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.
BWAC Spring Orientation Moves to Online
BWAC is less than one month away from our first spring trip, and a world away from plans and hopes launched in January. BWAC leadership now meets virtually, and the 2020 spring crew orientation will be online. Plan to log in on April 9th at 6:00 p.m. for trail and club presentations. Enjoy a few moments imagining yourself in the wilderness, whether you will be visiting the trail this spring or in the future.
Hello Volunteers and Friends of the BWCA Trails,
Prioritizing the safety of our members and volunteers is integral to the Boundary Waters Advisory Committee (BWAC) mission of preserving historic trails in the BWCAW. In light of the unprecedented spread of COVID-19, we have initiated steps to minimize our exposure to the virus. On March 18, 2020, the BWAC Trail Committee conducted our scheduled meeting by remote conference, a first for us. Here are the highlights of the meeting and how the spread of the corona virus could impact BWAC activities:
March News from BWAC and invite to Kick-Off
New Year Message to BWAC Volunteers
Happy New Year to you. In this New Year’s message I want to share our past accomplishments and a glimpse into BWAC 2020 plans. Last year was nothing short of extraordinary. More than 185 volunteers cleared 25 miles of treefalls. The jack pines that proliferated after the Pagami Creek fire, and reached 12-16 feet in eight years, have been cut from the entire trail and no longer obscure the path. For the first time since 2016, several groups of backpackers have been able to hike the entire loop.
Volunteers Are Making Progress to Restore the Powwow Hiking Trail in BWCAW
“Backpackers and hunters alike have prized the Powwow Trail for its solitude and number of campsites that can’t be reached by a canoe. This year, on the 40th anniversary of the BWCA Wilderness Act of 1978, volunteers are working hard to make this legacy trail hikeable again for our and future generations,” said Martin Kubik, founder and president of the Boundary Waters Advisory Committee (BWA Committee).
Wilderness Backpacking Kickoff
BWAC Celebrates 15 Years of Hiking Trail Stewardship, Education and Advocacy
Minneapolis, Minnesota – Boundary Waters Advisory Committee (BWAC) 15th anniversary celebration kicks off with talk from noted author Stephen Wilbers. The event was well attended including representatives from allied hiking trails and clubs including the Kekekabic Trail Chapter of North County Trail, Border Route Trail Association, 3M Outdoor Club and Wilderness in the City. The event emphasized the value of wilderness spaces and the importance of preserving them.
Volunteers Clear Hiking Trail in Boundary Waters in Time for National Trails Day
Minneapolis, Minnesota – At their own expense, spending personal vacation days and driving over 400 miles round trip, three crews of nine people each, spent several days in the BWCA clearing the Pow Wow Trail in May to open the trail for the AHS National Trails Day. Trail stewardship volunteers performed the difficult work of removing the hundreds of trees that fall across the trail each year using only hand tools, large pruning shears and hand saws. The work was made tougher due to the large number of tree falls from the Pagami creek fire which occurred six years ago.
BWCA Wilderness Backpackers Hold "Kickoff" Workshop at Lebanon Hills Regional Park
Minneapolis, Minnesota - Close to fifty backpackers and Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) enthusiasts spent an afternoon together last weekend at the beautiful Camp Sacajawea Retreat Center, tucked into the trails and woods of Lebanon Hills Regional Park in Apple Valley, Minnesota. Veteran trail advocates captivated the audience with presentations on the North Country Trail, the Kekekabic Trail, the Border Route Trail, the Powwow Trail, and an educational slide show, “What Happens on a Trail Clearing Trip.” Listeners learned about trail conditions, plans for volunteer clearing trips, and were encouraged to get out and hike some of the over 200 miles of BWCAW trails. The event was sponsored by the Boundary Waters Advisory Committee (BWAC), a non-profit all-volunteer organization established in 2002 to promote BWCAW trails through advocacy, education of the public, and organizing trail clearing trips in Minnesota’s wilderness.