BWCA made the top ten list of greatest adventure vacations in the U.S.. http://boomers.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=377218

Oh, I think I am very sorry to hear that. Anything that makes it more popular makes it more populated. . . .

I wasn't thrilled to see that Stu is doing campsite evaluation pieces in BWJ now. One of my favorite campsites rated a 5, so I suppose now it will be ruined for sure! You can't win!

Kind of what I thought.

umm.... isnt it more popular BECAUSE its more populated?!? Places nobody goes to do not end up on a "greatest adventure vacation" list.

Can't say I'm surprised- Isn't that why we all go???

this is the description:

Canoeing the Boundary Waters
The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, largest in North America, has over 1,500 icy, clear-water lakes accessible by paddle only in an area of well over a million acres, unchanged since when the Sioux, Chippewa and French-Canadian voyagers navigated through hundreds of years ago. Every fall from about 1750 until the mid-1800s, the Voyageurs carried trade goods through the Boundary Waters as far as the Great Slave Lake in Canada's Northwest Territories. They spent the winter in the interior trading with the Native Americans. When the ice went out of the lakes and rivers, they returned with beaver and other pelts. In fact, the Voyageurs' route through the Boundary Waters defines the Canadian-U.S. border. Trips begin at Gunflint, Minnesota, and head out for six days of paddling and portaging. Canoeists typically encounter moose, beavers, black bear, eagles, loons, otters, and timber wolves, the last large packs in the lower 48 states. Fishing lines bring in walleye, northern and lake trout, as well as smallmouth bass. May through September.

"icy" lakes?
in the winter, yes, but in the summer?

"unchanged since when the Sioux, Chippewa and French-Canadian voyagers navigated through hundreds of years ago"
except for the logging, etc. since then...

"Trips begin at Gunflint, Minnesota, and head out for six days of paddling and portaging."
Gunflint, MN? where? and since when are all trips six days?

"Canoeists typically encounter moose, beavers, black bear, eagles, loons, otters, and timber wolves"
so should I feel cheated that I've been on many, many trips and not seen black bears or timber wolves up there (since they are typically encountered)??

nothing like romanticizing an area...

No mention of wood ticks, black flies or mosquitoes? LOL!

You're a "glass half empty" guy where as the writer was a "cup over floweth" type. LOL

We're OK - there actually is no such town as Gunflint, Minnesota. They'll never find the BWCA with these directions.

Geeez. The quality of writing in publications continues to plummet. In a similar vein, recently the Chicago Tribune referred to the Minnesota Iron Range as having Coal mines.

Are there any fact checkers on staff anymore?

Sounds like the newspapers have done some cost cutting in the proofing department. :)

"Nobody goes there any more, it's too crowded". Yogi Berra

"largest [wilderness] in North America"--apparently Alaska is no longer in North America.

LOL. I'll keep providing this useful feedback to the author. The minimum standards required to be a writer seem pretty low these days.

I sent this to a friend of mine and his response was:

"I wonder if the writer ever walked the Moose Viewing Trail where travelers would typically see a moose chained to a tree."

I had forgotten about the "Moose Viewing Trail" (is it off the Echo Trail or off one of the Highways up there?)...

Next to the wolf petting area.

I looked for the website and it wouldn't upload. I think they are embarrassed for writing such a bad article?:) :(

Reading it more closely, it's basically an ad for this guy's trips. All ten have specifics that would be unique to whoever did the planning--including months available.

I always make the BWCA seem like a rugged, desolate area with minimal amenities and many hardships to my soft foot friends that ask, for those people that I want to discourage that are into adventure I tell them that the area is crawling with tourits who carry in their coolers full of ice and clog the portages with all their home brought amenities. Useally breaks there smile and drives them to someone elses hideaway.

I love the BWCA and am pretty sure that with a lil bit of work and some time portaging in, you will always be able to get away from people. I've found a couple dead end lakes that are close to EP's that rarely get many visitors. especially if they are a long lake. that way I can stay close and still not see people for a couple of days. ah the solitude of the BWCA.

Yeah, I wouldn't worry about that article disclosing the secret of the Boundary Waters to the "great unwashed." It's poorly written and actually makes the place sound boring. Having a good time canoe camping for a week still requires certain skills and a fair amount of work. Many of the people I meet on a daily basis would never dream of giving it a try, even after I give the place the best word-of-mouth sales pitch I've ever given. I don't try to discourage them. The fact that they don't give it a try is their loss and my -- our -- gain (on the portages and when trying to find a campsite).