Boundary Waters pt.1

September 12th, 2009

Eight years and a few days ago, I took my two great friends, Paul & Pete, on a canoe trip in the Boundary Waters of Nothern Minnesota.  For those that have never been to the Boundary Waters, just imagine a lush wilderness with thousands of lakes and streams, and hardly a touch of human influence to be found.  Things like motors and glass bottles are strictly forbidden, and you can forget about getting a cell phone or wifi signal.  To go into the Boundary Waters is to consciously decide to unplug from all of that and to just embrace nature.  It’s truly an amazing place.  For three fantastic days, we canoed and portaged between a dozen lakes, camping out under the stars, and it remains to this day one the best trips of my life.

The reason I’ll always remember exactly when we went on this camping trip is that a few days after we returned, 9/11 happened.  It’s strange to contemplate it, but if we had decided to go on that voyage just a handful of days later, we would have returned to society to have found that the world had changed in our absence.  This had to have happened to a decent amount of people, for as we were returning our gear to the outfitters, many groups were just about to embark on their own trips.  And I can only imagine what it must have been like for them to have found out such unfathomable news when they returned.

As coincidence would have it, my little brother and a few of his friends are up in the Boundary Waters this very weekend on camping trip of their own.  Happy Birthday, Dane, and here’s hoping the world doesn’t change all that much while you’re gone.

Btw. – The above pic was taken on a timer with the camera propped up precariously on a rock just above the stream.

Entry Filed under: Landscapes, Pic of the Day, Sawbill