Stacy and I went to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) as well as the North Shore of Lake Superior for our honeymoon. We rented a canoe from the Kiwishiwi Outfitters and used all of our own equipment. Some of the equipment we already had. Other stuff was purchased before the trip or on the way up to the Boundary Waters. We left for the trip June 16 which brings me to the beginning of our “Journal” of activities
Map of our journey through the BWCA
We left our post wedding suite at the SleepInn in Estherville. The backseat of the car was filled with three Army surplus packs, Thanks to Bill and Lisa Dammon, which had most of our camping gear, food for the whole time we would be in the BWCA, and whatever else we would need. We also had camelback packs which kept our stuff that most people put in fanny packs while they canoe, plus they hold 70 oz of water which can be drank hands free while carrying gear on portages. We also had two aluminum chairs, due to a suggestion from Doug Petty, which kept our gear off of the bottom of the canoe – thus dry, and kept us comfortable at camp. We also had my GPS unit, a Garmin Etrex Vist HCx which logged our trip, shown in a map above.
We Stopped at REI in Bloomington, MN to get any gear which we didn’t already have and we also stopped at the Mall of America to pick up Stacy a pair of Keen sandals, but to no avail. We also stopped in Ely at a couple of outfitter shops eventually finding a pair of Keens. We then headed to Jerry and Anita Mistek’s cabin where we caught up with them for a while and were served a delicious meal. We chatted for a while and eventually went to bed. A special thanks goes to them for their generosity and hospitality. Their cabin is on Farm Lake east of Ely.
Day 2 – Tuesday (blue on the map)
We woke to a wonderful breakfast made by Anita and then packed up and headed back to Ely to pick up our BWCA pass as well as our fishing licence. We made our way to Kiwishiwi Lodge taking a few wrong turns but we eventually found it. We rented a Kevlar canoe. Kevlar is great for portaging except you have to load and unload it in the water so you don’t crack the hull from uneven weight and pressure. We loaded our things in the canoe, parked the car, put on our life jackets, grabbed our paddles and headed for the water. It took me a bit to get used to navigating via map and compass, and sometimes my GPS to make sure I was right. We entered at Lake One which is a reasonably sized lake. We had two portages on the way to Lake Two, a 27 Rod portage and a 38 Rod Portage, both of which go around rapids. Those where the only portages of the day as we went on to Lake Two, Lake Three, and set up camp at Lake Four. The camp had a great view and a slight breeze. It was on the north shore of Lake Four.
Day 3 – Wednesday (magenta on the map)
Both Stacy and I slept late because it is so quiet, calm and relaxing here. We woke around 9 made breakfast, and broke camp around 10. We finished out Lake Four with a 20 rod portage which took us into Small Lake, which just so happens to be small. Here we found a group of fisherman trying their luck at the bottom of some rapids and a very curious and trusting mallard that came within ten feet of us. We also saw many other ducks here including some more mallards and a couple or red heads. A 25 rod portage took us into Hudson Lake, a pretty lake in its own with lots of narrow bays and peninsulas. Then we did the biggest portage yet, a 95 rod portage that took us into Insula Lake. The portage was OK. We did it in one trip with some help of some fellow canoeists who carried our aluminum chairs for us.
The view when we got to Insula was amazing. When we first seen it we were on the portage trail which sits around 40 feet above the water’s edge This was an amazing view even though a peninsula blocked our view of the rest of the lake. Insula Lake gets its name from the Greek word for Island. The lake has over 100 islands ranging in sizes and shapes. Apparently it is quite the fishing lake. Walleyes are the fish of choice here. We were told that they do well with leeches, but you have to bring in your own.
We canoed for a while and scouted for fishing spots. We ended up setting up camp on an island which was only about 75 yards from another large island. The view from the camp was amazing. There were many bald eagles flying around. One pair we think had a nest about 200-300 yards away. There were many turtles and squirrels also.
Day 4 – Thursday (green on the map)
We again slept late today. We hung out at camp for a while, fished off of the campsite shore, and spent a while watching the animals. We eventually headed for “The Rock” which is basically an island with a large rock face on one side. We were told to go to it but we really didn’t see what the draw was. We went fishing for a while but didn’t have any luck. We only brought in artificial lures and casted with them which never brought a fish, a strike, or even a nibble. We headed back to camp where I continued to fish from shore. While I was fishing from shore, standing in about 4 inches of water I picked up a leech. I didn’t notice it until I saw blood on my ankle and wented to figure out how I cut myself. I took off my sandal to find a leach, full of blood dangling from my ankle. my yanked it off and used it as bait but didn’t have any luck.
Stacy caught some baby lake trout with the fishing net that maybe reached an inch and a half. I caught a baby northern that was maybe two inches. Great fishermen we are.
Day 5 – Friday (cyan on the map)
We broke camp today and started the trip with the same 95 rod portage we did on Wednesday. Afterword we headed north on Hudson Lake. We stopped at a pretty camp site and ate lunch. We continued to move north and portaged 12 rods to get to Fire Lake. Fire lake was very pretty. There was no one there and there were tons of rice beds. If I ever go there again I will definitely try fishing for northern pike there. We continued on this eerily quiet lake and went through a 25 rod portage. On this portage we saw the first group of people we had seen for about 4 or 5 hours. It was a maybe 70 or 75 year old lady and I’m assuming her two grandsons. We chatted for a while and headed on to the prettiest place Stacy and I have ever seen. It was a canyon that had a series of beaver dams on it. It was filled with rice, cattails, blooming lilly pads, fallen trees, and rock faces covered with different colors of lichen, moss, and liverworts. It was GEORGEOUS! Unfortunately the camera battery had died the day before so we couldn’t get any pictures of this pristine area. It was however, completely filled with record size Minnesota mosquitoes so we didn’t stay long.
We exited via a 28 rod portage that took us into Lake Four. We saw some more people as well as a storm we watched slowly come into the area. We stayed near the northern edge of Lake Four and went through a 37 rod portage to Bridge Lake. The big storm was nearing so we took refuge at the first campsite we seen, which was the only camp on the whole lake. Just as we stopped and pulled the canoe onto shore, strong winds came which were likely between 30 and 40 mph. We tied up the canoe, set up the tent and then set up a tarp to keep us out of the rain. The rain never came too hard, producing only a couple of light sprinkles. The storm moved east of us leaving clear skies behind it so we made dinner, Stacy took a nap, and Colby gathered dry firewood.
Some Gulls apparently had a nest nearby and cautiously watched me as I fished from the rocks by some lilly pads. Some loons came later as well as a beaver.
That night Stacy needed to go to the bathroom so she had me walk with her incase of bears probably. It was twilight so we brought some flashlights. The latrine was a long ways from camp and was in a very dark spot in the forest. As we were walking I heard some branches break in the woods. I called Stacy’s name to get her attention. She heard it too. I turned to slowly walk back to camp assuming she would follow suit. She let out the most blood curdling scream I have ever heard which made me think I had something to run from. I went to run back to camp only to trip over a stump and scrape my right leg, ankle, and shoulder against another stump. We both ran back to camp and I asked if she saw anything. “No” was the response. I calmed Stacy down and then saw a beaver swim away from the general area. We don’t know what made the noise but since We never heard anything run away, breath hard, or something you would expect from a bear we presume it was the beaver. Stacy went to bed and I stayed by the fire for a while… just in case.
Day 6 – Saturday (red on map)
We broke camp at around eight today. We had some Hudson Bay bread, packed up and headed out. We went about half of a mile via canoe and then encountered the “Portage From Hell”, a 157 rod portage ridden with the most mosquitoes I have ever seen. Stacy and I were lucky we didn’t get carried away by these Minnesota state birds. The portage also sucked since we had to walk its distance three times to get all of our gear. After finally getting done with that one we traversed Rifle Lake to find a 69 rod portage waiting for us with an equally large population of blood sucking mosquitoes. There were also about 10 of the largest trees I have seen in a long time. They were magnificent old pine trees that stretched to the sky.
We finally made it back to Lake Two, went through the 25 rod then 20 rod portages to Lake One and made our way, against heavy wind, to Kiwishiwi Lodge. The weekend groups of canoeists were making their way to the lakes in droves, opposite direction of us thankfully, but it made the last two portages really crouded. When we were about a mile or two away from the lodge a storm let loose giving us tough wind and heavy, cold rain but we made it back safe and sound.
We went and found a room at the Canoe On Inn in Ely. We got showered, shaved, and ready for society again. We ate lunch at the Chocolate Moose in Ely then went souvaneir shopping. We met up with Anita and Jerry again and ate some realy good pizza at Sir G’s in Ely and then went to Sam’z, a Cheers-like bar full of locals who were full of storys. Jerry and Anita drove us around the Ely area and told us about the old mine Jerry’s dad worked at, the small towns around Ely, and many other things. They dropped us off at the Canoe On Inn and we hit the hay.
Day 7 – Sunday
We left the hotel and made the beautifully drive to Grand Marais via MN – 1. We stopped at Baraga Cross in Schroeder as well as the Temperence River, both of which I highly recommend. They both have water falls. Temperence River was named because it doesn’t have a bar, get it, sand bar. Those pioneers were sure full of wit. We stopped at an art store near Grand Marais which is my mother’s favorite art gallery.
Once we got to Grand Marais we at lunch at My Sister’s Place then checked into our suite at the East Bay Suites. The room was on the third floor with a view facing Lake Superior. The fog was rolling into Grand Marais which made for some amazing photos. We walked down to the Lake and took a bunch of pictures. We toured Grand Marais. It is a small tourist town of about 1500 people and lots of gift shops. We also picked up some prints from a local gallery, one for Stacy’s parents, one for my parents, and one for ourselves.
Day 8 – Monday
We drove north on the Gunflint Trail until we couldn’t drive north anymore. I wanted to see the result of the large forest fires that swept the area a couple of years ago. It was a beautiful drive but we didn’t see any moose or bear though. We came back to the suite, took a nap, and then headed south on Hwy 61 to see the Split Rock Lighthouse and Iona’s beach.
Split Rock Lighthouse was pretty cool. The light itself works just like a wind-up coo coo clock. The lighthouse was built because the iron ore on the north shore messes up compasses of boats on Superior. They were driving into the shore during fog because they were trusting their compasses and driving blind. They lighthouse had a really loud fog horn that would sound three times every ten minutes during fog. The lighthouse is still in operation and has two keepers. The picture of the grounds shows three keeper’s houses. Back in the day there were three keepers who were allowed to have their families live with them, abnormal for keepers back in the day. The houses were pretty cool too.
Iona’s beach is a natural beach full of polished smooth red rock. It is amazing how the beach is so long and so full of almost the exact same rock. It is just a couple of miles southwest of Split Rock Lighthouse on Hwy 61.
Day 9 – Tuesday
We checked out of the suite packed up Stacy’s car and headed south. About 5 or 10 miles down the road I noticed the car was smoking. We pulled over to find the car a quart low on oil. We drove to the next town to buy some oil and to find the nearest mechanic. The only mechanic anywhere close was Cooter’s Auto Repair in Tofte. We stopped and found them to be extremely helpful. It seemed to be a family operation with a couple of garages on the same property as their family home. It turns out the oil pressure sensor had went bad on the car and was spraying the engine with oil everytime it got up to highway speed. Randy, the mechanic, sent his daughter to Silver Bay (a half hour away) to get a new one which gave us time to get breakfast and tour the area. We found this cool little park which had a mega-huge charcoal grill and some cool stone bridges. We came back and the car was fixed so we headed straight through to Estherville, about 7 ½ hours total (not counting the stop at the mechanic).
In retrospect
It was a fun trip. I had a blast canoeing in the BWCA. Stacy said she enjoyed it since it was so pretty but would prefer we go with a larger group, next time just in case something should happen to one of us. The weather was perfect. A high pressure system had settled over the area for most of the trip which gave us pretty clear skies, and lots of views of fog rolling in from Lake Superior to the Sawtooth Mountains. If any of you want coordinates of certain places from the trip I can hook you up. I took as many GPS coordinates as I could in order to make the map and just for the fun of it.
The photo gallery is mostly in order of how the trip went. Let me know if you would like a good copy of some of them. I took several panoramic photos where a series of photos taken while standing in the same spot are stitched together to make a really wide view i.e. panoramic.
Enjoy
You guys are “one of us” now. I mean those that have been forever changed by the Boundary Waters. Some things in life are not meant for anyone else. They are yours alone. That is why your batteries went dead on the camera. Great post! I look forward to a time when you can come up north with the group. So mote it be. Doug P
You should post your trip report and photos on the BWCA Board — you could win an anniversary trip!
http://www.bwcaboard.com
[…] for the better part of a week in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in northern Minnesota. You can read all about that adventure here. Us on our BWCA honeymoon. The lake behind us is part of the fire-affected […]