Some Friday fun:

Do you have any BWCA traditions that, for all intents and purposes, have no significant purpose that you do for the hell of it? Say something to your fish as you release it? Something you do first thing in the morning? Something weird you eat on night one? Etc.

For example, when i am fishing and getting skunked in the location i am in, i'll plan on going somewhere else - to the next bay over, say. But before i go, i'll exclaim "two more casts, then we'll go to the other bay," and more often than not, I'll catch something on the "last casts".

Here's one from the Boy Scouts (I've been a Leader since 1987). Maybe somebody else in Scouting knows all the reasons behind this tradition, but it goes like this: The first thing Scouters do with a new camp coffee pot, is throw out the precolater parts. Then, you can store coffee and other stuff in the pot. After you boil the coffee, you need to make the grounds sink to the bottom of the pot... you do this by facing first north, then east, then south, then west and swinging the pot around and around in a vertical circle 5 times by the bail in each direction. 15 years ago I remembered the whole story behind this, now I just do it to keep from eating the "brown chewy stuff".

With only three BW trips under my belt I have not had much of a chance to get many traditions started.

I guess one of the things I like to do on every trip is a lot of note taking about portages, campsites ect. I find it nice to have good notes for future trips to the area and to be able to share with others who are looking for info.

On the group solo trip I took in Sept. Beemer introduced me to a tradition I think that I will continue on future trips, a fine cigar enjoyed around the campfire. It is a great way to wind down at the end of the day while sharing the campfire with others talking about the adventures had that day, and the ones planned for tomorrow.

Good.... I've corrupted another!!!!

Remember Beavers, It's impossible to smoke a good cigar poorly, however it's also impossible to smoke a bad cigar well!

Happy to have made your acquaintance... and pleased to have been able to share my cigars with you in Insula.

What kind of cigars do you smoke? I like Punch.

There is nothing like a good cigar around the fire. Fuentes, Padrons, ISOMs ;)

I would say my main tradition is steak the first night.

Steak and Potatoes the first night is a huge tradition for my groups. I've never eaten a better steak than a no-name cooked over a B-Dubs fire.

Our family has read "3 men in a boat" by Jerome K. Jerome. for the last 40 years on our canoe trips. It is very funny,very British, and we trade off reading chapters, this gives everyone a sense of being a part of the group. Forms a group bond. This tradition was started by my Grandfather back in the 6o's

All cigars mentioned are excellent - I've carried a wide range of cigars in... Beavers and Rookie enjoyed La Escepcion and Consuegra (the connies with 15 months of humidor storage)

Just avoid gas station berry flavored cigars!

I've seen the Masterpiece Theater version of 3 Men in a boat on PBS around 1980... it's what got me going canoeing as an adult (I'd gone a few times as a kid). I should look into the book.

I don't know why I didn't think of this as a tradition, but we always have steak and baked potato the first night out. In my experience the 4 for $8 ones from Aldi and the $10 apiece ones from Omaha Steaks both serve our purpose very well.

We always leave a fishing lure hanging in an obvious place before leaving a campsite in the hopes that our generosity will bring more bites.

I have also begun giving away the lure that caught the most fish to someone on the way in while were on the way out. Not really a tradition, but most people are pretty happy to get a free fishing lure.

Other than that, we always have a chunk of meat the first night out, followed by drinking almost all the liquor that was supposed to last the whole trip. ;-)

Kevin

My Traditions

I always bring friends and family along in spirit and leave their name in a tree (not a physical piece of paper-just spoken into the tree) at a portage, campsite or lake I know they would enjoy. I then let them know where their name is in hopes they will retrieve the name on a future visit.

I used to start and end each trip at my father-in-laws house in Embarrass. The evening before would be a couple of games of cribbage and a couple of shots of Jamieson with toasts to a safe trip and return. On the way back home I would stop and review the trip and toast again with Jamieson thanking the spirits for my safe return. Unfortunately my father-in-law passed away this past February and I have to have a shot of something on my own-but if I go out of an Ely EP I still stop at the old house.

I bring a favorite author and read a couple of favorite quotes or passages in front of the fire or in my tent. Usually Sig Olson, Calvin Rutsrum, Emerson or Thoreau are along.