Sitting around our campfire on Disappointment Lake, David asked about the “popcorn tree” behind the tents. What a perfect description! Juneberry trees are covered in spectacular white blooms now. From a distance, they appear to be covered in snow white popcorn. Juneberry trees are often called “serviceberry trees.” Serviceberry is probably a more appropriate name…
One of the most spectacular views in the BWCA is from the top of Thunder Point on Knife Lake. We day-tripped from our camp on Fraser Lake to it today. This photo is taken from the top of Thunder Point looking southwest toward the Isle of Pines. The Isle of Pines is the former home…
These are catkins on a speckled alder tree. The tiny flowers on the male catkins are shedding pollen that pollinates the female flowers. The male catkins are 5 to 10 centimenters long. While gathering firewood today around our camp on Ima Lake in the BWCA, I worked my way through a dense thicket of speckled…
The safest way to get in and out of your canoe at a portage is to “wet foot” it. As you canoe up to a portage, turn your canoe parallel to the shore and step out of your canoe and into the shallow water before the canoe touches a rock. It is dangerous to try…
Today I launched a six day BWCA canoe trip with a dad and his two sons. We put in at crystal-clear Snowbank Lake. This photo shows David proudly watching his sons, Eric and Peter, paddle away from our lunch spot on Ahsub Lake.
Guest Blogger: Wilderness Guide Kate Ford. Spring is slowly creeping its way in. We are seeing lovely, warm, sun-filled days back to back with days of light snow or cold rain. Even with the wavering weather, May is providing the Boundary Waters with enough sun and warmth to coax our leaves out, as proven by…
False morel mushrooms are sprouting up along BWCA portages and area hiking trails. I saw my first of the season a few days ago. Yesterday we saw about a dozen along the Bass Lake Trail near Ely. These false morels are deadly. Eaten raw they may lead to diarrhea and vomiting within a few hours.…
Editor’s note: Guest blogger Jessica Fuller provided this entry. Jessica is from North Carolina and ventured into the BWCA with Guide Kate Ford. In North Carolina, a dusting of snow means closed roads, cancelled classes and empty toilet paper aisles. In North Minnesota, it simply means it’s time for a trip to the Boundary Waters.…
Winds gusting to 35 mph and snow whipping in your face greeted canoers this morning. Mike Hillman, host of the polka show on WELY radio today, provided some advice to those canoers: “Put on every article of clothing you have, and go east.” I took this photo at about 11 AM today.
One of the top fears of newcomers to the BWCA is bears. Specifically, peoples’ imagination can take a wild ride when visualizing bear encounters. However, the common fear of black bears is largely due to the media’s mischaracterization of our largely harmless black bears. If you’re one of those scared of a Boundary Waters trip…