Fall Comes to the Northland

Yesterday, Steve Piragis and I took a walk along a portage near Ely.  After a day and night of rain, our leaves that had really just begun to deepen in color were falling all around us.  Autumn here in the Northwoods is fickle and comes on fast.  It has no patience for those of us who love it so much and no desire to every hang around as much as we'd like it to.

So, when you have some time, or not, (it is always best to make time) It pays to get outside and relish the oranges, yellows, browns, magentas, reds against the backdrop of green conifers and blue sky.  The yellow in this kevlar Wenonah Spirit II made a cool focal point.

I'm really just along for the ride, but the Piragis Pants and Chota Breathable Waterproof Socks aren't.  They are the real deal and when paired with Chota Caney Fork Portage Boots or Quetico Trekkers, they make perfect sense for your feet during cool water times such right now.  With 5 nights complete with frost already, the waters are fresh with anticipation of being hard in a month and a half if not sooner.  The fish instinctively know this and they are hungry.  The bite is on!

If the beautiful colors aren't enough to entice you into a trip to Ely and the Boundary Waters this Autumn, that should.  Nothing like a fresh fish dinner over the campfire.

Oh, and just because Minnesota is full of surprises, on Sunday, it is supposed to be 76 degrees here in Ely.  Sunshine will never feel so great.

p.s. The next two weekends represent the end of our Outlet Store Season for 2015.  That means less than eight days left for you to save 75% on excellent clothing items in our Outlet Store.  Sale ends when MEA Weekend is over.

The walk in the woods yesterday inspired this poem.

North Country Fall

Leaves are falling,

circling round in their descent

like distant friends might

one day plot a pilgrimage

towards freedom.

Bigtooth Aspens, White Swamp Oaks,

Showy Mountain Ash

Popples and Paper Birches,

Silver Maple; Black Ash,

Pin Cherry, Quaking Aspens

and underneath, Ironwood, Honeysuckle and Anise Hyssop.

Eastern Cottonwoods, Box Elders.

Sugar Maples and a

solitary

Shagbark Hickory, the ugly duckling

amongst a temeritous stand

of Bur Oak.

While the tamarack turn

their backs on their green

coniferous neighbors.

Leafy fingers,

Golden with rust, reach

for the clouds as if 

to pull down the 

snow around their

knobby knees,

before falling selfishly.

Alone, leafless, among all the other

conifers of the North.

Strong smells of woodsmoke

are in the air

and under the raven’s

wing.  Apples burgeon

with Summer’s amorous liquor, heavy

on brown branches that

once blossomed

at the mercy of the same 

visiting winds signaling

the separation of Spring.

Lying on the forest floor

I think of you and how far

and fast I’ve fallen.

In the face of your

fortunate

landing.

@Timothy James Stouffer, 10/09/2015

All Rights Reserved

Spring Trip Report from Drew Brockett

Spring Trip Report from Drew Brockett:

  

2015 Spring Solo Canoe Trip - One Night/Two Days

Day One - April 30, 2015

Today's journey: Mudro - Fourtown - Boot - Fairy - Gun - Wagosh - Niki - Chippewa - Papoose - Friday Bay of Crooked Lake

Paddling miles: 12.5

Portage miles: 7 (eleven portages, 750 rods x 3 because of double portaging)

Weather: mostly sunny and warm, slight breeze from the south, almost perfect

It was a beautiful morning as I left my home at about 5:30am.  I got to the #23 Mudro Lake entry point a little after 6am and started paddling by 7am.  My vehicle was the only one in the parking lot.  It was a wonderful site early in the season since this is one of the most popular BWCA starting points throughout the paddling season. 

  

The day was long as I had a goal to get to Friday Bay.  I just kept paddling and portaging.  It was good to see this area again as it had been a few years since I traveled these lakes.  The highlights for the day included a pine marten that was walking along the bank of a lake, seeing nobody, the many birds either seen or heard (bald eagles, kingfisher, winter wren, loons, and more), and the fact that I was back in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.

Once I found my campsite on an island in the northeast part of Friday Bay, it was late afternoon.  I had earned an evening of relaxing, that's for sure.  It was a big day for my first trip of the year. 

  

The quiet evening was spent eating dinner and enjoying the view from the rocks.  Tent-time came early.  I needed to get some sleep as I made the decision to try to paddle out and complete the entire loop in one night.  Usually, we tell our clients to do the loop in about 5 days.  My buddy at work, Adam, is notorious for doing big trips and piling on the miles when he solo trips all summer.  It was my turn to try to do that.

Sleep came easy.  The forest went to bed.

Day Two - May 1, 2015

Today's journey: Crooked Lake (Friday Bay area) - Basswood River - Lower Basswood Falls - Horse River - Horse - Tin Can Mike - Sand Pit - Mudro

Paddling miles: 19.3

Portage miles: 4.8 (10 portages, 513 rods x 3)

Weather: Mostly cloudy, wind picked up a bit in the afternoon from the SW, warm

I knew it was going to be a big day so I got up before 5am, took care of taking down camp and getting some food into me, and was paddling by 6am.  It was a perfect morning to be on the water. 

  

 
Crooked Lake is a large lake with many bays and fingers.  I had many miles to go before my first portage around Lower Basswood Falls.  As I paddled, it was amazing knowing I was the only one anywhere near this area.  One man's wilderness, so to speak.  As the canoe glided over the water, I paid attention to the beautiful, rugged shoreline.  When I passed by campsites, I made a mental note about it for future reference.

Sometimes one must get out of the canoe to stretch the legs and reset your body.  I took advantage of the flat rocks at historic Table Rock.  It's an easy place to get in/out of a canoe, plus to know that it's a place of history with the voyageurs and natives, makes it a neat area. 

  

  
After a quick break and walk around Table Rock, my next stop would be the first portage of the day.  But, before I got there, I caught a glimpse of the elusive fisher.

Continuing south, there is a set of pictographs and then Lower Basswood Falls.  

      

  

     

  

Now the day was about more portages and a nice river paddle.  It was such a great day so far and I knew I could just keep going and eventually get to my vehicle.  It's not that I wanted to leave the BWCA, but there are a lot of things I needed to do at my home, plus I thought it would be a good challenge to do this loop in two days.

There are portages marked on the map and then there are little areas that are listed as rapids.  These rapid areas became interesting.  They are small rapids, but rocky.  I was able to paddle up the first one.  Another one, I had to portage around.  The last one I had to get into the water and pull (line) my canoe through the rapids.  I was in the water up to my thighs, but had the Chota Hippie Waders on so didn't get wet at all.  Actually, that was a lot of fun doing that.

Once I got to Horse Lake, I needed to refuel with some lunch.  I found a campsite and enjoyed the food, the view, and the break. 

  

Now the final push, knowing that there was a brutal portage coming up later in the day.  I got to the bottom of Horse Lake, passing a rock on the side that has a metal ring in it.  That's from the logging days of this area.

Eventually I was on the portage from Tin Can Mike to Sandpit.  The first part of it has a fine wooden walkway so canoeists don't have to walk in a wet area.  As I was walking along the portage, I heard something bigger in the woods and move away from the portage.  I stood still...listening and watching.  I heard it again and it moved a little deeper in the woods.  Then I saw something in a slightly different location from the most recent noise.  All of the sudden, I saw two cute little bear cubs climbing a tree.  Then I knew it was the mama bear that had run away.

Uh oh.  Now what?  I need to do this portage and come back and get my canoe and food pack.  I decided to just get going.  As I passed the tree with the cubs, I couldn't believe how cute they were as they climbed and wondered who I was.  Quickly a decision was made to snap a few shots and get to the end of the portage.  Coming back past that area, I had a stick, just in case, and I had my whistle.  When I passed the bears, I saw the mother at the base of the tree sort of in and out of a hole (could be the den?).  Now the mama was with them.  I kept walking.  They were all more afraid of me. 

  

My final time walking past them wasn't a big deal as I had a canoe on my shoulders and figured that was "scary" to them.  As I passed, the same thing happened, the cubs were on the tree and the mama was at the base of the tree.  No biggie at all.  What an incredible site!!  Two little cubs with their mother.  Luck was on my side.  Notice one of the pictures has both of the cubs in it. 

The last part of the trip was tough.  The portage with the bears is the easiest one I know.....flat....as it was an old road during the logging days.  Now, it was time for "Heart Attack Hill".  This is a steep uphill climb and it wears you out.  I just took my time, paced myself, and took small steps.  Once I brought my pack to the end, I knew I had to go and get the rest of the gear.  There is nothing like doing a portage like that twice...up that hill.

That portage ends at Mudro Lake where I hear my first voices since the radio in my vehicle.  It's a family coming in late in the day and staying at the one Mudro site.  I didn't want to see anyone, but what are you going to do.

Once back at the parking lot, there are four other vehicles now.  Wait until summertime, this lot will be packed.  For me, off season is the time to experience the busy areas.  I'm lucky I can do that.

The journey was fantastic.  Spring in the wilderness, before the bugs, the heat, and the crowds, is a special time.  Happiness comes from everywhere you look.  Peace is all around you.  Life is great.

Hope you enjoy this little write-up.  Find something good in each day.

Drew  

A letter to Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Scout Leaders from Steve Piragis

Always a Scout

I often get asked what got me interested in the outdoors.  I always answer: My Dad and Boy Scouts.  I grew up in the hills of central Massachusetts, a part of the East where progress was slow to take over the land.  My dad took me trout fishing the streams in the deep woods when no trespassing signs were rarely seen.  Good old Troop 18 met in the basement of the Catholic Church but the big fun was on camp outs and at summer camp on the lake.  Scouting was about all the good things in the Scout Oath but the fun was out in nature.  Hikes, campouts and paddling around Sandy Lake or up on the wild part of the Connecticut River. 

Scouts in the 1960’s didn’t have the best of equipment.  In fact it was really pretty primitive; canvas tents, no sleeping pads, heavy aluminum canoes and splintered wooden paddles.  I’m still amazed that any of us made it to middle age without major back issues and crooked spines.  The Scouts of today have all the gear available to make even better memories.  They should be safer in their outdoor adventures and a whole lot more comfortable.  We forgot long ago the misery of sleeping on cold ground and the weight of the portage packs but there is no need to make any trek or paddling trip a endurance test for young bodies.

I’m proud today to be able to outfit the Scout groups that come through Piragis Northwoods Company for their Boundary Waters/Quetico canoe trips with the lightest gear and canoes available.  Boy and Girl Scouts of the 21st Century of course don’t know how really good they have it but we can smile and know they will grow up to know and love the outdoors perhaps even more than we did. 

Eagle Scout: Steve Piragis

Steve Piragis
Piragis Northwoods Company
105 N. Central Ave
Ely, Mn 55731

1 800 223-6565
1 218 365-6745


"Our trip to the Boundary Waters was the highlight of the year for many of our scouts and we are already discussing a return trip. The 2009 trip was my fifth trip to Ely and the fifth time using Piragis Northwoods. This is not a coincidence, but a tribute to you and your staff for the excellent service and gear you provide time and time again. It is with much gratitude that I tip my hat to everyone at Piragis."

Dave Herbster, Sabetha, KS

"I can't tell you how much we enjoyed our High Adventure in the Boundary Waters, and how smooth and easy you guys made it for us. Also, let Bert know we appreciate all of his work on our trip, too. The packs, canoes, paddles and vests were all top-notch and the price was right on. Your facility is great, especially the showers! Rest assured I will ABSOLUTELY recommend you in the future, and when (not if) we return to the BWCA you will be our first and, most likely, only call."

Tony Anaya – Cincinnati, OH

Dear Scout Leader:

I'd like to introduce myself and my company with the hope that what follows will be of mutual benefit and enjoyment to both the Boy Scout council and the scouts as they continue to explore the outdoors.  I'm writing to you from beautiful Ely, Minnesota on the edge of over 2000 wilderness lakes that are only accessible by canoe.

My name is Steve Piragis, owner and co-founder of Piragis Northwoods Company and the Boundary Waters Catalog.  My wife, Nancy and I began our business in Ely, Minnesota in 1979.  Our commitment to preserving wilderness for canoeists and campers alike has remained steadfast.  Our backyard is home to the world's greatest canoeing area.  New adventures are launched from Ely everyday.

Our knowledge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and our northern neighbor, Ontario's Quetico Park is based on our extensive travel experience and dedication to the sport of canoeing.  Simply put, our canoe outfitting staff knows the routes because we paddle them.  We know the gear because we use it.  Before it ever makes it into our rental fleet onto the retail store floor or pages of the catalog, it experiences real use in the great outdoors.

As canoe trip outfitters we specialize in lightweight canoes and gear that are durable enough for wilderness conditions but light enough to take the strain off of backs both young and old.  Forty-four pound kevlar canoes and 15.5 oz kevlar paddles are standard equipment here and they really make a difference.  We offer full-outfitting packages including all the gear and food needed for a canoe trip and we also have partial canoe trip outfitting that allows paddlers to rent a single canoe or piece of gear by the day.

You can find us online at www.piragis.com and reach us by phone at 1-800-223-6565.  Ely, Minnesota is the destination for canoe campers.  With our extensive experience and clients who return year after year to rent from us, we know that should your leaders and scouts desire to travel to the Boundary Waters, we can plan the trip of a lifetime for them to enjoy.

Thank you for your time,

Steve Piragis, President
Piragis Northwoods Company
105 North Central Avenue
Ely, MN  55731
1-800-223-6565