Outfitters Say Plan Early for a Great Summer Trip
by Alissa Johnson

The Forest Service has reduced quotas for six entry points into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) as a result of the Pagami Creek Wildfire, but local outfitters say it’s no reason to stay away. Visitors might feel the pinch during peak times of the summer, but with planning, the Boundary Waters will still be accessible this summer. Here’s what you need to know:

Outfitters See Little Reason for Worry

Jim Blauch, who co-owns Moose Track Adventures with is wife Joan, said the closures will prevent them from using a “perfect” 4-day, 3-night trip in the Isabella Lake Area. But because it’s not a permanent closure, he does not see it as a major concern.

“I don’t think it’s going to really affect anybody. They’re not decreasing quotas by all that many, and they have included a few at other entry points. I think it’s going to all work out in the wash,” Blauch said.

Steve Nelson, owner and guide at Spirit of the Wilderness, believes the reduction in quotas will shift use of the wilderness around. People will start and end their trips in different places, but the quota reduction will not dramatically reduce the number of visitors. Traditionally, he said, the Isabella Lake area is a great place to find permits when availability elsewhere is low. So that pinch might be felt during the peak of the season—the last week of July and the first two weeks of August. The bigger impact might be seen at Lake One.

“There are a couple of permits that you have to travel all the way through to Insula with no overnight camping on Lake One, Two, Three or Four. That will change the dynamics and force people to start earlier in the day. It’ll be a long day going in or out,” Nelson said.

That might be fine for paddlers heading into the interior, who are used to long travel days and can handle the distance. But groups that are new to the BWCAW or want to travel a shorter distance could be affected.

“They might not find as many as campsites as they anticipate,” Nelson said. “But the number the Forest Service has restricted is, relatively speaking, just a handful.”

The key to enjoying the BWCAW this summer? Simply plan ahead.

What BWCAW visitors will see:

At first glance, the idea of paddling through a burn area might not appeal to visitors. But there is another, more optimistic view to be had regarding the Pagami Creek Fire: visitors to the BWCAW this summer and in the coming years will have the chance to watch the natural and necessary process of forest regeneration. In many ways, fire leads to a healthier more fire resistant forest. Nelson has seen photographs showing that when the Pagami Creek Fire reached previously burned areas, it stopped. There simply wasn’t enough fuel for the fire to spread any further. And fire boosts the biodiversity of the forest, too.

"I think we’ll find that with the fire that came through, it is going to revitalize the area. We’re going to see more moose, more deer, more grouse, other smaller mammals. It is really is going to be more vegetatively diverse. It’s going to take a number of years but, it’s going to be a fun area to watch,” Nelson said.

Nelson is so interested in the effects of the Pagami Creek Fire that he's offering paddlers the opportunity to study it first hand. This summer, he's hosting an eco-tour called "The Changing Northwoods: Up-close & Hands-on." Participants will spend the week of August 25-September 1 at Smitty's on Snowbank resort, studying the role of fire in northern Minnesota with nationally acclaimed experts. You can also catch Nelson at Canoecopia in Madison, Wisconsin, where he'll present on the Pagami Creek Fire.

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