7/25/24- It is officially 364 days until our next Christmas in July celebration. Yesterday, all the crew joined in on the festivities and had an awesome “holiday”.  Christmas in July has been a beloved Sawbill tradition for the last 18 years since 2006.

Our “Christmas” traditions as a crew include decorations, Christmas sweaters, a Christmas tree, all the classic holiday tunes, and a special Christmas dinner. At Christmas dinner we open secret Santa gifts and it’s always a blast to see the whole crew show off their crafting abilities.

If you stop into see us next year around July 24/25 you may get swept up in some holiday cheer too! -Luna

7/21/24 – A little over 2 weeks, our crew member Isabelle ventured out on her first ever solo canoe trip! She decided to do the Cherokee loop starting at Baker (EP 39) and ending here at Sawbill. Here is her trip report! 

Day 1 (7/1/24):

The trip started at about 8 am when my fellow crew member and roommate, Luna, drove me to the Baker entry point. I was on the water by 8:30 and feeling good, the weather forecast looked great, and I was excited to try a new kind of adventure in an area of the BWCA that is relatively new to me. I didn’t have a plan for where I wanted to camp my first night since I wasn’t sure how fast I would travel solo. A quick paddle across Baker Lake brought me to my first portage (10 rd). This first portage was a little uncoordinated but helped me strategize my plan for the rest of the portages on my trip. After loading the canoe again, I paddled up Peterson Lake expecting to hit a 3rd portage on the way into Kelly Lake. With the amount of rain we have had in the early season water levels have been very high. This 3rd portage seemed to be built to bypass a beaver dam, but I was able to float over it very easily due to the high water (temps have begun heating up here at Sawbill and we’ve gone a week at least without any significant rain so this may no longer be the case. It is always best practice to get out of the canoe and portage around a dam when needed). I then continued to paddle up Kelly, saw a Bald Eagle, and started to settle into a flow for the day. I hit my next portage into Jack Lake (65 rd) and started to set a better system for consolidating my gear. I paddled up Jack and stopped at the portage into Weird Lake and had lunch. The water flowing from Weird Lake into Jack was going pretty strong with the higher water levels and it made a beautiful quick lunch spot. 

I got back into my canoe around 1 pm and decided I was going to try to land on either South Temperance or North Temperance for the night. I paddled across Weird, portaged into a small unnamed lake, and then faced the longest portage on this loop. The 240 rd into South Temperance was long and a bit challenging but once I finished it I felt so proud of myself for pushing through and doing it alone. I paddled onto South Temperance and began scoping out sites and found that the two sites that are more directly in the path crossing the lake to the next portage were taken, so instead of paddling to the other corners of South Temperance I decided to continue to North Temperance. It was about 3 pm at this point and after a short 55 rd portage I was again scoping out sites. The first site right after that portage was open so I took it and decided to set up camp. This site is on the smaller side but is perfect for one person. I settled in a bit and the reality of what I was doing began to set in. 

I have been coming up to the BWCA since I was 5 years old and feel very comfortable in Minnesota’s Northern Wilderness. Having freshly turned 20 and being out here alone brought out some new feelings that I hadn’t experienced before on trips. I had only seen 2 other people on my journey this first day and I felt very isolated once I set up camp. Looking at the map and seeing how far in I was, I could feel the dense forest surrounding me and some anxiety set in. I decided to go for a swim to see if that would ground me a bit, and then I ended up crawling into my tent and reading until hunger from the day’s adventure pulled me out. I made my dinner and paced around my site swatting away the mosquitos. I packed up dinner and made sure camp was all zipped up. It was quite cloudy in the evening so alas no sunset to watch. I again ventured back into my tent and read until I couldn’t keep my eyes open.

Day 2 (7/2/24):

I woke up around 7 am and debated my plan for the day. I had two options I was considering, heading to Cherokee Lake and setting up camp there and having a chill day at camp, or pushing through back to the northern part of Sawbill. I made breakfast and checked the weather forecast on my Garmin. It looked like the misting rain I woke up to was going to persist for most of the day. I decided that I would rather travel through the mist and spend the next day with some beautiful weather at camp, so I decided I was going to paddle through Cherokee to Sawbill. I was on the water by 9:30 am and began my second day of travel. I portaged (105 rd) into Sitka Lake, watched a pair of loons while I had a snack, and then portaged again (140 rd) into Cherokee. I paddled across the lower part of Cherokee, appreciating some beautiful moss-covered rocks and keeping my eyes peeled for Moose. Another Sawbill crew member, Feliks, did the Cherokee loop a few weeks prior to my trip and saw a moose and her calf. Additionally, a few returners also reported seeing moose on the southern part of Cherokee, so if you’re heading up that way soon you may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of them. 

What I saw of Cherokee was beautiful, the lakes up until this point had been mostly swampy and it was nice to see some bigger rocks again. I paddled through Cherokee Creek following a few ducks and appreciated how beautiful this section was. There was a beaver dam that I needed to exit the canoe to get over, but was able to pass without a lot of difficulty. Once I was through the creek I portaged into Skoop Lake (180 rd) and paddled over to shore so I could sit in the canoe and eat a quick lunch. After a short paddle across Skoop, I prepared for my last longer portage on this loop. With the high water levels this portage, which is supposed to be 110 rds, ended up being about 30 rds. The portage ended quickly with a clear place to put in a canoe and no path to the left or right. We’ve been hearing reports of this from other returning paddlers; the high water levels at this time have definitely been playing a major role in changing this area. 

After paddling through the marshy area that was supposed to be a portage I was in Ada Lake. After another quick paddle across this lake, it was time for one 80 rd portage, another short paddle down a creek, and then the final 80 rd portage back into Sawbill. It was around 12:45 when I began my paddle on Sawbill and started scoping out a site for the night. There was a slight headwind so I decided to scope out the northern sites, and I ended up snagging the only island site on Sawbill. This site was one that I stayed at on a trip when I was a younger child, and it was amazing to be able to stay on that site again some 13 years later. I set up camp and hung out until It was time to make dinner. Free time at camp when you’re alone I found to be a very different experience than trips with other people around. I found myself feeling kind of lonely and reading a lot. Once I deemed it an appropriate time to make dinner I settled onto one of the big rocks that this site has to offer and made myself a feast. Then I straightened up camp and headed into my tent for bed.

Day 3 (7/3/24):

I woke up bright and early on my last day at about 5:30, and knowing I only had to paddle down Sawbill I decided to have a slow morning. I lay in my tent reading for a while until I was hungry enough to venture out of my tent. I set up my coffee so it would be ready to brew once I finished a morning swim. Refreshed, I sat, drank my coffee, and enjoyed the view, then began to make breakfast. Once I was fueled for the day I packed up camp and set out on the water. Battling another headwind on Sawbill I began my paddle back. The wind wasn’t too bad until I padded past the boundary marking the beginning of the wilderness. Once I passed that island the wind was much stronger. After a tiring paddle, I portaged my canoe and gear back up to Sawbill and began the joys of unpacking from a trip, with a wonderful welcome home from my fellow Sawbill crew. 

This experience was a very new one for me but I knew going into this summer that I wanted to try a solo trip. I think with any alone time there is an art to it, not being too in your head, and honoring how special it is to be with yourself. There were many times on this trip that I found myself trying to keep busy or find things to do to fill the gaps that others normally fill. The jury is still out for me on just how much I enjoy solo trips over group trips. But all in all this trip was a wonderful experience and I am so grateful to be blessed with the opportunity to continue to spend time in the BWCA.

As our crew continues to go on trips into the BWCA throughout the rest of the summer and fall season we will keep updating the newsletter with trip reports like this one. If you ever have questions about routes and about crew members personal experience in the lovely BWCA and Sawbill area please don’t hesitate to call and ask or chat with us in the store. -Luna

7/17/24 – July 5th, Owen and I pack for our trip down the Granite River. The Granite River runs from Saganaga (big Sag) Lake at the end of the Gunflint Trail to Gunflint Lake 10 miles south as the crow flies. Owen has never been up the Gunflint and I have never been to the east of big Sag. That night we had a site at Trail’s End campground. After much lollygagging and slow packing up, we finally head out towards the end of the Gunflint Trail. We drive separately so we can drop off one of our cars at our exit point at the Gunflint Lake public access. The Poplar Haus was our choice for dinner and we rolled into our site around 7 pm. Due to the bugs, we played cribbage in the tent for a while before heading to bed to get one last good nights sleep for our trip the following day.

We woke up between 8 and 8:30 am and hit the water shortly after. What luck we had on our paddle north on Saganaga Lake! The lake was so calm which is not always the case on big lakes like that! Owen and I got to our first portage between 10:30 and 10:50 am The first portage was short but was overgrown a bit. It was still easy to follow though. After another 20 minutes of paddling, we go to our next portage. This portage was on the Canadian side of the border and ran along the Horsetail Rapids. Due to the higher water levels, getting to the portage landing was a little bit trickier than in other normal years. As we had learned before we left that morning from an outfitter that we stopped at to ask questions, we were paddling against the current. The rapids moved fairly quickly but we were able to land without trouble. This portage was a beautiful walk through some red cedars. The far side of the portage put us into Maraboeuf Lake. Maraboeuf Lake runs north to south for about 2 miles. All of the BWCA sites are in the southern third of the lake. The 2007 Ham Lake fire burned through this area, so there are a lot of bright pink granite rock faces visible on the hills surrounding Maraboeuf. Even 17 years later, the destruction of the fire is still visible. I wish I had been able to see what that area looked like beforehand and a year later. As we paddle along about to exit Maraboeuf, we come along a narrow section of the river. There are small cliffs that run into the water along both sides.

Just north of this area is labeled Devil’s Elbow on the map we had. We couldn’t figure out why it was called that. This is a very pretty section which is not what the name “Devil’s Elbow” would imply. After a quick paddle through the edge of Gneiss, pronounced “nice”, we made our way through a couple more short portages broken up by some longer sections of paddling. The high water level added a third portage in between the two 25 rod portages. It was a bit of a struggle to land due to the moving water, but we powered through! Owen did a great job steering. The next portage we came to is known as Swamp Portage on some maps. It’s about 70 rods and the start of it walks up through a small, cold stream.

We had been paddling in the sun for around 6 hours at this point, so the cold water felt nice on my feet. After catching up to some other groups, we decided we would try to get a site on Clover Lake. We paddled over to the northernmost site and pulled up on the sandy beach. We were checking the layout of the site when we noticed that the site was already occupied! On the small hill up towards the latrine, there lay, what we assume, was a female snapping turtle prepping to lay her eggs. Upon seeing the turtle, we decided that we would move on. It was 3:30 pm by then. Our options were either portage over to Larch Lake and grab one of the three sites, or paddle on to our exit. We decided to exit. Up and over the 100 rod portage we went, which is the longest one on this route. When I planned this trip over the winter, and in the days leading up to the start, it never crossed my mind that this was going to be a day trip. I had planned for two nights! We could have packed so much lighter! So on we went. It’s amazing how quickly long distances of paddling pass. Eventually we got to Little Rock Falls and portaged around it. From then on it was just paddling through Magnetic and Gunflint Lakes respectively. Up until getting onto Magnetic Lake, the weather had been perfect, but the wind was picking up at this point. We took 45 minutes to paddle two miles. At about 5:45 pm, we finally landed at the public access parking lot on Gunflint. We decided to stop at the Gunflint Lodge for dinner. I had a BLT on cranberry and wild rice bread, and Owen elected to have walleye tacos. After picking up Owen’s car that we left at Trail’s End, we made our way back to Sawbill, pulling in the crew house driveway at 9 pm. Coolest day trip I’ve ever done.

Sawyer

7/17/24 – The following is a crew member’s trip report of his and a friend’s time going through the Lady Chain.

7/9/24 – 7/11/24

Day 1)

My friend Will and I set off from Kawishiwi both as first timers for the Lady Chain. I have a few trips under my belt so I knew what was ahead of us to an extent, but Will had not been out in the BWCA so he was very excited. The first day flew by fast because of how much there was to converse about. Something about nature brings so much peace and comfortability that enables us to become vulnerable with one another, so it was nice to share deeper conversations with Will not only throughout this day, but throughout the entire trip. Everything was smooth sailing until we came across a few hiccups after the 20 rod portage from Square Lake. We didn’t see the 5 rod portage on the map due to water level, so we went past and eventually ran into a beaver dam. We weren’t sure if we were going the right way because we didn’t see any portages on the map, but it looked like people had portaged around the dam anyway so we followed their footsteps and made it to Kawasachong. After two more longer portages, we were in Polly where we explored several sites before settling for one a bit tucked away but still with a clear view of the lake. We set up camp and enjoyed lunch before alternating between resting in hammocks and going for swims. It was quite an enjoyable site with minimal bugs located directly above the ‘Y’ in Polly on the map. We made it up to Polly in about two hours so it was nice to have a long rest day, but even so we enjoyed the sunset and went to bed early for the long day that awaited us.

Day 2)

Will and I had discussed the general plan for each day, but ultimately it came down to how we felt and how far we wanted to push. This day was a prime example of this. It was a quiet morning for both of us since neither of us are very social in the mornings, but it made for a peaceful start to the day. Over the course of about 4 hours, we hopped over portage after portage through the rivers and smaller lakes between Polly and Phoebe. We tried water from each lake and concluded that the water on Grace Lake was the most clear and best tasting.  It was relatively easy-going throughout, but with two people and many portages, the repetitive getting out and back into your canoe each portage eats up a ton of time. Soon enough, we made it to Phoebe where we saw two swans and ate some snacks on the calm water to fuel us for the last leg of the day. We weren’t sure of our plan at this point, so we started looking for sites in Grace but were leaning towards making it closer to Alton. Just to see for ourselves, we checked Ella before Beth and agreed that the sites on Ella weren’t what we were hoping for, so after a 5 ½ hour day, we went on and found the perfect site on Beth next to the Alton portage. It was very spacious with plenty of prime spots for hammocks and an elevated fire pit area. If you paddle out a bit from the site and look out to the West, it almost looked like a sort of stadium where the sun, moon, and stars aligned perfectly for us to watch them. We both agreed that we found one of the best sites we could’ve gotten. After unpacking, we did exactly what we did the last day: ate, swam, and rested until it got dark. 

Day 3)

This was the shortest of the days by far. We got to Alton and used that longer paddle time to reflect on the journey a bit. As sad as it was to be returning to civilization, this trip brought us both immense harmony. It showed us the importance of slowing things down for yourself in the busy world we live in. I’ll end this report with a passage from a book I’m reading, Just Passin’ Thru by Winton Porter, that sums up my thoughts nicely:

 ‘Nature silences a troubled mind because it is so envelopingly slow. Our agitations of mind don’t touch it; our worries pass through it, bounce off it, but can’t disturb it, and eventually they just go away, as though from sheer embarrassment. Without our usual means of winding ourselves into anxiety – the house, the car, the bills, the diet – we simply must find other thoughts, and I think that is why hikers on this Trail speak so often of discovering things they had forgotten and of being reminded of how precious life can be” (Porter 155).

Feliks Vahtra

7/13/24 – About a week ago I used up the last dregs of my frozen blueberries in a bowl of frosted mini wheats (trust me they really level up cereal).  As a result, a berry reconnaissance mission was in order.  With an hour to work with I checked out a couple local berry patches and found many green blueberries, with a small percentage ripe enough to pick.  Really the star of the show were the wild strawberries which seem to be perfectly ripe at this very moment.  -Jessica

7/10/24- One of the best parts of being on the Sawbill crew is the access we have to the gorgeous BWCAW. Over the last month various members of the crew have gone on trips into the wilderness. Feliks has already written up a trip report of his solo adventure around the Cherokee loop last month (his trip report can be found here) and is currently on another trip where he’s doing the Lady Chain with a friend. Lauren did the Louse River route out of Kawishiwi (EP 37) and Isabelle did the Cherokee Loop after a lot of late June rain (both of them are writing up their own trip reports so look forward to those). The following report is from my first solo trip June 16th-18th. I entered at Hog Creek (EP 36) and ended up spending two nights on Perent Lake before coming back out. Unfortunately, my phone did not make it on my trip (due to an incident the day prior) so I don’t have any pictures (I know I’m sad about it too).

6/16/24:

I put into Hog Creek at around 9:30 a.m. and discovered the entry point was slightly different than what I was used to. All previous trips I’ve been on I’ve gone out of Sawbill (EP 38), Kawishiwi (EP 37) or Brule (EP 41). All of these lakes have an area where you can pull your vehicle right up to the lake and unload your things before parking. At Hog Creek, you get to the creek via short but steep steps that you had to carry your things to. This was very very manageable but definitely different from what I’m used to.

As I started paddling I noticed that the current of the stream, though very slow and tame, was definitely helping me make good time. There was only one small, rocky 15 rod portage that was well established and easy to find. The winding nature of the creek definitely tested my solo steering abilities but I was able to make it to my campsite in time for lunch and before the lake got too busy. I secured the first island site on Perent Lake and absolutely loved the site. It was super spacious (which felt incredibly indulgent by myself) and had a nice array of large rocks to sit on as well as great hammock trees. Before the day was up my site was visited by a duck and its baby and got to watch various Bald Eagles in the trees across from the island. 

6/17/24: I didn’t do anything on my layover day on Perent besides enjoy the sun, when it decided to come out, and read in my hammock. The wilderness, in my experience, can feel intense at times but it also supports a unique kind of peace that makes for a great day off. 

6/18/24: I left my site on Perent at around 8:30 a.m. on my last day to try and beat the incoming weather and get the chance to explore some of the lake. I paddled to the upper part of the lake before turning around and heading back to Hog Creek. Perent is an absolutely gorgeous lake and looked genuinely magical with the pre-storm fog that I was paddling through. Traveling back up Hog Creek definitely took longer than the first day, and had a fun intermission of intense rain, but I made it back to the entry point in one piece and feeling accomplished. When I got back to Sawbill I enjoyed a much needed shower and late lunch before discussing my trip with the whole crew. Solo trips are incredibly empowering and grounding, but one of my favorite parts was undeniably returning to the Sawbill family (dogs included obviously).

When you get back from any trips in the BWCAW please share your experience with us. We love hearing about your time (highs and lows) and getting to discuss this beautiful place with you all. Until next time! -Luna

7/7/24- The Sawbill Crew has been lucky enough to spot snapping turtles around Sawbill and neighboring lakes. Whether due to their prehistoric appearance or impressive size, our crew is always excited to see these reptiles and snap a quick picture of them. 

Snapping turtles are native to North America and have existed alongside many other species for around 90 million years. On average, they live for around 30 years and only 1% of snapping turtle hatchlings reach reproductive age. This makes is a true gift to see these awesome animals. If you see any cool turtles (or other animals) please let us know all about it any day from 7 am-9 pm at the store! – Luna

7/4/24 – It’s nesting season for the turtles! If you have been up here in the past few weeks you might have noticed some turtle friends hanging out on the gravel roads around Sawbill like the Sawbill Trail, The Grade, Perent Lake Road, and Kawishiwi Lake Road. There are lots of painted turtles, but you might also see a snapping turtle. They often nest on the sides of gravel roads as they prefer areas with soft, loose soil or gravel so that they can dig a hole to lay their eggs. They also often cluster near water sources, so be extra careful and keep an eye out around rivers and lakes, but nests can be up to half a mile from a water source. The nests themselves are around 10-12 centimeters deep and the turtles dig them with their back legs. Please be extra careful when you’re driving to keep the turtles safe!! -Anna

7/1/24 – We are fully in the summer swing of things here at Sawbill and it is wild that it is already July!! For anyone who is still looking to plan a trip into the Boundary Waters, or who currently has a trip planned, but maybe not for the entry point that you wanted, here are some helpful tips. 

As you may know, the 11 daily overnight paddle permits for Sawbill Lake Entry Point are a hot commodity and are generally fully booked for the whole summer. However, there are lots of other great options for entry points in our area (the Tofte District) that have routes with similar feels to routes out of Sawbill. 

For those who are wanting to do the Cherokee Loop, a great option if you cannot find a Sawbill permit would be to enter at either Baker or Brule which not only allows you to see an extra lake or two not on the classic Cherokee Loop, but after only an extra portage or two, you are on the direct course of the classic Cherokee Loop itself. We have this on our website as the Temperance River Loop.

For those who enjoy setting up a base camp, whether it’s on North Sawbill or on Alton or Smoke, and doing a lot of fishing, entry at Hog Creek with a quick paddle (about 2-3 hours) to Perent, or Island River with a quick paddle to Isabella (about 2-3 hours), or Isabella directly, or entry on Homer give you a very similar experience with also incredible fishing, plus the experience of getting paddle on a river for a little bit and see some different scenery. 

Lastly, entry at Kawishiwi gives you great access to the Lady Chain route which takes you back to Sawbill, but there is also the option to do an out-and-back trip up to either Polly or a bit farther to Malberg, both of which also are great lakes to base camp and fish. 

For all entry points that aren’t Sawbill, we offer the option to tie any rented canoes down to your vehicle free of charge and we have all of the equipment necessary for that and will teach you how to do it so that you feel comfortable to tie it down to get it back to us. Tie downs are a great option if you are planning to go both in and out of the wilderness at the same place, however, if you are planning to paddle back to Sawbill from a different entry point, we also offer transportation to any entry point and prices for that can be found on our Partial Outfitting page.

Cancellations for permits happen more frequently than you might expect, so it is worth it to continue checking recreation.gov to see if any permits open up for the entry point you are hoping for. However, I would also recommend getting a permit if you see one that might be of interest, even if it isn’t for the exact entry point that you want, because you can always cancel and switch to your desired entry point if one opens up, but this way you know that you have a trip on the calendar. 

With that being said, if you know that you are no longer going to be using your overnight paddle permit, be sure to cancel it so that it becomes open to others who are searching! You can do this directly on recreation.gov yourself or if Sawbill is your pick up point for the permit, you can give us a call and we can cancel that for you as well. 

Finally, if you are really wanting to paddle on Sawbill, but can’t find a permit, day trips from our campground which is right on Sawbill Lake are a great option. Just under half of our campground is first come first serve sites and we rarely completely fill during the season so they are perfect for a last minute trip. The day use permits for the wilderness are down at the landing and they are free and unlimited, so just fill one of those out before you head into the wilderness for the day. 

Feel free to give us a call (218-663-7150) or send us an email (info@sawbill.com) if you have any questions about entry points other than Sawbill. Even if you cannot get your first choice of entry point for an overnight paddle, you are sure to have a great time in the wilderness. We hope to see you up here for a trip soon! -Anna

6/24/24 – Last week, crew member Feliks did a solo trip on the Cherokee Loop and wrote up a trip report which is a great resource, along with our route guides on our website, for anyone who might be thinking of doing this loop! The report is below! – Anna

Day 1) 

Day 2)

At about 8am, I woke up and began packing. The bugs were quite brutal in the morning, so I made an effort to get to paddling as soon as possible. The sky was cloudy, but it was a bit warmer than the day before. I got over to the Sitka Lake portage and started my day off with a nice shoulder exercise carrying my pack and canoe. Going through the Temperences was calm, and I was mentally preparing myself for the longer 240 rod portage. After what seemed like forever, I made it to Weird Lake and was steadily making progress. After the 12 rod portage into Jack Lake I spotted another moose off the opposite shore bathing in the lake. Though less frightening than the previous encounter, I did have to slowly paddle past quite close to it since the lake narrowed. I made it down to Kelly and took the site right off to the left exiting the portage. It was a large site with an open area for the campfire and two tent spaces; one near the landing and then another tucked further back into the woods. There were plenty of turtles burying their eggs on shore which was a special thing to witness. I would’ve enjoyed the site more if there weren’t swarms of mosquitoes that prevented me from doing much outside my tent. Regardless, I napped, read my book, went for a swim, ate dinner, read some more, then went to bed.

Day 3)

There was some rain around 4am, but it was very calming. I slept on and waited until it stopped around 8:30am, then packed up to make the final stretch back to Sawbill. It was a foggy day with a bit more wind blowing at me which made it slightly more difficult to paddle. Regardless, the fog made for a peaceful aura. After a couple longer portages, I made it to Smoke Lake where I ran into a group looking to fish for the weekend. Although human interaction was strange after not speaking to any in a few days, I wished them luck and started the home stretch. I took the time on the portage to Sawbill and the paddle back to the landing to reflect on what I was feeling and what I took away from the trip. The solitude out there was nice, but it was a relief to arrive back with my Sawbill family.  As everyone who has taken trips in the boundary waters knows, they are incredibly special and regardless of the experience, they always leave you with fond memories to look back on. There were countless times where I took a moment to watch in awe the beautiful nature I was engulfed in. The peace and serenity I experienced on this trip makes me look forward to more later this season.