I have thought about wcp have you been there Marlin?
PM me. I gotta get to bed.

Yep, and I want to go back when the boy is of age.....and we have done the BW in total

I've been in a hurry my entire life, and it's served me well, mostly.  But when I'm in the QP, or the WCP, after a few days time slows down.  It's a great feeling.  I actually breath slower, think slower, and clearer. 

Last year, the last night of a tough 8-day trip, my buddies were talking about the cold beer, the greasy cheeseburger, the soft bed waiting them.  They asked me what I looked forward to.  With all honesty I told them I didn't want to go back.  I was ready to stay another week, two?  In short, I was in my groove...the bugs, the sore muscles, etc, -- the "hardships" of the trip -- all had become just background noise.  I paid no attention to any of it.  I was totally into that country, and felt a part of it. 

I've never stayed in for 30 days or even close to it, but I will soon.  The country defines me! 

prouboy

I really admire that change in attitude.
I came into paddling from years of backpack trips.
We always ended up biting off more than we could chew (almost), and very rarely stopped too take in the sights.
It was a quick look and on down the trail, with a set amount of miles, so we could make our pickup deadline.
When we started tripping, we did the same thing, but the others couldn't handle the physical part and so when I went solo, I was still pushing hard everyday.
 When I found QJ, I would read others trip reports about areas that I had been, but really never SAW
I blew by, missing great campsites, fishing spots and picture opportunities, I never knew were there.
I can and will go hard through a lesser area, but now when I hit a beautiful area, I want too spend some time and really see it, not just as another spot on the map.
Someday I'll do a 30 day trip, and I'll do as you did, just sort of meander and take it all in
Of course it will probably ruin me for shorter trips like it did you, but I'm willing too chance it

4 weeks all in one shot... There is plenty of room in Q to spend the whole time there and not cross your path once.

Last year my wife and I did a 30 day trip for our 3oth anniversary.
We left out of Beaverhouse and did a meandering loop all over the park.

I started with a whole trip plan - where we would go, stay, layover, etc.
Typical guy thing. We made it to the middle of Cirrus our first day and said, Wow we have 30 days in the park, where do we go from here.
We ended up decompressing for 3 nights at that campsite. Then we headed for Pickerel and when we got there, we said what's the rush, we have 30 days to see the park. After another layover day, I said, let's throw out the plan and just take what comes. It took me 5 days to get to that point. We ended up traveling about 1/2 the time. We ended up camping in 15 different spots in 30 days. It was a wonderful trip with a
wonderful mix of how we spent our time traveling and resting and just taking it all in. If we wouldn't have had kids, work, other responsibilities, ect. to contend with, we could have just kept on going. We hated to come home. It was amazing how my perspective changed over the 30 days, from hurry up and lets get there, to, we're here, what's the rush.

Now my problem is that our normal 2 week trip just doesn't seem long enough. I just have to figure out how to do a month every year.
GeneM

I have thought about wcp have you been there Marlin?
PM me. I gotta get to bed.

Four weeks, I'd hit Woodland or the Far North......maybe the bloodvien.....man i got to get to work!

I started thinking about this thread a little more, maybe the reason I need a few days just to relax is I'm Stressed to the max! Drag a 53 footer around Minneapolis for 8 or 10 hours, making deliveries and pick-ups, then work the dock for 2-4 hours Mon-Fri. 3 kids, wife's honeydo lists, dog, cat ,bills, mow, plow, garden, commute an hour one way.On and On and ON I go, when will his heart stop nobody knows. Sweet jesus I need a month off!!!!!!! You're right J cheif, I can (and have) come to the first site, after the first portage, and just set up. (West Pike) 4 weeks vacation ths year, I'm using it all in 1 shot.

YIPPIE! WHAT EVA TURNS YA CRANK

Sitting behind a desk all day, leaving the office and having my phone with me so I am available by email or voicemail 24/7, and living a days flight then drive to get to the true wilderness impacts my point of view.

I visit QJ on a daily basis. I use others trip reports, questions, discussions as an escape if only for a few minutes. I "decompress" when I pour over maps ( I can see the campsites, hear the loons, enjoy the fight of the fish) and escape simply by reading the posts. Reading several of the books recommended on the site serves to do the same thing. While these are very temporary and fleeting "get-aways", they serve to keep me balanced and in a proper mind set to deal with daily realities.

As for a trip into the park, it wouldn't matter to me if I put in, rounded the first point of land and set camp for as many days as I had or paddled for the entire trip stopping only to eat, portage, and sleep. The wilderness is truly a place to be experienced, whatever that means to you. We are all truly fortunate to be able to experience everything the wilderness has to offer. Enjoy it in any/every way you can.

J

This topic was started because I wanted to make sure folks appreciate just how special the BWCA is.  I didn't mean the judge anyone. If putting in the miles is your thing- by all means knock yourself out. If you like to base camp, again right hook. I personally like to solo. If you think thats strange thats ok, I am strange. My wife likes to solo as well. She's REALLY strange!! If you can decomprss in a day, god bless you. If you just like to stir the pot, god bless you especially.