We stopped at Voyageur North Outfitters, where owner John O’Kane welcomed us warmly, as he has other paddlers for 40 years. As in the past, we chose to enter near Ely, a splendid town overflowing with recreational opportunities and a half dozen or more canoe outfitters. The western entry points to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness are near Ely, Crane Lake and Cook. Then, we headed northeast along Highway 169 through the historic mining towns of Hibbing and Chisholm. From there, we followed a 70-mile portion of the Great River Road National Scenic Byway, traveling from Bemidji to Grand Rapids. The morning sun fails to reveal itself and the shuttle’s swift pace across Moose and Newfound lakes to the first portage creates a cold, whipping wind, so we zip our jackets and don warm beanies.Īlong the way, we stopped in Minnesota’s Itasca State Park to explore the headwaters of the Mississippi River, which starts out a mere 18 feet wide in knee-deep water. The three-person Kevlar canoe we’ll paddle in an 18-mile loop is strapped tightly above us. We board a towboat shuttle, where our packs, with enough gear and food for four days, lie at our feet. Peter and Jack, my longtime buddies, are with me, and some 14 years have passed since we last were here together. Sandy beaches, jagged cliffs and towering rock formations punctuate the landscape, and “infrastructure” amounts to fire grates and outdoor latrines at this rather primitive destination. In the northern third of Minnesota’s Superior National Forest - a verdant haven of pine, fir and spruce - the area fills nearly 1.1 million acres, encompassing more than 1,000 lakes, 1,200 miles of canoe routes, 12 hiking trails and 2,000 designated campsites. I reach down and run my hand through the tea-colored water in Moose Lake, my tradition on the first day of each trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Three longtime friends reconnect on a camping trip in Superior National Forest.
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