Calling all BWCA Canoe Routes

[kcanoe]

Any suggestions for a beginner-level paddle into the BWCAW (not sure if we should go out of Ely or Grand Marais?) for a week — and we want to get off the beaten track. Are there any good resources online? Fav books?

[Dave-S]

I just did a trip after the 4th with my family out of Grand Marais. Me, my wife and three kids aged 9, 8 and 8.

Our entry point was Duncan via Bearskin and we portaged back to Rose. I am still trying to find time to write up a trip log for the site. Rose is a fairly popular lake I guess but it was my first trip back. We saw people but were not crowded. The staircase portage was a treat alongside the waterfall. My wife took two first-timers there a few years back.

We’ve also done trips off Poplar, Sawbill (?) and Brule. I’m going to go back through some of my notes and maps later for you and see if I can remember some of our better trips from when our kids were younger and when we had first-timers with us. I remember some really nice trips back to a Kelly Lake but I can’t remember the entry point off the top of my head.

Also, we have a couple of really good guides that my wife bought and I’ll post their names when I dig them out.

[kcanoe]

Thanks Dave, I can’t wait to see your trip log! I’ve heard about Rose Lake — and the some say famous – some say infamous staircase portage, its good to know that other newbies have done it, and I’ll look up those entry points on the BWCA entry point map let me know if you post any pictures for that trip in the photo gallery….

[Dave-S]

The reference book we are using for trip planning is called simply:

Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Volume 2. Eastern Region. written by Robert Beymer. I assume he wrote it or edited it. It was put out by Wilderness Press.

It’s a good resource (for us) and includes sections on BWCA history, wildlifeFires, safety as well as Chapters on Planning a Wilderness Trip and desriptions of the different areas of the Eastern Region, the Sawbill Trail and Gunflint Trail. It descibes many popular routes including their level of difficulty, suggested trip plans and points of interest or special challenges that a given route or area may have. It even has a nice map in the back to help in planning.

I think we got this copy at either Barnes and Noble or maybe even REI.

I hope this helps.

[Dave-S]

If you go to the Advanced Paddle drop-down and go to the books section, it is listed a little ways down and there is a link to Amazon.com for it.

[kcanoe]

Thanks again Dave, that book looks like a keeper! I’d still love to read your trip log…
kcanoe

[Author]

Posts