The late season weather and trail conditions can be variable. We had luck on our side for this trip. As everyone arrived, they needed windshield wipers to clear the drizzle. However, a cold front moved in just in time for our first full day of dogsledding. And we still have solid snowcovered trails, like the one above between Little Gabro and Gabro Lakes in the BWCA.

We stumbled upon this 10-point buck frozen in the South Kawishiwi River today. We couldn’t tell how much of the deer is still intact because of the solid ice. We left this find for later wilderness travelers to discover.

When late season camping trips face possible rainy conditions, snow is a particularly welcome sight. Two years ago I guided a Last Hurrah camping trip with my personal dog, Lexee. Lexee is a chocolate lab and we even outfitted her with a plastic raincoat for the wet conditions. It’s experiences like that which make me particularly thankful for this late season snow. This photo shows us pitching a North Face tent in a snowfall on Clearwater Lake in the BWCA.