Just Because it is Winter Doesn't Mean the Boundary Waters is Closed

One of the last paddles of the year that I took was into the setting sun with the wind pushing us back through the lingering lilypads and the tall brown grass.  The blue colors of the sky reflected in the water were more steel grey and dark shadows as if autumn had sucked all the summer heat out of them.

Returning to the landing with a big largemouth bass to clean was exciting.  As we twisted and turned through the tall dying grasses and the path narrowed -- the yellows, oranges and reds called to us from the approaching shoreline.  The wind had already begun to dry them out and they crashed against each other like tiny snare drums.

The water dripping off our paddles was already cold.  The lakes, dark and mysterious, definitely not as inviting as August -- now seemed quiet, private and full of secrets.  Shadow birds, shaking reflections of their higher selves, flew by on the waters surface and disappeared over our canoe.

Fall is most often our last taste of open water.  Our last memories before the Spring and ice out leave us with the natural world in decline and sleepy.  It's no wonder that when Spring finally arrives we are so excited.

It will be a while before the waters wake up again.  Right now we're all walking on hard water and drilling holes to fish through.  With a few warmer days ahead, as we write this, snow is softly falling and covering Ely in a new white blanket.

Remember that we have free standard shipping on orders now through Christmas Eve.  Use promo code:  FRP14 on all your orders.

Looking for a new adventure this winter?  How about a trip to Ely. You may think the fun stops once canoeing season is over, but you are missing out.  There are lots of activities for the whole family all winter long.

Camping in the Boundary Waters during the Winter months requires an adventurous spirit.  It gets cold here, we're talking nights 30 below zero to 50 below zero in February.  Twenty below is a common low for many of our winter nights.  However when you are warm and cozy inside a winter sleeping bag, near a wood burning stove inside a canvas wall tent, you can let the wind howl outside.

That's where we come in.  We prepare you for the outdoors, summer and winter, by having top-notch gear for rent.  Did you know that just like in the Summer when you carry everything with you in a canoe as you travel the lakes, in the winter you carry everything packed in a pulk sled.  The difference is that you ride in the canoe and paddle when the water is soft and when it is hard enough and thick enough to walk on, you ski or snowshoe and pull the pulk sled and all your gear behind you with a comfortable harness system that includes poles that keep the pulk from sliding into you on the downhills.

We did say ADVENTURE, right?!  Imagine hearing the lake pop and crack as the ice grows and contracts while the temperatures drop at night.  Imagine finding yourself surrounded by the greens, purples and dancing whites of the mysterious northern lights during a midnight ski.  Feast on fish caught right through holes drilled in the ice, and enjoy a festive winter night around the stove as the snow piles up outside.

Call us today to talk about Winter Gear Rentals  800-223-6565