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BWCA - Kawishiwi to Amber Lake

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We paddled from Boundary Waters Entry Point #37 to Amber Lake to camp a few nights - seeing a number of people on the way in to the halfway point, but never seeing another person once we set up our basecamp on Amber Lake. We used Lake Polly as a halfway stopover (about 9 miles) to camp on the way in and on the way out. With physically fit adults on a mission, the trip to Amber Lake could be done in a day with an early start (about 18 - 19 miles of paddling and portages). With a family and at my level of fitness, a halfway stopover turned out to be a good plan.

On this trip, we climbed over beaver dams, sloshed through the mud, stumbled over rocks and roots, admired the stark beauty of the burn area between Lake Polly and Kawishiwi Lake, and lounged alongside the beach at Amber Lake. We acted silly, playing hours of Truth or Dare and Uno with our 7 year old. We listed to the wind and rain rattling and tapping our tent. We smelled the lake ripening in our shoes, cedar burning in the fire pit, and, yes, we even smelled the well-filled thunder box at Amber Lake. For a few short days we were just where we wanted to be, with just the people we wanted to be with, and it felt like a little slice of heaven.

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Eagles everyday on this trip.

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Camping the night before entry, getting excited to enter the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in the morning.

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Our crew enjoying a rest break along the river along the portage between Koma Lake and Malberg Lake

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Petroglyph on Fishdance Lake

If you want to read more about the trip you are welcome to checkout our blog post http://mamasbasecamp.blogspot.com/2015/08/boundary-waters-2015-kawishiwi-lake-ep.html.
 
Mama, excellent report, brings back memories, I have traveled that area often - on of my favorites in the BWCA. The water looks low at the Koma Malberg port photo. Was the water low on Amber? I sure enjoyed your pics. Nice report.

Bob.
 
Nice trip and Blog ! Thanks for sharing ! I enjoyed it on this rainy morning ! Brightened my day !

Jim
 
Thanks for the trip report. Looks like you had a wonderful time. As for being attractors for the rain; my dad was like that as well. Every year my scout troop would go to camp for 2 weeks and it never mattered which week he attended, it rained! The year he came up for the second week you could actually see the clouds begin to gather as we knew he was driving up. Within minutes of his arrival the rain began and it didn't let up until we left at the end of the week. It became a joke amongst us all but it was great being able to spend time with him all those years so I never minded a bit. I'm sure your daughter will feel the same way if she doesn't already.

That's all for now. Take care and until next time...be well.

snapper
 
Nice Trip Report, I had the pleasure of going to Fishdance lake Last summer, but from the Alice Lake side. Great area of the BWCA for sure.
 
Mama, excellent report, brings back memories, I have traveled that area often - on of my favorites in the BWCA. The water looks low at the Koma Malberg port photo. Was the water low on Amber? I sure enjoyed your pics. Nice report.

Bob.

Yes, the water is low, lots of rocks to navigate just below the surface in the channel between River Lake and Amber Lake - but completely doable and entirely worth it.
 
Beautiful trip Mama, and beautiful photos. Thank you for sharing this. I agree it does look like a slice of heaven.
Timing is everything sometimes, having to time entry and exit in popular paddling areas. I must admit to forcing a smile when we leave the peace and quiet behind and navigate the crowds of like minded campers. No pain no gain?
 
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