2014 Winter Boundary Water Trip

“Song of the North”

“The song of the north still fills me with the same gladness as when I heard it first. It came not only from the land of the Great Lakes, but also from the vast regions beyond the Canadian border. More than terrain, more than woods, lakes, and forests, it had promise and meaning and sang of the freedom and challenge of the wilderness. I seemed drawn in its general direction as naturally as a migrating bird is by unseen lines of force, or a salmon by some invisible power toward the stream where it was spawned. Within me was a constant longing, and when I listen to this song, I understood.” Sigurd Olson, from his book Open Horizons

The purpose of this blog is not to document our trip across the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness this February, there are many pretty videos out there showing people having a gnarly time in some very awesome places. Instead we aim to use this experience as way to do more than show off this wildly exciting expedition, our goals are to:

1. Use our trip as a platform onto which we can build a greater awareness of the Boundary Waters, both the park's tremendous beauty and the opportunities the area offers and at the same time exposing the fragility of the park when confronted with the realities of our modern world. This is the same story being played out in many places where Wildness, outdoor recreation, and the industrialized world converge. While we don't expect to unearth any answers, sometimes all it takes to make positive change is to shed a little light where all there exists is darkness.

2. Help others enjoy the winter as much as we do. Through this blog we will be posting short videos covering topics like winter travel, proper winter clothing, food planning and preparation, winter tent use, and whatever else we think would be good to know. The winter is a magical place for those who can brave the long hours of darkness, shrug off bitter cold and who put in long hours pulling a toboggan- the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights), crystalline stars, and the echo of wolves all come to those who make the effort to find them.

3. Lastly, we will be documenting our 100+ mile, 25+ day trip from one end of the Boundary Waters in the Saganaga Lake area into the town of Ely with video, pictures and writings captured along the way  And, yes, we also plan on having a blast...