Details
All participants must be pre-approved by the crew leader before registering. Email Valentin Povarchuk (valentin.povarchuk@boundarywaterstrails.org) or Chris Anderson (christopher.anderson@boundarywaterstrails.org) for approval and registration instructions. Include your non-Meetup email, phone number, and a good time to reach you. One of us will call you within a two days to discuss details and registration instructions.
We welcome both new and experienced paddlers and backpackers and invite you to enjoy this Memorial Day weekend adventure with us.
SUMMARY
Join Valentin and Chris on this backcountry trail clearing trip combining canoeing and backpacking. This crew will paddle and portage Lakes One, Two, and Three to access the beautifully rugged west side of the Powwow Trail. We will stash our canoes, and put on our packs for our hike to the final campsite at Path Lake.
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.
ITINERARY
We will be departing the Twin Cities at 4pm on Thursday, May 22, returning late evening on Monday, May 26. Times may vary depending on carpools and the unknowns of wilderness travel.
On the evening of Thursday, May 22, we will stay at the Fall Lake campground or Kawishiwi Lodge bunkhouse, with an early departure the following morning to the Lake One entry point. After launch, we will paddle and portage for about a half day to the Lake 3 portage where we will stash the canoes. From there, we will travel on foot approximately 2.5 miles to our camp for the weekend.
Friday and Saturday, our crew will tackle the spruce and other flora taking over the tread of the trail, as well as some tree falls. We will work for roughly 8 hours per day, with breaks for water, snacks, and lunch.
We will pack up our base camp early Monday morning, hike back to our canoes, and retrace our route out of the wilderness. Arrival times back home will depend on weather conditions Monday, carpools, and a group victory lunch.
WHAT TO EXPECT
You will enjoy an adventure - working hard with a good group of people through thick brush, unpredictable weather, and stubborn insects in very remote area. In the end, you will feel the thrill of having made a difference by maintaining access into the wilderness for many hikers!
Each participant will carry their own pack, shelter, sleep system, food, water, personal gear, clearing tools, and group gear. BWAC may have the 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.
Recommended gear list: https://www.boundarywaterstrails.org/gear-list-for-trail-clearing-backpacking-canoeing-april
MANDATORY MEETINGS
There is a mandatory Crew Member Orientation and Safety Training at 5:30 pm on Tuesday, April 29 at REI in Bloomington.
A training hike will be scheduled in early May for the crew to meet each other, check gear, and arrange travel plans.
OTHER STUFF TO KNOW
All participants must sign the BWAC liability release, BWAC medical health form, and U.S. Forest Service volunteer agreement before trip departure. Review forms at https://www.boundarywaterstrails.org/trip-information
Costs: $40 registration fee includes a Mckenzie map of the Powwow Trail and offsets a portion of administrative and tool costs for BWAC.
Costs: up to $30 shared carpool gas.
Additional costs will be your trip food, after-trip lunch, and a part of the carpool gas cost. Our trail partner, the U.S. Forest Service, provides the wilderness permit for BWAC volunteer crews.
Please note that pets, alcohol, and tobacco are not permitted on BWAC trips.
Thank you for choosing to volunteer with the Boundary Waters Advisory Committee, where safety is our #1 priority.