9/11/09 – At this time of year, when sad memories have been on our minds, it is always good to enjoy a paddle in the wilderness – remembering those who are gone – and finding sweetness in the joy that they found in wilderness. – Bill

Cindy, Phoebe, Roy and Homer drifting in a beautiful canoe built by Joe Seliga.

A white pine silhouetted by a towering cumulus cloud.

9/6/09 – The White House has declared September National Wilderness Month. From the press release:

The American wilderness has inspired wonder and imagination for centuries and is an irreplaceable part of our Nation’s heritage.
Even before the birth of the United States, visitors from near and far were struck by its splendor and purity. The unaltered American landscape stood apart from any other in the world. During the years of westward expansion, the wilderness frontier became synonymous with pioneer values of steadfastness and rugged independence. This month, we celebrate this history and renew our commitment to preserving the American wilderness for future generations.
Forty-five years ago, the United States achieved a landmark success in protecting these magnificent wild spaces. The Congress passed and President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Wilderness Act, which sought to secure “for the American people of present and future generations the benefits of an enduring resource of wilderness.” The Act has been widely recognized as one of our Nation’s most important conservation laws. This law and the National Wilderness Preservation System it established have served as a model for wilderness protection laws in many of our States and in countries around the world.
The vision and structure established in the Wilderness Act continue to receive broad support. This pioneering law created a framework for bringing Federal public lands under additional protection. Over the past 45 years, the Congress has enacted numerous laws extending wilderness protection to vast swaths of public lands. These laws have enjoyed bipartisan support. Ranchers and anglers, small-business owners and conservationists, and Americans of diverse backgrounds have come together to preserve many of our Nation’s most cherished public spaces.
My Administration has already demonstrated a commitment to protecting our wilderness heritage. On March 30, 2009, I signed the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, which established the most recent additions to our Wilderness System. As my Administration continues to prioritize wilderness protection, we will work closely with the Congress, organizations, and private citizens to ensure that all stakeholders can make their voices heard. United by a common purpose of preserving our precious natural spaces and our wilderness heritage, we will ensure that future generations inherit the unique gift of knowing nature’s peace.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 2009 as National Wilderness Month. I call upon all Americans to visit and enjoy our wilderness areas, learn more about our wilderness heritage, and explore what can be done to protect and preserve these precious national treasures.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this third day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.

Article printed from The Gov Monitor: http://thegovmonitor.com
URL to article: http://thegovmonitor.com/world_news/united_states/white-house-declare-september-as-national-wilderness-month-3284.html

9/4/09 – JoAnn (Seliga) Nilsen stopped in for a surprise visit the other day. If you recognize her maiden name, it’s probably because it’s the same as a popular model of canoe we rent called the Bell Seliga. The Seliga’s namesake was Joe Seliga, a renowned Ely canoe shaper, and JoAnn’s father.
JoAnn was out for a drive with her husband and noticed the canoes in our lot. When she introduced herself, Clare showed her the original wood and canvas Seliga the Hansens keep in the dome for special occasions. JoAnn was excited to see one still in service, but said she has 11 (count ’em! – 11) of her own originals.
When asked what she thought about Bell reviving her dad’s hull design, she said, “They’re great canoes to paddle, what can I say?” – Lee

JoAnn (Seliga) Nilsen, and her husband pose with the Bell Seligas out back.

9/2/09 – Sawbill celebrated Mary Alice Hansen’s 86th birthday Tuesday with a picnic by the landing and birthday cake in the office. For those who don’t remember, or others who just don’t know, Mary Alice and husband Frank started Sawbill Canoe Outfitters more than half a century ago. They’ve since passed the family business along and moved into town, but it’s always great to see the pair back at Sawbill, their natural habitat. – Lee

Mary Alice makes a birthday wish.

Bill, Frank and Mary Alice share a laugh at the picnic.

8/31/09 – My brother Jay and I found a walleye hole early one morning on Knife Lake during a recent canoe trip, our first one together in eight years. He put two on the stringer in a span of ten minutes. I had one get off the hook next to the boat just as I was about to net it. Ten minutes later Jay hooked into another one and landed it successfully. Just as he was getting it out of the net and unhooking it, I heard him say four unsettling words: Where is the stringer? My brother…probably not a multi-tasker. “I thought you had it,” I said. “I did.” “Well then, where did it go?”
The next few sentences that came out of our mouths shouldn’t be heard in mixed company. Finally, Jay regained some composure. “There it is!” His finger directed my eyes down into eight feet of crystal clear water toward a thin white line lingering on the bottom near shore where the boat had drifted during the landing process. The fish were drifting there languidly too. He started taking off his shoes, but hesitantly. “No, I’ll go,” I said. I was wearing sandals and lightweight nylon clothing. He had on canvas and cotton. I knew he wasn’t as canoe-nimble as I and trusted myself to make a smooth open-water exit better than he would, plus, I had to redeem myself after losing a fish next to the boat.
My sights fixed fast to the stringer below, I stood up in the bow, placed my hands on opposing gunwales, picked my feet up and pushed the canoe out from under me. I remember a cool splash and the sound of churning water. My eyes opened and found, not three feet away, a blurry vision of a stringer of walleyes. I grabbed the rope and sprang off the lake bottom toward the surface.
“I got it!” I screamed, as I exited the water. I had the stringer of fish held high above my head triumphantly. He chuckled. “Stop yelling and get back in the boat. You’re going to spook rest of the fish.”
I swam toward shore with the fish and Jay met me there with the canoe. I gave him the stringer. “Watch it this time.” I got in the bow and turned around and looked at him. He started laughing. I started laughing. Realizing what had just happened, we couldn’t help it. After sharing a sigh of relief, we fished another fifteen minutes or so until the sun peaked over the treeline and then we headed in for breakfast. The most satisfying kind.
This Boundary Waters trip with Jay was a long time coming. He brought me on my first trip, through Sawbill, almost eight years ago. For a long time I thought I owed this trip to him. But, no. Fishing stories, a view of the Milky Way, moon rises, paddling through whitecaps into headwinds, loon calls, the smell of a campfire and a pancake breakfast during blueberry season as the dew burns off the leaves around the campsite – these experiences aren’t a currency to be owed. They are something greater, whether a tradition, a pastime, a job, or a way of life. Our debt is not to each other, but to the land. And we owe it to ourselves to keep coming back. – Lee

My half dry clothes in my hands after we returned to camp. A stringer between us. All smiles.

Jay’s friend Wally picks up a nice pike on Kingfisher Lake.

The snapping turtle that tried to steal our dinner on Hanson Lake.

Campsite on Hanson Lake. Thanks to Levi Rinker for taking pictures.

8/29/09 – Cool, wet conditions in late summer have prompted some visually arresting weather phenomena lately. On a recent trip in the Lady Chain Ronald Olson and friends experienced it. Olson’s traveling companion Brad snapped a few choice shots. The breaks in the clouds provided just enough highlight to send Brad home with a nice new album for his photo blog.
We’ve had plenty of rain lately, yet it appears the clouds might be breaking. Things are looking bright for Labor Day weekend. The 5-day extended forecast calls for cool clear nights and warm sunny afternoons working up to the holiday. – Lee

A picturesque paddle through the fog.

A flock of pelicans gathered on south Alton Lake during a layover from the annual migration. No doubt, they heard about the good walleye fishing.

A rainbow shines against a foreboding backdrop.

8/25/09 – The cool wet summer has left the BWCA Wilderness in beautiful condition as we move into the end of August. Everything is lush and green. People are still finding berries and the fishing has held up well due to cool water temperatures.
There is an extra week in the season this year because the Memorial Day weekend was the earliest possible and Labor Day weekend is the latest possible. Almost all entry points are open for next week, so if you are dreaming of a spur of the moment Boundary Waters trip, now is the time.
September permits are still wide open too, once we get past the few days leading up to Labor Day weekend. Many people feel that September is the best time for a wilderness canoe trip. The weather is still mostly summer-like, the foliage is gorgeous, fishing improves, there are no bugs and fewer people.
You can check permit availability and reserve entry permits online at: Recreation.gov.
As always, feel free to email or call us for any help you need with planning. – Bill

8/21/09 – Just thought I would let you know I wore my favorite Sawbill t-shirt while visiting the Taj Mahal this summer. – Steve Hagen

8/20/09 – As a contrast to the first time travelers below, we received this nice email from one of our most experienced groups:
It’s good to hear from folks entering the BWCA for the first time. It’s impossible to have a bad experience – especially with support from a good outfitter. We’re not sure how long we’ve been coming through Sawbill – perhaps 25 years – but we would wager we have about the oldest average age of any current group (we avgd 70 this trip). When I look at the pictures, we don’t have that nice fresh look of Leah and Josh – we look more like escapees from a nursing home. But some things are constant, 5 a.m. fishing, fresh fish and home fries for dinner, clear lakes and peaceful days.
Over the years, we’ve come to expect the unexpected. Seeing a flock of sandhill cranes overhead and a large cat (we think a cougar) were special this year, not to mention the eagle flyby we had on our way out of Jack Lake. As always, we appreciate the great Sawbill service. As we introduce our grandchildren to the BWCA, we hope there will be many more seasons. – Ron Holtman

Assistant chefs Biggio and Briggs.

8/19/09 – Last week, we highlighted the canoe trip of first-time BWCA visitors Joshua and Alethea “Leah” Huyser. Josh and Leah offered to help us describe the familiar Lady Chain Route through the eyes of campers brand new to the BWCA. What follows are excerpts and photos from Josh and Leah’s recent canoe trip.

Day 1 – August 10, 2009. We arrived at Sawbill Outfitters early on Day 1 with a car full of miscellaneous gear. As we unloaded our gear and began to pack up, we felt a bit lost. Although both of us had backpacked before, we were unsure how to approach the unique nature of a canoe trip. With some help from Adam at Sawbill, we soon had our gear packed and headed to Kawishiwi Lake. At the lake shore we loaded up our canoe, took a couple pictures, and headed off into the back country. As the Sawbill van backed away, we faced the wide open country ahead of us. It was incredibly beautiful. We felt both awed and a bit trepidacious. All that water made us feel like fish out of water, or, more precisely, man out of land. But we paddled on, amazed by the pristine surroundings. A brief sprinkle hit as we entered our second lake, Square Lake, but it passed quickly. Before our first portage, Josh threw in a fishing line at Square Lake and caught a small mouth bass–the first fish of our trip. We then landed and began to unpack for our first portage of 20 rods. It was a short portage, and we were a bit discombobulated as we unloaded the canoe. But we figured out a system, hiked the short distance, and shortly relaunched. The sun began to shine, we settled into a routine for portaging, and in no time, we arrived at our destination–Lake Polly. Lake Polly is a stunning alpine-like lake–clear water, small islands scattered throughout, surrounded by large pines. We chose a campsite on the northwest edge of the lake near the mouth of the Kawishiwi River. The campsite was perfect–set out on a rocky point, it was private, quiet, and serene. That night we unpacked and threw in a few fishing lines. As the sun set, we prepared for bed. We fell asleep hearing only the loons across the lake–something we would hear for the remainder of our trip.


Leah wets a line on Lake Polly.

Day 2 – August 11, 2009. We woke up to a sunny morning on Lake Polly. We no longer felt out of place, but rather woke that morning feeling happy and at home. We had decided to spend two nights on Polly and started Day 2 with an early morning fishing trip. We launched the canoe, and before even leaving the bay where our campsite was located, Leah caught a northern approximately 23 inches in length. With dinner secured, we went back to the campsite to make breakfast. Our campsite was full of blueberry bushes, and we gathered blueberries to mix into our pancakes. Yum. After breakfast, we heard a splash. Just across the inlet–no more than 80 yards away, a cow moose and her yearling calf were wading into the lake. After a few minutes the moose headed back inland, and we decided to explore Polly. We spent the morning paddling around the lake, fishing, and collecting firewood. When the afternoon got hot, we went for a swim. Josh even found a good-sized cliff to jump off. The day quickly passed. After a good dinner and a nice fire, we went to bed.


A fitting end to a gorgeous day on Lake Polly.

Day 3 – August 12, 2009. After another morning of blueberry pancakes, we launched before mid-morning on Day 3 headed for Phoebe Lake. The day was full of shorter portages and lots of paddling. It was another warm and sunny day, and when we arrived at Phoebe in late afternoon, we were tired and hot. We found an island campsite–the one we had hoped would be available. As we quickly unloaded our canoe, a bald eagle took off from a tree about 40 yards away on the island, disturbed by our landing. We then headed for a swim to cool off. After swimming, we decided to fish a little off the rocky edge of our island campsite. We both had some small fish, but then Leah hooked a big pike. It was longer than her arm! But, alas, it was too strong for her line, and got away. We again settled in, made dinner, and built a fire. As we sat by the fire at dusk, we heard a new sound. . . Wolves! First one, then many, coming from the north shore of the lake. They quieted down and we got ready for bed. Our tent had a no-see-um top, and we were able to see the stars. The stars were thick and bright, and we saw so many shooting stars as we lay there. Then, suddenly, as the moon rose, we began to hear the wolves again. We fell asleep that night listening to them.


A lazy day on Phoebe Lake.

Day 4 – August 13, 2009. We woke early on Day 4, but we were groggy and tired from the previous day. We made wild raspberry pancakes as we packed up for a short but arduous trip to Beth Lake. While we knew the day would be short, it also held our longest portage of the trip–285 rods. The sun was warm, even early in the day. The day was an effort, but we got through it just fine. And when we arrived at Beth late that morning, we were amazed. The water was stunningly clean and clear and we could see deeper than we had in other lakes. Hot and tired, we chose a campsite located on a point along the north shore. The lake was quiet except for an occasional holler–the sound of other campers jumping off cliffs on the eastern shore. We were inspired, and went for several swims that day to cool off and to collect water. At dusk, we headed out in the canoe for our last evening of fishing. Josh caught several small mouth bass on live bait. On the south shore, we were joined by a beaver. It swam along side our canoe before thumping its tail and splashing away. Soon, the beaver was joined by another, both swimming in zig-zag patterns and making splashes. We were perplexed until we saw the beaver den and heard the sounds of a baby beaver coming from inside. We moved away–leaving the beaver family in peace. The sun was setting dramatically across the lake as we pulled our canoe in for the evening. That night we sat by the fire, stunned that the week had passed so quickly. While we talked about hamburgers, french fries, ice cream, and pie, we were both sad to be leaving the BW the next morning.


Josh celebrates his completion of the 285-rod portage with a granola bar.

Day 5 – August 14, 2009. Our last morning, we woke early and packed quickly. We had our routine down. We quickly crossed to Alton–a large and stunning lake that was glassy that morning. We reached the portage from Alton into Sawbill Lake, and began to run into other paddlers just heading out for their BW trips. We said hi, wished them a good voyage, and, I think, we were jealous they were just beginning their trips. The portage into Sawbill was quick. We paddled slowly to our exit spot, but it inevitably approached. It was still early when we loaded our gear up one last time and carried it to Sawbill Outfitters, where we were greeted by the friendly staff. After returning our gear and sharing some stories, we were soon on our way down the gravel road, headed back to town. About twenty miles later, the road suddenly turned to pavement and somehow, that seemed to mark the end of the adventure. If one looked, in the right light, at the right angle, just perhaps, one might have seen a tear in the corner of Josh’s eye. Back in town, we had hamburgers for lunch–as we planned our next trip to the BW.


Back at Sawbill after a successful trip.
Thanks, Josh and Leah, for sharing your trip with us! We look forward to hearing many more of your BWCA stories in the years to come.