Unseasonably dry, warm conditions and low relative humidities yesterday allowed the Pagami Creek Fire to burn actively south of the Lakes One and Two area. The burn out operation conducted last weekend was successful in reducing the threat of the fire escaping the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) and threatening the Fernberg corridor to…
When AT&T decided to build an exceptionally tall 450′ cell tower at the top of a high ridge bordering the BWCAW, the nonprofit advocacy organization Friends of the Boundary Waters took action. For the most part, BWCAW horizons are unimpaired by signs of civilization. The Friends want to keep it that way. The new tower’s…
We are supporting an effort to encourage black bear hunters to not shoot collared research bears. The effort is called the Black Bear Hunters Jackpot and rewards bear hunters if no research bears are killed or injured during the black bear hunting season that begins this week. Although Minnesota law does not make it illegal…
This is how we managed the scorching heat on trail in the BWCA this week.
I fixed my first batch of pancakes with fresh blueberries while camped on Crooked Lake in the BWCAW this week. Delicious taste of the North Woods!
Josie (age 10, from Wisconsin), painted these pictures while on a BWCA canoe trip this week with her younger brother and parents. Her savvy mom packed along a backpacking style watercolor kit for her kids. Sure enough, they found plenty of subjects to paint. The above Bald Eagle perched contently at the top of a…
One of the great things about late spring and early summer in the Boundary Waters is the overwhelming sign of new life. It seems everywhere you look there are birds on nests or with young in tow, flowers cover the forest floor, and insects such as these dragonflies are emerging to a new life of…
We found this snapping turtle in a BWCAW campsite on the Kawishiwi River recently. The snapping turtles and painted turtles are venturing onto land right now to dig holes and lay their eggs. We were surprised to see that this turtle had selected the area immediately adjacent to the campfire grate for its place to…
I spent a week in the BWCAW with Gary and his 18-year-old son, Blake, this month. As a young Boy Scout in 1970, Gary traveled the Boundary Waters. His youthful canoe trip experience really left a life-long impression on him. He wanted his son to have a similar opportunity to explore the wilderness as a…