Getting Our Feet Wet in the BWCA

​Getting Our Feet Wet in the BWCA – June 26-28, 2023
I have dreamt of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area all my life. Well, at least since I was in junior high. Grand Rapids Middle School hosted BWCA trips for adolescents - $10 for 10 days of pure wilderness. Unfortunately, my mother, a devout Catholic, didn’t think that pure wilderness was a proper replacement for attending Sunday Mass. Every summer I watched my friends come and go from these trips, piling up stories that made me envious.
 
Years went by. I got married and raised four beautiful children. I got older and older, never completely giving up the dream of canoe camping in the BWCA. After our epic adventure to Patagonia, my daughter Carolyn began making plans that would finally make my dream a reality. Despite having hip replacement surgery in February, our trip from Grand Marais > Clearwater Outfitters > Clearwater Lake > West Pike Lake > Pine Lake > Little Caribou Lake > Caribou Lake was soooo real. A little rain, loon calls, quiet lakes, rocky shores, tent giggles, mosquito latrines, and yummy camp meals with Madeline, Carolyn, and Brandon are no longer a dream but a very sweet memory.