Summer came and went, but not before one trip for the ages. Nathan and I traveled up to the Boundary Waters to canoe for a week before our last semester in college. Our trip by the numbers: 6 days, 56 miles, 27 different lakes, 38 portages, 4 miles of portaging, 3 fish on the line, 2 lost lures, 0 fish to the boat, and one of the most refreshing weeks of my life.

But the trip did not begin August 11 at Lake One. Oh no, we reserved our permit in late March just a week after I accepted an internship at Andersen Windows. The Lake One entry point is so popular that Sunday August 12 was booked 4 months early.

Pretrip Adventures

Gooseberry Falls

To begin the trip Nathan and I drove the scenic route going through Duluth and continuing up the North Shore of Lake Superior. Stopping at Gooseberry Falls and Split Rock Lighthouse, we received an appetizer of Minnesota’s luscious scenery. Soon, the road turned north and the thick forest replaced Lake Superior. Enjoying the empty roads, we were startled to see “DETOUR NEXT 25 MILES”. The logging road we detoured along took us through the parts of Minnesota hardly seen.

Once we arrived in Ely, we eventually found our canoe outfitter. As a side note, Red River Outfitters did a great job providing us with an amazing canoe at a fair price. Their store also has very competitive prices (MSR 33 oz fuel bottle for $11 vs. $15+ at REI). Finally, the night ended with the two of us restlessly attempting to sleep in the back of the Explorer.

Related posts:

1. The King and I
2. Northern Adventures, Week 3
3. Hiking the North Shore
4. Gila Wilderness
5. Guadalupe Mountains

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