year. She said they were seeing lots of first time paddlers who normally car camp but with so many places closed due to Covid-19 were exploring other options. We talked shortly about how busy things were and our difficulties in finding a site and watching others paddle all evening looking. She said paddlers were still looking after 8:30 pm the night before on Alder Lake where they stayed. We wished them well and they paddled off to the next campsite to talk with the guys in that group. It was our first time seeing a Ranger in the BWCAW but we were glad they were out, especially this year.
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Forest Service Rangers paddle to the next site.
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The excitement for the day came when a turtle kept coming up on the rocks near the kids. She was scoping out the rocks the entire late afternoon. Finally after dinner and things settled down she came up and laid her eggs in three different locations. We hope those baby turtles are swimming around in Canoe Lake today!
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Hazel keeps an eye on the turtle
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Kids catching mini bass with a net
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The evening was spent with another fire and smores, card playing in the tent, and loon calls to put us to sleep. It had been another great day and we never got a drop of rain.
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A perfect day on Canoe Lake
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Hazel perfects another marshmallow
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Day 6 - Canoe Lake (June 27, 2020)
I was up early as usual and headed out in the kayak with my fishing gear while the rest of the family slept. I had picked up a new St. Croix Bass-X rod with Piscifun carbon x reel for this trip. It had been over 10 years since I last bought a new rod and it was time. I headed back over near the inlet from Alder Lake. A couple of small walleye were caught but nothing big enough to hold on for dinner. It was still fun to reel in a few fish on the trip.
The rest of the day was spent with lots of swimming, relaxing around camp, exploring in the woods, and enjoying time together. Anne took the kayak over Paddle Lake but was not as thrilled with getting soaked lining the kayak through the flowage in and out of the lake.
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Cael fishes the waters off camp
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Hazel searching for the bass
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A campsite view to dream of for the next year.
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It was a great day at camp, not one filled with stories, but one of those you think of when you are back in the office. We had a long day of paddling in the morning back to Clearwater Lodge and planned to get going early so it was an early night. The reality of heading out of the BWCA was on our minds, it is never easy to leave this place of wilderness beauty.
Day 7 - Canoe Lake to Alder, East Bearskin, Moon, Deer, & Clearwater Lake (June 28, 2020)
We were up around 5:15 am packing up the tent and getting our gear organized. I estimated it to be around a 6 hour paddle back to the Lodge and we wanted to utilize the morning hours before the winds picked up in the afternoon. We had a breakfast of oatmeal and pop-tarts to fuel our morning. After doing camp dishes and final packing we were on the water at 6:30 am.
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| Sunrise on Canoe Lake to greet our final morning. |
The 25 rod portage to Alder Lake was just across from our campsite on the Southern shore so it was a few minutes of paddling and then time to unload everything again for portage #1 of the day. It was a blue sky morning with no wind as we got onto Alder Lake. Temps were to get into the 80's with standard afternoon winds.
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Alder Lake smiles
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The paddle across Alder Lake was one of those moments in time I will always remember. It was early morning and most campers were still asleep except for an older couple out fishing. A backdrop of blue skies against a perfectly flat water surface just accented the green of the trees. We heard the loons calling along with our paddle strokes in the water. We took a few moments to float and just listen to the forest waking up in bird calls. Alder Lake is very close to the East Bearskin Lake entry point and has 7 campsites that were all full when we paddled through. It is a busy lake but I'd love to come camp here in the future, a Fall trip with the leaves changing must be magical.
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Paddling down Alder Lake
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Alder Lake portage to East Bearskin is 48 rods and located on the far West end tucked into a little bay reached by a narrow inlet between rocks. The water levels were low as it had been a very dry Spring and June but we were still able to paddle through easily. Just two days after we left the BWCAW a fire ban was put in place for the Superior National Forest due to the dry conditions. We knew it was getting very dry towards the end of our trip and limited our evening campfires to just a small one for cooking and smores before getting it extinguished quickly. As we unloaded our gear we saw a canoe stashed off in the woods with a load of fishing equipment. We knew they were not able to find a campsite and had camped off in the woods. This is not illegal in the BWCAW during emergency conditions but you are required to be moving at sunrise and not have a campfire. This was just another indicator of how busy the season was and lack of campsite availability. The BWCAW was under pressure for various reasons but with the Canadian border closed many paddlers who normally go to Quetico came to the BWCAW.
East Bearskin Lake is part of the BWCAW on the Eastern side and on the Western side dotted with cabins. We had to momentarily leave the borders of the BWCAW as we paddled from the South arm to the North arm. There is a 25 hp motor limit in this section but we never did see a boat out on this beautiful Sunday morning. We watched a loon fish for breakfast on the South arm but Hazel was getting bored and not being so quiet for us. Sometimes with kids it just isn't the picture perfect scene. We landed on the 3rd portage of the day at 115 rods into Moon Lake. This portage was all down hill going into Moon Lake and luckily down the stairs which were a little slick in the morning dew that hadn't dried in the woods yet.
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East Bearskin to Moon Lake portage stairs
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We were making quick time with good paddling weather and dry portages. We slowly paddled across Moon Lake listening to loons and white throated sparrows which are my two favorites. The calls of these birds represent true Minnesota for me and I treasure listening to them for this one week each Summer. The portage from Moon to Deer lake is only 15 rods but was filled with mosquitoes, uneven rocks, and then the landing in Deer Lake was a couple feet of silt under the surface of the water. We were coated with bugs and mud and couldn't paddle away quick enough. Not always does the length of the portage define it's difficulty.
We made our way across Deer Lake to where the only campsite is on the lake and also the portage to Clearwater or Caribou Lakes. The campsite here is literally right on the portage trail and one that would be suitable only for a short night or emergency situation. We used the privy and had a nice lunch break here, one last portage.
We set off down the portage towards Clearwater Lake which was our longest of the day at 210 rods. Anne was going to take her pack while I took the canoe pack and canoe coming back later for the kayak. It was now 80 degrees and with a 42+ lb canoe and a 60 lb pack I realized I wasn't going to be able to take both. At around 80 rods into the portage I set the canoe down off the side of the trail to retrieve later. The portage was busy that morning with groups coming and going between Clearwater and Caribou and even a large group between Caribou and Deer.
We made it with the kids to Clearwater Lake and got them situated with some water and snacks in the shade. Anne and I went back to get the kayak at Deer Lake. Anne made a run to the privy before heading back and found Cael's sweatshirt he had left earlier. This kid would lose his head if it wasn't attached. I carried the kayak back to where I left the canoe and then Anne carried it back to Clearwater. I took the canoe and enjoyed carrying it with no pack on.
We saw some of the stranger things on this portage in my time going to the BWCAW. We saw a group of younger guys (early 20's) who were portaging everything in barefeet and crocs. One of the guys was struggling to carry a larger YETI cooler with both arms. He looked completely defeated and exhausted. A YETI cooler is the last thing you want to portage through the woods. We also saw a very young couple portaging a canoe with it over both of their heads. It was a very heavy Old Town and the poor couple looked like they had made the wrong decision as they headed on their first portage from Clearwater. All in all a lot of first time paddlers in the Wilderness on this trip making tough gear choices. For your first trip I would always recommend working with an outfitter and renting gear or doing a lot of research on your own and investing in the right gear. Once you head down the lake or portage trails you don't have options to change your gear and it can make the difference between a great trip and one that you regret going on.
We made the nice paddle across Clearwater with a cooling breeze at our faces. It was now just 12:30 pm and we had made great time and had an amazing paddle from Canoe Lake. We paddled past the cabins and landed at the beach in front of the Lodge. I grabbed the truck and we loaded up the gear, canoe, and kayak.
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| The final route shown in green, campsites are red dots (Map courtesy of BWCA.com) |
We had a room at the Lodge that evening and looked forward to relaxing and having a cold beverage. Hazel and I swam in the lake for quite a while and watched other paddlers coming in from their trips. Later we enjoyed some cold beers and sodas on the front porch of the Lodge after long showers and some snacks. Cael and I picked up dinner for everyone from the Trail Center and we stuffed ourselves in amazing food.
We stayed in Suite A which overlooked the lake and is just an amazing room in this old lodge. I can't say enough great things about Clearwater Lodge and HIGHLY recommend them for cabins, lodge rooms, outfitting, and just great staff!
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Cael gets back to Wi-Fi at the lodge
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An amazing room at the lodge
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Time to relax on the porch
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Ice cold beverages!
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| Hazel and Axel the former sled dog. |
The next day we left Clearwater Lodge around 7:30 am, grabbed takeout breakfast from Bluewater Cafe in Grand Marais, and drove back to South Carolina making it in 24 hours. It was a long trip but as the kids say, "It is worth the long drive so we can see all the cool lakes and campsites."
Final Thoughts on 2020
We were glad to be back home after a 24 hour drive through the night getting in at 8:30 am. Glad to be off the road, but sad knowing we had another year ahead of us before getting back to our favorite spot. The beauty and calmness of the Boundary Waters strips away all your worries. The vast size and remoteness of the wilderness also puts life in perspective. At a size of 1.1 million acres and over 1,100 lakes, we will only see a small sliver of this great area in our lives. I hope that Cael and Hazel will continue exploring and pass the love along to their future families and friends.
The BWCAW might have a vast size but it has no voice. Those who visit and love its clear waters and green forests must be stewards and protect it. For those that visit we must adhere to all rules and
LNT principles are extremely important so that our kids, grand kids, and future generations can experience what we have been lucky enough to.
I am also very aware that greed has been a part of this land in the past from logging and mining which still scar the landscape. Greed will continue to try and take what this land has to offer in natural resources as us as humans overuse what we have available and see a lower cost raw material just over the imaginary BWCAW boundaries. I can't predict the future but this place sure has changed just in my short time visiting. We see the effects across different administrations and can speak for the BWCAW with our votes each November. We must also support those businesses which help new people get to the BWCAW and fight to protect it.
Please spend your dollars at businesses which fight to protect the BWCA. These are just a few.
Happy Paddling and see you in 2021!!
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