Back From Northern Tier

[BrentAllen]

We actually got back late Sunday night, am I finally found time to write about it.

 

What a fantastic experience! We went out of Charles L. Sommers Canoe Base, with 5 boys (all 13 years old), 3 adults (42, 46, 50) and a 21 year old Interpreter Jessica. When they say High Adventure, they mean it! I had hoped we would be able to travel around 55 - 60 miles, maybe go for the 75 mile award. We ended up making 106 miles over 9 days, earning the 100 Mile Award. We also earned the Duty To God Award and the Northwest Voyageurs Brigade Award. Our route was a combination of the Scenic Lakes Loop on the way out, and the lower part of the Little Saganaga Loop on the way back in (through the Kawishiwi River).

 

We made a total of 58 portages, with two days that included 10 portages each and two days that included 9 portages each. Total portage length for the trip was 2,425 rods (rod = 16 1/2 feet), which equals just over 7 1/2 miles. Longest portage was 240 rods, about 3/4 miles. Toughest portage was from Hansen Lake to Cherry Lake, 110 rods long and up over and down a 120 foot ridge. Envision carrying either a 100 lb. pack or 44 lb. canoe up and down 12 floors along a very rocky trail. It was brutal.

 

Toughest day was also the shortest - only 6 miles. We camped the last night on Ensign Lake just 6 miles from base camp, which was to our west. That night a big system moved in, with winds howling. I woke up at 4:00 AM to hear the dining fly whipping in the wind - it had blown out. We woke up to 20 - 25 knot winds, with some gusts probably hitting 30. We kept waiting for the wind and waves to die, but they never would. We finally decided to just go at 1:30 PM. It took 3 1/2 hours to paddle that 6 miles, paddling as hard as we could. We were taking water over the bow and occassionally over the side. It was a white-knuckle ride nearly the whole way in. We later heard that a crew that came in before us rolled one of their canoes, and it took 70 minutes to get back under way. We really learned how to handle the canoes in some tough weather.

 

After much consideration, all the adults agreed this is a 15-year old trip. The boys did it, but it was on a razor thin margin. We dropped one canoe (kevlar) and punched a hole in it on day 3, but repaired it with a Thermarest Hotbond repair kit, plastic bag, duct tape and birch bark - it never leaked. The repair charge when we got back to camp was only $30. The portage trails can be very tough, with either deep moose muck or ankle-busting rocks everywhere. Many of the portage entrances and exits were very tough - big, slick rocks next to deep water. Very hard to load up packs and get those canoes overhead. We heard some crews go up and will do a 25 mile route with few portages. A young crew could certainly handle that.

 

Most of the boys say they will definitely return. I feel the same. We had a little bit of everything on the trip - beautiful sunny calm weather, cold rainy weather, high winds, gorgeous sunsets, a complete fog-in one morning. An absolute swarm of mosquitoes when we decided to hit the water at 5:30 AM for a dawn paddle. Big lakes, small ponds covered with lilly pads, everything in between. Waterfalls, big and small. We saw a lot of the blow-down area - hard to imagine being caught in that 10 years ago.

 

Overall, just a very special place - no motors of any kind to be heard for days. As close to true wilderness as you can find in this day and age.

 

Our Charlie guide was fantastic. She would throw her 40 lb. pack on, take the canoe and run us into the ground (while wearing some funky tennis-type shoes). Then she would cook up incredible deserts from scratch, including an unbelievable cake with fresh rasberries. Back at rendevous, she played guitar and mesmerized us with a couple of songs (Wagon Wheel and No Rain). I know some people haven't been happy with their Interpreters - we would absolutely request ours again.

 

I can't wait to get back.

 

 

[scoutldr]

Great story, Brent. Thanks for sharing. Oh, to be 15 again!

[GernBlansten]

How'd the boots hold up Brent?

 

I agree, 13 is a bit young. Our trip this year, the youngest was 15, oldest 18 and it was a huge difference than 3 years ago when everyone was 13.

[SR540Beaver]

Glad you had a great time. We had a crew from our troop return a couple of weeks back and they had a blast. My son wen with a crew from our troop back in 2006 and he loved it.

[BrentAllen]

Gern,

We had mixed results on the boots. We had 7 pairs of them (my son had Altama's). Of the 14 boots, we had 4 heels separate from the upper. The front parts, which usually come apart, all held together, it was the heels that pulled apart. This was a pretty easy field repair - cut holes on the sides, run a piece of para cord through the boot, underneath the inner sole, around the bottom through the treads, and tie on the side. The 4 boots that came apart were all repaired this way, and made it through the trip. My personal pair held up fine, with no problems. We are taking some of the boots that came apart back to the store to show them the results. It appears they have fixed one problem (front parts) but have come up with another. Next time, I'll probably go with the NRS Workboot Wetshoe. I think the treads look a little more suitable on those.

[GernBlansten]

No boot malfunctions on my crew, but my old Altimas took a beating getting cut up on the sharp rocks. I think I can get another trek or two out of them though.

Sounds like Sommers is more rugged than their Canadian brothers say it is. We've done Atikoken and Bissett and both bases said the Sommers base was easiest (probably Canadian pride). But your description of portages sounds a lot more like Bissett than Atikoken. I'd love to do the US side just to do all three. They don't even have the Kevlar canoes at Bissett because of the terrain. After being there, I can see why. Too many swift water exits/entrances around sharp rocks at portages. The aluminum boats we had were pretty beat up from it. We had the Kevlar jobs at Atikoken though.

 

Good times though eh?

 

Just got email confirmation that we got another crew for Philmont in 2010. Gern's going back! HOL-REY!

[mmhardy]

Great trek report. Any photos?

 

Hol-Ry!

[Chief Decorah]

Hol-ry Brent!

 

Glad to hear that you had a great trip. A canoe trip in the Boundary Waters or Quetico is true high adventure, at least as I see it. Nothing there but woods, water and the weather. It's up to you and your crew to make the trip the best it can be. Sounds like you all did just that. Congratulations!

 

As much as people on this site squawk about the need for jungle boots, it's interesting that your female interpreter wore sneakers and out-portaged everyone. So much for the stories of NT-mandating "wear jungle boots or you die".

 

For the record, we had two crews at Sommers in June and those that wore jungle boots had about a 50/50 experience with them. Some boots made it fine and some fell apart. All were new prior to the trip. Unbelievable that, in this day and age, companies continue to make crap.

[Mafaking]

 

Cool!

 

Interesting. I was thinking about a boundary water for 14 year olds. You recommend 15. But if I took the 15 year olds wouldn't I think 17-18 is a better age?

 

What is the right age for a boundary water trip?

 

 

[asm 411]

Wow, 7.5 miles of portages! That is really impressive.

 

While at Tinnerman we did at most 1/2 mile total of portaging over our 7 day trek. We covered just over 50 miles total.

 

Thanks for sharing.

[GernBlansten]

Mafaking,

Having done it with 13 year olds and 15-18, size matters. Not necesarrily age.

If the youth can carry a canoe solo (i.e. are tall enough and strong enough), they are big enough to go. If not, someone else will be carrying it all the time. The food packs start out at 80 lbs. Gear packs (the lightest) are around 65lbs. If they are too small to do their share of the load, others will have to double portage.

Attitude plays a big part of it too. Our sister crew had a 60lbs 13 year old who had the heart of a lion. He did great. Much better than the 100lbs 13 year olds.

[prairie]

Atikoken, haven't heard that name in years, was on the water up there with a church group the week Elvis died. Could still drink right from the lake at that time.

[Buffalo Skipper]

Brent,

I am as green as my scout pants! I have never been to NT, but I cannot wait for our guys to age up to be able to go. With luck, we will have a good enough number of older scouts in 2-3 years. Amazing the portages you had. Well done!

 

Our troop is readying for it's third (canoe) trip afloat this summer--4 if you count the Nantahala. It is a 60-mile Suwannee River trip and we leave in 6 days. We will have one known portage of 55 rods or less (as best we can tell) with about a 20' rise and slow descent, no loose rocks, only sand and a limestone bed; this will coincide with our first overnight stop on the river. Our scouts (and adult leaders) are screaming about how difficult this will be and how we need to re-plan the trip so we don't have to do it. Somehow they just can't get the scope of how insignificant this really is. I know it will be much better than they think it will. Admitedly, most of our scouts are small (for their age) but this will only be as big a deal as they make it.

 

Thanks for the great info. I wish I could see some pictures. Sounds like the trip of a lifetime!

[mmhardy]

Chief Decorah,

 

My son is a Charlie Guide and he too only slips on the boots for the rocky portages. When paddling he has a pair of low-cut canoe shoes and alternates with a pair of moccasins that he bought locally and are popular with the Guides.

 

[BrentAllen]

Photos are posted at http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=6dyfsmz.4ta45dxz&x=0&y=-ky0kdg&localeid=en_US

 

This is the first time I have used the kodak gallery. You may have to create a log in to view them - should be free. Let me know if this works or not. I will be adding some notes to the photos as I have time. The photos start out with our overnighter at the International Wolf Center - highly recommended!

 

Buffalo,

We were dreading portages when we started. After the first few, we got the system down and it was no big deal. We got to where we didn't even ask how far they were - you just did them. When we made the 240 rod portage on day 6, I thought we were about half way through it when we came to the end. I timed it and it took us around 18 minutes - not too bad. The kevlar canoes are much easier to handle than the aluminum. At about 100 rods, the pads start hurting your shoulders, but not unbearable. With the heavier aluminum, the pads start hurting around 60 rods.

 

We went down the Suwanee when I was a Scout. I hope we can do that again, maybe in February. I always thought that was one of the coolest trips we made. Camping on a sandbar has its own unique challenges. I hope you have a great trip!