Was anyone else in the BWCAW on the night of August 16 and/or the 17th? I was camped on Fourtown Lake with my seven year-old son when, at about midnight on the 16th, it began to rain. No big deal; our tent was more than up to the challenge, even as the drizzle became a downpour. But then, at about 1:30, the winds began. Blowing straight from the west, we later learned they topped-out at around 60 mph. It was pretty intimidating. And the thing is, they just never let up... all night and into Saturday morning the winds blew at a constant 25 to 30 mph clip.

We huddled in our tent throughout the day Saturday waiting for the winds to subside. At 5:30 p.m. we reached the conclusion we were stuck for another night and had a tasty dinner of oatmeal. Even through most of the night Saturday, the winds continued to blow strong, slowly easing to the point that we felt safe making the run down Fourtown and into Mudro starting at 5:30 a.m. Sunday.

On our way out of the park we encountered group after group who, like ourselves, had been stranded by the storm. One couple told us that there were eight parties gathered at the mouth of the Horse River, unable to travel any further. They all camped illegally, find space wherever they could. When we returned our canoe to Piragis in Ely we were told that more than half of the parties due in the prior day ahd failed to arrive.

This was my son's first BWCAW experience, and the remarkable thing is he can't wait to go back next summer!

Posted by Illini John on August 20, 2002 at 22:04
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