Boundary Waters 101

[Music] do [Music] oh hi there you are you know one of the things my dad used to tell me when i was growing up is that i tended to rush the season on things now i don't know if that's true but i do know it's never too early to start planning an epic canoeing adventure one of the best places for an adventure like that is the boundary waters canoe area wilderness now if you're looking for a little more information on a trip up there well you've come to the right place let's get started the boundary waters canoe area and quatico provincial park in canada are two adjacent wilderness areas set on exposed ancient bedrock known as the canadian shield and covered with countless lakes and rio forest they are located in northern minnesota and ontario together they total over 2 million acres generally the term boundary waters covers both parks they have human-powered permit-only travel through lakes and across portages between lakes there are no roads in most areas no motors allow restrictions are in place to protect the area i've been going up there for many years now here's a shot of my first trip the area itself was home to the ojibwe people also known as the chippewa in the u.s but by the early 20th century there were strong calls to protect the boundary waters canada and the u.s worked side by side to set aside the property for preservation and on the u.s side in 1909 president teddy roosevelt signed legislation designating the property as the superior national forest today there's a complete wilderness ecosystem with an abundance of wildlife including apex predators such as the wolf down to much smaller wildlife such as the minnesota state bird the mosquito the actual state birds the common loon which are pretty common in the boundary waters the beauty and splendor of the area are well worth the effort for a trip up there but to me planning is key to an enjoyable trip and when you start planning there are a number of questions to answer the first one is are you going to the boundary waters in minnesota or quetico and canada while neither one is crowded the boundary waters receives approximately 90 percent of the 300 000 visitors per year and the reasons for this disparity and visitation are more than just proximity to most visitors there are also permit restrictions there are cost considerations fishing restrictions and dealing with border crossings when you total it up you just need to decide which is the better deal for you another consideration depending on the make up of your group is toilet facilities and now you're not going to find a bidet but in the boundary waters there are designated campsites with not only a fire grate but also a boundary waters toilet notice i say toilet not a latrine a toilet but depending on your group you could have much more appeal than the toilets in quetico which are strictly do-it-yourself affairs assuming you have options for your timing specific interests may push you to one season or another here's a sheet that williams and hall outfitters of ely put together you can see there's a lot of variables here for example if you hate mosquitoes on this trip i only saw a couple assuming fishing's a priority lake trout are easiest to catch soon after ice out normally around may the 10th walleye also bite well in the spring and early summer personally i tend to go in august or september for the warmer weather and to avoid insects but i also really enjoy fishing for smallmouth and when they're fried up fresh the taste is hard to beat another main species is pike and even a small one can tow the boat around and make for a memorable catch you also need to consider your group's interest skill level and physical condition when deciding on a route and how much to bring you are in the wilderness and everything you need and or want has to be carried along in the canoe and to travel between lakes everything again has to be carried famous canadian canoeist bill mason once said anyone who says they like portaging is either a liar or crazy now there's some different theories some folks travel light and fast take just the very minimum they need to get through others are more slow they take it more stuff with them but their camp is a lot more comfortable me i like to find a loose nephew basically treat them like a rented mule once you get the general idea of what you want to do and when an outfitter can be a tremendous help with the rest of the planning as well as complete or partial outfitting after many trips i completely outfit myself but still use an outfitter i use them as a jumping off point to get permits and most importantly they have the local knowledge each trip starts with a set of maps that have been marked up by an outfitter with a route some of the best campsites good fishing areas portage conditions possible bear problem areas you know items that can actually make or break a trip another service provided by outfitters is a motor tow these are allowed in certain areas around the periphery of the wilderness they can get you miles ahead on this into your start into the wilderness they might even save you a portage and for the ultimate there are fly-in paddle out trips but at some point your group is on a self-sufficient adventure there are countless options on what to see or do beyond the world-class fishing some folks use a trip just to relax and recharge in nature it is hard to beat an early morning overlooking a quiet lake the scenery in its in and of itself is a draw and if there's interest in cultural history it's worth the effort to see some of the ancient pictographs scattered throughout the areas just relaxing along moving water has a restorative effect by the way if you're in an area like this don't forget you're a long way from help don't take risks portage around it wildlife sightings can also be a highlight though it's not like the zoo or even your typical national park you need to keep your eyes open you might get a glimpse on the far shoreline to the morning fall an eagle may be up in a tree in the distance or maybe not that far away even in the water there are some critters like these otters that can be curious and approachable and one of the icons of the northern woods seems to be on every lake there are bears in the parks and with proper precautions you shouldn't have any problems one thing i have noticed overall about wildlife is the farther north i go the more wildlife i seem to see though if you do see one of these you've probably gone too far north beaver dams can be a blessing or a curse depending on which side of the dam you're wanting to travel and there's always other signs that wildlife has been around your choice of campsites can make a big difference this island site on batman lake in quetico was a great one it's secluded had great views open flat areas for the tent that lets a breeze in a great site will also have a tree where you can hang your food pack the rule of thumb is ten feet in the air six feet from the tree trunk that's the most important thing you can do to keep you and bears safe getting your food off the ground is the best way to keep your food unmolested a convenient spot to load unload and launch a canoe is a plus for a campsite a nice flat kitchen area is also nice while fishing can be great don't count on eating fish from any of your meals leave some for the next trip and sometimes they just don't bite play it safe bring back up food you don't want to have to play survivor man and forage for calories back at the campsite it's always nice to have a great view from the fire pit and a good spot to fish from shore can be a great way to end the day as you plan your trip you need to keep an honest opinion of yourself and your group's capabilities on the plus side you are totally responsible for your own planning well-being safety and travel the downside is you are totally responsible for your planning well-being safety and travel portages are not always flat the sky is not always blue this is wilderness the weather gets bad portages get ugly when times get difficult everyone in the group having a positive attitude is paramount being in a wilderness means being extra careful to avoid getting lost and extra caution against accidents see the map in front of the boat here the batteries don't die on the map you drop the map on a rock it's not gonna break i keep the map out whenever i'm traveling just so i can compare to my surroundings and stay found while i'm not a huge fan of technology i do recommend bringing a satellite tracker like this spot there's plenty of videos out there that kind of describe beyond the navigation and communication aids each person going should have a second set of clothes with them and then depending on the season at least a fleece and some rain gear footwear can vary depending on what you like to use but have something sturdy to get over the portages with as far as waterproof bags gallon zip locks have always worked pretty good for me each group should have a first aid kit with them and i believe also a water filter some folks drink straight out of a lake but a filter is easy to use it's cheap insurance you're a long way from home and you've invested a lot in this vacation why spend any of it being sick [Music] generally if you're getting full outfitting this whole list of equipment will be provided for you if you have some of your own equipment you can bring it and then just go with a partial outfitting pick and choose what you need if you do decide to go into quetico you do need to bring two extra things with you a fire grate as there are none provided this can be something very light i have a very small steel one that i bring and also a hand trowel because you're going to be digging your own toilet with the right equipment and a little planting the boundary waters and quetico can both be magical places day or night sunsets can be amazing the moon rising over the lake you just paddled across can be gorgeous when there's no moon you'll see more stars than you can imagine and if you're lucky maybe one night during the trip the sky will start to glow over in the horizon that's not a walmart opening up that'd be the northern lights now a trip up to the boundary waters does take planning it takes a willingness to work and be out in nature on our own terms but a trip to this special place can be life changing or at least provide an opportunity to contemplate where you've been maybe where you're going outfitters can be a great source of more information i've used a few of them there's a magazine that's just full of helpful advice and several books have been written on the subject if you want more information on our trip up to the boundary waters i've written a book on a subject called boundary waters 101 it's available on amazon in paperback and digital versions makes a great fireside read in the meantime take care and i'll keep looking for some open water you

Channel: Your Old Man Outdoors

Views: 67,237

Keywords: Boundary Waters, Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Quetico

Id: QVEJlCGSFc8

Length: 13min 35sec (815 seconds)

Published: Mon Feb 22 2021