2009 BWCA Trip Map and Conclusions

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Trip Data:

Overall Distance: 53.4 km (not counting double portages)

Number of Portages: 18

Total Portage Distance: 4.6 km(one way)

Actual Portage Distance: 16 km (assuming 1.75 trips per portage, two-way)

Longest Portage: 960 m

Biggest Climb: 25 m, to top of Laurentian Divide, between Omega and Kiskadinna Lakes

Biggest Drop: 46 m between Kiskadinna and Muskeg Lakes

Longest continuous paddle: 9.4 km, on Brule Lake, from South Temperance River Portage to Landing

Takeaways:

• Decided to move all measurements to metric. Dealing with arcane measurements like feet, miles, and rods is just too cumbersome. If you insist on seeing distances in body parts or canoe lengths, feel free to use this handy conversion tool. Measurements in parenthesis are altitude above sea level.
• Need to move back to early summer. Will take more bugs over crowded BWCA anytime!
• Replace most cotton with polyprop, underarmor, etc.
• Keep at least part of clothing in waterproof bag. Inside tent is not enough.
• Tarps indispensable asset during this, our first trip with significant rainy weather. Now we know why we have been lugging them around these other years!
• Asolo FSN 95 worked great, wet and dry. A good investment!
• Make mag's Minty Boost worked great to recharge Forerunner 305, which I use to record route during trip
• After yet another water filter (this time broken pump axle on Katadyn Vario) bites the dust after very little use, the new water filter has to be the indestructible expedition model. Katadyn Pocket looks like it will fit the bill.
• Very good experience having dog Mellie along! She seemed to enjoy it, too.