2023 BWCA Wilderness Trails Kickoff
On March 25, we joined with trail partners from the Kekekabic Trail and Border Route Trail to talk trails, needs, and all things volunteer work! We are very grateful to our various sponsors for contributing door prizes for attendees, including Piragis Northwoods Company and Trailtopia.
On March 25, we joined with trail partners from the Kekekabic Trail and Border Route Trail to talk trails, needs, and all things volunteer work! We are very grateful to our various sponsors for contributing door prizes for attendees, including Piragis Northwoods Company and Trailtopia.
The group of 30 was treated to a presentation from BJ Kohlstedt, retired Emergency Management Director of Lake County MN. BJ spent a career searching for missing hikers, hunters, canoeists, children, runaways, and people with dementia.
Of note, BJ stresses the importance of using the US National Grid in an emergency to help responders find you more quickly if ever needed. Check it out https://usngcenter.org/
Annual Meeting and Volunteer Recognition Recap
Our organization is built on volunteer work, and every year we spend a night recognizing all who make our work in advocacy and maintenance of BWCA’s wilderness trails possible. We had a great turnout for our Annual Meeting/Volunteer Recognition Dinner last Thursday evening! Our 2022 numbers were impressive: 18 clearing trips, 118 volunteers, and 9,475 service hours!
Our organization is built on volunteer work, and every year we spend a night recognizing all who make our work in advocacy and maintenance of BWCA’s wilderness trails possible. We had a great turnout for our Annual Meeting/Volunteer Recognition Dinner last Thursday evening! Our 2022 numbers were impressive: 18 clearing trips, 118 volunteers, and 9,475 service hours!
We attended to some business, including Board of Director elections, naming of our 2022 Volunteer of the Year, and a review of our clearing trips to include a fun fact from each crew.
We took in a wealth of information from Dr. Lee Frelich on all things forest and fire ecology, we heard from one of our enthusiastic volunteers about how much fun they’ve had on our trips, and we even had time after all that for door prize drawings.
Talk about an efficient group! Follow us on MeetUp as we are gearing up to announce spring clearing trip registrations in the coming weeks! https://meetu.ps/c/9wHl/KlTYv/a
First Annual Crew Leader Retreat
The first full weekend of the new year also marked Boundary Waters Advisory Committee's first ever crew leader retreat at YMCA Camp Du Nord.
11 crew leaders and organizers attended and participated in team-building and other socializing events that included member presentations, outdoor recreation, and guest speakers from the Forest Service and the Dorothy Molter Museum. We look forward to what is in store for 2023 - stay tuned!
The first full weekend of the new year also marked Boundary Waters Advisory Committee's first ever crew leader retreat at YMCA Camp Du Nord.
11 crew leaders and organizers attended and participated in team-building and other socializing events that included member presentations, outdoor recreation, and guest speakers from the Forest Service and the Dorothy Molter Museum. We look forward to what is in store for 2023 - stay tuned!
October News
As we near the end of trail maintenance season for 2022, we want to thank all of our member volunteers who stepped up and made a noticeable difference in the hiking condition of the Powwow Trail. Though we started off slow, due to lasting snow and high-water levels in the spring, when October is done, we will have had 20 trail trips this year, comprised of almost 130 volunteers.
The Mission Achieved
Here in the 20th year since its founding, Boundary Waters Advisory Committee continues to achieve its mission “to preserve existing historic and intrinsically beautiful trails in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness of the Superior National Forest.” And we could not have done it without all of our wonderful volunteers!
As we near the end of trail maintenance season for 2022, we want to thank all of our member volunteers who stepped up and made a noticeable difference in the hiking condition of the Powwow Trail. Though we started off slow, due to lasting snow and high-water levels in the spring, when October is done, we will have had 20 trail trips this year, comprised of almost 130 volunteers.
Our continued focus on our mission of advocacy and maintenance of hiking trails in the BWCAW, working with the Forest Service - Superior National Forest, resulted in almost 9,500 volunteer service hours between October 1, 2021 and September 30, 2022, in planning, recruiting, training, and maintaining the Powwow Trail.
Changes in Leadership
In June of 2022, Susan Pollock announced that, effective August 1, she was stepping down as President of Boundary Waters Advisory Committee, though not stepping down from her involvement in BWAC. She continues to serve on the Board of Directors. Susan has been involved with BWAC since 2013, first as a volunteer for trail clearing, then working under our Founder, Martin Kubik, on both trail and organizational tasks, and then serving as President starting in 2020. Susan’s love of the Powwow Trail, engaging new volunteers, and successfully leading day-to-day operations of BWAC is evident in the growth of BWAC’s membership and high retention of volunteers. THANK YOU, SUSAN!!
In August, BWAC’s Board of Directors unanimously elected Rod Markin as President of BWAC, who started in the position September 1, 2022. Rod has been a dedicated BWAC volunteer and leader since he joined BWAC in 2009, most recently serving as BWAC's Treasurer, and a member of the Board of Directors. He brings to BWAC a vast amount of business and organizational experience, including consulting other non-profit organizations on strategic development and optimization of operations.
In September, The Board of Directors unanimously elected John Mattson as Treasurer of BWAC. John has been an active member of BWAC since 2016, helping with leading trail maintenance trips, leadership and volunteer training, organizing events, and other support. He has substantial experience with budgeting, reporting on project costs and activities, vendor relations, and other relevant finance responsibilities from his prior business life.
Midwest Mountaineering EXPO
Looking forward, BWAC is once again staffing a booth at Midwest Mountaineering’s Fall EXPO on November 18-20, providing us with the opportunity to introduce BWAC’s mission and volunteer opportunities to new people. Look for the announcement later this month, inviting our members to help in staffing the booth. What is involved? Greet visitors, hand out brochures, and do your part to advocate for wilderness trails in the Boundary Waters. You can make a difference for the wilderness, take time to browse dozens of vendors and sale merchandise at the Expo, and support one of BWAC's sponsors, Midwest Mountaineering.
Rod Markin, President
Boundary Waters Advisory Committee
rjmarkin@boundarywaterstrails.org
Calling All Backpackers to Volunteer on Powwow Hiking Trail This Fall!
Dear Meetup Members,
Fall is here and so is cooler weather for hiking! We are fortunate to have an abundance of hiking trails right here in Northern Minnesota. One of those trails is the BWCAW Powwow Trail near Isabella. The Boundary Waters Advisory Committee volunteers adopted the Powwow and have kept it open for hikers and backpackers since 2015 (The trail was temporarily closed after the 2011 Pagami Creek Fire). It takes a lot of work to clear deadfalls and prune back new jack pine growth. This year we need your help more than ever. That’s because late ice out and high-water levels in May prevented many volunteer crews from getting on the trail. Our Duluth Chapter needs to clear about 40 tree falls and some brush on a trail segment 2 ½ miles from the trailhead. To make it easier for volunteers to participate this fall, BWA Committee has partnered with the Frost River store in Duluth. Frost River will provide a free van ride to the trailhead and back for the October 15th day trail clearing trip.
Volunteering is easy and takes only five steps:
1. Attend October 6, 5:30 PM training at Frost River (learn safety, trail maintenance standards and what to bring. BWAC provides handsaws and loppers).
2. Attend the "Meet and Greet" hike on October 9 at 1 PM at Hartley Nature Center.
3. Contact the October 15 crew leader Robert 218-310-2169 for a brief interview (physical fitness etc.) and permission to register for the trip on the Meetup.
4. RSVP/Pay the $10 fee on Meetup to join the October 15th trip.
5. Meet with us bright and early on October 15th and get a free ride in a Van provided by Frost River.
Why volunteer? It is a way to give back to the Boundary Waters and preserve backpacking trails for other hikers. When you volunteer, you will have a sense of personal accomplishment, and that of contributing to the BWCA Wilderness! You will meet new friends and pick up outdoor skills you did not have before in addition to exchanging gear tips with other hikers like you. And this year, the twentieth anniversary of the BWA Committee founding, we are giving away a coffee mug with commemorative BWAC logo (sure to be a collector’s piece, we hope) and the map of the trail you will be working on. Another bonus is a free rental of a Frost River canvas pack for the trip (reserve at the training session), my favorite is the “Summit” but there are several models. BWAC is also working with Trailtopia foods and the Frost River to give a 20% off discount to BWAC volunteers at the Frost River store (learn more at training session).
My hope is that you are interested in this adventure and will join us. Please RSVP today for the October 6, 5:30 crew training and/or feel free to text/call me at 651-214-5849 cell with your questions. Thank you.
Enjoy the Hike,
Martin Kubik, BWAC Founder, chair of the BWAC Duluth Chapter
Fall News
September is around the corner. BWAC is looking forward to returning to hiking and trail clearing as soon as we can. Here’s what’s happening with the Boundary Waters wilderness, and with our nonprofit.
Greetings BWAC Friends,
September is around the corner. BWAC is looking forward to returning to hiking and trail clearing as soon as we can. Here’s what’s happening with the Boundary Waters wilderness, and with our nonprofit.
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness closure. On August 21, 2021, the Superior National Forest closed the entire Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, due to active and increasing fire activity, extreme drought, and limited resources. The closure is in place through September 3, to be reassessed weekly and modified as conditions allow. The Greenwood Fire, outside of the wilderness but closest to the Powwow Trail where our restoration work is taking place, is reported to be 14% contained as of August 28. The John Ek and Whelp Fires, in the BWCA Wilderness, remain at 1,563 acres and 50 acres with no containment.
You're Invited: Fall Crew Member Safety Training and Orientation
“I’m registered for a crew—now what??”
“I’m worried about __________ (mice; bears; water crossings; insects; heat; cold; wolves; thunder; mud;...)”
“My pack is too big. My pack isn’t big enough.”
“What can I eat? What can I drink? Where do I go to the bathroom? How do I wash up? Do I wash up?”
BWAC crew leaders will answer these questions and more at our fall orientation event. This training is for all fall crew volunteers and for anyone wanting to find out more about what happens on a BWAC trip. We’d like to meet you and we’d like you to meet the folks who make our clearing trips happen, the amazing BWAC volunteer crew leaders. Click here for more details and to RSVP for the September 8 crew member orientation. Everyone is welcome.
Fall 2021 Trips. Closure of the Boundary Waters resulted in canceling our first fall trip, a canoe-in to the Powwow Trail’s west side. We are hopeful that increased moisture and reduced winds re-open the Boundary Waters, including the Powwow Trail, before our next trip in mid-September. Come and hike with us! Four upcoming fall trips are full but there is still space available in trip #16 (late September), trip #18 (mid-October) and also an October 18-20 lakeside condo/day trip to the Powwow.
Yesterday I heard from a long-time volunteer and we reminisced about how proud our 2017 spring crews were to clear all the way to Pose Lake—six hard won miles from the trailhead. That same year a final October crew could just make out the view to Diana Lake ahead, but was not able to break through to reach it before saying good-bye to the season’s work. Four years later, our goal of locating the Powwow Trail in its entirety has been reached; we have published a Powwow Trail Hiker Guide; and it’s no longer a rarity to meet non-BWAC backpackers and hikers enjoying the trail. BWAC will be back, and back again, to keep the historic trail open. I invite you to be there with us.
BWAC is grateful for your support, whether you are a past or future wilderness trail advocate. Email Susan.Pollock@BoundaryWatersTrails.org or call me with any questions, to find out more about how you can help, or just to say hello.
Sincerely,
Susan Pollock, President
The Boundary Waters Advisory Committee (BWAC)
Fall Trips Announced
Our fall trip planning is in full swing. See a summary on our trips page or meetup!
Our fall trip planning is in full swing. See a summary on our trips page or meetup!
BWAC Annual Meeting and Spring Trips
The Boundary Waters Advisory Committee is pleased to invite you to our Annual Meeting, being held this Wednesday, February 10, from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Good news: the virtual format allows trail advocates near and far to attend, no matter how below zero the temperature is or how much ice and sleet hazards the roads.
Greetings BWAC Volunteers and Friends,
The Annual Meeting is just around the corner!
The Boundary Waters Advisory Committee is pleased to invite you to our Annual Meeting, being held this Wednesday, February 10, from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Good news: the virtual format allows trail advocates near and far to attend, no matter how below zero the temperature is or how much ice and sleet hazards the roads. Link to the virtual meeting.
Two hundred recent trail volunteers and allies received a postcard invitation to the Annual Meeting a few weeks ago. Your postcard is your chance to win one of ten fabulous sponsor-donated door prizes. To claim a prize on Wednesday, look for the discrete raffle ticket number printed on your mailing label. (Sample postcard attached.)
All friends of BWAC are welcome to join the meeting, whether you received a postcard or not.
Presentations include year-in-review reports on advocacy, club finances, and trail accomplishments. Crew Leader John Mattson will give us a glimpse of spring 2021 plans. Keynote speakers are club founder and immediate past president, Martin Kubik; and Superior National Forest Wilderness Ranger Carl Skustad speaking on “The Importance of Partnerships in the US Forest Service.” Rounding out the program will be special guests Nirmal Jain and Rebecca Powell, two of BWAC’s founding board members, highlighting BWAC’s 2002 origins and accomplishments.
We couldn’t accomplish the BWAC mission without our amazing sponsors. Sponsors provide us with discounted or free gear and services. They are trail advocates and like us, do what they can in the nooks and crannies of their personal and professional lives to support BWAC and the BWCAW. I encourage you to visit, and to purchase goods and services, from BWAC’s generous sponsors for this event:
Piragis Northwoods Company (Ely, MN)
Kollath Graphic Design (Duluth, MN)
Trailtopia™ Adventure Food
Lake Superior Trading Post (Grand Marais, MN)
Other BWAC News
Visit the BWAC Meetup site for an overview of spring trips. Our crews will be limited to six members this spring to accommodate social distancing and to stay flexible. Be sure to read trip descriptions and contact the crew leader to discuss if the trip is a good match. Hop on the waitlist if your desired trip is full. If you want to help out, BWAC will do everything we can to make a trip happen for you.
As always, call or email me with any concerns, wild and crazy ideas, to say hello or to introduce yourself. If I don’t “see you” this Wednesday, I hope to catch you at a local hike or on trail in 2021.
Sincerely,
Susan Pollock
President
and the BWAC Leadership Team
The Boundary Waters Advisory Committee
Diana Lake Bridge Restoration Complete!
An unseasonably warm November weekend allowed BWAC and the U.S. Forest Service to complete the Diana Lake bridge rebuild project, creating a safe (and dry) crossing for hikers.
An unseasonably warm November weekend allowed BWAC and the U.S. Forest Service to complete the Diana Lake bridge rebuild project, creating a safe (and dry) crossing for hikers.
BWAC Fall News and Notes
Fall trip updates, new Powwow Trail Hikers Guide, Lake Diana Bridge work and more!
Dear Boundary Waters Advisory Committee (BWAC) Member,
As fall knocks on our collective door, I would like to thank our members for supporting BWAC’s wilderness trail advocacy and trail preservation mission. BWAC is grateful to your visits to our website and Meetup site, grateful for those of you who have been able to hike and spread the word about a wilderness trail this year, and grateful for the twenty-eight individuals who have made time to volunteer on a trail crew already in 2020.
How else can you help?
Our fall trips were posted mid-August and in just two weeks fifty-seven of you have registered for a September or October trip. Wow! August 29th the BWAC Duluth chapter launched fall trips, pulling shrubs and cutting trees in the gateway segment. A Labor Day weekend trip departs this Thursday followed by eight more trips through October 26. Trips are limited to six members this fall for safety and flexibility. Help the Powwow Trail, help yourself learn new skills, and help BWAC meet our goal of full trips--there are just a few spots left on crews. We would like each trip to be a full trip. Will you love it or will you hate it? Visit the BWAC Meetup site to scout out which trips have an opening. Message the crew leader to find out more or get on a waitlist. No experience required and BWAC provides trip guidance, tools, and training.
Powwow Trail Hiker Guide
BWAC is thrilled to announce the 2020 Powwow Trail Hiker Guide. It’s in print-on-demand format on our website, https://www.boundarywaterstrails.org/powwow-trail-guide/. This year our nonprofit has received more queries, and learned of more hikers visiting the Powwow, since before the 2011 Pagami Creek Fire. The Powwow is actively being restored: hikers will still find sections blocked and needing careful navigation, but thanks to BWAC volunteers finding and clearing the original tread, experienced backpackers are completing the loop.
Diana Bridge Project
BWAC and the U.S. Forest Service, Superior National Forest, are collaborating on replacing a wooden walkway at the Diana Lake outlet stream. Scouting of rot-resistant tamarack trees is completed. Next step, felling of the trees by the USFS, and a safe crossing before the end of 2020. Thank you, Superior National Forest rangers and BWAC for keeping the project progressing.
Minnesota’s BWCAW wilderness trails belong to all of us
BWAC will continue to forward what our allies, sponsors and volunteers already know: BWAC stewards wilderness trails in the BWCAW with integrity, hard work, and fun. I am happy to talk trails or trail advocacy with you. Email or call with any concerns or to find out more about how you can help.
Sincerely,
Susan Pollock
President
The Boundary Waters Advisory Committee (BWAC)