My love/hate relationship with the Boundary Waters
This summer I took my what I said at the time was “my last trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe and Wilderness Area.” It’s not true, but it’s how I felt as I left. This will surprise regular readers of this blog who know that I have enjoyed the BWCA for 25 years now. In fact, my reviews of various tents (The Equinox 6, Grand Mesa 4, and Timberline 4) and BWCA gear are still among my most-read posts by those searching the web for information.
The truth is: I love the Boundary Waters. But at times I hate being/going there because the trip confronts me at so many levels. It’s not about the BWCA… it’s about what wilderness camping reveals about me that I don’t like to recognize. So, I’ll go back again with Kelly. In fact, this past Saturday I was longing to be out in a canoe up there.
I do know that it will be a few years due to other travel demands, but here are a few ways that the BWCA has been a challenge to me in recent years:
The week before a trip is very difficult in our house. We outfit ourselves, which means we buy/prepare/pack all of the gear, tents, supplies as well as the food packs. Kelly and I each have our system, but even so the amount of work is significant. I can completely see now why folks would pay the extra money to have an experienced outfitter prepare the food and even gear packs. After 23 years of doing the occasional trip myself, I may consider this next time. [For first timers, I would definitely recommend going with an outfitter to prepare the good and gear packs.] The result of the frantic prep is that we’re tired and grouchy before we even leave for Ely!
I can’t control the trip. My regular job has an executive component to it, overseeing an academic department at Bethel College. So I’m used to mapping out plans, assessing outcomes, and thinking about the long-term. On a wilderness trip, I have to take it as it comes, slow down, and not think about how it will finish. As a logistics person, the logistical nature of a wilderness trip can overwhelm my ability to take in the moments.
I’m losing interest in fishing. This one has been tough for me to discover because I once loved to fish. In my early days of youth ministry, a rod/reel combo and tackle box were permanent residents in my car’s trunk (or boot for you in the UK). With three reservoirs near my house, I could do a quick bit of crappie fishing or get in on a White Bass run in spring. But now fishing is losing its luster for me and the joy of landing the big pike is great, but it takes a lot of effort to do that. Fishing in the BWCA takes work and I would rather relax, enjoy camp, and slow down. Most trips I lead are full of folks who can’t wait to fish and so the pressure is on to join in and chase “Mo’gater” or a tasty walleye.
I think the BWCA and other wilderness experiences are good for us. It’s clear that our comfort level has grown where if we’re not connected to WiFi or have an electric fan nearby to help us sleep, we aren’t sure how to survive. Perhaps we all need to have a place that challenges us, that provides a love/hate experience which exposes some areas we need to examine.
Do you have such a place or experience? Feel free to share a story or two.
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