What do you like most about the BWCA, camping or canoeing?

I tend to look at the BWCA as the best campground in the world and I need to canoe to get access to it. I'm sure many look at it as the best place to canoe in the world and you need to camp to enjoy it. Obviously most will say both, but try to pick one. I'm curious.

For me personally. I like to camp but I hate going to public campgrounds, finding a perfect spot, then waiting all evening hoping and praying no one will pull up to that empty spot next to me and take it. My main motivation for wanting to go to the BWCA is to avoid this issue and have a perfect campsite all the time. I enjoy canoeing as well but it's more of a means to an end for me.

What about you folks?

Fishing is number one. Of course, one can fish anywhere, but just as you don't like someone taking the campsite next to yours, I don't like sharing a lake.

Number two is the beauty. I was telling my sister this morning about fishing a particular spot and I recalled it all: the cliffs, the reeds, the depth of the water, the current, the number of islands, and the shape of the bay. I get that every lake up north can look like every other lake, as they're all blue ringed by green, but what connects them is their beauty. It can be cool and wet and windy and I still love it up there.

As Sartre said, "Hell is other people."

My work puts me in front of so many people that I counterbalance that by reaching a quiet, unpeopled place. Of course, a good partner is a fine thing, but even the most congruent partner isn't a mirror image. For example, I've never fished with anyone who likes, like I do, to rise at four and go straight to the canoe, not frittering time by brewing coffee and downing grub, both of which have their appeal, but aren't as appealing as a bass rising to the ghosty mist.

Camping!

butthead

Fishing, solitude

Its the camping and fishing for me. However, paddling on glassy waters while watching the sun rise or set is tough to beat.

My favorite thing is gliding solo across a early morning calm lake with a little fog in the air. The quiet and the freshness.

quote walllee: "Fishing, solitude"

Heh-heh. Yours is the succinct version of my jibber-jabber!

i have to break away from your original question. why i go...

the beauty, the sound of the forest machine at night, the stars, the friendships, the challenge of a tough portage, campfires on a calm night, laying on a rock and watching satellites, discovering the little things we normally just trample over, trained ground squirrels, reds dropping pine cones on my tent...heck, everything.

Sorry Oki, I can't separate the two. Canoe-camping is a package deal for me.

Fishing first, solace a very close second, even though I do go up with a group of people.

quote missmolly: "I've never fished with anyone who likes, like I do, to rise at four and go straight to the canoe, not frittering time by brewing coffee and downing grub, both of which have their appeal, but aren't as appealing as a bass rising to the ghosty mist."

I am that person, and that is where I get my dose of solitude. With my group, I usually have 2-3 hours of pre-dawn and morning casting before anyone rises. And, as a bonus, by the time I am docked back at camp the coffee is hot and so is the fire.

That "ghostly mist" along with the "haunting loon call" are the two most used phrases in my vocabulary when describing my experiences in the bwca. Eerie, yet indescribably soothing to the soul.

quote GrandpaT: "Fishing first, solace a very close second, even though I do go up with a group of people.

quote missmolly: "I've never fished with anyone who likes, like I do, to rise at four and go straight to the canoe, not frittering time by brewing coffee and downing grub, both of which have their appeal, but aren't as appealing as a bass rising to the ghosty mist."

I am that person, and that is where I get my dose of solitude. With my group, I usually have 2-3 hours of pre-dawn and morning casting before anyone rises. And, as a bonus, by the time I am docked back at camp the coffee is hot and so is the fire.


That "ghostly mist" along with the "haunting loon call" are the two most used phrases in my vocabulary when describing my experiences in the bwca. Eerie, yet indescribably soothing to the soul."

I hear ya and I hate to admit it, but I hate to see the sun rise. It's the end of the gray hours. Do you like canoeing into the fog, knowing where you're going, but being unable to see the landmarks?

Having campmates stoking the fire and sizzling the bacon while you dance with fish sounds great. You've got it all.

Fishing daytime, campfires nightime, and adjusting to mother natures moods, both good and bad.

quote missmolly: "

quote walllee: "Fishing, solitude"

Heh-heh. Yours is the succinct version of my jibber-jabber!"

maybe, but that "jibber-jabber" was beautifully stated.

quote OneMatch: "

quote missmolly: "

quote walllee: "Fishing, solitude"

Heh-heh. Yours is the succinct version of my jibber-jabber!"

maybe, but that "jibber-jabber" was beautifully stated."

;-)

I really like the camping, really like the canoeing, and really like fishing, but I love the quiet. I get my perspective readjusted by the quiet. I also get time to communicate with my kids when their perspective is adjusted.

I guess it's about the campsite for us. Whether by fly-in, canoe-in, or hike-in, to find that remote spot devoid of those hellish homosapiens is the objective.

quote AndySG: "
Sorry Oki, I can't separate the two. Canoe-camping is a package deal for me."

same here ....

and even better with a compatible trip partner or occasionally partners to share it with.

I have to say so far I am surprised. I thought canoeing would be at the top of the list. I'm also surprised that fishing is mentioned so often. I guess growing up in Minnesota and never being more than 10 miles from a lake has spoiled me on fishing.

Quiet, solitude? I guess that's why I go camping and hate when someone parks next to me.

I'm liking the variety. Keep it going.

quote mooseplums: "

quote AndySG: "
Sorry Oki, I can't separate the two. Canoe-camping is a package deal for me."

same here ....


and even better with a compatible trip partner or occasionally partners to share it with. "

AMEN Brother....

I like the fresh air!!!!

Getting away from "civilization". This doesn't mean I go with no luxuries or even feel I am roughing it. But I like being away from the cement, motors, the noise etc...

quote missmolly: "
I hear ya and I hate to admit it, but I hate to see the sun rise. It's the end of the gray hours. Do you like canoeing into the fog, knowing where you're going, but being unable to see the landmarks?"

I love it when the fog covers all the shoreline and all you can see is the tree and mountain tops. But I also love that 1-2 minutes just before the sun peeks over the horizon when the rays of light burst out in a fan shape and wash away the doom of days past as they bring in the new beginning. Then I am an island in the fog sea looking for that joy that only a 24 inch smallie can put on your face!!

quote Mocha: "I like the fresh air!!!!"

...and the smell and silence of the woods ....especially in Autumn.

quote kanoes: "i have to break away from your original question. why i go...

the beauty, the sound of the forest machine at night, the stars, the friendships, the challenge of a tough portage, campfires on a calm night, laying on a rock and watching satellites, discovering the little things we normally just trample over, trained ground squirrels, reds dropping pine cones on my tent...heck, everything."

That's kind my answer as well.

I canoe to camp, I camp to fish. So fish is my answer.

Hot coffee earlyish in the morning, and then paddle the shoreline and see and feel the area. A decent campsite with shade when you need it and a windbreak when you need it and trees to tie the tarp to when you need it. Don't need fish at all.

Number one fishing, number two NO tv, phone,radios, I-pads or computers.

I like fishing the most, but if my choices are Canoeing or camping its camping.

I am the canoe'r. The trail's the thing. I hate to stop. The camp chores are tedious. I don't even mind the portages. They often bring a solitude and adventure of their own. I love coming to the end of a portage and seeing a waterway I have never visited before. River routes are special. I love the intimacy and the opportunity around every turn.

i love sitting under the tarp in a wind driven rain or snow. its primal.

Canoeing and camping are parts of being on a wilderness expedition. The only other part is portaging and that is my favorite part. When on a canoe trip you are either in your canoe, in your camp (stopping for lunch is a mini-campsite) or portaging. Fishing can be done from camp but I think most fishing is done from the canoe and never on the portage. Going back for a second load is the only time I can run on a canoe trip and I love running through the wilderness. But mostly I agree with Kanoes, "heck I love it all"!!
Jon

quote Primitiveman: "Canoeing and camping are parts of being on a wilderness expedition. The only other part is portaging and that is my favorite part. When on a canoe trip you are either in your canoe, in your camp (stopping for lunch is a mini-campsite) or portaging. Fishing can be done from camp but I think most fishing is done from the canoe and never on the portage. Going back for a second load is the only time I can run on a canoe trip and I love running through the wilderness. But mostly I agree with Kanoes, "heck I love it all"!!
Jon "

If you love to portage, you are my perfect canoeing partner!

quote kanoes: "i love sitting under the tarp in a wind driven rain or snow. its primal."

And I thought I was the only one who liked to do that.

My first thought when reading your original post was, "he forgot to mention the fishing. That was most likely the first thing to draw us there. It was necessary to canoe to get there. I have always enjoyed camping so I would pick that as I wasn't really fond of the paddling in my first years but now I am such a seasoned paddler that I just get in and start paddling like I've been doing it every day.

But I do smile a lot more when I've landed an 11 pound laker or have a stringer of walleyes to eat!

quote JackpineJim: "

quote kanoes: "i love sitting under the tarp in a wind driven rain or snow. its primal."

And I thought I was the only one who liked to do that."

tents should be only for sleeping, i have to be in the elements during daylight.

agreed.. a nice thunderstorm under a tarp is exceptional

quote h20: "agreed.. a nice thunderstorm under a tarp is exceptional"

and scary as hell sometimes.

i ski, backpack the bwca almost as much as i canoe it. camping is not a big thrill for me. it's like being at home without running water.

i guess i just like being in the woods. i like the prairie even more, anywhere i can find birds is good.

i do love the feel of a canoe. a really nice canoe is a joy to paddle. but perfectly waxed skis and the right snow is something that cannot be equaled.

Sometimes I camp and don't fish; sometimes I fish and don't camp. The BWCA experience combines the absolute best of two things I really enjoy. I do enjoy canoeing too but it is more of a means to an end.

I camp a lot in many different wild/natural areas and love it for spending time out in nature and the elements, but also for the simplicity and all the little tasks that occupy you to keep yourself comfortable, well-fed and caffeinated. These tasks occupy my mind and push out all the normal thoughts of everyday life that are either mundane or downright stressful. My spirit is almost always renewed to some extent upon return from time spent in nature.

My absolute favorite times are rising before the sun, making a hot and strong cup of coffee and taking photographs from camp, a canoe or a morning hike. Recording the beauty of the stillness of a beautiful BWCA morning over a glass smooth lake through the foggy mist will never get old for me and allows me to enjoy the experience over and over again.

I enjoy the beauty. That's the most simple explanation.

The beautiful feeling of gliding across a lake of glass on a still morning and the reflection of a sunrise framed by the treeline and accented by the gentle ripples of fish catching mayflies on the surface.

The beauty of a cracking campfire at dusk with a mug of hot cocoa in your hands and the sound of loons calling in the distance.

The beauty of a portage seldom traveled. The random sprinkles of wild mushrooms and flowers. Small beams of light through the dense cover of the forest landing on beds of reindeer moss. The smell of cedar in the air and the sound of the distant cascades of the creek that was once the sole guidance from one lake to the next.

That's the best way I can explain it.

Canoeing....I can't get to the solitude out there without it. Nothing like having a lake all to yourself...surrounded by nature. Canoeing brings pictographs/features/campsites accessible only by water up close & personal. I love camping, but in comparison...it's work.

quote AndySG: "Sorry Oki, I can't separate the two. Canoe-camping is a package deal for me."

Exactly!

It's the same for me also, because it's hard to separate the two.

Hans Solo

1. The camaraderie with my tripmates.

2. The sights, sounds and feel that you just can't experience many other places.

3. The fishing. (I don't consider myself to be a particularly skilled fisherman. The relative ease of success in the BWCA makes it enjoyable for me.)

I can’t separate the camping from canoeing either. I’ve camped in several remote spots in the Superior National Forest without a canoe. (Either car or hiking access) And I’ve canoed in many places without camping. As far as a place to go canoe-camping, it has many more options for travel and includes both flat water and some current. You don’t have just the linear travel as you would if going on a river. You also don’t have to compete with motor boat wakes, for the most part, as you would in places like the Chippewa and Turtle-Flambeau flowages.

The entire experience. I tend to remember more about the trips where something went wrong as opposed to the flawless trips.

... on second thought, I do not believe there has ever been a flawless trip.

Well, this is an interesting question. I primarily like the solitude and quiet of the wilderness. One must camp to enjoy that. I have recently started hiking regularly and I can get short stretches of the wilderness feeling in Illinois, but I know I am only a short ways from the hustle and bustle. I haven’t hiked into a deep wilderness since 1982 so canoeing is the means to that end for me most of the time these days.
Canoeing is very enjoyable in itself, but when it is the method of obtaining wilderness for a longer stretch, then that is what I like best about it. As for MM’s “rise at four and go straight to the canoe, not frittering time by brewing coffee and downing grub, both of which have their appeal, but aren't as appealing as a bass rising to the ghosty mist.” I gotta say that my first true epiphany occurred in a situation like that just over 35 years ago. At that moment I was hooked on the canoe camping experience.
Camping in canoe country has one huge advantage beside the solitude and quite of the wilderness…you are never short of fresh water. And that makes for very easy camping.

I go mostly of the camping. I am too am spoiled by many excellent fisheries near me. Yes, I love fishing in solitude in the bwca, but for me it's a chance to spend quality time with friends away from cellphones, computers, and all that. There is just something about enduring the elements with friends. Like kanoes I feel the tent is only for sleeping, if we are awake we are either in the canoe or lounging at camp. Some of my best memories are waiting out storms under a tarp.

The best part of a trip to the Q is being with my family and / or friends. The BS from back home seems to disappear and we seem to work together toward a common goal. That time together and an occasional hardship or challenge on the trip draws us closer. The best day of the trip is not always the most memorable or rewarding.

First up in the morning with my coffee over looking the lake.

Watching one of the boys land their next biggest fish.

quote kanoes: "i love sitting under the tarp in a wind driven rain or snow. its primal."

Not sure a silnylon tarp is primal but I get it.

I love pretty much everything about it. The paddling, the portaging, finding that perfect site, setting up (including, my silnylon tarp), finding wood, building a fire, getting skunked fishing, packing up and starting it all over again.

Throw in the beauty and peace and quiet and... dang it now I wanna go on a trip!

Have been thinking about this a lot. Almost posted a poem I wrote a long time ago entitled "The Silence", which is about why I return. But I have posted it several times here and it is lengthy. It would be redundant.

1971-2013. Not the total number of trips as many of you who live closer, but certainly a few years to ponder. And our tripping has changed a lot from when we were in our twenties. But, with three notable (and really fun!) exceptions, it has always been just the two of us: Spartan1 and Spartan2 on a canoe trip. Canoeing and camping.

And, for me, it evolved. From the romance and the adventure, to the sights and the photography, to surviving the pain and still enjoying the experience. I am not an expert canoeist. I just sit in the bow and paddle. I have always thought I would "someday" learn some strokes and help steer, but I seem to be pretty incompetent at thinking strokes in the bow. I just mess it up. So I paddle. I am not a lily-dipper, I pull my weight, but I just paddle.

Having said that, we took a tow once and I hated it. Somehow putting our canoe atop a motorboat and motoring across the Boundary Waters CANOE Area waters to go CANOEING just seemed wrong to me! I go there to paddle, not to ride in a motorboat. I sincerely doubt I will ever take another tow. So I guess, in spite of my lack of skill, it IS about the paddling. Being on the lake, dipping the paddle into the calm water. . .even fighting the wind and the waves. . .that's what makes it different from a camping trip. That's what, back in 1971, made it different from any other kind of camping trip my friends and family had ever heard of! That was why it was so special that I was willing to leave my two-year-old with Grandma and Grandpa and go off on a new adventure. And that feeling has never left.

On every single trip there has been a time when I have suddenly stopped paddling and said "shhhh!" We just allow the canoe to drift and I soak in the silence, the smell, the feel of the canoe country. I lean back on the SeaLine bag that is behind my seat and close my eyes and feel the slight motion of the canoe on the water. And I thank God that my fiance knew me better than I knew myself back when I was 22 years old and I said, "Why would I want to go on a wilderness canoe trip?" It took him four years to convince me to go. And it changed my life forever.

So I guess, when all is said and done, it is about the canoeing. Yes. The canoeing.

quote OBX2Kayak: "The entire experience. I tend to remember more about the trips where something went wrong as opposed to the flawless trips.

... on second thought, I do not believe there has ever been a flawless trip."

For me that is the absolute truth. That doesn't mean I want things to go wrong, just that the challenges one encounters are what makes a trip memorable. The freak storm, the hoards of bugs, the forgotten item in the pack...

I don't know exactly what it means for me. I do enjoy the "go with the flow" aspect of it. Theres no "poop out bus" to pick you up early. You just have to deal,with whatever happens.

I like not being reachable. I am on call 24/7 and it drives me crazy. Not being reachable is a big reason for going, and the reason I couldn't go this year.

Call this sacrilege if you wish, but my experience is usually the excitement of preparing, followed by a trip where when I look at my journals I complain about everything while on the trip, and when I get home I can't wait to go again. I think that I am at heart a lover of comfort. I miss my comfort out there, but get a feeling of acheivement that I don't get otherwise.

Peace and quiet and the fishing....if the area gets "too busy", I'll pack up and move....

The main attraction is getting away from modern civilization and pretending, for a few fleeting days, that I live in a simpler time.

I am an explorer at heart so I would have to say "exploration". In fact, if you get rid of the canoe aspect of the BWCA I would still love it! The canoe is just the tool that gets me there.

Of course fishing/hunting ranks a very close second!

Time spent around the campfire comes in third.

Primitive camping with solitude is probably #1, canoeing & exploring tied at #2 and fishing a very close fishing #3.
I it's hard for me to even consider it camping when a car is involved or if there is electricity, not that I don't enjoy them for what they are but camping to me is in a more remote wilderness setting and camp is place away from home when getting in a car and driving to my bed is not an option.

I never answered the question. It's canoeing. I started out bicycling (semis, dogs, asphalt) and then started backpacking (looking for water, getting lost, mud). Canoeing is just so much comfier. You can carry more, other than anklebiters, there are no bugs on the water, and you can glide to the way the world once was.

First went for the fishing, but the BWCAW "Bug" bit me the first trip. I go for the serenity, the loon music, the romance of exploring the waters the Voyageurs, Ojibwe and Lakota Sioux called "Home." So many reasons the place is special to me, but since my first trip there's been a constant "Pull" at me to return as often as I can.

I can hardly wait to go each trip for most of the reasons mentioned in the previous posts. I cry when we enter and when we leave - with gratitude.

Many years ago my husband and I finished a Lake One to Snowbank trip in September and spent the last night at Jackpine Lodge. A couple from California was staying there and we visited with them for quite a while. They had spent their honeymoon in the BW and had returned most years for a canoe trip. They were celebrating their 55th anniversary. I think about them every trip we take and hope we have many more years left in us!

When we started to visit the BW as newlyweds in the early 70's I just thought the idea of canoeing was so cool. We just didn't have any really pretty water in Ohio.

Since then, it has become much more about the camping experience overall. There is nothing like the incredible beauty and solitude. No other vacation even comes close when it comes to relaxation.

I'm 63 but have no intention of quitting.

besides the fresh air, it's the restorative energy i find in the woods when portaging and on the water when paddling.

the smell of autumn is the best. leaving the house this morning in the pitch dark, all i could smell was balsam, and decaying leaves, and dampness from the fog... it's the best!