Letting the Dogs loose in the BWCA

Took my ladies on their first portaging canoe trip and they had a chance to use their 311's.

Oldest daughters first use. Peanut butter I know hardcore stuff.


Youngest and her first use, stick play.


They each got a Mashed Cat sheath to go with their 311's. Damned nice pieces of kydex. Here the oldest is doodling with her self made charcoal pencil. I don't ask.


I carried my Safety Mutt the hole six day trip. Primary uses were cutting cordage, fishing line, fire prep, food prep, and single serve coffee. Love this knife.


The ride with packs.


Good and bad luck...Raspberries were everywhere.


The last night it stormed. Wind, heavy rain, hail, temp drop if you're ready it equals good times and memories.
This is a pic in between bad and worse.
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Just a nice shot of a beautiful day.


BWCA traffic jam.


Daily routine was find camp, explore site, set up shelter, snack, plan dinner, hang tarp and clothes line if needed, firewood gathering, find a food bag tree, fill water bottles and jugs, fish, fire, food prep, eat, do dishes, hang food pack, converse around the fire until 10 or so, put out fire, sleep. Mornings were early for me the ladies are teenagers so not so much for them. I'd get up make cowboy coffee, enjoy the silence, maybe try my hand at fishing, then drop the food pack, prepare oatmeal. Wake the ladies, eat, dishes, break camp, pack, load the canoe check the camp site and go on to the next. Portage snacks were cliff bars, honey stingers, and fresh raspberries.

I'd introduce something new daily in small doses like knife sharpening, fire prep, making sure the fire is out, fishing spot locations, compass map reading, paddling strokes etc. The amount of questions were numbing at times but just having them in the woods and having fun going through the mud and over the uneven rocky hilly terrain, paddling threw the wind and waves putting the heavy packs on their backs and doing it again without complaining and keeping a smile was priceless.

I split the packs up as follows.
large Duluth pack was tents, tarps, clothes, raingear, toiletries, repair kits and duck tape. carried by my oldest.

Lowe Alpine pack had sleeping bags and matts, head lamps, spare batteries and water bag which is a Pure Hiker and three insulated cups. I would sling the tackle box around her pack and clip her life vest to the pack. Carried by the youngest.

Food pack had two water proof bags one was filled with mountain house meals and cliff bars. The other was beans, rice, lentils, bannock, oil, fish fry mix, seasonings, coffee, tea, and oatmeal. A Stuff sack with the cooking gear, stove, fuel, plates, sporks, and 18 and 1 soap. Also in the pack was 100 feet of plastic rope, aid kit, tool bag with knives, saw, hatchet. All navigation goodies and camp seat were mine along with the canoe, paddles and fishing poles and leech locker.

We only did single portaging and they were quick studies when we came across people doing doubles. My youngest said, "I'm glad we aren't doing these trails three times". The first two days we did over two miles of portaging which led to a comment about, "I thought this was canoe camping" that for some reason left the three of us rolling in laughter...easy crowd.

In the six days we did around 4 miles of portaging and in the mid thirties worth of paddling. Lots of laughs and sore muscles. Followed by the best tasting Blizzards from DQ ever.

Thanks for looking.

Looks like you had a great time with your family.

Awesome trip!

Very Nice Helle, I havnt been on anything over a day trip up there in 20 years. Maybe soon I will take the kayak up and spend a couple days.

You know you won't regret it. Spring would be the ticket IMO less carrying with higher water and all.

Thanks folks.

GREAT thread! Thanks for the pics and narrative.

My thoughts exactly.

Congrats on a great trip; I love the BWCA.

Thanks All.

The measure for me was if the ladies enjoyed it. They were talking about the next trip before we even got home.....Success.

I'm almost of the mind to try a BWCA grouse hunting trip but my bird dog is so full of piss and vinegar right now that I can picture a tipped canoe, lost shotgun, and a case of hypothermia so maybe I'll give him year.