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Quetico/BWCA Family Wilderness Adventure (Guest Article)
by Michael E. Little

Just Imagine
You awaken early, before the sun has crested the distant tree line; it’s just light enough to see out through the tent screen flap. You quietly slip from your sleeping bag, carefully pull on a pair of canvas shorts and slip on a tee shirt. You slowly unzip the tent and ease out, then slip away, careful not to wake your sleeping children. You walk down to the shore, a mere 35 feet away, and look out on the pristine jewel before you. Like a dream, fog is rising from the water, adding a magical, mysterious element to your lake. You chose this site carefully; your campsite is on a small island near the center of a liquid cul-de-sac, a beautiful small lake that leads nowhere. There’ll be no travelers here, no voyageurs passing by to steal the isolation. Connected through a narrow draw to the main chain of lakes beyond, a short canoe paddle will put you onto big water with scores of what? Islands? Can a small rock formation, little bigger than a house, be called an island? Whatever the proper word, beyond lie countless ‘islands’ waiting for your attention. And, as you’ve happily discovered, each holds several scrappy smallies, just itching for a fight. But enough, the fog’s thinning, and there‘s fish to be caught right here, right now.

Quickly, you grab your favorite rod, a sweet spinning outfit, and carefully tie on a 3” floating Rapala. Slipping along the shore, you soon come to a small bay, where you know a big boy lurks in the thin water. You lost him twice earlier in the week; each time he threw your lure. Today, four days later, you’re determined to best him if you can. Your first cast lands with a soft plop, exactly where you hoped; just beyond his lair, a washing machine sized boulder jutting from the water, 30 feet from shore. You’re doing everything right for this guy; you patiently wait until the ripples from your lure die down. When the time is right, you begin your retrieve, running your bait past the boulder. Just as the Rapala begins moving away from the rock, your lure is hit hard! Your reel sings and sizzles in protest! After a brief tug-of-war, pulling first this way, and then that, he launches himself into the air, and with a convulsive shake, tosses your lure again! Damn! Following a replay of the showdown in your mind, you look at your rejected lure.

There, you see one of the hooks on the forward treble has been twisted open. You heard there were 5 and even 6 pound smallies in these waters, but you didn’t believe it. Maybe it’s true. Remarkable.

Getting Started
I’ve always enjoyed canoeing and camping. I spent many years in the Boy Scouts of America, and thanks to Uncle Sam, I later became a multi-year member of the Southeast Asia Hiking Society. Many kids these days never have the opportunity to enjoy basic outdoor activities, and as a parent of two young children, I set out to do something about it. I bought some mid-quality sleeping bags, a good four-season Eureka Sentinel tent, and all the rest of the gear we’d need. Then, I set the tent up in my apartment so my kids could play in it. They were getting excited, getting ready for adventures to come. Our first campout was at a local KOA a few miles down the road. This was a pretty modest beginning, but the kids had fun, and we had to start someplace. Next, we started weekend camping in nearby state parks, and as my kid’s skills improved and their confidence grew, we began taking trips to more distant, more primitive state parks on weekends.

A year later, when my son and daughter were ages 8 and 6 respectively, we headed into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA). Accompanying us were my brother and his young son. After our first week-long stay, all of us were hooked. My brother and I loved the incredible smallie fishing (Okay, so we used bobbers and worms that first year, but we didn’t know how to fish!) and our kids loved the adventure of ‘wilderness’ camping and canoeing.

That first trip cost just $300. Pretty reasonable for a canoe rental and food for the three of us. We revisited the BWCA many times over subsequent years, until we became old hands at it. During those times, we saw otters in camp looking for scraps of fish, watched a doe and her two fawns barking and jumping, playing in a shallow bay across the narrow lake from our campsite, freaked out over a visiting black bear who came calling, watched beaver busily swim greenery back to their lodge, listened to the haunting call of loons each evening across the lakes, snacked on delicious wild raspberries, watched bald eagles just 20 feet away, went swimming (kids - not parents) in secluded rocky coves where they caught crayfish to use as ‘bait‘, landed some remarkable 4+ pound smallies, awoke to the scent of fresh bacon frying, played some wild family card games each night, enjoyed late evening camp fires with requisite ghost stories, hiked into virgin lakes that had probably never been fished and saw some truly amazing sunrises and sunsets. Good stuff.

What To Consider
If you’re going to tackle the BWCA with your kids, first consider how you want to approach it. Some travelers go with a large party of family or friends, using perhaps 8 or more canoes. This can be a great shared group experience, and some nimrods feel more comfortable with support close at hand. There are drawbacks however. Your party can only travel as fast as the slowest canoe, and wherever you decide to camp, increased fishing pressure can put a strain on local resources. This means you may have to travel further afield to find good fishing.

Some folks use the services of an experienced guide who can lead them to some great fishing holes, prepare meals and generally keep everything organized and on track. A good guide can help improve the quality of the wilderness experience immensely. The only drawback is the added expense; these guys aren‘t cheap.

The Rambo approach is to travel through the park, journeying from point A to point B, often traveling well over 100 miles. Breaking camp each morning, then canoeing all day, and finally setting up a new camp in the evening is hard work. This method works best if the participants travel very light and are in very good condition. Using this minimalist approach will enable you to cover lots of water, and you can find some terrific fishing, but it’s very low on the comfort scale. And if you’ve tried a joyless diet of freeze dried food for any length of time, you know what meal-time in a gulag is about.

Some lazy dogs, like me, my brother and our kids, blast in 10-30 miles, set up a well sighted base camp, and then take day trips to other nearby areas. This makes for a much more comfortable, and less arduous experience, but this still requires a good deal of effort. My bro and I typically lost 10-15 pounds each outing. This method limits your range of operation somewhat, and if you‘re big on sight-seeing and new vistas, may not be the approach to for you. This method is comfortable, though. Very comfortable. Just don’t forget that everything you take in, you have to lug out.

Spectacular camping, canoeing, fishing and adventure are some of the many rewards offered in the BWCA and it’s Canadian big brother to the north, Quetico Provincial Park. Both areas are co-joined along the Canadian/US border in upper Minnesota and are generally referred to as Canadian Shield lakes. These lakes were formed thousands of years ago by glaciers during the last ice age. While the geography is the same, these two parks have different demands and offer different experiences. The BWCA is easy to get into, and should be considered semi-wilderness. During your stay, you might see another party of canoe campers traveling through your area once or twice a day, depending on where you are relative to the main travel routes. The BWCA gets lots of use, and sometimes, good fishing may be more difficult to find.

For a true wilderness experience, Quetico is the way to go. Wilderness is growing more difficult to find these days, so the Ontario Provincial government puts strict limits on the number of entry/camping permits they issue for the park. The required approval may take up to a year to obtain, so apply early if Quetico is your cup of tea. There, you may spend a week or more and never see another party. Quetico is true wilderness. One year, we saw a canoe passing in the distance. My daughter’s comment was, “Dad, we’re too close. Let’s go deeper next time.”

Lessons Learned
For a typical BWCA trip, we first traveled to Ely, Minn., where we bought groceries and supplies. Next, we drove to Don Beland’s, an outfitter north of Ely, near the edge of the park. Don’s is just one of many similar operations bordering the BWCA. At Don’s, we camped for the night and depressurized from our long drive up from Illinois. The following morning, after a good breakfast in the lodge, we rented canoes, paddles, camp saws and anything else we might need. We also got a good, waterproof map and had one of Don’s helpful and knowledgeable guides mark likely camping areas with good fishing nearby. Warning: don’t lose your map! One year, a lunatic I’d invited to join us lost our only map, and we had a hell of a time finding our campsite, locating good fishing and finally finding our way back to Don’s at the end of the week. Needless to say, that was the last time he was invited to attend. Our problem was that pretty much everything looks the same in BWCA, one lake looks like the next, and there are very few, if any, landmarks. It’s easy to get lost with a map, so pay very careful attention as you travel and don’t forget your compass!

The canoes that outfitters rent are generally the Grumman aluminum jobs. They paddle like hogs, and the best that can be said of them is they’re durable, stable, and can carry lots of cargo. I’ve used them for years. If you have your own canoe, take it. You’ll save on rental expense, and it might be easier to use than the outfitters offerings. Our second year, we bought an Old Town Discovery and it was a huge improvement; it was easier to paddle, much more quiet and it would take a pounding that would kill a Grumman. Much later, we bought an Old Town Penobscot, and it was like the wheel had been reinvented. What a joy to use! It’s slippery hull form is very efficient, very fast and very easy to paddle. Speaking of paddles, if you canoe a lot, it would be well worth it to invest in a nice bent-wood paddle sized for your height. These are pricey but much easier to use and much less strenuous. Outfitter’s paddles typically are ‘one-size-fits-all’ plastic and aluminum affairs that are rugged but not particularly efficient.

Be innovative. One year, we were subjected to stiff winds blowing one direction in the morning and the opposite direction in the afternoon. You could almost set your watch by it. These winds were counter to our direction of travel to and from a prime fishing area we’d discovered, so we fought the wind in both directions each day. This was a nuisance, but not a big deal. On the day we broke camp, the wind piped up right on time, and we were facing a grueling all-day paddle back to our outfitter and home. My brother suggested we lash our two canoes together to form a catamaran, and then rig a ground tarp for a sail. I looked askance at him, but soon put my Boy Scout lashing skills to work. Before long, we’d rigged a huge square about 12’ wide and 8’ tall above our crude catamaran. It looked like a train wreck, but it was sturdy. The only drawback, like square-riggers of old, was we could only go with the wind. We couldn’t reach, and tacking was out of the question. It was a run before the wind or nothing. Well, we pushed the contraption out onto the lake, and away we went. Soon, we were going so fast, I swear we could’ve pulled a skier behind us! We flew down a succession of lakes and finally broke out onto Beland’s home lake. After a fast 2-3 mile final leg, we cut our rigging away and put into the dock, where we were met by several guides. “You guys looked Vikings coming down the lake!” one amazed guide said, amid much laughter. Sailing had cut a difficult, all-day paddle, down to just a few hours of relaxed steering.

Weather is seldom predictable up there, so bring rain gear and warm clothes just in case a cold front comes through. One year, in mid-June, we nearly froze to death over most of the week. All I remember of that trip is chattering teeth. The experience robbed much of the joy of being in the BWCA. Another year strong winds kept us off the water nearly all week. We found it impossible to fish because the steady 30 mph winds kept blowing us down the lake. There was no lee side of anything. In more moderate winds, we could have used a cooler or fish basket for a drift sock to reduce our escape velocity, but at a certain point, nothing will work. All we could do was hunker down in our tents and be thankful we brought a book or two along.

Unpredictable situations like these make successful fishing impossible, so always take enough food to last your entire stay in the park. You can’t count on eating the fish you catch for any meal. Cold fronts, wind storms, insect hatches and other factors can leave you skunked, so always take along enough food and snacks to last the duration.

We always carried an elaborate first aid kit that included dental first aid and a snake bite kit. I took a couple classes in first aid, and could use everything in it, but thankfully, my medical skills were never called upon. Dr. Fine, Dr. Howard, Dr. Fine. Before you set out, make certain everyone’s teeth are in good shape. If you are 100-150 miles from the nearest medical help, the last thing you want to do is canoe back to your vehicle and then drive 75 miles to the nearest doctor. Anyone wear glasses? Take a spare pair of specs along. Can you imagine trying to enjoy a vacation and not being able to see?

Hygiene can be a problem while wilderness camping. Lake water is too cold for bathing most of the time, so we always took a couple Sun Showers along. On arrival, we’d build a temporary shower area using a ground cloth for a privacy screen. We’d fill the Sun Showers up in the morning, and lay them on large flat rocks so they could warm up in the sun. Returning to camp in the afternoon, we’d suspend them from a limb above the shower area using a rope and then suds up. A warm shower every day or two was a welcome and refreshing relief and got rid of that grungy feeling too common to campers. Use biodegradable soaps, shampoos and detergents for camp and personal cleanup.

Speaking of hygiene, it’s smart to not leave fish guts around your camp. Aside from the odor, they will attract otters, which are cute and comical, and black bears, which are not. During our years in the BWCA and Canada, we only had one bear in camp, but I gotta tell ya, I never felt so vulnerable or exposed as when I was chasing him out of camp with a canoe paddle in one hand and an aluminum pot in the other, banging away, yelling, “Don‘t come back! I‘m scared! Please don‘t turn around!” Gulp!

Bears are not the cute, cuddly, friendly animals that TV, movies and some books would have us believe. “Bears Are People Too” and “All Bears Go To Heaven” are probably right around the corner. This kind of idiotic, touchy-feely crap gets people hurt or killed. Black bear are dangerous wild animals, and lately, they seem to be more aggressive. Two canoe camp-ers in lower Ontario were killed and eaten by black bear not too long ago. Fish guts are a perfect invitation for bear to come calling. In fact, I used fish guts for bait on bear hunts in Northern Ontario. Don’t be a chump; haul them far away from camp to dump them on shore. I know you’re tired, and I know you’ve been in the canoe all day, and I know you’re hungry, but please get rid of those guts!

As you can probably tell, we always took along lots of gear, too much perhaps. We looked like we were going on safari, and with gear overflowing the gunnels of our two canoes, we had just a couple inches of free-board. This made for exciting times in high winds on big water, but no one suffered in camp. We even began taking a screen tent along so we wouldn’t have to cede our evenings to the voracious mosquitoes. Inside, we kept all our supplies, and on occasion, cooked our meals if it was raining. This was also the venue for our nightly card games.

Mosquitoes in the BWCA and Quetico are legendary. They’ve earned a solid reputation for aggression and tenacity, but their hours of operation are fairly limited. From just before sundown, until perhaps two hours past, are their prime blood-sucking hours. Even with lots of Muskol repellant on, they’re still bothersome. If they can’t land to make a withdrawal, they’ll form a think cloud around their intended victim. This is distracting, and has driven us off the lake during attempted night fishing forays.

We always took along good quality three or four season tents with a floor and could totally seal out the elements. Used over a cheap ground tarp, these are cleaner and more dirt-free. The ground up there is often rocky and uneven, so good Ensolite sleeping pads or self-inflating air mattresses are a must. If you use air mattresses, don’t buy cheap. A tent-mate once brought a cheap air mattress along, and as the night progressed, the seams between the air chambers kept letting go, until finally, he was riding a sausage-like tube come morning. I still laugh when I think of him trying to balance on that thing and sleep. Sleeping on cold, rocky ground is pure torture too. Particularly if you have no sleeping bag, which was my story the night Bronco Billy was riding his wild mustang of an air mattress. He claims my chattering teeth kept him awake, but I think it was his guilty conscience. Always physically confirm your sleeping bag has been packed; don’t take anyone’s word for it!

Light weight camp stools or chairs were a lifesaver for us 30 and 40- something campers. Sitting on cold rocks, squatting in the dirt or standing all the time, coupled with sitting on a canoe seat most of the day with no back support, is tough, so take along folding stools or chairs for the adults. Your back will thank you. Lightweight mesh hammocks for campsite relaxing and naps would also have been appreciated, but we never thought of it.

Campfire cooking is a real pain; gathering dry firewood, soaping the outside of pots and pans to ease soot removal, waiting for the fire to get right and cooking over uneven heat, make wood fire cooking a real trial if you’re not used to it. We usually took 2 Coleman stoves along for cooking chores. Why two? One year, our trusty camp stove failed and we were forced to revert to wood fire cooking. Never again!

Coleman lanterns are also much appreciated. If you’ve ever slipped or tripped in the dark over some unseen object and taken a bad fall, you’ll appreciate good light around camp. Like the camp stoves, we took 2 lanterns, extra mantles and two gallons of Coleman fuel. This was too much fuel, but who wants to run out?

A couple large coolers were also needed to keep fresh food from spoiling. In addition to ice, we used frozen homemade chili and stews as a cold source. Toward the end of the week, just as most of the coldness was gone, it would be time to break camp and return to civilization. We prepared as many hot meals as possible during our stays to keep morale up and keep everyone healthy.

Wilderness camping need not be torture. I had my fill of survival training and deprivation during my Army years. Sure, I can and did survive in the wilderness with three matches, two strips of bacon and a hunting knife, but would I want to do it again? Should my kids have to? We went out of our way to make our stay as comfortable as possible. And we eagerly returned year after year.

Accommodating Children
The secret to taking children along is to get them involved. When kids are involved in decision making and planning, they feel they have some buy-in and are contributing to the success of the trip. I would start weeks ahead of time with overall trip planning, going over maps, planning our route to and from the park and discussing things we hoped to see. Sometimes a small detour can reveal some interesting and educational sights. It was fun watching their anticipation and excitement build as we approached our departure date.

I also got the kids involved in meal planning, making a menu for each meal and each day of our adventure. Meals need not be complicated. We ate instant oatmeal and dry cereal for most breakfasts. For variety, we always had a few breakfasts of scrambled eggs, bacon and Tang. For lunch, peanut butter and jelly, lunch meat, chips and cookies worked well for us. Dinners were mostly stews, chili, hamburgers and hot dogs if we had no fish to fry. Of course, if we had fresh fish, we’d eat it fried, broiled or blackened, along with fried potatoes with onion, and baked beans or canned vegetables. Take along some instant hot chocolate, marshmallows, Jiffy Pop, pudding cups and cookies for snacks. We always had lots of Cool Aide, bug juice or pink lemonade on hand. Good food can save a difficult week, and can make a good week a great week.

Make certain you have enough canoe paddles for everyone. I had to buy half-size paddle for my daughter so she would feel like part of the group. One year I forgot it, and boy, was she mad! She took a great deal of pride in doing her share, and when that was denied, she was livid. She used her paddle for several years before she was big enough to handle a full sized one. If your kids can swim, and you don’t make them wear life jackets, explain what to do in case the canoe tips over or gets swamped. Most contain extra floatation and will float just below the surface, so staying with the canoe is best until things get sorted out. Then, you can swim the canoe to shore and empty it out. Set an example, don‘t panic and your kids won‘t either.

Get your kids involved in mapping out and planning the day’s activities. With a map of the area, use a compass to orient the map and then locate where you are on it. Let your kids help chose a destination, and routes to and from that location. Pack sandwiches, chips and drinks so you can have a picnic lunch when you arrive. Don’t be freaked if your kids just want to go explore while you fish.

Don’t forget to take a good quality sunscreen for everyone. There are now waterproof types available which I’ve found superior to all others. It’s easy to get sunburn, so dose the youngsters every morning before beginning the day‘s activities. Hats are important too. Ball caps help, but a real hat with a full brim all the way around would be better. These need not be expensive; hit Wal-Mart or Kmart for inexpensive straw hats.

Your camping trip will be a great opportunity to teach kids about map reading, compass work, canoeing, cooking, fishing, wood craft, basic astronomy, weather, wildlife, knot tying, rope spicing, whittling, sketching, photography and anything else they might find interesting. Study the history of the Canadian Shield lakes, their creation, their role in the exploration and settlement of Canada by the voyageurs, the development of trade by the Hudson Bay company and the many forts and trading posts that existed in the area years ago. If you lack the knowledge, study up before you go. It’s a small thing and will really make an impression on the kids.

Take along some fun family games like Uno, a couple decks of cards or dice. Cookies make great currency for the gamblers in the house. Make up games to keep their interest and enjoyment up. Take along pocket books on bird identification, plants, wild-life or simple astronomy. Give each kid a cheap disposable camera so they can record their ad-ventures. Their memories will last them a lifetime and, chances are, they’ll take their kids into the wilderness, canoeing and camping too. “My dad taught me this when I was your age. Here, let me show you how to do it…”

When you introduce your kids to fishing, keep it simple. I used a simple slip bobber, split shot and hook setup for my daughter. I wanted her to experience catching fish, not beating the water to a froth. Worm fishing is the easiest I could think of, and as sure-fire as anything. She caught a nice 3 pounder and was proud as punch.

And Now, A Word About Smallies
The BWCA and Quetico both offer remarkable fishing, but you may have to work smarter and harder than in ’the old days.’ ‘Hammer handles’ (small Northern Pike) can be a nuisance, so bring a pair of long-nosed pliers to release them. Take a net only if you want to boat and photograph larger fish. Northerns are great eating, and they’re nearly always on the bite, but those pesky ‘Y’ bones can be a pain to fillet around.

As far as Northerns are concerned, the only ones we kept were of the hammer handle variety. The larger pike and 98% of the smallies we caught were released unhurt. Any fish we kept landed on our dinner table and were consumed by the group during the evening meal. This is at odds with currently popular CPR philosophy, but a strong case can be made for “selective harvest” practices. Use your best judgment. If you want to keep a few fish for meals, do so, and don’t feel guilty doing it. If you want to practice 100% CPR, do that. Bass anglers are the most aware of catch and release concerns than any other group of species-specific anglers. But, until the authorities tell me different, I practice and recommend keeping what is immediately needed for food and releasing everything else.

Insect hatches present unique problems. Hatches of mayflies, dragonflies, stoneflies, caddisflies, gnats, midges and mosquitoes can occur from early spring until late fall. There are 16 different types of Mayflies, each with a fancy name like Blue-winged Olive, Dark Hendrickson, Slate-winged Mahogany and Pale Evening Dun. Each type hatch out at a different time of day and different time of year, beginning in late April and ending in late September. Insect hatches do not occur simultaneously throughout the lake system. One part of the park may have a hatch of Quill Gordon in early July and another area may not have the same type of hatch until a week or so later.

Dragonflies and mayflies are the primary types of insects that smallies feed on. If you arrive in an area during a large insect hatch, you can pretty much kiss good fishing good bye, unless you have insect imitators in your bag of tricks. We arrived one year just before a huge mayfly hatch, and what was initially terrific fishing quickly turned sour. The smallies refused everything thrown at them, instead feasting with abandon on the storm of newly hatched mayflies. Using a ‘bubble‘, a clear bobber that can be weighted with water, line dressing to float my line, and a mayfly imitating dry fly, I cleaned up and was the only one catching fish for much of the trip.

I always carry at least two fishing rods; one ultra-light spinning outfit with 6 pound test for smallies and one medium spinning outfit with 10 or 12 pound test for bigger Northerns or Lake Trout. Twice, I’ve seen other people in my group break their prized fishing rod or have their reel go south. When you’re 100 miles from nowhere, a spare outfit can come in real handy. Lately, I’ve also been taking a medium-heavy bait casting outfit with 20 or 30 pound test for big Northerns. I haven’t landed one yet, but I do have several Zara Spooks with their hooks straightened out.

For smallie tackle, I’ve found Rapalas, Shadraps, Mepps spinners, Rebel Craws, Heart Breaker type bent-wire spinners, Zara Spooks, Jitter Bugs, Tiny Torpedoes and other injured-minnow baits work great. I carry several sizes of each and several of each color. In case of emergency, I also carry live bait tackle. At different times I’ve used worms, leeches, crayfish, crickets and cut-bait and all work like gang-busters. The desperation index has to be pretty high before I go to live bait though. Check up-to-date fishing regulations before you get too tricky. That mouse-harness may not be legal.

Before you go, make certain you have fresh line on your reels. There’s no point to taking a great trip with questionable line. Lately, I’ve been using bright green Berkeley Iron Silk and wouldn’t trade it for the world. Take along some extra line or extra spools of fresh line too. Another thing I do is have my reels cleaned, greased and checked by a professional before I go. I use good gear, but even good gear can let you down.

The water is gin-clear, so you can often see the strikes and follows as they happen. The bottom is mostly rock and boulders; great structure for smallies, so stick to rock piles, points, ledges, shelves and other salient features. Some sheltered bays have silt bottoms and much dead-fall, so don’t be afraid to fish the wood. You’ll also see lily pads in some areas, so don’t be surprised if you pick up some largemouth. You may find fast-flowing rivers between the various lakes. These are often portage areas for those traveling through. For smallie anglers, these areas present some spectacular fishing opportunities because they are seldom fished. Folks who are portaging have their gear scattered from hell to breakfast and are slam wore out humping their canoe over the rugged trails. Fishing is usually the last thing on their mind.

When you catch fish you’re planning to keep for lunch or dinner, open them up and see what they’re eating. Then, match natural forage with something sweet from you tackle box and get ready for big fun. Over the years, we’ve had some spectacular fishing in the BWCA and Quetico. We’ve portaged into seldom fished lakes and gotten onto schools of smallies that left us tired and out of breath. One cast, one fish. And I’m not talking about runts; these were all 2 ½ - 3 ½ pound class. We’ve taken 4+ pounders. We’ve had smallies too big to handle with our ultra-light gear. We simply couldn’t catch them because they kept throwing the bait. Huge runs, tail-walks, the works. We hiked in and found a little pot-hole lake with no name that had never been fished. We didn’t fish it either. There was no shore access. The brush and trees were so dense that casting couldn’t be done and landing a fish would have been impossible. The only thing that might work would be a belly boat, one of those inner tube looking things. Can you imagine fishing a lake that had never been touched? I get the shivers just thinking about it.

There are lots of nameless pot-holes like this in BWCA and Quetico, small 10-20 acre ponds and lakes no one has ever taken the time to mess with. Why should they, with thousands of square miles of big water to fiddle with? These little jewels are murder to get to; the brush and bracken is so thick, a ‘short walk’ may take an hour or more. Dragging a belly boat through all that stuff would be tough. Hauling a canoe it would be impossible without lots of axe and saw work. But imagine you finally break through and see a beautiful little lake with reeds and water lilies along one side, rocks and boulders jutting from the water on another and deadfall and timber in the water on the third side. The still water shimmers, clear as air, then suddenly ripples near the reeds. Big Northern? Listening quietly, you hear a loud splash near the deadfall off to the right, and then another. I’m approach-ing 60 years old. Too old to go back to that little treasure, but I’ll always wonder about what I heard.

In Conclusion
When I was a kid, I had a classmate whose father took him to Canada fishing every year. At that age, Canada seemed like Shangri La to me, some distant far off place reserved for a fortunate few. Canada didn’t have the same mythical power for my children as it did for me, but they loved it just the same, and learned they could adapt and survive in a world without Burger King, MTV and indoor plumbing. They saw real wild life, not a bear in a box or cuddly stuffed otters in a gift shop.

Taking children into the wilderness has some degree of risk, but it can be done safely and easily if approached properly. Part of the fun for my children was the escape from a controlled predictable existence into a world where anything could happen. We could get lost. We might confront dangerous animals. We could be many miles from camp and eat fresh fish cooked over a wood fire with no cooking equipment of any kind, just because we were hungry. We might get caught in weather so cold, we’d have to jump into the lake to stay warm. And we did.

It’s been proven that children develop faster, and are more intelligent, if they have more stimulus. If you have children, share the wilderness experience with them. Teach them the things they should know. Everyone will be the better for it.