MCA HUT! Archive

by Chris Steele

For 40 years I’ve spent every moment possible at my family’s cabin at the end of the trail. It’s near the entry point on Seagull. From this vantage, time on the water and the end of the road friendships, I have learned a couple lessons.

Lesson #1. Lighten up. In my militant, self-assured years, I "knew" the right way and the wrong way to canoe and camp in the BWCAW. If you weren’t doing it my way, I either felt smugly superior or angry. It is now apparent to me that the BWCAW is a park for the people, and the hundreds of lakes and portages and millions of acres can bring pleasure to others whose approach is unconventional. If you want to portage a pony keg to O’Gish, that’s OK with me. If you portage suitcases instead of Duluth Packs, fine. If you find joy in solo canoeing in a 17 foot Alumacraft, terrific. If you need to bring a galvanized washtub on a canoe trip, go for it. [Yes, I have seen each of these things.]

Lesson #2. Buy used. If you want to leave the suitcases home and use something a bit more convenient to muscle all that stuff to the next lake, there are low cost alternatives. At the end of the season, outfitters retire some of their equipment. Their "experienced" packs, tents and canoes sell for a fraction of the cost of new equipment. Years ago I brought a Duluth Pack and Timberline tent from Seagull Outfitters. I used the equipment for many years before reselling it via an REI bulletin board ad for more than I paid.

Lesson #3. Build, don’t buy. Cabin neighbor, Ken, has more time than money. [Don’t we all!] When he wants a new canoe, he builds one. A couple years ago I lent Ken my new kayak. A few weeks later I picked it up only to find Ken in the process of building one like mine. He had modified the design of my kayak, built a form, and bottom part of the boat was nearly complete. That summer he built two boats, one for himself the other for his son-in-law.

The MCA’s Builder’s Book, Northwest Canoe Company ( www.northwestcanoe.com ) and MCA members can help if you want to become a builder of canoes.

Lesson #4. Put on the life jacket before loading the canoe. Late October a few years back, Tom and I were on the Falls Chain in Quetico. We broke camp and were loading our packs into my Sawyer Cruiser when Tom disappeared. He had slipped on the icy granite ledge into McKenzie Bay. Although he couldn’t climb out of the water on his own, he did not call out, perhaps because of the cold water. He was dazed and confused when I found him and extracted him from his morning swim. I believe if Tom had been in the water for a few more minutes, I would have been paddling solo back to Sag. I now insist paddling partners wear their PFD’s at all times, including when loading the canoe.

Lesson #5. Buy a lightweight paddle. One Saturday a few summers ago Jeff and I paddled the Granite River from Gunflint Lake to the cabin on Seagull. We had a great time fishing, portaging without gear and paddling. It was an exceptionally fun day on the water until the last couple miles. For the first 10 hours of this fine day I used my Peter Puddicombe paddle (www.wildwoodspaddles.com). Following the final portage Jeff suggested we switch paddles. I agreed.

Jeff was using a nice 24 ounce bent shaft paddle. My Peter paddle, also a bent shaft, tipped the scale at 15 ounces. The 9 ounces and design difference was remarkable. Jeff’s paddle zapped my energy and made the last hour on the water grueling. I now own a couple Puddicombe paddles and two Zaverals. Lightweight paddles reduce lifting by about a ton per hour [9 ounces x 60 strokes a minute x 60 minutes = 2025 pounds]. Jeff now has his own Peter Puddicombe paddle.

Lesson #6. Get a good yoke. On a Quetico adventure with Jeff, we encountered two young paddlers with their brand new Minnesota II-a beautiful, wonderful boat and an investment of more than $1000. Despite the good judgment these paddlers showed in their choice of canoes, their thinking was incomplete. The canoe’s yoke was a scrap of 2 x 6 lumber with an axe-carved notch. Ouch! I like ash yokes and think the $25 cost is a bargain.

Lesson #7. Rain gear is essential. Two brief stories. In the fall of 1977, I returned to Minnesota after several years in the tropics. My first adventure was a 10-day solo-backpacking trip on Isle Royale. Without rain gear. I had grown accustomed to topical rain and couldn’t understand why rain gear would be important. I learned. Temperatures were in the 40’s and torrential rain filled many of the days and nights. These were miserable, hypothermic days.

On July 3, 1999, I encountered a family of 4 on a portage in the BWCAW. Mom and Dad had rain gear. The children, ages perhaps 5 and 7 did not. It was cold and drizzling. The next day was the BIG storm that leveled thousand of acres of trees. These two must have been miserable, dangerous days for the children.
Enjoy your time on the water. Bring a lightweight paddle, Duluth Pack and rain gear and put an ash yoke in your canoe. And have everyone in your group wear their PFD. If you encounter a guy with a washtub, ask him what it’s for and then let me know.