October News

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

September News

Dear BWAC Friends,

What’s a wilderness worth? The Boundary Waters Advisory Committee (BWAC) can help you experience forest and bog and meadow set aside for visiting only, not for development, and answer that question for yourself.

• Fall Trips. Your help is needed. Registrations are underway for fall clearing trips to the Powwow Trail north of Isabella, MN, where volunteers use hand saws and loppers to keep a historic trail accessible. BWAC offers a variety of guided trips and provides training, tools, and gear advice. Entry permits are provided by BWAC trail partner and land manager, the USFS. You provide a flexible, try-something-new frame of mind. Be willing to earn scrapes and bumps and possibly wear out the knees or seat of your pants. Return to your daily life with limbered-up muscles and the satisfaction of being part of keeping a wilderness trail accessible. Browse the BWAC Meetup site for current trips.

• BWAC Leadership. It is with mixed feelings that I announced my retirement from BWAC presidency effective July 31, 2022. BWAC often measures accomplishments in numbers of trees cut and trail miles cleared, but it’s my fellow volunteers, working in the crannies of their personal and professional lives, that have given me the steam to guide this great nonprofit for over two years. BWAC leadership and trail volunteers, BWAC sponsors and those who donate goods and services to our cause, our other trail allies with missions to steward trails in the BWCAW, and our public service colleagues at the Superior National Forest, USFS—I can’t express how many individuals caring about trails make for the best of friends and the best of conservancy. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

• Stay tuned for more club announcements. The BWAC Board of Directors is excited to be welcoming a new President in the coming weeks. We are lucky to have an experienced backpacker, long-standing trail advocate, and active BWAC volunteer stepping up to lead BWAC for the coming term.

• BWAC in the news—in case you missed the story. BWAC has been keeping trails on the map since our establishment as a 501(c)(3) in 2002. We advocate for all trails in the BWCAW with our current priority still on the fire-damaged Powwow Trail north of Isabella, MN. Last October 30, 2021, more than fifty supporters made the trek to the Powwow Trailhead to celebrate Ten Years of Powwow Trail Restoration and Forest Recovery. The sun shone; the speakers were top-notch; the cake and cocoa were delectable. Many attendees experienced the first mile of trail on a hike to the Isabella River bridge. The celebration was hosted by BWAC in collaboration with the land manager, the Superior National Forest. KBJR6, Duluth NBC affiliate, story and video here.

Leading BWAC for me has been about the trails, and about the people. I am grateful for your trust and support, whether you are a past or future wilderness trail advocate. Call or email me at Susan.Pollock@BoundaryWatersTrails.org with questions, to find out more about how you can help, or to say hello.

Sincerely,

Susan Pollock

Immediate Past President

The Boundary Waters Advisory Committee (BWAC)

www.BoundaryWatersTrails.org

Fall News

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)

Summer News from the Boundary Waters Advisory Committee

Greetings Friends of Boundary Waters Trails,

Summer is progressing and I hope we are all finding ways to ease back into enjoying social activities. Here is the latest news from the Boundary Waters Advisory Committee.

BWAC Picnic Wednesday, July 28. BWAC is pleased to announce a long-awaited in-person event coming up Wednesday, July 28, at Afton State Park. We’d like to see you!

All are welcome—past and present volunteers, would-be-volunteers, friends, family, find-out-more-about wilderness trails-outdoor enthusiasts—to attend a casual summer meet and greet. This is a bring-your-own picnic dinner. BWAC will provide beverages, charcoal for the grill, and wood for a campfire.

Help BWAC plan for a dozen or one hundred attendees. For event details and to RSVP, visit the BWAC meetup site here: https://www.meetup.com/Friends-of-BWCA-Trails/events/279367581/

Fall 2021 Trips. Your help is needed on the Powwow Trail. Volunteer crew leaders are busy coordinating calendars and routes for fall trips. We love to hike in the fall and you will, too. BWAC will get you up and running (ok...walking with a pack and a hand saw or lopper) whether you haven’t yet been to the Boundary Waters or you are an experienced visitor. Stay tuned to Meetup for trip announcements later this month.

Spring 2021 trips wrap. A huge thank you to the sixty trail volunteers who swarmed the Powwow this past spring. We couldn’t do it without you. The trail is in the most hikable condition since prior to the 2011 Pagami Creek Fire; some long-timers report the tread is even more hikeable thanks to the many dozens of BWAC crew members working hard to keep the Powwow safe and accessible.

Minnesota’s BWCAW wilderness trails belong to all of us. BWAC has been stewarding wilderness trails in the BWCAW with integrity, hard work, and fun for almost twenty years. 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.

I hope to see you at the BWAC picnic on July 28, or on trail this autumn.

Sincerely,

Susan Pollock
President
The Boundary Waters Advisory Committee (BWAC)

Friends of BWCA Trails: Spring 2021 President's Message

Greetings, Meetup/Friends-of-BWCA-Trails Members,

Spring is in the air across Minnesota, and BWAC’s long awaited clearing season is well underway. As I write this letter, three clearing crews are dispersed on the Powwow Trail and BWAC’s tenth and final spring trip departs this Thursday, May 20.

Spring Boundary Waters Advisory Committee (BWAC) highlights—

• Volunteers on trail. BWAC is continuing to clear downed trees and new growth on the historic Powwow Trail in the BWCAW. Ten clearing trips, a total of 57 volunteers, were organized for spring 2021. Two of the most remote, uncleared segments of the trail—from Superstition to Mirror Lakes on the west, and the beautiful South Wilder Lake campsite vicinity on the loop north—have been cleared or are finally being cleared this weekend.

• Hiking is Hip. You’ve heard the news. Many of us were eager to get away to the woods and lakes to help preserve our health and sanity during 2020. Entry permits for the BWCAW were way up in 2020. In-season canoeing permits increased by 25% and in-season hiking permits increased by an astounding 86% from 2019 to 2020. You can find more detailed data here: USDA Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Superior National Forest Permit & Visitor Use Report 2016-2020.

• Latrines on the Loose. Campsites are coming. The U.S. Forest Service and BWAC are working together to return designated camping locations to the Powwow Trail. Eight campsites along the loop were incinerated in the 2011 Pagami Creek fire. Many thousands of volunteer hours have now opened the trail, but hazard trees remain at campsite locations, and latrines need to be installed. BWAC crews have moved toadstool latrines and skids to three locations; the digging and tree felling by the USFS is expected in the coming months.

• BWAC can help you help a trail this fall. Planning has already begun for fall maintenance trips. As a Meetup/Friends-of-BWCA-Trails member, you will receive notification of events and clearing trips as they are announced. I hope you can make time to join a fall crew and experience the hard work and rewards of keeping a wilderness trail accessible and safe.

Trails don’t maintain themselves. I am privileged to work with committed BWAC leadership, to know many of our current trail volunteers, and to extend the BWAC mission to potential volunteers. Thank you for your interest and support of BWAC and of trails in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Whether you volunteer to maintain a wilderness trail with BWAC or hike your own hike, may you find a way to connect with the woods this summer or fall.

Sincerely,

Susan Pollock

President

The Boundary Waters Advisory Committee

www.BoundaryWatersTrails.org

About the Boundary Waters Advisory Committee (BWAC). BWAC is an all-volunteer Minnesota nonprofit, established in 2002. The BWAC mission is to preserve existing historic and intrinsically beautiful trails in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness of the Superior National Forest. BWAC volunteers maintain trails in the BWCAW under a signed agreement with the U.S. Forest Service. Learn more at www.BoundaryWatersTrails.org.

Please visit and support major BWAC sponsors:

• Kawishiwi Lodge and Lake One Outfitters (Ely, MN)

• Keith Myrmel maps

• Kollath Graphic Design (Duluth, MN)

• Lake Superior Trading Post (Grand Marais, MN)

• Midwest Mountaineering Outdoor Store (Minneapolis, MN)

• Piragis Northwoods Company (Ely, MN)

• Trailtopia™ Adventure Food

December Greetings from the Boundary Waters Advisory Committee

Dear BWAC Volunteers and Friends,

 As 2020 comes to a close, I want to thank each of you for supporting BWAC’s mission of advocating for and preserving BWCAW trails in the Superior National Forest. The dedication and warmth of our members was more apparent than ever during the unpredictable months of 2020. Whether you were able to join one of our work crews, were an administrative helper, walked a Boundary Waters trail in 2020, or spread the word about our nonprofit, thank you for paying forward to Boundary Waters trails.

Boundary Waters Advisory Committee (BWAC) 2020 highlights:

• Early in the year, BWAC reorganized our Board of Directors and steering committee relationship to more clearly reflect our obligations as a healthy 501c3 Minnesota nonprofit. June saw another transition with the semi-retirement of BWAC president and founder, Martin Kubik.

• Seventy of you attended the BWAC 2020 Annual Meeting and Dinner held February 6 at the Bloomington REI, featuring our annual report and keynote speaker Cary Griffith.

• BWAC was unable to hold our traditional “y’all come” April orientation and spring training, but organizers scrambled to produce our first-ever virtual crew leader and crew member training modules. We did a darn good job: 2020 was another injury-free trail season with well-prepared backpackers and canoeists.

• Seventy-two individuals—four times more than volunteered in all of 2016—registered for a spring work crew before StayHomeMN shut down the BWCAW and all trips were canceled.

• The long-awaited Powwow Trail Hiker guide was published in print-on-demand format on the BWAC website, www.BoundaryWatersTrails.org.

• Eager to be back in the woods, 88 volunteers—twenty-two work crews—swarmed the Powwow this summer and fall clearing brush and cutting treefall. The trail corridor you have cleared since 2012 is almost completely defined. Thanks in large part to our active website and facebook presence featuring trail conditions and news from the Powwow, nearly every work crew saw other hikers and backpackers using the trail.

• 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.

• The BWAC volunteer appreciation event was held December 2 and attended by nearly fifty BWAC members, volunteers, sponsors and USFS rangers. You can find a video replay of the event here. Door prizes were donated by Trailtopia™ Foods, Midwest Mountaineering Outdoor Store, Keith Myrmel Maps, and BWAC member Rick Kloetzke.

• Congratulations to BWAC shared drive and BWAC website manager, navigation boss, and crew leader Zach Thorson who received the 2020 BWAC volunteer of the year award. Thank you, Zach, for all you do!

BWAC has a modest annual budget but we do depend on trip registrations, donations, and corporate match volunteers for expenses such as tools, maps, printing, website hosting, etc. A shout out to employees of 3M, Medtronic, and EcoLab who chose to match their volunteer hours this year with a cash donation from their employer to BWAC. We are grateful and the dollars will be responsibly spent. Tax-exempt donations from individuals are always welcome and can be made through GiveMN or a check mailed to The Boundary Waters Advisory Committee, 309 Cedar Ave. S., Minneapolis MN 55454. No gift is too big or too small.

BWAC will be back with spring trips in 2021. I hope you can make time to join a crew. If you are a Meetup/Friends-of-BWCA-Trails member you will receive notifications of our events and volunteer opportunities. We plan to offer survey trips, clearing trips, and are looking forward to collaboration with our trail partner, the U.S. Forest Service, in re-opening campsites along the Powwow Trail.

Not everyone can volunteer every year or even more than once, but each of us can tell a neighbor or colleague about the remarkable trails in the BWCAW, and about the rewards of helping to preserve them. Share what you know about wilderness trails. If you are lucky enough to be part of a crew in 2021, trust that you will have a story to tell next December, “How I helped save a Boundary Waters hiking trail.”

Best wishes for a peaceful and Happy New Year,

Susan Pollock

President

and the BWAC Leadership Team

The Boundary Waters Advisory Committee

www.BoundaryWatersTrails.org

BWAC Fall News and Notes

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

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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)

July Update :: Trips and More!

Dear BWAC members and Meetup/Friends-of-Trails,

 I hope that late July finds your and your loved ones in good health. BWAC is alive and well and will be getting back on trail with clearing crews this fall. Here is what’s been up with the club:

The Powwow Trail—current conditions. Spring and summer reports confirm that the Powwow remains the toughest trail in the BWCAW, but Boundary Waters Advisory Committee (BWAC) volunteers have made the Powwow increasingly navigable for experienced hikers. Thousands of massive tree fall tangles and unsafe, confusing post-fire growth have been largely removed.

2020 Spring and Summer clearing and surveys. Special thanks to all new and returning volunteers who had registered for our May clearing trips. The pandemic shut the door on what are traditionally optimal work days in the Boundary Waters—long daylength, insignificant foliage, crisp working weather. A couple dozen club members, and several groups or individuals we have learned about through the BWAC facebook page, visited the trail May-July. Winter damage was minimal. Priority segments for major clearing remain. Eighty percent of the trail, while navigable, needs clearing to U.S. Forest Service standards for a safer and more enjoyable wilderness experience.

Coming up—fall trips. We invite you to experience a hands-on, play-in-the-dirt environmental stewardship clearing trip this fall with BWAC. Our crew leadership is hashing out dates and routes right now for September and October clearing trips. Crews will be smaller and volunteers will be social distancing, but we expect a variety of trips and that many outdoor enthusiasts will be eager to be in the wilderness.

Tromp the tread! Trails are better defined and maintained when hikers and backpackers use them. As the Powwow sees more use, BWAC is working with our trail partner and Superior National Forest land manager, the US Forest Service, to prioritize locations for restoration of safe, hygienic campsites along the 30 mile trail.

Local events and hikes. Watch for local hikes during August posted on the BWAC meetup site, https://www.meetup.com/Friends-of-BWCA-Trails. Register for a hike to meet experienced volunteers or thinking-about-but-want-to-know more-potential volunteers, and to find out what happens before and during a BWAC trip.

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

Volunteer Group Declares BWCAW Powwow Trail Rescued; More Work Ahead.

Minneapolis, MN. Minneapolis based non-profit, the Boundary Waters Advisory Committee (BWAC), had to table plans to put more than eighty volunteers to work on the Powwow Trail in the Boundary Waters this past May. Instead, two small crews ventured on the Powwow over Memorial Day weekend, concerned that winter had left a slew of tree falls blocking the trail again since the destruction of the Pagami Creek Fire in 2011.

“We were pleasantly surprised after tallying tree falls along the 30 miles long wilderness trail,” said Susan Pollock, BWAC’s new president. “We counted only 1,300 tree falls across the trail, and even more rewarding for our volunteers, we met three groups of backpackers along the way. We expected to find double that number of tree falls. Meeting backpackers on the trail interior--unheard of in the past five years--is a testimonial to BWAC work crews finding and clearing the impassable path over many seasons.”

BWAC has organized volunteers in both the Twin Cities and in Duluth for the past several years to rescue the Powwow. The effort is paying off. Organizers believe that they have turned the corner: the trail is now more welcoming as maintenance becomes increasingly manageable. In 2019 alone, BWAC recruited more than 180 volunteers to clear the path of dead trees and new growth. The number of dead standing trees is dwindling, but there is still more work ahead. BWAC is now working to develop screening and social distancing protocols with a goal of calling on volunteers for late summer and fall work crews.

Now that the trail is passable, BWAC is working with the US Forest Service to rehabilitate several closed campsites. Fire grates from eight campsites have survived, but new latrines and removal of hazard trees for safe camping are needed. There are also plans to replace an aging log crossing at a Powwow Trail interior destination, Diana Lake.

Hot summer months are not the best time to backpack the Powwow, but there are still opportunities to venture on the trail from the parking area at Isabella Lake; or from the portage from Lake Three to Horseshoe Lake, where a wilderness hike will now bring you to breathtaking views at either Rock of Ages or North Wilder Lakes.

Fall will be an easier time to circumnavigate this challenging trail. Most backpackers will be able to complete the loop in three to five days on what is undoubtedly the toughest wilderness trail in BWCAW if not in the Midwest. To make that challenge easier, volunteer organizers are busy this summer writing and preparing a hiker’s guide to the Powwow Trail. It will be posted on the club website and available for free to the public. Treefall density maps and other trip planning tools will be posted on the BWAC website in July, at www.BoundaryWatersTrails.org.

BWA Committee is a non-professional non-profit founded in 2002. Its mission is to preserve the existing historic and intrinsically beautiful trails in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness of the Superior National Forest.  BWAC volunteers maintain hiking trails in the Boundary Waters under Volunteer Service Agreement with the USDA Forest Service.

Spring Trips Cancelled & Ongoing Advocacy

Dear Members,

Many of you are probably awaiting news about what will happen with BWAC May trips. As the COVID-19 situation is evolving from day to day, it has not been easy to forecast the future. The BWAC Board of Directors met on April 7 with May trail clearing trips at the top of the agenda. The board heard the advice of our volunteer attorney, suggestions on mitigating risks from a BWAC member who is also a physician, and decided that even if the MN Stay Home order was lifted, to cancel the trips in order to protect the volunteers and potentially, the communities we visit. Trip participants will be able to get a complete refund, or credit the registration toward future trips or make a tax-exempt donation to BWAC by contacting their crew leaders.

There is good news too. BWAC recently signed a Volunteer Service Agreement (VSA) with the U.S. Forest Service. This agreement allows BWAC to maintain the Powwow Trail for the next three years. What’s more, the Forest Service is very impressed by the magnitude of the BWAC volunteers’ accomplishments on the Powwow Trail and indicated that they will begin working on several improvements on the PWT this spring. Based on our discussion, we hope that the campsites will be restored or replaced within three years.

Another positive fact is that last year, BWAC completed cutting 99.9% of jack pines from the trail. Were those jack pines not removed from five miles of trail, we would need to devote 3-4 crews just to clear much bigger pines from trail this fall.

What are the future plans? We hope that as the plague subsides, to engage in small group survey hikes on the Powwow to determine which trail segments will need most work after winter storms. Depending on the Governor’s order and directions we may organize crews of 4-5 in summer to lower the health risk. And we are all looking to go on trips starting Labor Day weekend and through October.

Your enthusiasm, the engine that drives volunteer organizations like BWAC, is high. This was manifested by having all but one of eight trips filled to capacity--67 registrations--and again on April 9 when thirty-three volunteers attended the crew member training via Hangouts video conference. Keep your spirits high and look forward to trips later this summer and fall, because in addition to volunteering, BWAC has one hundred Powwow Trail maps/bandannas to give away to 2020 crews.

Thank you for keeping in touch and we will communicate with you again before the end of April, when we may be able to tentatively schedule local hikes.

Regards,
Martin Kubik, BWA Committee, Founder and President