2024 Spring Crew Member Training

Almost 60 volunteers looking to assist the BWAC organization with trail clearing, attended the Spring Crew Member Orientation and Safety Training this past Tuesday evening at the REI Bloomington location.

The event covered topics such as who is the Boundary Waters Advisory Committee (BWAC), and gave an overview of the Powwow, Sioux-Hustler, Eagle Mountain, and Brule Lake trails that the organization maintains in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW).

Members of the organization also coached volunteers who signed up for Spring trips, on what happens after registering– such as meeting up for a crew hike, gear needed, tools, safety and what life on the trail looks like as a volunteer.

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