Big Fork River--Conclusions

Some general thoughts about this trip.

Route Selection

Good overall. We should have started the trip at MN Hwy 1 instead of Bigfork, for a more leisurely pace. On the other hand, the distance between the camp sites we selected (by recommendation of Bill of Wild River Adventures) was good and the camp sites were hard to beat. One portage of a couple hundred meters at Little American Falls. It's marked as "steep bank" on the map but really, it's very easy, even with a couple of good-sized trees down across the trail.

Camp Sites

Good, muddy landings but nice, grassy and level tent sites with a picnic table and a fire box. Beware of poison ivy at Little American Falls, the place is crawling with it. Too bad, since this is a gorgeous site.

Water

Must be considered, especially in hot weather. No public access to drinking water between Bigfork and Johnson's Landing, that's 70 river miles (116 km). As I stated in my earlier entry, I was able to ask for water from a home owner along the river. It seems that more than half of the river runs along private property, many cabins and year-round homes. But if I had to do it again, I would not rely on finding a kind soul and would have my filter along.

Gear

New Tent: NEMO Espri 2P. I have to figure out how to use the DAC poles with the patent center connector. They seem to be bending inward. One time it worked, twice it did not. For one person and dog it is nice, for two it would be cramped. I like the built-in gear loft. Have not tried the big vestibule yet.

Solar Charger: GoalØ Nomad 7m and Guide 10. In one word: awesome! I have tried several chargers over the years and none worked satisfactorily. This package fits the bill. Will top off my Garmin Forerunner 305 used for 6 hours in less than an hour. Recharges a depleted Guide 10 battery pack (4 AA batteries) in 3-4 hrs, of course if the sun is out.

GPS Fitness Watch: I have been using my Garmin Forerunner 305 for years to track distance, estimate speed of progress and plot my route on a map once back home. It works great. During a heavy downpour on Day 3, my FR 350 took on water. Not just a misted glass, there was water inside. I still worked and I was able to dry the unit out once I returned home by letting it sit in the sun, using my GoalØ to recharge it at the same time. Maybe time for one of the newer waterproof units? I would love the FR 910xt, but it's just too expensive ...

Galyan Woodsman III: my own canoe. Reliable, turns well, lightweight yet sturdy. See my initial write-up here

Grumman G-17S: sturdy square stern canoe. Joe and his dad got it for free. Heavy as hell but a great canoe. Had a chance to paddle it during the long day, no complaints. Certainly more sluggish in tight situations when quick reactions are key but still very maneuverable.

Camera

Nikon Coolpix AW100: Essential to have at least one waterproof camera along for adventures like this. It performs very well.

Day 4: Easy Half Camp to MN Hwy 6 Bridge Landing

I woke up around 0200 and could not go back to sleep. That happens to me when I had 4-5 hrs of sleep. I could not tell whether it was raining or whether it was just drops falling off the trees overhead. The worst: no pencil. The ballpoint pen I had must have dried out a long time ago. Nothing to do but let my mind wander. At 0400 I got up and made a nice cup of espresso. While I was making my coffee, I heard a barred owl (Strix varia) call its phrase, appropriately "who cooks for you, who cooks for you all." "I for myself," I wanted to call back.

Since everything was dripping, I got back in the tent, from where I had to evict a swarm of mosquitoes that got in. I thought some more and I dozed and finally got up at 0600. I took some pictures and lured the jungens out of bed with a promise of spamini sandwiches. They were a hit: a slice of fried Spam with pepper jack cheese between two slices of pan-toasted bread, the whole compressed with a spatula. Yum!

James contemplates the morning and how to get out of chores.

Better a few raindrops on your tent than one tree.

Get me out of this place.

Thus fortified we packed up and got in the canoes, back to our original pairings for the remaining 10 km. James cast his lure, without any success. The sky was cloudless and as the sun gained height it became hot again. The river was quiet, with a mirror-like surface. We saw a deer and a few kingfishers, but that was it.

Lazy paddle on a lazy river.

State Highway 6 bridge and landing

The bridge materialized as expected, behind a bend and the landing was mucky, also as expected. But there was a nice parking lot with a grassy staging area. After I helped James to bring everything up, I went to the road to hitch a ride. There wasn't a lot of traffic, especially northbound. For every eight cars going south there was one going north. I soon tired of waiting at the bridge and of being turned down by passing drivers. I thought 20 km, that's three hours and took off at a good pace. I wish I had had my running shoes, I would have made a jog of it. After about 3 km and a few more cars, one stopped and covered the remaining distance in a quarter of an hour.

We made short shrift oft loading up and when I took my ceremonial and cleansing parting bath in the river, the boys joined me. Refreshed, we started the drive home and only stopped in Grand Rapids for a submarine sandwich. Like the drive up, the return trip was uneventful and we made it home in about 5 hrs.

Odd to be sitting on a soft bucket seat.

Day 3: Little American Falls to Easy Half Camp

I got up at 0640 to an overcast sky. I did notice starry skies earlier in the morning and while I had my first and second (I splurged, I'm typically a one cup a day guy) cup of coffee and kept log, the clouds dissipated. We had a frugal meal of PB&J sandwiches, washed down with some of the remaining precious water. By the time we were heading for the canoes, we had just one liter bottle remaining for each of us, so unless we'd boil water or use iodine tablets, we'd have to depend on the kindness of strangers.

The boys had one last dip in the waters around Little American Falls, and, after we finished loading the canoes, Noah cast his lure one more time and caught a nice largemouth bass.

The 1030 departure was poor planning and foresight as this was, at close to 40 km, our longest day. Noah and I were in the Grumman while James and Joe manned the Bell. I really liked paddling the 17 footer, a little more leg room with my beast of a dog. 


As we left, it started clouding up again and soon it started to drizzle. The flies were even more ferocious  than during the previous two days. They were attacking us in thick swarms and Noah used a towel to protect his head. Somehow they focused on the bowman and left me alone. I have to say that I was covered well and except for my hands, feet, face and ears there wasn't much to get. Again poor Mellie was the one who seemed almost defenceless.

Deer flies were attacking us in swarms, focusing especially on the bowman.

We kept our eyes open for an opportunity to ask for some water. I decided to take a chance and stopped at an abandoned-looking ranch house just above Powell's Rapids. I hoped for the owner, or in his absence for a standpipe. I knew we were in luck when we saw a pickup truck, and soon thereafter the owner. He introduced himself as Robert, was very friendly and talkative. We walked to the house and chatted while I was filling up our containers. Robert, a retired Navy Seal had moved to the area half a dozen years prior and had just acquired the Powell farm. He knew a lot about its history which included a land swap. Robert also told us that he travels the river by snowmobile in winter and that he has a neighbor with a pontoon boat a few miles downstream with whom he goes fishing. After some tips on good fishing spots and retrieving my hat from the kitchen where I had forgotten it, Robert sent us on our way with good wishes for the remainder of the trip. 


Noah and I drifted, giving him a chance to fish, and Joe and James a chance to catch up. Sometime after we passed the neighbor's pontoon boat (well equipped with all kind of fishing gear) we decided to check out the Old Hudson Bay Farm camp site where the fire box was still warm. Since the place was buggy and did not have much to offer in terms of fishing opportunities, we continued for the first MN Hwy 6 bridge and landing. As we pulled away from the site, we noticed that it was immediately adjacent to a house that looked inhabited. Not exactly the wilderness experience. 


Like many of the landings, the MN Hwy 6 one was quite muddy. Furthermore, the storm had left quite a mess of fallen trees. Someone had started to clear the windfall away and from the road we heard quite a ruckus, young cheerful voices bantering and laughing. My initial thought was volunteers clearing the trail but when I got to the top I saw that it was a youth camp of about 10 boys and their two counselors, one from Scotland, the other from California. They had just left the river and were waiting for their ride. Theirs had been the camp with the hot ashes. We exchanged some pleasantries, wished each other good luck and I headed back to the river where Noah had waded underneath the bridge to try his luck fishing. I decided to cast a fly but neither of us had any luck. When a downpour started we packed up and moved the canoe under the bridge to wait for our companions. As if on cue, we saw them appear through the rain, wet but cheerful. 

Mellie looks pretty miserable, poor dog. 

By now it was 4:30 PM, raining hard and we had 15 km left. The weather was a motivating factor and we stuck together for a long time. Sometime thunder and lightning seemed to be at the same time and the rain was so hard that we had to bail. After a while it let up and thanks to my Garmin Forerunner I saw that we were making about 7 km/hr.

We made it to the Easy Half Camp in record time. This site had been damaged even more heavily by the storms of the previous week and I was thankful that this hadn't happened while we were camping here. We quickly pitched our tents, finishing just in time to avoid another downpour. The boys that is since I was cooking dinner. Mellie started to be so miserable in the rain that she began to burrow a den under one of the fallen trees. Funny how instincts take over ...

I made 2x a pre-packaged Alfredo Pasta dish that serves four and added two pouches of chicken. Everyone ate pretty much a double portion. After dinner I crawled into my tent, followed by my wet dog. I was lulled to sleep by gentle rain falling on my rain fly, punctuated by heavier drops falling from the trees.

Day 2: Busticogan Camp to Little American Falls

I got up around 0530 to see the sun rise and to have an excellent cup of coffee. While I was writing down my impressions of the trip, a small raptor, probably a sharp-shinned (Accipiter striatus) or Cooper's (Accipiter cooperii) hawk swooped at head-level through our campsite. Mellie was aghast and jumped up to investigate, but the bird was gone in a flash.

I roused the boys at 0740 for an oatmeal/granola/raisin breakfast, which they wolfed down. Like yesterday, it promised to be a hot day. We broke camp and were on the water by 0930. Today's pairings were James and Noah and Joe and me.

It felt quite a bit warmer, probably because of the higher humidity. Joe pointed out an animal in the water, it was lighter colored than the otters we'd see later, so probably a beaver or muskrat. We stirred up a deer, when we paddled by just steps from where it was drinking. It melted into the thick undergrowth.

The river is flanked by dense second-growth forest with few interruptions and hardly a mud, sand or gravel bank. Only rarely some rock formations remind of the proximity of the Canadian Shield.

Muldoon Rapids. 

Muldoon Rapids were a welcome diversion. Marked on the map as a Class II, it was still fairly tame. Joe and I had one hangup where we needed to get out of the canoe. We got the canoe off the rock, straightened out and hopped back, making it through the remainder of the rapids without further ado. James and Noah got stuck in a similar way but were also able to extricate themselves.

The deer flies seemed worse today. We noticed that they seemed to be attacking in swarms, either in the vicinity of riffles or when we came too close to overhanging trees. Joe's bare back became bumpier and bumpier from the many bites and poor Mellie let me pick the flies from her face. when I called out to her she would lean towards me to let me take or swat at the flies.

We took a quick break at a rope swing where Joe insisted to jump into the waist-deep water. He decided it wasn't worth the effort to climb up the muddy bank again for a second try. Later we heard that James and Noah had stopped, too.

Joe, on top of Little American Falls.

We made it to Little American Falls, the only portage of the trip by 1500 or so. The July 2 storm had taken down many large trees in the area, including two across the portage trail. and several more into the campsite. We started our portage with some trail clearing, cutting the branches off the top side of one tree and beneath the second. 

A little trail clearing is in order. 

The camp site was lovely but unfortunately overgrown with poison ivy. We would have to be very careful. I told everyone to avoid Mellie, who was hard to keep out of the stuff ...

After Joe and I had finished our portage, we prepared for a dip in the water. That's when James and Noah arrived, full of stories of their adventures from today's leg. After they finished their portage and we pitched the tents, we were finally ready to jump in.

Little American Falls. A campsite with a view, in
spite of the poison ivy. 

Little American Falls is a great location for all manner of water fun. The boys swam across the top of the falls and found a place where they could jump off the rocks. I waded and swam across below and climbed up to explore the camp site, hoping to find a source of water. No such luck, we would have to find some tomorrow since the 8 gallons we started with were nearing their end.

Tonight's dinner consisted of brats on a bun, the last of our perishable items. Like the previous night's chops they came across very well.

After dinner the boys took Joe's Grumman to fish the opposite side of the river. Noah, who is quite experienced, caught two 30+ inch muskies in half an hour. The first one got away when James and Joe came back for the camera. The second one was returned to the river after having been duly appreciated, photographed and and measured.

As I was getting camp and myself ready for the night I needed to get down the steep river bank several time, following a rocky ledge. While jumping down, I felt a jab of pain in the ball of my foot. A glass splinter had pierced my Croks and while I pilled it out from the sole of the shoe, I single big blood drop formed under my foot. It could have been worse, it was sort of like the lancet to take blood from your finger. I only wonder whether the splinter had been at the camp, or whether I had picked it up some time beforehand. I also found a little piece of half-burned scrap lumber with the following inscription in black marker: www.thebigforkriverrunners2.blogspot.com June 25 2011. I checked it out, it's kind of a funny blog.

The boys sat around the fire till about 2130 or so and I heard voices drifting from across the river, too. The owners of the one occupied site had come back, maybe? By 2200 everything was quiet except for the rushing of the falls and by 2300 I had finished the book I was reading and turned off my light.

Day 1: Trip from St. Paul and City of Bigfork to Busticogan Camp, July 11, 2012, 24 km

Day 1: Trip from St. Paul and City of Bigfork to Busticogan Camp, July 11, 2012, 24 km

I had most of the gear packed the night before the trip, also picked up Joe's canoe. The boys had spent the night at our house and at 0500 I transferred them, Mellie the dog and the remaining gear from our house to the van. We left at 0535. I had contemplated three route choices: I rejected I-35 immediately because of numerous construction sites along the way. US Hwy 169 did not seem to provide any advantage so I decided on MN 65. It turned out to be a great decision, Traffic was light going out of town and N of Cambridge I was the only vehicle on the road for long stretches. With only one pit stop at MN 65 and US Hwy 2 we made it to Bigfork before 1000. After a quick breakfast at the Huskie Cafe we unloaded the gear and I was off to drop off the van in Big Falls.

At Wild River, they were ready for me and I took the seat next to the friendly driver. He was surprised about all the downed trees along the way, taking the trip for the first time since a strong storm had come through on July 2. He praised the good fishing in the river, too. The whole shuttle took about 1:30 hrs.


After my return we quickly loaded the canoes and got on our way, start time about 1330. The first few km seemed slow, until Rice Rapids, a shallow stretch of boulders and submerged rocks provided a little excitement. Wildlife consisted primarily of ebony jewelwing damselflies (Calopteryx maculata), belted kingfishers (Megaceryle alcyon) and various deer flies that were pesky but not too bad. At one point I heard crashing and saw branches move next to the water, it must have been a deer.

Evidence of  James' sleeping on the job is imprinted on his back. 

I did not get much help from James, who spent most of his time asleep in the bow seat. He was so inert that the deer flies ignored him and the damsleflies used him as a perch. Even so I was making good time, getting into a rhythm of alternating 4-8 strokes on each side. In spite of waiting occasionally, Joe and Noah did not catch up. I reached the MN Hwy 1 bridge at 1720 or so and James and I took a refreshing bath waiting for our companions to catch up. 

Waiting for Joe and Noah at MN Hwy 1 bridge. 

The camp site was only a couple of km further downstream and I would have very much liked to set up camp and start dinner preparations. However, I wanted to make sure the two of them cleared the benign but shallow Class I upstream from the bridge. While we waited, a pair of DNR officers in truck and with boat trailer stopped to check us out. I was glad I made sure that Joe got new license tabs for his canoe.

Joe and Noah did not show till 1900, 1:30 hrs after we arrived. They were happy, having fished and swum. We made the remaining short stretch to Busticogan Camp, named after local Chippewa/Bois Forte Chief Busticogan who lived in the area in the late 19th century and was known as a kind and wise leader. I got my teriyaki  pork chops on the grill. We put away the 1.5 kg of meat with buns and trimmings like it was nothing. No leftovers for Mellie tonight.

Yum! Pork chops teriyaki. None survived to tell the tale.

I turned in pretty quickly, having not slept much during the preceding night and having gotten up at 0400. The boys sat around the camp fire for a little while and followed my example.

Big Fork River Trip

Preparations, June-July 2012

I decided on the Big Fork fairly quickly when opening my copy of Paddling Minnesota and checking out its entry on the Minnesota DNR State Water Trail site. I then contacted Wild River Adventures (aka Rivers North Outfitters) by email to arrange a shuttle. Bill, the owner, was very responsive and had answers to all of my questions. He was also very flexible and understanding when I had to change the date of the trip from early to mid July. A ride for myself was $90

I assembled the crew by asking James to invite a couple of his buddies. He invited Joe and Noah, they were excited and raring to go. Especially Noah was excited about doing some fishing.

The rest was following my checklist and making sure I would not forget any essential items.