Even which way was up on a paddle was news to me. I was a 17-year-old junior in high school, goaded by my buddies to join in on a two-week, Explorer Scout trip from a camp outside Ely, Minnesota, (with a permanent population of 3300, the commercial center of the Boundary Waters universe.) I knew less than nothing about anything to do with boats, much less canoeing. If you’re a novice to canoeing and everything that it entails, allow me to briefly share my first experience in the Boundary Waters. At last count there are over two dozen outfitters in the immediate area offering pretty much everything you might need for a trip in, even if you show up with nothing more than a t-shirt, ugly shorts and flip-flops. With all that (clean) water, 1200 miles of canoe routes and 2000 campsites – some better maintained than others – the area is critical to the surrounding economy. (Last winter the BWCAW announced it was reducing the number of permits it was issuing for 2022, because of, well, damage from the horde that passed through in 20.) But you still need one if you want to cross country ski in or winter camp. Off-season, from October 1 through April 30, is an easier “get” for permits. Access is strictly governed, with an on-line permit/reservation system and a half dozen ranger check-in stations that ring the area, plus one in Duluth, two hours south. Traffic during COVID though was intense, with permit demand up nearly 20 percent over an average year. You will need a permit to enter the BWCAW Be aware of, and prepared for, the weather.You will need a permit to enter the BWCAW.
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