He told me that’ll be around Carp Lake towards the end of August

Hello BonzSF!

I’m presently camped on Sucker lake, just south of Indian portage (Sucker to Birch). Going to take off from here late tonight & get to the Birch-Carp portage shortly before sunrise. From there, S.A Knife Lake by early afternoon. I’ll be at S.A. Knife for ~2 weeks & will then head for that site on Carp Lake, assuming it is open. Planning to exit right about the start of September (have some business to attend to in Chicagoland) before heading back in for hunting season. Barring equipment failure, I should be able to update here or via email to coordinate any wilderness meet-ups.

JohnGalt: "Hello BonzSF!


I’m presently camped on Sucker lake, just south of Indian portage (Sucker to Birch). Going to take off from here late tonight & get to the Birch-Carp portage shortly before sunrise. From there, S.A Knife Lake by early afternoon. I’ll be at S.A. Knife for ~2 weeks & will then head for that site on Carp Lake, assuming it is open. Planning to exit right about the start of September (have some business to attend to in Chicagoland) before heading back in for hunting season. Barring equipment failure, I should be able to update here or via email to coordinate any wilderness meet-ups."

John - give me a heads up when you're in town. I live near Six Flags if you'll be up this way.

Hey JG,
Sounds good, We're headed in on 8/22. Maybe meet up this time!

who?

stonewoodstream: "who?"

Who is John Galt?

A decent explainer.

The speech behind it all

I joined the great strike Nov ‘21 & I’ve not looked back.

The money speech

My signature quote comes from the money speech & I feel it is relevant in our time as fiat currencies globally are being destroyed before our eyes.

That all said, it’s a pleasure to meet you if we’ve not crossed paths before, stonewoodstream!

JohnGalt: "

stonewoodstream: "who?"

Who is John Galt?


A decent explainer.


The speech behind it all


I joined the great strike Nov ‘21 & I’ve not looked back.


The money speech


My signature quote comes from the money speech & I feel it is relevant in our time as fiat currencies globally are being destroyed before our eyes.


That all said, it’s a pleasure to meet you if we’ve not crossed paths before, stonewoodstream!"

Again: Who?

stonewoodstream: "Again: Who?"

Good old passive-aggressive behavior for no sensible reason, a hallmark of mature folks who’s company I enjoy. ‘Show me on this doll where the post touched you’…

Good day & good riddance, sir/ma’am.

JohnGalt: "

stonewoodstream: "Again: Who?"

Good old passive-aggressive behavior for no sensible reason, a hallmark of mature folks who’s company I enjoy. ‘Show me on this doll where the post touched you’…

Good day & good riddance, sir/ma’am."

Not passive agressive at all. Just looking for a straight, personal response rather than digital links to political preambles.

stonewoodstream: "Not passive agressive at all. Just looking for a straight, personal response rather than digital links to political preambles."

Sure, Jan, I believe you. /s

You asked, I answered. You knew before you asked, imho, & asked only to be provocative for no reason. If not, either way, good day.

Guessing John Galt is not your real name?

I asked my ranger co-workers to look out for a John Galt this summer because I wanted to meet you. I have spent my summer in the BW out of the Tofte and Gunflint Ranger Districts and was hoping to run into you, and now that you have coffee and WIFI, a bonus.

Either way, I will not be in your area next week, but there is always another time, hoping to meet you on our travels.

Cheers,

Linden

LindenTree: "Guessing John Galt is not your real name?

I asked my ranger co-workers to look out for a John Galt this summer because I wanted to meet you. I have spent my summer in the BW out of the Tofte and Gunflint Ranger Districts and was hoping to run into you, and now that you have coffee and WIFI, a bonus.

Either way, I will not be in your area next week, but there is always another time, hoping to meet you some time.

Cheers,

Linden
"

Hello Linden!

You are correct that JG is not my given name :). One of the rangers I met out here ‘guessed’ my name last year, I’d guess they looked at permits with a late takeout date to narrow the search. That said, it would be great to meet you! Hope you had a great summer up here & we’ll need to keep in touch to coordinate a wilderness meet up.

I’ve been about Knife/Birch/Vera area most of this summer. It is likely that I’ll be about Kawishiwi River/Lake 1-4/Gabbro/Rice/etc for Sept/Oct & end of Oct/Nov start I’ll shift to CCO campground for the winter. If you are around town (Ely/other) before the snow sets in I can meet you at a restaurant or something.

Cheers!

JohnGalt: "

stonewoodstream: "Not passive agressive at all. Just looking for a straight, personal response rather than digital links to political preambles."

Sure, Jan, I believe you. /s


You asked, I answered. You knew before you asked, imho, & asked only to be provocative for no reason. If not, either way, good day.

"

I do not know who "Jen" is or why she/he is a burr under your saddle, but that's beside the point. Still waiting for a personal response to my inquiry rather than digital links to political preambles...

In all fairness to OP, it did take Ayn Rand over 1,100 pages to tell us who John Galt was.

YaMarVa: "In all fairness to OP, it did take Ayn Rand over 1,100 pages to tell us who John Galt was. "

In all fairness: a fictional character Rand based on William Edward Hickman. Maybe not the best choice...

stonewoodstream: "

YaMarVa: "In all fairness to OP, it did take Ayn Rand over 1,100 pages to tell us who John Galt was. "

In all fairness: a fictional character Rand based on William Edward Hickman. Maybe not the best choice..."

That’s between you and OP.

stonewoodstream: I do not know who "Jen" is or why she/he is a burr under your saddle, but that's beside the point. Still waiting for a personal response to my inquiry rather than digital links to political preambles..."

It was ‘Jan’, & it is a meme spawned from The Brady Bunch…

‘Digital links’…would you have preferred analog links?

Take your waiting & for all I care shove it where the sun don’t shine. I don’t work for you nor care much for your silly wants. I tried to be nice & civil with you though you don’t want civility, you want discord & my New Year’s resolution is to not waste my time with folks that just want to argue for no good reason.

I said good day, now go on with your day & scroll past my name if you ever see it because after this interaction (& every other comment you’ve made on any thread I’ve recently been a part of) I want nothing to do with you & you clearly want nothing to do with me, so do everyone a favor & don’t say anything if you don’t have something nice to say.

stonewoodstream: "

YaMarVa: "In all fairness to OP, it did take Ayn Rand over 1,100 pages to tell us who John Galt was. "

In all fairness: a fictional character Rand based on William Edward Hickman. Maybe not the best choice..."

Thank you for proving my earlier hunch that you knew & asked for no reason other than to create an unnecessary argument. You are toxic, imho, & my life is better without you in it, so your comments will from now on be categorically ignored. Bye forever!

JohnGalt: "

stonewoodstream: "

YaMarVa: "In all fairness to OP, it did take Ayn Rand over 1,100 pages to tell us who John Galt was. "

In all fairness: a fictional character Rand based on William Edward Hickman. Maybe not the best choice..."

Thank you for proving my earlier hunch that you knew & asked for no reason other than to create an unnecessary argument. You are toxic, imho, & my life is better without you in it, so your comments will from now on be categorically ignored. Bye forever!"

Not toxic at all. Just stating a fact you choose to ignore.

You are toxic, imho, & my life is better without you in it, so your comments will from now on be categorically ignored. Bye forever!"

Imho

In my honest opinion.

I think I just heard the breeze blowing or something…much more annoying though.

"Again: Who?"

To: 'Stream, may I ask what makes you feel entitled to know the identity of a stranger on the internet? I was taught it was a no-no to share that kind of info when I was kid first visiting internet forums.

JohnGalt: "If you are around town (Ely/other) before the snow sets in I can meet you at a restaurant or something.


Cheers!
"

JG, I will try to find an excuse to come to Ely before the snow flies, I'm in Duluth.
This will likely be my last trip of the year, I will have spent 50ish nites in the BW when I'm done this year. I'm not as tough as you, and sure would have loved some of that coffee.

Good paddling,

Linden

OakyDoke: ""Again: Who?"


To: 'Stream, may I ask what makes you feel entitled to know the identity of a stranger on the internet? I was taught it was a no-no to share that kind of info when I was kid first visiting internet forums. "

I was not asking this person their real name, merely more than a digital link to a political preamble about their personal philosophy. The name "John Gaul" is a fictional charactor from a below average anti-government screed by Ayn Rand. The charactor "John Gaul" is based upon a real person named William Edward Hickman, someone whom Rand admired. I'll not go into detail, but not a good choice...

FYI - There are a lot of retired wildland firefighters here, whether local, state, or with the USF&WS, USFS, BLM, etc...

LindenTree: "JG, I will try to find an excuse to come to Ely before the snow flies, I'm in Duluth.
This will likely be my last trip of the year, I will have spent 50ish nites in the BW when I'm done this year. I'm not as tough as you, and sure would have loved some of that coffee.

Good paddling,

Linden"

50ish nights in a year is a far cry from lacking grit, that is a dang high score in my book! I don’t think I’ve met anyone out here this year or last which approached your score.

I’ll be traveling past Duluth early Sept & about Thanksgiving, perhaps I can meet you someplace around Duluth?

Edit: Email sent.

stonewoodstream: "

OakyDoke: ""Again: Who?"



To: 'Stream, may I ask what makes you feel entitled to know the identity of a stranger on the internet? I was taught it was a no-no to share that kind of info when I was kid first visiting internet forums. "

I was not asking this person their real name, merely more than a digital link to a political preamble about their personal philosophy. The name "John Gaul" is a fictional charactor from a below average anti-government screed by Ayn Rand. The charactor "John Gaul" is based upon a real person named William Edward Hickman, someone whom Rand admired. I'll not go into detail, but not a good choice...

FYI - There are a lot of retired wildland firefighters here, whether local, state, or with the USF&WS, USFS, BLM, etc..."

I love a good debate! I loathe that often folks are not inclined to delve into their proclivities around politics, economics, philosophy etc. It is something I miss in regular discourse, including online.

I’m also inclined to dislike Ayn Rand, though I have taken the time to read “The Fountainhead” and some of her non-fiction political philosophy. Though that’s also my formal education as well. Wrestling with things we disagree with is nice.

Being that we paddle in a very historic area and Native place (aren’t all places historical and presently developing?), I do have a certain indigestion from reading quotes from Rand like:

“Collectivism is the tribal premise of primordial savages who, unable to conceive of individual rights, believed that the tribe is a supreme, omnipotent ruler, that it owns the lives of its members and may sacrifice them whenever it pleases.”

That being said, I am sure we could cherry pick all kinds of things from various authors that are contradictory, nuanced, right, wrong, or downright outdated. Reading the paddler John Galt’s comments on “fiat currency” make me interested to discuss more. Ideally around a campfire with a drink of choice.

I have enjoyed reading the debate and questions on this particular thread. I have also enjoyed reading John’s perspective on his current 2023 travels.

Happy paddling and debating fellow wilderness folks!

To: 'Streams
I'm a stickler for clarification.

I am familiar with Atlas Shrugged. Not a big fan myself - but to each their own. Aside from expressing your disdain for the novel/sourcing, what remains is the only question you kept pressing, which was essentially, "Who are You?"

Given your repeated sardonic responses re: Mr Galt, it seems maybe you struggle with the idea of someone doing something in a different manner than you?

Are you upset he is doing something that you wish that you could do? Or is that is he is getting some attention because of it? Or, do you just really want to know if he is real?

"Still waiting for a personal response to my inquiry "

"FYI - There are a lot of retired wildland firefighters here, whether local, state, or with the USF&WS, USFS, BLM, etc..."
One more thing, what exactly do the brave men and women who fight fires have to do with you having a bone to pick with Mr. Galt?

P.S. please don't armadillo and pull the whole "Hey man, I was just joking, not being serious" nihilist thing, those tracks are pretty worn.

Much like 'Bluff84, I absolutely adore vigorous discussion.

doorbluff84: "Reading the paddler John Galt’s comments on “fiat currency” make me interested to discuss more. Ideally around a campfire with a drink of choice."

I would relish that opportunity if it comes about :)

OakyDoke: "Much like 'Bluff84, I absolutely adore vigorous discussion."

I too thoroughly enjoy the exchange of ideas, though it must originate from a place of mutual respect. Imho, the discussion was disingenuously spawned by feigning ignorance of the topic & baiting a response to snarl at with further disingenuous tactics. There is also a time & a place for everything. OP did not make this thread to hear my or the others discussion on this topic & it was, imho, disrespectful to hijack the thread solely to produce an off topic & unnecessarily argument. My $0.02 fiat.

Anyways, last few days here on Knife Lake before heading to Carp (I think Saturday will be travel day). Expecting some gnarly storms this afternoon - I should probably start preparing my camp for some hefty winds & hail. Cheers folks, likely offline till tomorrow. Have a great hump day!

I would imagine that the initial person who asked was well aware of the Ayn Rand character and was just looking to find more about the actual guy behind the name. From my perspective anyone using that moniker to appear interesting is immediately uninteresting :)

“There are two novels that can transform a bookish 14-year-kid’s life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish daydream that can lead to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood in which large chunks of the day are spent inventing ways to make real life more like a fantasy novel. The other is a book about orcs.”

If one was genuinely curious to know more a quick search of the forum for previous posts will provide plenty of information. I get the strong sense that some people are choosing to give him a hard time because of perceived political differences - See: afromaniac's cheap shot. All too common nowadays. If you find it uninteresting, why did you enter the thread?

Dude is trying to be polarizing.
Just hope you realize nine at a campsite!

Someday: "Dude is trying to be polarizing.
Just hope you realize nine at a campsite!"

Chosing the handle "John Galt" was easy. Thinking the person this fictional character was based upon would be overlooked, or worse yet not knowing the backstory himself, is polarizing.

JohnGalt: "

OakyDoke: "Much like 'Bluff84, I absolutely adore vigorous discussion."
My $0.02 fiat.
Anyways, last few days here on Knife Lake before heading to Carp (I think Saturday will be travel day). Expecting some gnarly storms this afternoon - I should probably start preparing my camp for some hefty winds & hail. Cheers folks, likely offline till tomorrow. Have a great hump day!"

That’s what I asked. I wanted to know the here and now. I didn’t realize you’d have an internet connection. I want to know where you’ve been, watta ya learn, where should I go. All that stuff.
Anyway JG, I’ll be passing through the Birtch / Carp portage in a week from Tuesday. C-ya there

Edit: Uhhh I mean a week from LAST Tuesday..... which would be NEXT Tuesday..
Oh crap! I better start packing I got to be on a plane in 4 days.
Yee-ha

This thread is a prime example of why bringing the internet into your wilderness refuge is a real bad idea.

I can’t imagine being in the BWCA with loons, forest, quiet, and nature all around me but being nearly oblivious to it. Instead pounding on a keyboard, overthinking how to respond to posts on a forum. Surfing the web for stuff to buy. I mean, the BWCA is the anti-internet. I would be puking in the woods.
Turn off the electronics and get back to the meaning of the wilderness. Those two do not complement each other.

Tom

Is the Rand reference meant to promote a discussion about Wilderness/public lands? It would be a clever way to highlight the fact that we may not have the BWCA under any system but modern American liberalism, which peaked during the time when LBJ signed the wilderness act. This era gave us the BWCA, Medicare, Medicaid, the Civil Rights act, public broadcasting, voting rights, and many public services. How does the idea of taking away private resorts and homes to provide collective social and environmental benefits fit in a laissez faire system?

Someday: "Just hope you realize nine at a campsite!"

For sure :). Scout troop had three boats & eight folks, so we just made the limit.

Pretty sure some folks stayed here last night as well. A few minutes before this thunderstorm hit I checked the shore to see if any folks were stuck on the water looking for a place & didn’t see any so I retreated to my tent as it started to rain. Not a minute before I expected the brunt of the storm to arrive I heard the distinctive sound of a paddle hitting a canoe & it jolted me out of my seat. I hustled to the shoreline to find a canoe just starting to cross the bay, though they were out of audible range so there was nothing I could do. I thought they might make it until I saw the second canoe just rounding the point behind the first… Storm furry hit so I hustled back to my tent & said a prayer for them to safely find the shore. A short while later, I hear some kids talking to my left in the brush & out pops two soaked youngsters & I’m guessing their dad. Unsure who was more surprised to see who haha. The dad did not sound like he wanted to get back on the water, I’m guessing they had a bit of an unnerving paddle back to shore. He basically said ‘I know it isn’t a campsite but we are camping there anyways’, referring to the region east of the site proper, towards the end of the island nearest Thunder Point. Tried to relieve his worry about that a bit by letting him know that so long as they had less than four boats & nine folks we were just sharing a campsite as far as I was concerned.

BonzSF: "That’s what I asked. I wanted to know the here and now. I didn’t realize you’d have an internet connection. I want to know where you’ve been, watta ya learn, where should I go. All that stuff.
Anyway JG, I’ll be passing through the Birtch / Carp portage in a week from Tuesday. C-ya there
Edit: Uhhh I mean a week from LAST Tuesday..... which would be NEXT Tuesday..
Oh crap! I better start packing I got to be on a plane in 4 days.
Yee-ha"

Looking forward to it! Will have coffee & cigars at the ready on Carp Lake :) (will update you if I’m unable to get the Carp site though I don’t think I’ve ever seen it occupied so I doubt it will be taken).

Safe travels!

tumblehome: "This thread is a prime example of why bringing the internet into your wilderness refuge is a real bad idea.
I can’t imagine being in the BWCA with loons, forest, quiet, and nature all around me but being nearly oblivious to it. Instead pounding on a keyboard, overthinking how to respond to posts on a forum. Surfing the web for stuff to buy. I mean, the BWCA is the anti-internet. I would be puking in the woods.
Turn off the electronics and get back to the meaning of the wilderness. Those two do not complement each other.
Tom"

I did not bring it to bother with petty squabbles, hence why I cut bait (or have tried to) once I knew I’d been deceived after my initial reply which I mistakenly thought was a genuine inquiry & not a trap. I added connectivity to my gear for the purpose of sharing pictures/videos with fam/friends/others (e.g. my twitter & YouTube channels + email/signal) as well as to prepare for winter (selecting/buying gear & researching) & to coordinate with like-minded folks. I’ve been in the woods for going on half of the past 18 months & will be at an empty campground on Moose Lake all winter - I enjoy the wilderness every minute of the day else I wouldn’t still be out here & sharing the experience with others amplifies my enjoyment of it (Alexander Supertramp realized the value in sharing the experience as well before his demise). I’ve found I prefer taking pictures & videos to fishing, starlink enables me to share the content I generate with the world instead of it just gathering virtual dust on my storage media. E.g. I have over >2Tb of photos/videos from last year doing nothing for anyone while since I’ve had connectivity I’ve shared content almost every day.

Anyways, I comprehend & do not discount your overarching premise.
Cheers!

I enjoy reading your content and keeping track of your travels. Keep it going.

Just an observation but, seeing a distinguished member with 2765 posts telling another distinguished member with 290 posts to "hey, be careful what you wish for..." damn near made me poop my pants.

tumblehome: "This thread is a prime example of why bringing the internet into your wilderness refuge is a real bad idea."

Happy Friday. -- More cow bell!

I feel like I should join this melee.

Here's my contribution: "Hey, you!"

I have to admit, when I saw the John Galt moniker I rolled my eyes and thought ughh. It's understandable people will make fun of it.

I'm also not a fan of people staying for more than a couple of weeks at a time on a permit, 3 max. The permit system is not set up for people to use the resources for a long period of time. If you have to bring in extra communications devices to be able to stay longer, you should probably not be staying that long anyway. The whole point of getting out there is to remove myself from the routine and stresses of daily life. Just me maybe, but not a fan.

John(jacobjingleheimerscmidt)Galt that's my name too.

missmolly: "I feel like I should join this melee.
Here's my contribution: "Hey, you!""

You are too funny :). Hi!

For those of you looking to quench your thirst. Enjoy!

JohnGalt: "

missmolly: "I feel like I should join this melee.
Here's my contribution: "Hey, you!""

You are too funny :). Hi!"

Hi, John! I guess I didn't come across as too ornery, huh?

Freeleo1: "I have to admit, when I saw the John Galt moniker I rolled my eyes and thought ughh. It's understandable people will make fun of it.


I'm also not a fan of people staying for more than a couple of weeks at a time on a permit, 3 max. The permit system is not set up for people to use the resources for a long period of time. If you have to bring in extra communications devices to be able to stay longer, you should probably not be staying that long anyway. The whole point of getting out there is to remove myself from the routine and stresses of daily life. Just me maybe, but not a fan. "

With respect, I don't think there are enough people staying out for long periods enough to really matter. When you consider the amount of visitors the BWCA receives each year, my guess would be the percentage of people making it a home for the paddle months is 0.001 percent.

I'm not informed enough to know if this is true or not, but he ends up in Ely quite often for supplies. That would I assume means he needs to purchase another entry permit, and if so would negate your dislike of staying too long.

I've defended JG from spring of last year. He was getting a bit ridiculed in his early posts. Some thought he was blowing smoke, some thought he would fail. I've always thought that if that is what you want to do, then give it a go. And he has excelled.

It's interesting how this thread has morphed. I originally figured it would be interesting to see where John traveled. Who had accidental encounters and where they saw him.
It has started to cover a wide range of topics and ideas.
The latest about taking residency has been interesting. There have been a history of people spending extended periods of time there for thousands of years. Some were born there or had ancestors raised there. Some, like me, didn't get there until they were 60 years old. With no other connection to the area at all, other than I read about once in a book when I was in my 20's. Regardless we all recognize what a special place it is, and appreciate it in our own way.
I don't know who John Galt was. I never read the book. One quote or philosophy cannot define each unique individual. And I certainly think politics is the most divisive force in our country. But his present incarnation, John seems to be a good soul and I look forward to meeting him.
As you say okinaqw55, the number of visitor nights he has compared to the annual number is ridiculous to even consider. if it gets more common it could be a problem, But I don't see it happening. And if someone needs a place to stop, it sounds like he would welcome them ashore.
Having an Starlink? Meh. If that what he wants to do it, go ahead. I'm sure he knows how to use the on/off button. I haven't tuned into his utube yet. But he can reach a younger audience and show them that this place exists. It's an incredible place to come experience. AND it's a valuable asset to our country that needs to be passed on and protected. I think that's a good thing. Especially when the message board starts talking about reading glasses (multiple pairs?) and should I bring my hearing aids. The present audience is aging.
For others out there, it can be pretty handy to know there's an internet connection close by if you have an emergency message from home. I can see someone coming into his camp, at midnight, and wanted an immediate communication home. I'd expect he would jump right out of his tent and use his own equipment/battery power to hook them up.
Hence where are you John Galt?
Life is an adventure and John's having one.

Well said BonzSF! I don't see it as JG taking advantage of the BWCA but instead promoting it.

John, I have a question for you regarding your gear. The longest trip I ever took was three months. At the end of those three months, my gear showed considerable wear. How's your gear holding up?

If he is coming out and going back in on a new permit, I'm ok with that. It is like a new entry. If he is staying in and having people bring in supplies from outside I feel like that is the same as leaving and coming back in without a permit. No hate intended, just an opinion, which we all seem to have.

As for the JG reference my opinion is that this country was built by the artisans, masons, machinists, service workers, the AC repairmen, and many others. The Ayn Rand view was that the elitists that capitalized on a pyramid of workers were the entitled to their riches and needed to be exalted. Not hate, just an opinion. I didn't mean to stop people from enjoying the virtual trip that JG is having. Mea Culpa.

missmolly: "John, I have a question for you regarding your gear. The longest trip I ever took was three months. At the end of those three months, my gear showed considerable wear. How's your gear holding up?"

Surprisingly well :)

The frost river packs show little to no wear, though they could use some tlc to rewax the canvas (pack that is kept in tent still has some waterproofing though pack kept outside, while still dry inside, is looking thirsty for wax). I kind of misused my tripod bag last yr by attaching my rod tubes to it & I needed to stitch a couple of seams, my fault. My TravelChair poked a hole through the rod pocket & was replaced w a helinox zero, which had a busted tube pocket in less than a week then blew into the fire… replaced it with a sunset chair & Im in love w it. Keens shoes/sandals are/were poorly constructed/designed & started to wear out last yr, I replaced those recently w some Rocky’s which have a Goodyear welted seam so they should last for a long while. Tarps, tent, sleeping gear, clothes has all held up pretty well. One zipper on the Lean+ started acting up, so I just use the other side now & will replace the other zipper sometime. Went through a few ball caps, lost one earlier this month on Birch during a gnarly storm that I was caught in. A small hole or few in wool shirts/socks from snagging brush, though repairable. Orvis & Filson pants have been champs. Sleeping pad may have compressed a bit at spots where most of my weight rests, though it’s nbd. About 20 minutes or so ago I accidentally blew some hot ash out of my pipe & burned a few holes in my flannel shirt, whoops! I’ve been blessed with pretty good fortune, though I am also pretty meticulous when it comes to packing/handling gear & Im sure that helps.

Northwoodsman: "I enjoy reading your content and keeping track of your travels. Keep it going."

Thank you, Northwoodsman, it is for folks like you that I enjoy sharing content. This picture is for you, you own the rights to it now & can do with it as you please. I’ll email you a copy & get the raw file to you once I get something set up to share larger files (email has 25mb limit).

JohnGalt: "

Northwoodsman: "I enjoy reading your content and keeping track of your travels. Keep it going."

Thank you, Northwoodsman, it is for folks like you that I enjoy sharing content. This picture is for you, you own the rights to it now & can do with it as you please. I’ll email you a copy & get the raw file to you once I get something set up to share larger files (email has 25mb limit).


"

Wow, that picture is money. Nice work!

okinaw55: "With respect, I don't think there are enough people staying out for long periods enough to really matter. When you consider the amount of visitors the BWCA receives each year, my guess would be the percentage of people making it a home for the paddle months is 0.001 percent.

I'm not informed enough to know if this is true or not, but he ends up in Ely quite often for supplies. That would I assume means he needs to purchase another entry permit, and if so would negate your dislike of staying too long."

My thoughts exactly, I just wasn’t going to say it.

I’d be curious to know the stats from FS data. One of the folks at CCO let me know last yr that I’d stayed longer than anyone in their company’s history…& they are not a new company. Various outfitters let me know of two guys who used to trip for extended periods, one would tow four canoes of gear/food/books behind his own & stayed exclusively on Basswood - the FS granted him a special permit for the extra boat, that indicates to me that they did not see one person staying for extended periods as an issue. I met one couple last yr that was in for a month, they had both quit their jobs to make it possible. I met one guy this yr on a three week solo, he asked how long I was staying at my camp on Birch bc his extended family was joining & he + his dad were trying to lock down all of the sites in the lake extension nearest the Carp portage.

From recollection, the longest I’ve been on one permit is ~eight weeks. I started my current permit Aug 5 & will be out the first week of Sep to convert some bullion into fiat to purchase winter gear & cover bills. Shared my last site 2-3 times during the week & a half I was there + offered to share it with anyone who was looking for a spot. Now that I’ve added starlink, my rations are limited to ~four weeks (takes the space which used to be consumed by an army duffle holding ~six weeks of food).

If permit limit was three weeks, it would cost me what, another $50-100 over the course of the season? That is peanuts considering that I’ve probably spent near $50k so far on gear, services, consumables, & an off-season rental in SC last winter. Winter gear + next year of expenses will probably be nearing another $50k. Would having to buy an additional permit every three weeks instead of four-eight really matter to me? Not really.

BonzSF: "For others out there, it can be pretty handy to know there's an internet connection close by if you have an emergency message from home. I can see someone coming into his camp, at midnight, and wanted an immediate communication home. I'd expect he would jump right out of his tent and use his own equipment/battery power to hook them up."

Was able to assist some folks on Sucker who had an injured party member arrange a tow & they were picked up in under an hour. While not an emergency, a small business owner camped adjacent to me on Knife was glad to have access as he was stressed about continuity of operations over the weekend & had forgotten to place a materials order before he left + set up a vacation voicemail. I mentioned to him that it was a blessing & a curse bc it connected him to work - he assured me it was all blessing bc he had been stressing over it the previous days. One of my favorite aspects of this place is that I have not had a single negative interaction with anyone with whom I’ve crossed paths, when I was living in Chicago I couldn’t go ten feet from the building’s front door without a negative interaction. It’s pure bliss up here & the people reflect that.

All in all, it’s just about having fun & sharing the enjoyment with as many folks as I can while I can. In a year or two I’ll buy some land & build a log cabin to homestead - once I get crops & animals, it will be far more difficult to get away & visit up here, so I have to get in as much as I can while I can :).

Looking forward to meeting you in person soon! Set up the cafe tarp & I was glad that I did (I usually don’t), as a bit of rain not in the forecast showed up today not too long after I got it set up. The universe/fate knows what’s up lol.

Freeleo1: "As for the JG reference my opinion is that this country was built by the artisans, masons, machinists, service workers, the AC repairmen, and many others. The Ayn Rand view was that the elitists that capitalized on a pyramid of workers were the entitled to their riches and needed to be exalted."

Imho, the philosophy is that of individual liberty & personal responsibility in contrast to collectivism. The reason this name was selected is because I have ‘gone Galt’ & removed my productivity from the equation. It causes no harm to anyone other than those who wished to steal the fruits of my labor or those who wished to have the fruits of my labor stolen & redistributed to them against my consent.

It is not an anti-government philosophy, ~11th minute of the ‘money speech’ mentions how a proper vs perverted government functions. At the end of the day, it is the question of who has claim to an individual’s productivity & earnings, the individual or the state/society. At present in the US, the state lays claim to the fruit of every individual’s labor & dictates to them how much of that fruit the individual is allowed to retain. To me, this is not far removed from being a slave or a domesticated animal. I chose instead to live my life on my terms on the frontiers of society & deal with other individuals who also cherish trading value for value & respecting the right of an individual to keep the bread they create by the sweat of their brow. Collectivists can do their thing, I’ll do mine. My choice & lifestyle does not preclude them from their actions amongst each other, it merely denies them the ability to take from me to give to others against my will. My $0.02 fiat.

Cool. It looks like our 10 days are going to have some “unsettled” weather and rain on our first morning. I told my trip mates that I have a lunch seating under a tarp reserved. And it comes with fresh hot coffee ??
Thanks

Lawnchair107: "Wow, that picture is money. Nice work!"

Thank you, Lawnchair107. :)

You can have this one. (I can email it to you & get the raw file to you in the future as it is >25mb email limit).

BonzSF: "Cool. It looks like our 10 days are going to have some “unsettled” weather and rain on our first morning. I told my trip mates that I have a lunch seating under a tarp reserved. And it comes with fresh hot coffee ??
Thanks "

Enough seating, fresh coffee, & cigars for a small platoon haha :)

Looks like it is going to be warm on Wednesday, hopefully you have light travel planned for that day. Guessing your travel starts soon, safe travels!

Again especially if we are going to be politicizing, why not a private forum?

Someday: "Again especially if we are going to be politicizing, why not a private forum?"

Hey there, Someday, blame stonewoodstream & team for laying the track. Gotta call for the stifling of speech though, dontcha? Funny that you didn’t pipe up about silencing me until I make my first comment explaining my interpretation of the philosophy after days of being scorned by those you agree with. I guess only collectivists are allowed to speak their minds without you calling for their mouths to be sewn shut. I’m not shocked.

JohnGalt: "

Someday: "Again especially if we are going to be politicizing, why not a private forum?"

Hey there, Someday, blame stonewoodstream & tea for laying the track. Gotta call for the stifling of speech though, dontcha? Funny that you didn’t pipe up about silencing me until I make my first comment explaining my interpretation of the philosophy after days of being scorned by those you agree with. I guess only collectivists are allowed to speak their minds without you calling for their mouths to be sewn shut. I’m not shocked."

Just looking for a kind way for you to do what you want. Why is that stifling?

Actually I agree with you. :) I think we are slaves too, I just blame the corporations for not being more equitable in distributing wealth to their workers. Power to the people!
I 'm sorry I said people could make fun of what you chose as a name, it's identity shaming and not right. I still don't agree with the philosophy though or name calling like collectivist another term for socialist I believe. I think we all need to contribute something to society unless we want to live in a hole in the ground and walk everywhere but to each his own.

‘Frontiers of society’ is an interesting term. Aren’t you camping on publicly funded land, with publicly funded rangers, using publicly funded canoes to make sure permits are being dutifully followed? We have seen how some people treat campsites/waters so I don’t think the value of Rangers can be questioned.

How many times did the Cuyahoga River catch fire? I sure wish all that stuff wasn’t allowed to be dumped in a natural resource like that in the first place...

And the businesses in Ely use publicly funded sewer systems, with publicly funded trash removal, they have publicly funded law enforcement so they have someone to call when someone steals. A publicly funded fire department is there, so if tragedy happens they have someone to call. It would be a bit much for each business to have their own fire fighting equipment.

So, while everyone else is chipping in to the kitty, when someone says they are not willing/wanting to - while still reaping the benefits, it rubs a lot of folks the wrong way. That is the rabbit hole you find with ‘absolute isolationist’ ideals. As much as we sometimes want to think it, it is not all about ‘me’.

One could call for everything to be privatized… but then tell me what kind of water, sewage, law enforcement etc. that low-income/rural communities would have available to them?

JohnGalt: "

Northwoodsman: "I enjoy reading your content and keeping track of your travels. Keep it going."

Thank you, Northwoodsman, it is for folks like you that I enjoy sharing content. This picture is for you, you own the rights to it now & can do with it as you please. I’ll email you a copy & get the raw file to you once I get something set up to share larger files (email has 25mb limit).


"

Thank you John. I received your email. That is amazing! I had to give up paddling in 2020 because of health issues. Otherwise I would have enjoyed meeting up with you and chatting around the fire.

JohnGalt: "

Someday: "Again especially if we are going to be politicizing, why not a private forum?"

Hey there, Someday, blame stonewoodstream & team for laying the track. Gotta call for the stifling of speech though, dontcha? Funny that you didn’t pipe up about silencing me until I make my first comment explaining my interpretation of the philosophy after days of being scorned by those you agree with. I guess only collectivists are allowed to speak their minds without you calling for their mouths to be sewn shut. I’m not shocked."

You don’t know me. Start a private forum.

This forum is open to the public.

OakyDoke: "‘Frontiers of society’ is an interesting term. Aren’t you camping on publicly funded land, with publicly funded rangers, using publicly funded canoes to make sure permits are being dutifully followed? We have seen how some people treat campsites/waters so I don’t think the value of Rangers can be questioned.


How many times did the Cuyahoga River catch fire? I sure wish all that stuff wasn’t allowed to be dumped in a natural resource like that in the first place...


And the businesses in Ely use publicly funded sewer systems, with publicly funded trash removal, they have publicly funded law enforcement so they have someone to call when someone steals. A publicly funded fire department is there, so if tragedy happens they have someone to call. It would be a bit much for each business to have their own fire fighting equipment.


So, while everyone else is chipping in to the kitty, when someone says they are not willing/wanting to - while still reaping the benefits, it rubs a lot of folks the wrong way. That is the rabbit hole you find with ‘absolute isolationist’ ideals. As much as we sometimes want to think it, it is not all about ‘me’.


One could call for everything to be privatized… but then tell me what kind of water, sewage, law enforcement etc. that low-income/rural communities would have available to them?"

My thoughts exactly, thank you.

I have gone through this whole thread. I have owned businesses, both small and larger for 40 years. The vast majority of the small business owners I know hold a common opinion that the work of their profits is taken to support government entities and programs that are not needed, wanted, or benefit most people.

If you really want to see where big goverment has landed us, look at the collapse of the work force post COVID when small business could not find workers because the government was paying them to stay home. . .with the money generated by the small business.

I would love so sit down with John Galt! If I could come up with a way to be "off grid" I would be right there with John!

OakyDoke: "‘Frontiers of society’ is an interesting term. Aren’t you camping on publicly funded land, with publicly funded rangers, using publicly funded canoes to make sure permits are being dutifully followed? We have seen how some people treat campsites/waters so I don’t think the value of Rangers can be questioned.

How many times did the Cuyahoga River catch fire? I sure wish all that stuff wasn’t allowed to be dumped in a natural resource like that in the first place...

And the businesses in Ely use publicly funded sewer systems, with publicly funded trash removal, they have publicly funded law enforcement so they have someone to call when someone steals. A publicly funded fire department is there, so if tragedy happens they have someone to call. It would be a bit much for each business to have their own fire fighting equipment.

So, while everyone else is chipping in to the kitty, when someone says they are not willing/wanting to - while still reaping the benefits, it rubs a lot of folks the wrong way. That is the rabbit hole you find with ‘absolute isolationist’ ideals. As much as we sometimes want to think it, it is not all about ‘me’.

One could call for everything to be privatized… but then tell me what kind of water, sewage, law enforcement etc. that low-income/rural communities would have available to them?"

If I were to provide my complete cogent rebuttal I chance once more being accused by the peanut gallery of politicking & threatened with calls for my being placed into solitary confinement. Rather than continuing to entertain this ‘discussion’ where I am confronted by multiple assailants & forced to keep my intellectual hands behind my back under threat of censure, I will instead follow Tumblehome’s wise forewarning & go retch in the woods.

Imho, this ‘cancel culture’ is an intellectual cancer & of it, our society has a terminal prognosis. It is the reason why vigorous discussion occurs less frequently; to speak one’s mind is to risk one’s life & liberty. It is a grotesque intolerance of ideological diversity. “[When you see] honesty becoming a self sacrifice, you may know that your society is doomed.”

PS
‘The frontier of your crumbling society’ is a metaphor, not literal. As far as I’m aware, the only remaining frontier is outer space & I can’t drive/canoe to + camp on the moon, though if Elon Musk sends folks to Mars you can bet I’d go if provided the opportunity. In my past life, I was employed by one of the largest companies in the world, consulting for other largest companies in the world on some of the largest IT/Supply Chain projects in history & I was traveling by airplane twice/week to various cities across the US while residing downtown in a suburb of one of the largest cities in history. Now, I live in a tent in the woods & travel by canoe several times per month to various lakes in the wilderness. As far as I’m concerned, that is about as frontier as it gets here on earth, or at least in the US, sans perhaps Alaska, which is a future consideration.

PPS
Did some of you honestly think that random squabbling on an unrelated forum post would change the mind of an individual who holds such strong convictions to their ideals that they dispensed with their former life & six-figure salary to live in a tent in the woods? It was clearly a futile exercise & doomed to fail before the start. To boot, the attempt was initiated in a dishonest & surreptitious manner, followed by attempts to shame me into compliance - the whole ordeal is laughable in how poorly it was executed. If anything, this thread has made me more contented with my philosophy & life choices. To those who have a differing view & are unable to tolerate my own, as the OG John Galt said “Do not try to find [me]; do not try to bargain for [my] return; get out of [my] way.”.

Northwoodsman: "Thank you John. I received your email. That is amazing! I had to give up paddling in 2020 because of health issues. Otherwise I would have enjoyed meeting up with you and chatting around the fire."

We can always meet up someplace in ‘society’ if we find ourselves in the same zip code :). Hope you have a great rest of your day!

ockycamper: "I would love so sit down with John Galt! If I could come up with a way to be "off grid" I would be right there with John!"

I would relish the opportunity to meet & converse with you as well, ockycamper :). Lmk when + where & I’ll be there.

missmolly: "Hi, John! I guess I didn't come across as too ornery, huh? "

Since you are always akin to a ray of sunshine, this one is for you. (Can trade it out for a different one if you would like, e.g. astro or a hare or something :) ).

I have not seen any attempt to cancel you or to censor you in any way. I, and others, have only asked how one can subscribe to Rand's philosophy to such an extent and still feel fine about residing on public land. I, and others, see a major contradiction between the collective spirit of America's system of public lands and Rand's philosophy.

KarlK: "I have not seen any attempt to cancel you or to censor you in any way. I, and others, have only asked how one can subscribe to Rand's philosophy to such an extent and still feel fine about residing on public land. I, and others, see a major contradiction between the collective spirit of America's system of public lands and Rand's philosophy. "

Lmao I guess you haven’t read some of the comments. Also, on another thread I’m fairly certain you, in essence, told me to leave & create my own website.

Either way, you do you & I’ll do me. Peace out, Karl.

Freeleo1: "Actually I agree with you. :) I think we are slaves too, I just blame the corporations for not being more equitable in distributing wealth to their workers. Power to the people!
I 'm sorry I said people could make fun of what you chose as a name, it's identity shaming and not right. I still don't agree with the philosophy though or name calling like collectivist another term for socialist I believe. I think we all need to contribute something to society unless we want to live in a hole in the ground and walk everywhere but to each his own. "

People all blame corporations. All small business I know are formed as corpartions, either S Corps or LLC's operating as S Corps. 90% of the businesses in the US are small corporations. 98% of those have fewer then 100 employees. 89$ have fewer then 20 employees. Yet small business makes up 47% of all jobs in the US.

When you blame corporations you are pointing at your neighbors living next to you, not the ultra large companies.

KarlK: "I have not seen any attempt to cancel you or to censor you in any way. I, and others, have only asked how one can subscribe to Rand's philosophy to such an extent and still feel fine about residing on public land. I, and others, see a major contradiction between the collective spirit of America's system of public lands and Rand's philosophy. "

If we go with the idea that only those that "kick in" to the system (taxes) have a right to public lands. . . .that leaves out 47% of the population who pay no income taxes.

I would love to meet you! Our three teams of men are coming up to the Red Rock lake area second week of September if you are around.

One thing that the BWCA experience has taught me is how to refine ways to live "off grid". I have switched all electronic gear (lights, flashlights, radios, etc) over to solar powered and solar rechargable. I use a Kelly Kettle when I can (can't yet handle a group of 7 men with one of those). Our guys have gone to ultra light hammocks, gravity filter systems, and lightweight packs and chairs (Helinox).

And one of the regular practices our groups do every year for the 15+ years we have been going to BWCA is a debrief. How can we get lighter/better? How can we eliminate items? And we continually work un redundancy. Multiple ways to do things in case the other ways won't/don't work

With so many threads getting deleted by this kind of content, I have to ask. Why hasn’t this thread been deleted?

Someday: "With so many threads getting deleted by this kind of content, I have to ask. Why hasn’t this thread been deleted?"

Doesn’t matter to me either way, though it is quite funny that someone can slide the topic for no reason into political philosophy, then the observer cries out that the one who did not slide the topic is politicking, then the call for why the thread wasn’t deleted over the content it contained.

Following that script, any thread someone did not want to see could get seeded with a political comment just to see it deleted. Hilarious. Someday, this will be the last comment of yours I ever reply to. If I slip up on accident in the future, please remind me so that I might reprimand myself. Goodbye forever.

ockycamper: "I would love to meet you! Our three teams of men are coming up to the Red Rock lake area second week of September if you are around.

One thing that the BWCA experience has taught me is how to refine ways to live "off grid". I have switched all electronic gear (lights, flashlights, radios, etc) over to solar powered and solar rechargable. I use a Kelly Kettle when I can (can't yet handle a group of 7 men with one of those). Our guys have gone to ultra light hammocks, gravity filter systems, and lightweight packs and chairs (Helinox).

And one of the regular practices our groups do every year for the 15+ years we have been going to BWCA is a debrief. How can we get lighter/better? How can we eliminate items? And we continually work un redundancy. Multiple ways to do things in case the other ways won't/don't work"

You all sound like a well oiled machine. My ‘two is one & one is none’ approach has led to a lot of gear which I’ve been paring back on.

Second week of Sept I’ll likely be returning from Chicagoland & prepping to head in for grouse/duck/other hunting. If timing works out, perhaps I can meet you lot in town before or after you enter the bush. Red Rock Lake is up by Gunflint Trail - I haven’t been that way in some years & wouldn’t mind the detour on my way back to Ely. Will keep in touch over next few weeks to see if we can swing it. If not, we’ll get it next time. Have yourself a fine evening, I’m out of juice for today.

JohnGalt: "

missmolly: "Hi, John! I guess I didn't come across as too ornery, huh? "

Since you are always akin to a ray of sunshine, this one is for you. (Can trade it out for a different one if you would like, e.g. astro or a hare or something :) ).
"

Beautiful!

ockycamper: "

KarlK: "I have not seen any attempt to cancel you or to censor you in any way. I, and others, have only asked how one can subscribe to Rand's philosophy to such an extent and still feel fine about residing on public land. I, and others, see a major contradiction between the collective spirit of America's system of public lands and Rand's philosophy. "

If we go with the idea that only those that "kick in" to the system (taxes) have a right to public lands. . . .that leaves out 47% of the population who pay no income taxes. "

I have not seen any suggestion that only taxpayers have a right to public lands, certainly not from myself. What I am pointing out is that if our policy were guided even in part by Rand's philosophy, the BWCA would never have been established. Rand's childish, black-and-white view that selfishness is virtue, capitalism is the only viable economic system, and altruism is a vice would leave no room for people of average means to enjoy long visits to untrammeled landscapes. The BWCA and many other places would be owned and degraded by those who, like Rand, enjoyed unique advantages and were fortunate enough to make a lot of money. Rand's denial of even the possibility of spiritual reality leaves little reason to step away from work for a quiet reprieve.