August BWCA trip to Little Gabbro

How to plan to a trip to the BWCAW

T minus 7 months

• Discuss route options. Call outfitter for suggestions. Read trip reports on BWCA.com. Decide on 1st and 2nd choice options and preferred entry dates. 
• Mark calendar for end of January when BWCA permit portal opens.
• Secure permit for Entry 33 Little Gabbro (only 1 per day)

T minus 6 months

• Reserve canoes at Piragis outfitter in Ely
• Book a room at Canoe on Inn for Saturday night

T minus 7-14 days

• Plan menu and meals for trip
• Make packing list and start to pull out gear

T minus 3 days

• Charge electronics: walkie talkies, headlamps, lanterns, camera, flextail mattress pump, etc.
• Go to Marine General to get fishing permit and buy new lucky lures and jigs

T minus 2 days

• Pull out all camping gear ready to pack
• Buy last minute items
• Buy groceries
• Prep food

T minus 1 day to entry

• Pack all gear, food, clothes into 3 canoe packs, 1 bear barrel, and 4 backpacks and a small cooler
• Pack overnight bag (PJs, toiletries and trail clothes for AM)
• Pack extra change of clothes and dry shoes for everyone to leave in car for return trip in case of rain or tipping
• Pack cars and drive to Ely
• Enjoy meal in Ely
• Check BWCA.com for tips on good fishing spots, pick top 3-5 "ideal" campsites, and plan day trips, check weather forecast and radar
• Buy leeches or worms at local store
• Get rest

Breakfast before going into the wilderness

Day one BWCA

• Drive to outfitter shortly after they open to get permit, watch mandatory wilderness video, tie canoes to car and get paddles
• Get coffee and pastries at local coffee shop in Ely
• Drive to entry site (35 minutes)
• Unpack car (7 packs, 5 life jackets, 4 paddles, 4 fishing poles, 2 seat cushions, 1 snack bag, 1 soft sided cooler, 1 camera bag, 1 tackle box bag, and 1 map)
• Ensure cars are locked and keys securely stowed in pack
• Portage to entry lake
• Paddle to destination lake and check out available campsites. Use walkie talkies to communicate. Check out first available sites (all sites were surprisingly open but we wanted to be more in the middle of the lake and away from the busier channel so we passed 3-4 sites between Little Gabbro and Gabbro). We paddled to one of our top sites on a peninsula just as it started to rain. My dad and I wanted to check out 1 other top "4 star" site as it was west facing and better for sunset viewing but turned out it was very exposed to wind and rain and the peninsula site with cedar grove and large rock along the shore was better so we paddled back getting soaked in the rain
• Quickly set up camp and tents and tarps to keep dry
• Gather and chop firewood
• Try out new fish finder - there are fish everywhere! Problem isn't which lake is good in the BWCA but the fisher people
• Make fire to keep the bugs away, cook steak and veggies, and keep mosquitoes away. (We only had 2 lbs. of meat and next time we need at least 2.5 lbs.)
• Cover up head to toe to escape mosquitos buzzing and biting
• Play Qwixx game
• Roast s'mores with Ghirardelli dark chocolate and Hershey
• Hang food bag in tree
• Go to bed 2 tents - Theo and Dad in one and Grandpa, Marit and Mom in the other

Waiting at the end of the portage watching swans

Paddling in with a slight drizzle

Starting to rain

Camp set up - 2 tents, 2 tarps and a hammock

Beautiful sunset

Day 2 BWCA

• Wake up after sunrise
• Put on a sweatshirt and hat to warm up and keep mosquitoes away
• Cook eggs with left over steak and veggies (except we didn't have any steak left because of growing kids. Need to make extra veggies next time too. Dozen eggs was ok)
• Pack picnic lunch/day pack
• Set up fish finder
• Pile 5 people in 3 person canoe around noon
• Head to channel between little gabbro and gabbro to fish
• Eat picnic lunch salami, apples, carrots, crackers, JoJo bars, dried apricots, licorice at nice site on a cliff overlooking little gabbro
• Portage to South Kawishiwi river
• See 10 canoes in 15 minutes, happy we picked a quieter lake
• Troll for fish
• Portage and paddle back to camp
• Saw swan family with 3 cygnets
• Cook BWCA-thanksgiving dinner (next time we need more food. Ratio 1:1:4, needs to be 2:2:6)
• Watch sunset from the big rock
• Play Uno and added Uno No Mercy rules (draw 2 became draw 4 and draw 4 became draw 8, get to 25 cards and you are out)
• S'mores over fire
• Hang food bag
• Wake up from 2-3am from heavy rain and strong winds, hope nothing blows away!

Camp table

Camp kitchen

Day 3 BWCA

• Wake up check for damage from wind and rain. Only left out tackle box, water shoes and some clothes on the clothes line. Paddles were close to the water but didn't float away thankfully. Clothes will dry, eventually.
• Make chocolate chip and apple cinnamon pancakes (had 3 cups of mix, need 4 cups)
• Packed picnic to Bald Eagle lake
• Portaged around the falls
• Saw swan pair
• Dinner - burritos (again, we needed more meat. 1lb chata pork, need 1.5lbs, had 10 tortillas, need at least 15)
• Sunset viewing
• S'mores
• Hang food bag
• Read scary stories in tent and go to bed

Catching crappies

Day 4 BWCA

• Oatmeal and coffee for breakfast
• Go fishing in rain, get soaked. Stopped raining. Started raining again. Saw swans.
• Theo stayed in tent and read Old School book
• Went swimming and jumped off rock
• Thanksgiving dinner #2 prepared by Theo
• Kids make fire and roast s'mores while adults enjoy sunset
• Hang food bag
• Go to bed

Final day packed and paddling out

Day 5 BWCA

• Boil water for coffee, hot cocoa and oatmeal
• Packed up camp and tents
• Saw otters and followed them into a bay that we thought was where the portage was but we were off by one bay
• Eventually found the portage to the car
• Double portage to car
• Eat lunch in Ely at Grand Ely lodge
• Drive 2 hours to Duluth, unpack cars, start laundry, hang tents
• Shower
• Pack for cabin weekend and Valleyfair amusement park
• Drive 2 hours to Twin Cities

Packing up to go home

Paddling out on a perfectly calm and sunny day

Gabbro Lake was like glass

Voyageur mama

Post-trip

• Get up early, pack swim suits and snacks
• Get Starbucks and drive to Valleyfair in Shakopee. 
• Ride Wild Thing at least 13 times
• Ride the waves in Soak City
• Stay until close
• Drive 2 hours to Balsam Lake cabin in time for another bonfire and s'mores without the mosquitoes!
• Celebrate Grandpa's 71st birthday and soak up the last few days of summer tubing, water skiing and swimming before going back to school

Happy 71st birthday!

Grandkids helping blow out candles

Sisters can still tandem slalom water ski!

Friends and cousins tubing on the lake

Tips for next year:

• More bug repellent and don't leave the thermocell at home (or come later at a time with less mosquitoes)
• Don't wear leggings. Hoodies and loose clothing are best with fewer bug bites.
• Bugs can bite through socks. Tall socks are better than short.
• Don't forget Daddy's rain jacket (sorry!)
• Don't leave your headlamp on in the tent overnight as a night light or it will die.

Valleyfair

Big cousins at Valleyfair

Riding the carrousel

A full day at Valleyfair!