Earth Day Overnight Recap
Much fun was had this past weekend at our Earth Day overnight event at William Obrien State Park. We were joined by many friends - some new, some old - despite the below-freezing overnight temps! We talked backpacking gear, adventure, and volunteering safely in the BWCAW.
Much fun was had this past weekend at our Earth Day overnight event at William Obrien State Park. We were joined by many friends - some new, some old - despite the below-freezing overnight temps! We talked backpacking gear, adventure, and volunteering safely in the BWCAW.
2023 Crew Member Training Success!
We were thrilled to have a full house for our Crew Member Orientation in getting volunteers prepped for upcoming spring clearing trips in the BWCAW. If you missed it, the recording is on our FaceBook page.
https://fb.watch/jV4kNELRVq/
We were thrilled to have a full house for our Crew Member Orientation in getting volunteers prepped for upcoming spring clearing trips in the BWCAW. If you missed it, the recording is on our FaceBook page.
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
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
Wilderness Backpacking Kickoff
Event kicks off the 2018 hiking season in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Keynote speaker, Jason Zabokrtsky, will present on bushwacking the Boundary Waters without a boat, an 80+ mile point to point off-trail hike through the Quetico and BWCA.
Boundary Waters Advisory Committee hosts 2018 wilderness backpacking kickoff, honoring the 40th anniversary of the signing of the 1978 BWCA Wilderness Act
WHAT: Event kicks off the 2018 hiking season in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Keynote speaker, Jason Zabokrtsky, will present on bushwacking the Boundary Waters without a boat, an 80+ mile point to point off-trail hike through the Quetico and BWCA.
WHO: BWAC is a Minnesota non-profit established in 2002 with the Mission “To preserve historical and intrinsically beautiful trails in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness of the Superior National Forest.”
WHERE: Camp Sacajawea Retreat Center, Lebanon Hills, 5121 McAndrews Rd, Apple Valley, MN
WHEN: Saturday, March 10, 2018, 12:00 to 3:00 pm.
WHY: Increase awareness of the history and condition of hiking trails in the BWCA Wilderness and celebrate 40 years of hiking history.
AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS:
Jason Zabokrtsky, Founder, Ely Outfitting Company
Martin Kubik, President, Boundary Waters Advisory Committee
Susan Pollock, Vice President, BWAC and Trail Stewardship Crew Leader