I was in northeast Quetico the week before labor day. Hey sorry, I've been busy. Now I know why people don't do more trip reports. Just a side note - The informational recording for Quetico was, the last time we called, a week old and wrong. So if you want to get current info you might want to talk to a human. Also be aware that there is now a big bear in addition to the small one working the campsites from the north part of Sturgeon to Batchewaung. (Unless the same bear has grown and fattened since spring) We were told not to camp in the area.

Water levels were normal for late August. We saw few bugs, a little rain, a good downpour, and an abundance of wind - nice because it was hot and humid. Did I mention it was humid? No bears stole equipment, saw no moose, (alive anyway) and no northern lights, but a full moon. We did scare a moose across the channel with our flashlights one night. Not a true "sighting" but exciting just the same.

A few highlights… Heard an eagle call twice early one morning. It sounded just like the sound file on this site. Just like it exactly. Fishing was very good. I was shocked to see Bud had burned, any one know when? 96? It's kind of pretty especially with eagles sitting in the halloween trees. On a different day we saw two engaged in an aerial dog-fight. The lower eagle would be upside down with talons flailing. Just assumed it was a war (not love) because of the season and the fact that the one had been eyeing our fish all afternoon. We also found an intact (at least most of the parts were still there) moose skeleton. With the skull and both antlers intact too. Just a little mouse chew on one antler. Pictures will follow soon. One night we heard an unusual canoe type sound and went to investigate with our flashlights. A pine marten was up in a tree and complained loudly every time we shined the flashlights on him, this commotion in turn upset the beaver swimming by enough to complain too. Ya gotta love those little occasions when things come together like that.

A few lowlights… We found lots of human waste, and simular stupidity. Here is the worst example. I'm curious how someone feels when they leave their site in this condition… No exaggeration, although this raised the bar a little… Foil, garbage and half burnt food in the fireplace. On that fireplace is a 5 foot long, 6 inch diameter tree trunk, charred in the middle. You know, that tree they needed to cut down and put in the fire even though anyone could tell by looking at it that wouldn't burn. The fire place was dismantled trying to get it close enough to the fire to start burning. Right next to that is some more big rotten wood and all the leftover twigs. I'm sure this was graciously left for the next visitor's first fire. Thanks a lot. Next to that is a new fire-spot, (I guess for that second pot?) used once so the roots underneath are only a little charred. A short distance away is the common, open, latrine area(?) - ten feet from shore. Maybe those who crapped around the rest of the campsite were trying to be conscientious and simply assumed their piles and paper would bio-degrade the moment they left - or the next day or two - or well, sometime. It was a beautiful site and an obvious nice place to stop and check out the area. Judging from the piles, I'd say there were six people for two to three days. This campsite is a worst case example of common problems.

My question is: Are these campers the kind who don't know their messing up their neighbor's thrill, just don't care, or simply six friends who do not have one functioning conscience between them. What do all of you think?

I'd love some cheese with my whine,
db

Got a pet "What were they thinking" peeve? Any solution proposals??

Posted by David Bintzler on September 18, 1999 at 12:45