Join Eric and Verena on this 4 day back-country trail clearing trip combining canoeing and backpacking. This crew will paddle and portage Lakes One, Two, Three, through Horseshoe and Harbor Lake and on to South Wilder Lake to access the beautiful rugged north west side of the Powwow Trail. From South Wilder we will clear the trail northwards.
(As of 8/19/20: 5 of 6 spots of this trip are taken)

WHY VOLUNTEER?

You will meet other like-minded hikers, share your skills and learn new skills from your crew, and have an unforgettable experience helping restore a fire-damaged legacy trail in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

PLAN:

We will be departing the Twin Cities @ ~3:00pm on Thursday, September 17th and returning late evening on Monday, September 21st. We plan to be back in the metro area by 8:00 p.m., however flexibility is required due to unknowns of wilderness travel.

We will be staying in the Ely area at Kawishiwi lodge, either in their bunkhouse or in our tents at the lodge, the evening of September 17th for a 7:30am Friday morning departure from the Lake One landing. We will be paddling and portaging for about 4 to 5 hours to our campsite at South Wilder Lake.

Saturday and Sunday will give us two days of clearing the abundant new growth and old tree falls as we make our small section of the trail hikeable again. Come Monday morning, we will head out early to retrace our route and return home tired, but rewarded by the knowledge of leaving a safe trail and experiencing the camaraderie of new friends.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

Thick brush and tree falls, cool and possibly wet weather, very remote area, working with a good group of people, working hard to reopen the Powwow Trail for everyone to enjoy.

Each participant will carry their own pack, shelter, sleep system, food, personal gear and a clearing tools. BWAC may have gear to share or borrow. Participants should be in good physical shape and have a "can-do" attitude for unknown trail and weather conditions. Trail clearing experience is not required or expected: BWAC provides all tools and safety training for our crews.

-- A hike in the Twin Cities metro area will be arranged for beginning of September to meet each other, talk through expectations and conditions of fall travel in the wilderness, check gear, and review gear expectations.

-- Participants must also attend a crew member safety training and orientation that might be combined with the training hike.

-- Sample gear list:
https://www.boundarywaterstrails.org/gear-list-for-trail-clearing-backpacking-canoeing-april

-- COVID-19 precautions allow a maximum crew size of 6 volunteers only. More details on this and copies of forms: : https://www.boundarywaterstrails.org/trip-information

COST:

Cost: $25 Meetup registration, $20-30 first night bunkhouse cost, and about $15 shared gas cost.

BEFORE YOU REGISTER:

If you're new to backcountry camping you will need to contact one of the leaders before signing up. Due to the remote nature and weather variables, this trip could turn into an advanced trip. Crew leaders will balance the number of novice participants with more experienced members.

Important small print: Participants will need to sign a liability and photo waiver. Trip is free of pets and tobacco. Cell phone in airplane mode only. Subject to BWAC trip rules, i.e. trip leaders can deny participation to any one for any or no reason.

Thank you for volunteering!