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The Longest Dogsled Races in the World

February 8, 2023

At the end of January, the longest dog sled race in the lower 48, the Beargrease, ran up Minnesota’s north shore and culminated in an exciting finish between Keith Aili and Ryan Anderson. It’s an amazing race with a variety of trail types and terrain over the course of its more than 300 miles. But…

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The Ten Types of BWCA Campsite

November 30, 2022

Every traveler to the BWCA has their ideal of what a campsite should look like and what features it should have. Perhaps it has a sprawling camp kitchen or a nice overlook. Perhaps it’s perched on an island or alongside a sprawling beach. But whether the campsite is easy to access or is tucked back…

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A Fire Perspective: 200 Years of Wildfires

November 11, 2022

Few natural processes inspire the fear and awe that wildfires do. And in nature, fire is a seeming paradox of death and new life. Gigantic, swirling infernos which engulf the landscape in an unheeding wall of flame become landscape-level scars healed by green shoots and wildflowers. And here in the southern edge of the boreal…

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The Best Dog for the BW – A Children’s Story

September 29, 2022

A small preface. This week’s article is written with a fair bit of satire and is meant to be read as a children’s story. There are so many different dog breeds which all excel at different things. Many, many different breeds are phenomenal companions for backcountry canoe camping, but which dog is the top dog…

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Overnight to Dorothy’s – A Trip Report

August 23, 2022

  I will admit that sadly I never met Dorothy Molter. When I took my first Boundary Waters trip, she had already been gone for 17 years. And yet, like many of us who have only enjoyed the stories, she remains a revered figure in our local history. And it’s the same for so many…

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How to See the BWCA in One Trip

August 9, 2022

  When it comes to planning trips, I can be a bit of a dreamer, and if you’re anything like me, you spend a great deal of time thinking about what could be possible. I may not have the days lined up or the permits pulled yet. I may not even know which friends will…

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Smoke On the Horizon – How Fire Towers Changed BWCA History

July 19, 2022

A drive out from Ely today, and you won’t see many fire towers. They’ve vanished as antiquated methods of dutiful rangers past. But less people remember how those fire towers have shaped our wilderness experiences.

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