A portage around the Horse River is only one stop on this group’s epic start to the 2025 paddling season. Photo by Pam Wright
The Magazine, Subscribers Only
Start the Season Right: A 50-Mile Paddle in the BWCA
By Pam Wright
A mile and a half of portage stretched out before us. It wasn’t the longest we’d ever done, but it made for a formidable start to our Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA) trip.
The rugged trail connected us to the Stuart River, a 9-mile paddle north to a lake of the same name. As I heaved the gear bag and our three-person canoe onto my shoulders, I questioned my ability to tackle a 50-plus-mile canoe trip. Would my body hold up? How uncomfortable would it get? We’re doing this for fun, right?
We moved along the trail at an easy pace, and I found myself thinking about what draws people here and why we willingly haul heavy packs and carry canoes over rough trails, ending up dirty, tired, and sore. Why do we invite others to join us in this kind of “suffering?”
Other Recent Articles
Forest Service Aims to Increase BWCA Permit Cancellation Costs
Sign at an outfitter in Ely. Photo by Joe Friedrichs BOUNDARY WATERS – It’s a start. That’s been the general sentiment from outfitters and some members of the public regarding the U.S. Forest Service’s plan to increase the cost of cancelling a permit to the Boundary...
Paddlers Embrace Phone Reporting in Quetico, Others Eye NEXUS Program to Replace RABC Permits
The Cache Bay Ranger Station is a southern entrance to Quetico. The results have been positive for a new telephone reporting system set up by the Canada Border Services Agency for people looking to enter Quetico from the park’s southern entrances. The telephone...
Forest Service Enacts Campfire Ban in BWCA Wilderness Starting June 6
A campfire ban for the BWCA Wilderness goes into effect June 6. Photo by Erik Dickes UPDATE: Campfire ban lifted on Friday, June 12. Campfires will once again be allowed as of Friday in the BWCA Wilderness. Original Post: Campfires in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area...