It’s hard to believe November is here and with it comes dreams of next season. What will next year bring?  What magnificent animals will we see?  What trophy fish will we catch? Mostly, what new memories will we make?! Just the other day, Don Schilling booked a trip for the 2010 season.  While talking to him over the phone, I could hear the excitement grow in both our voices over the possibilities of next season. I can truly say that Don, like so many others of our clients, has caught the Boundary Waters Fever and he will never be the same. He had told me that his trip was like a great movie that he just can’t stop thinking about.

The BWCA will start accepting entries in the permit lottery system on December 1st 2009.  Those who enter will assure themselves a permit of their choice and at a time of their choosing. We already have a few clients taking advantage in the lottery and anyone who is interested should contact us and we can talk over your options.

Everyone who is currently on the Wilderness Journey email list will be entered into a raffle to win a free trip with Wilderness Journey.  We will be recruiting new adventurists’ emails by referral and at the outdoor shows.   The raffle drawing will take place March 21st 2010. The free trip is for one person for 6 days this can be used by the winner alone or with a group.

Congrats again to 2009 Raffle winner Chris Perez pictured here. 

Upcoming Wilderness Journey newsletters will feature some BWCA short stories, new slideshows, information on the local wildlife and history of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.  We will also highlight improvements and changes to our website and booth display for the outdoor shows. Currently, we are working on adding a new route for our clients to discover a new area in the BWCA. 

Outdoor shows will be here before we know it! Visit the Wilderness Journey booth.

First Show…

Ultimate Fishing Show (Novi) January 7-10, 2010 Wilderness Journey Booth 1151

                Thursday, January 7                        2pm- 9:30pm

                Friday, January 8                              12pm- 9:30pm

                Saturday, January 9                         10am- 9pm

                Sunday, January 10                         10am- 5pm

Additional Shows:

Outdoorama (Novi) February 25-28, 2010 Wilderness Journey Booth 5501

The Quiet Water Symposium (Lansing) March 7, 2009

Ultimate Fishing Show in (Grand Rapids) March 18- 21, 2010

Photo Contest Winner

Agnes Lake- photograph by 2009 scenery photo contest winner, Josh Stefko

This month’s photo category is Scenery and this month’s winner captured a beautiful evening photo on Agnes Lake. Josh will receive a Wilderness Journey T-Shirt.  Wilderness Journey awards a monthly photo or fish contest WINNER.

 

Boundary Waters Wilderness Wildlife

During the off season we will be featuring a segment on the Boundary Waters wildlife they will range from animals as small as Voles, Moles and bats to large animals such as Moose, Bears and Wolves. The following is a rundown on the variety of wildlife found in this area.

Information provided by GORP

Over 52 species of mammals and 150 species of birds inhabit the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness of Minnesota. Sitting at your campsite you may see a tiny shrew weighing a fraction of an ounce, or a huge bull moose weighing in at over 1200 pounds.

The black bear travels the canoe trails as well. Bears range in weight from 

50-300 pounds, some reaching 600 on occasion! Colors range from glossy black to cinnamon brown. Keep those food packs in the air and a clean camp! The raccoon is a rare sight, more common in the central section of Minnesota. The cat family includes the solitary and nocturnal lynx and bobcat. These cats are rarely seen, because the area sits at the southern limit of the lynx range and the northern extreme of the bobcat's range.

Traveling and portaging as silently as possible will afford you with the best possibility of seeing wildlife up close. If you hear a rustling or crashing in the woods, sit quietly and be patient. Moose, deer and other mammals frequently lack good eyesight, but have a great sense of smell. Usually they will smell your presence and if you remain still they will move into the open or right by you after realizing that your smell is not a "threat" to them.

Going out on an early morning or late evening paddle will also offer additional opportunities to view wildlife as they move to the water’s edge to feed and drink.

Leave no Trace

As all of our clients know we believe in the Leave no trace policy.  Personally, I am very adamant about this policy.  I refuse to see the same piece of trash in the same place, so I will pick up everything I find and put it in my lower front pocket.  At the end of the day, I will empty all of the contents into the trash bag. Unfortunately, there is no place on earth that doesn’t have some sign of man. Most trips, I find no trash and on other trips I have brought back more than I wish to divulge. I came across this article and a link to a great video on Leave no trace. We encourage all to check this video out!  Click here to see the video

National Park Service helps campers “Leave No Trace” 

WASHINGTON – There is an old saying popular with park rangers and campers – “take only pictures and leave only footprints” when you are enjoying the great outdoors. While many subscribe to this philosophy, it isn’t always obvious how to make the right low-impact choices when you’re far from roads and established campgrounds. The National Park Service’s (NPS) Leave No Trace video is a great place for campers to learn where to pitch a tent and how to cook in wilderness so that no one will know you were there. It even covers what do to – ahem – when Mother Nature calls.

The 9½ minute video, on-line for the first time, addresses the importance of taking a personal role in preserving the outdoor experience for future generations. It provides a vivid and adventurous display of outdoor scenery, showcasing wild animals, breathtaking scenery, and presents how people can incorporate Leave No Trace principles when they are outdoors.

“We hope the video inspires people to take a wilderness trip,” said Jonathan Jarvis, Director of the National Park Service. “The more people know about making the right choices while camping and enjoying the backcountry, the better we can protect these special places for future generations of hikers and campers.”

Essential Equipment

I have been taking trips into the Boundary Waters for over 12 years and I have used many different types of equipment. I have some that has stood the test of time and some that collects dust on my wall of shame in our warehouse. Over the off season we will be resuming this (Essential Equipment) portion of the newsletter.  This month features, in my own opinion, the most important piece of equipment of all: Granfors Bruks small forest axe. I have had many axe’s in my life and when a good friend of mine gave this to me for Christmas, I was stunned because these are not cheap!  They are handmade in Sweden.  It was one of those items I have always wanted to buy but really didn’t want to spend the money. I guarantee after using one of these axes, you won’t want to ever use another axe again. 

The importance of a good axe is essential. They are very sharp and hold an edge very well. An axe can build a fire, build a shelter, fix your canoe and even clean game.

Click here to a review on the use of the Axe.

November Photoslideshow

Encourage others to join our email List.  Please contact us with any questions. 

Thanks, 

Ramsey Dowgiallo