Press Release: Duluth Chapter Events
BWAC News Release 2023
For Immediate Release:
March 21, 2023
Trail clearing workshops to learn about Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness hiking trail work with an opportunity to volunteer on a trip to Eagle Mountain this spring.
Open to the public:
What: Our BWCA Hiking and Backpacking Trails (and what’s in my pack?)
When: Wednesday, April 5, 6-7:30 pm
Place: Frost River, 1910 W. Superior St. Duluth
What: Volunteer wilderness trail safety and standards training
When: Thursday April 20, 6-7:30 pm
Place: Frost River, 1910 W. Superior St. Duluth
——After Training——
Saturday May 6 all day: Eagle Mountain Trail clearing day trip with BWAC and Frost River
Exciting Spring news from the Duluth chapter of the Boundary Waters Advisory Committee.
Thanks to successful work, BWAC was recently given a new opportunity - the responsibility to maintain the Eagle Mountain Trail in Northeast Minnesota. The group is asking you to join them on the trail.
BWAC has been working in the BWCA for the last twenty years to reopen the heavily damaged Powwow Trail. That trail had been ravaged by the Pagami Creek wildfire in 2011. Since that time, BWAC volunteers have been hiking deep into the wilderness to clean up literally thousands of charred deadfalls that blocked the 30 mile hiking trail each spring after winter storms, using only hand saws.
New this year the U.S. Forest Service has expanded the BWA Committee’s charter to do more trail work in the wilderness, the Eagle Mountain and Sioux Hustler trails.
Eagle Mountain is the most visited trail in the Boundary Waters, so it is a privilege that the Forest Service expanded BWAC’s operating area to include Eagle Mountain.
The summit is the highest point in Minnesota and remained unknown until the 1960’s when the peak was discovered as the state’s tallest at 2,301 feet above sea level and only 15 miles from Minnesota’s lowest elevation, Lake Superior at 600 feet.
“Martin Kubik will share photos, maps, stories and more about the Kekekabic, Powwow, Sioux Hustler and Eagle Mountain/Brule Lake trails.”
The April 5 presentation will also include a hiking Mini Workshop: Tiffanie Ellis will show "What's in My Pack", gear and clothing items for a safe day trip in the Boundary Waters wilderness.”
Reporters will like the visual of Tiffanie’s pack.
Presenters Bios:
Martin Kubik is the founder of the Boundary Waters Advisory Committee (BWA Committee) and the Kekekabic Trail Club. He is a lifelong advocate for the BWCAW hiking trails and recipient of several environmental awards. Retired after a 39 year career at 3M Co., Martin enjoys hiking, outdoor adventures and sewing camping gear.
Tiffanie Ellis, is a middle school teacher in Duluth and member of the Duluth Chapter of the BWA Committee. She is an avid BWCAW backpacker and volunteer maintenance crew leader for the BWA Committee.
Rob Bowe has been an avid outdoorsman for several years, exploring the Adirondacks, and Algonquin mountains to desert canyons in Colorado, and now the Boundary Waters and Quetico. He is retired from a 33 year IT career, and teaches Yoga when he's not helping out BWAC.
BWAC - The Boundary Advisory Committee is a nonprofit 501(c)3 volunteer organization with active chapters in Duluth and the Twin Cities. It was founded in 2001 by Martin Kubik who also started the Kekekabic Trail Club. The BWA Committee works under volunteer service agreement with the USDA Forest Service. In 2022 BWAC volunteers contributed more than 9,000 hours worth more than quarter million dollars to maintain the Powwow Trail in the Superior National Forest.
Details on all these events can be found at:
Duluth Chapter of BWAC (Duluth, MN) | Meetup
https://www.meetup.com/Duluth-Chapter-of-BWAC/
For more information:
Press contact: Martin Kubik
Email: martin.kubik@boundarywaterstrails.org
Cell: 651-214-5849 c
Events contact:
Email: duluthchapter@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