Exploring the Boundary Waters: A Camping Adventure

My Time in the Boundary Waters

I love camping and spending time outside, but this summer I had a completely new experience when I visited the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Before leaving, I had very little knowledge of the Boundary Waters. After getting advice from friends and purchasing some special equipment, I realized that camping there was going to be much more complicated than I had thought.

I was dropped off at my good friend Siri’s house, where I met the rest of the people going on the trip. We had a group of eight, which included three dads (each with one of their kids), plus me and another guy named Lindsay. He was oldest person in the group, and had lots of experience backpacking. Lindsay and I would be paired-up in one of the canoes

once we got on the water. One of the dads, Larry, drove us up there in his old, red Land Rover. He had a big, green canoe tied on top of the truck, and it caused wind to make a weird sound - like a breezy whistle – as it blew in and around the canoe during our drive. After about 5 hours of driving and whistling down the road, we reached Ely, Minnesota and spent the night in a bunk house. When we woke up the next morning, we started the final preparations for our departure into the Boundary Waters.
It was a chilly morning, and rain started to fall just as we were pushing our canoes off from the shore for the first time. I wore a blue rain suit that was not fashionable in any way, but certainly kept me dry. We arrived at our first portage after only about 15 minutes of paddling. Patiently, we took turns getting out of our canoes and unloading all of our gear. Once we made it safely on land, we hauled our gear on a hiking path that fur-trading voyagers used long ago. Sometimes we would have to go back more than once to receive more gear. We had to portage one more time that day before choosing a campsite on the third lake we saw.
Our campsite was beautiful, with a nice rocky shoreline and plenty of room to put up all of our tents.

We could hear a waterfall in the distance, with the sound of crashing water continuing around the clock. There were different types of moss everywhere, and it seemed to be covering almost everything. When we did some climbing, it was nice to have the moss there as a soft, spongy cushion for our hands. Later that first day, we decided to go swimming. We canoed into a little bay on the Canadian side of the lake, and I was the first to jump into the water. My body started to shiver instantly from in the cold, clear water, but after adjusting to it for some time I ended up feeling refreshed. The following day we went on a long hike to a spot with a beautiful view of the Canadian border. Lindsay pointed out a maroon, barnacle-like growth on a rock along the way. He explained that the fur-traders used to eat it, so I tried a piece. It had no flavor, but had the same texture as a potato chip. After a couple hours of difficult hiking, we reached the overlook and found a spectacular view of distant Canada. The orange sun was just beginning to set over the lakes, with trees covering the land like a blanket. It was the most beautiful view I have ever seen within Minnesota.

I came home smelling of pine trees and campfires. I made so many memories and had so many new experiences in just a brief visit. It was unlike any camping experience I had been through before. In a way, it was life changing. I’m looking forward to exploring more of the Boundary Waters with others, and I hope to give them the same kind of experience I

had.