Category Archives: Blog

Bill Hansen, whose parents began Sawbill Canoe Outfitters in 1957 and who has built his outfitting business into one of the most respected in the BWCAW, had the pleasure of spotting two conversing lynx last week while driving down the Sawbill Trail. Lynx are seclusive but iconic predators of the boreal forest and rarely seen in the Quetico Superior. Quick thinking Hansen had the resourcefulness to pull out his smart phone and video the encounter. It is an amazing clip and the caterwauling lynx epitomize wild nature. Toward the end of the video viewers can observe the unusual gait of this astonishing creature. Lynx populations are linked to the population cycles of the snowshoe hare. In recent years, I have seen more snowshoe hares in the vicinity of Sawbill Lake than I have seen anywhere in the BWCA and that may explain this unusual sighting. Thanks to Hansen for putting … Continue reading →

You have likely heard the admonition, “Always do a site check before shoving off from camp.” But it bears repeating and with a twist. Some of my best friends have left important articles behind. On a long trip, it can undermine your success downriver when you are missing a key piece of gear. On a short trip, it can take a bite out of your wallet. Or if you’re stubborn it can create unneeded risk. Rockstar paddler and German friend Jan Detmer left behind his wet suit top on an island campsite on the arctic Thelon River. He noticed the omission an hour (and 5 miles) later.  Rather than fight the current in his canoe, he hiked back upstream to retrieve it. A twenty yard swim in icy water was almost more than he could handle but he retrieved the wet suit (and put it on). Just last month my … Continue reading →

American Rivers named the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness among America’s Most Endangered Rivers of 2013 today. American Rivers is a leading environmental organization working to protect and restore the nation’s rivers and streams.  Since 1973, American Rivers has fought to help protect and restore more than 150,000 miles of rivers through advocacy efforts, on-the-ground projects, and the annual release of “America’s Most Endangered Rivers”. American Rivers believes that the proximity of a proposed copper nickel mine near the South Kawishiwi River threatens the water quality of that watershed. The mine, proposed within the Superior National Forest but just outside the wilderness area, would produce large quantities of waste rock, sulfuric acid, and a variety of toxic metals. This is a reputable environmental outfit and their annual list of endangered rivers is short. The fact that the BWCA made the list shows a depth of concern. What makes sulfide mining … Continue reading →

Great traveling on the empty Eleven Point. Otters, Hellbenders, great birds and spring bursting in the Ozarks.

I leave the day after Easter for back-to-back Ozark canoe trips. First the majestic Buffalo River in Arkansas, and then the less heralded Eleven Point in Missouri. With The Rio Grande in February and now the Ozarks I guess this is my new idea of winter camping –chase the sun. Larry Rice keeps writing me about the wonders of Panama. Maybe a January canoe trip down there next year or the Everglades with Cliff Jacobson if we can pull that together?  Anyway right now I am focused on the Ozarks. Last year we hit the Dogwoods in bloom and the woods were a fairyland, this time, a focus on the waterfalls. With a late spring in Minnesota I am going to bring along my Kifaru tipi and a tiny woodstove. If we catch some cold April rain it will be nice to have a warm, dry tent to retreat into … Continue reading →

As readers likely already know, I prefer to cook over a fire while I am camping. It is true that stoves especially propane stoves, are easier, but I don’t go into the bush because it’s easier. As far as the environment goes, camping mostly in Minnesota and Ontario I also believe burning wood is the most responsible choice. Fossil fuels and the canisters that contain them are an abomination. Dead wood in the North Woods is abundant and with the elm, oak, spruce, ash, balsam and pine blights and the recent spate of wildfires and blow-downs, there is no shortage of dead wood. In fact, Minnesota has become a paradise for woodpeckers. It takes a while to learn how to build, start, and maintain a fire. It takes even longer to learn how to cook over a fire, but woodfire cooking creates a certain satisfaction and independence that cannot be replicated … Continue reading →