Plan on paper. Moving my daughter to Denver Colorado mid August. So I
-
Happy National Nurses Day! 🛌👩⚕💉💊🎉
Boundary waters advise wanted
- Thread starter coldfeet
- Start date
Good one David, a fill in the blanks question. I'll give a little help. David is moving his daughter who is graduating from Ohio State to Denver for her new job. He's going to be in Denver from 8/5 to 8/12 and do some camping. Then he plans on flying to Duluth to do some paddling. After that I'm lost but I guess his question is about outfitters and where to go for a 3 to 5 day paddle. Anyone want to fill in the rest or answer his question.
Phones do not play well with apostrophes.
http://bwca.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=forum.enterForum&confid=1&forumid=16&action=enterForum
You may get more advice than you want!
I have heard good things about Voyageur North..
Now if we filled in the blanks wrong..
http://bwca.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=forum.enterForum&confid=1&forumid=16&action=enterForum
You may get more advice than you want!
I have heard good things about Voyageur North..
Now if we filled in the blanks wrong..
Here, let me help you.
Plan on paper. Moving my daughter to Denver Colorado mid August. So I...want to offer the first 4 peeps from this forum a free shuttle to and from your front door to the BWCA, all I ask in return is taking turns driving.
I'm in. Packed and ready.
Plan on paper. Moving my daughter to Denver Colorado mid August. So I...want to offer the first 4 peeps from this forum a free shuttle to and from your front door to the BWCA, all I ask in return is taking turns driving.
I'm in. Packed and ready.
Need to apply for a permit ASAP for my entry date and point?
Um yes. Ter day
Oh boy, am I turning red! Thank you waterspyder for filling in most of the blanks.
Also looking for outfitter advise.
Thanks
glad no daughter comments! This one is killing me. She likes jumping out of planes and hiking some 14k
Also looking for outfitter advise.
Thanks
glad no daughter comments! This one is killing me. She likes jumping out of planes and hiking some 14k
Depends on the day and/or entry point. Permits are not nearly as hard to come by as they were 15 years ago.
No advice for your BWCA trip, but I do miss long drives with any of my adult kids. One summer I drove our eldest daughter every early Monday morning 1 1/2 hours to start her work week; return trip every Friday evening. She spent the weeks living in a nice B&B with another Bio student, while working on turtle habitat and studies in a Conservation Area. No real reason to shuttle home for weekends. Probably missed her friends. I never tried very hard to talk her out of it. Gosh, we talked. Started out small talk, wound up digging deep into ourselves by the end of the summer. I discovered a young lady I only thought I knew.
Have a good trip David. Don't push it. Make her pump the gas, clean the windshield once in awhile... And listen. It's gonna be a quiet trip in the Boundary Waters.
Have a good trip David. Don't push it. Make her pump the gas, clean the windshield once in awhile... And listen. It's gonna be a quiet trip in the Boundary Waters.
Last edited:
More questions than advice at this point, do you want to fish, do you want to move every/most days or base camp, do you have any thoughts about where - Ely, Grand Maria's, somewhere in between, do you need complete outfitting??
Odyssey, sounds like you and your daughter made a great connection, lucky you. Mine turned down the 1,800 mile drive but is setting up some type of 2-3 camping trip with me when we get there. Seems that she also has made a "punch list" of things for me to do while down there. Back to Home Depot once again. Gotta send you a pm one day about our "animal house" since I'm an elementary science teacher.
BWCA - flying into Duluth and have to get to Ely, not to sure if there are buses running or I need to rent a car , heard about the cool things to do there before or after the paddle, wolf habitat near there? I'm tossed about doing a base camp vs daily moving, pros and cons. As of now I'm open to a portage or two to get into quieter areas. Will have most of my camping gear, will need canoe, paddles, pvc and stove, plus a Garmin or Inreach. No fishing for me, but those pictographs would be fantastic to see if it was near me. Probably will call an outfitter this weekend after gathering as much info from members here and reading the WBCA forum, which has way to info for my brain. I did order maps of course. I would love to join others if they would let me tag along or maybe an outfitter has a group looking for other to share expense. Can't promise any bagels on this trip, sorry
BWCA - flying into Duluth and have to get to Ely, not to sure if there are buses running or I need to rent a car , heard about the cool things to do there before or after the paddle, wolf habitat near there? I'm tossed about doing a base camp vs daily moving, pros and cons. As of now I'm open to a portage or two to get into quieter areas. Will have most of my camping gear, will need canoe, paddles, pvc and stove, plus a Garmin or Inreach. No fishing for me, but those pictographs would be fantastic to see if it was near me. Probably will call an outfitter this weekend after gathering as much info from members here and reading the WBCA forum, which has way to info for my brain. I did order maps of course. I would love to join others if they would let me tag along or maybe an outfitter has a group looking for other to share expense. Can't promise any bagels on this trip, sorry
I've only been thru Ely once and we used William & Hall Outfitters see link below. Great experience with them. If you contact them, they can probably point you in the right direction for a shuttle from the airport. If you decide to go thru Grand Marais instead I could probably give you a little more guidance as that is where I generally enter the BWCA.
Mike
Mike
Sounds like a great trip. That is a long drive though. Still, lots of things to look forward to every step of the way.
I found online a shuttle service between Duluth airport and Ely called Ely Shuttle. But having a car is nice for flexible plans. Lots to weigh out.
We once flew with fresh bagels in our carry on. Can't do that nowadays I'm sure. It might've just been my imagination but I swear I could smell those 2 dozen bagels wafting down from the overhead compartment. Seemed to fill the cabin. Made it hard to look at the airplane food. Subsequent trips were by car. It's surprising how 2 dozen bagels become 1 after a few hundred miles.
I found online a shuttle service between Duluth airport and Ely called Ely Shuttle. But having a car is nice for flexible plans. Lots to weigh out.
We once flew with fresh bagels in our carry on. Can't do that nowadays I'm sure. It might've just been my imagination but I swear I could smell those 2 dozen bagels wafting down from the overhead compartment. Seemed to fill the cabin. Made it hard to look at the airplane food. Subsequent trips were by car. It's surprising how 2 dozen bagels become 1 after a few hundred miles.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Nov 19, 2013
- Messages
- 1,345
- Reaction score
- 341
Coldfeet -
I've only been to the Boundary Waters a couple of times but my trips have taken me through Ely. There are many outfitters there who will be more than willing to assist you with your needs. As for pictographs, I've been to the ones on Hegman Lake. There is a short portage in from the parking lot but I did it when my kids were young and don't remember it being a difficult walk; even with a canoe overhead. You can paddle up to the images and still stay a respectful distance away; something to consider whenever approaching Native pictographs.
One last thing...you can get a start on your winter camping list if you travel through Ely. Both Steger Mukluks and Wintergreen are located in town so be sure to pack your credit card (LOL)!!!
Besides your shopping spree, just outside of town you'll find the Wolf Center and the Dorothy Moulter Museum (the"Root Beer Lady"). I've been to both and definitely think they're worth the time. Also, the last time I was there, the local community college sponsored a free lecture on Sig Olsen which was definitely worth attending. You might want to check out what they are up to for the chance on attending a worthwhile lecture or presentation.
Here are some links you might like to check out:
Dorothy Moulter Museum: http://www.rootbeerlady.com/
Wolf Center: http://www.wolf.org/
Hegman Lake pictographs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hegman_Lake_Pictograph
Wintergreen: https://www.wintergreennorthernwear.com/
Steger Mukluks: https://www.mukluks.com/
Ely Chamber of Commerce:
Guess that's all for now. Enjoy your trip. I know you had a good time in Algonquin so I know you'll feel comfortable in the Boundary Waters.
Take care and until next time....be well.
snapper
I've only been to the Boundary Waters a couple of times but my trips have taken me through Ely. There are many outfitters there who will be more than willing to assist you with your needs. As for pictographs, I've been to the ones on Hegman Lake. There is a short portage in from the parking lot but I did it when my kids were young and don't remember it being a difficult walk; even with a canoe overhead. You can paddle up to the images and still stay a respectful distance away; something to consider whenever approaching Native pictographs.
One last thing...you can get a start on your winter camping list if you travel through Ely. Both Steger Mukluks and Wintergreen are located in town so be sure to pack your credit card (LOL)!!!
Besides your shopping spree, just outside of town you'll find the Wolf Center and the Dorothy Moulter Museum (the"Root Beer Lady"). I've been to both and definitely think they're worth the time. Also, the last time I was there, the local community college sponsored a free lecture on Sig Olsen which was definitely worth attending. You might want to check out what they are up to for the chance on attending a worthwhile lecture or presentation.
Here are some links you might like to check out:
Dorothy Moulter Museum: http://www.rootbeerlady.com/
Wolf Center: http://www.wolf.org/
Hegman Lake pictographs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hegman_Lake_Pictograph
Wintergreen: https://www.wintergreennorthernwear.com/
Steger Mukluks: https://www.mukluks.com/
Ely Chamber of Commerce:
https://www.ely.org/
Guess that's all for now. Enjoy your trip. I know you had a good time in Algonquin so I know you'll feel comfortable in the Boundary Waters.
Take care and until next time....be well.
snapper
Thanks Snapper, Plane ticket booked from Denver to Duluth! Next part is rental car, then outfitter. Heard site # 23 is great from a friend. Slow and steady
There are outfitters who will shuttle from duluth but don't know the cost. I've never used entry point #23 so I can't help you there.
#23 looks pretty booked in the middle of august. Go to recreaction.gov to try and book your date.
Exciting! There are a number of entry points that should fit the bill for you. Hegman has glyphs right away but you cant travel too far outside of that unless you do a long portage. Fall, Mudro, Nina Moose, and Little Indian Sioux North are some of my favs if Im looking to get up to either Basswood Falls or Curtain Falls along the border. If you are tripping solo without a garmin in the Bwca for the first time, I would recommend staying away from big lakes with lots of islands like Lac La Croix or Saganaga. Also, be aware that there is a big swath of burndown area east of Lake One. It isnt closed, but you may want to see more trees your first trip there. Like others have said, it is best to give an outfitter a call to get advice and book your trip. Here is a great site to start your research on entry points, routes, burndown areas, etc.: http://www.paddleplanner.com/tools/maps/bwcamap.aspx#
Thanks BWCA66 and Mrindy for advise, I called Piragis and will be working with them. Meanwhile I already booked my flight back to NY on 8/21. So now to fill in the middle part. The outfitter told me that shuttles from Duluth to Ely was going for about $200 one way and then I would have to pay the outfitter to shuttle me back and forth to the entry point. He suggested renting a car which I found out is app $250 for the week. This way I can check out Ely's sites before or after the trip, Duluth also and if I have to bail early on the paddle the car will be there. Wife isn't happy that I'm alone.
I was quoting earlier responses but gave up after I had quoted 5 previous replies! Excellent advice, everyone.
If getting shuttled, I would absolutely get picked up at a point other than your entry. For example, EP23 Mudro to EP77 South Hegman.
Now I'm just dreaming... get a Piragis tow to the pictographs on LLC (from Crane Lake, long ways). Camp on LLC or Iron, day trip to Rocky on day two, work the border to Crooked Lake pictographs/Basswood falls followed by a river run to Horse and an eventual pickup at South Hegman. That's 4 sets of pictographs, with at least 3 waterfalls as a bonus. Yeah there's some big lakes, but by far the worst open water crossing will be done in Piragi's boat.
You can't beat Paddle Planner's interactive map as a resource for planning.
If getting shuttled, I would absolutely get picked up at a point other than your entry. For example, EP23 Mudro to EP77 South Hegman.
Now I'm just dreaming... get a Piragis tow to the pictographs on LLC (from Crane Lake, long ways). Camp on LLC or Iron, day trip to Rocky on day two, work the border to Crooked Lake pictographs/Basswood falls followed by a river run to Horse and an eventual pickup at South Hegman. That's 4 sets of pictographs, with at least 3 waterfalls as a bonus. Yeah there's some big lakes, but by far the worst open water crossing will be done in Piragi's boat.
You can't beat Paddle Planner's interactive map as a resource for planning.
