I did a quick search of the boards and didn't find anything like this, so here is my question.

What are some of the items, other than trash, that you've found in the parks, such as along portage trails and campsites.

Last year I found two pairs of eye glasses at the spot at the end of the longer of the meadows portages. Both had clearly been there a while, but found it interesting both were within 3 feet of eachother on/under the same bush.

I was in Woodland Caribou and had seen no other paddlers for a few weeks. Found a blue Seirra mug with warm coffee in it at a portage. It was a portage the beavers had flooded and was a    very stinky bog walk, not what you would want to repeat if you did not have too. Never did catch up to anyone so I am still hanging onto it.

I have found tons of campfire grates, usually in the weeds around Q campsites.

On my trip this April I found a spotting scope on a portage between Robinson and Nub. On the last portage between Irene and Kahshahpiwi I found a Grey Owl paddle in immaculate condition leaned against a cedar tree at portage end. It was a long thin beaver tail design, close to 5' tall. Considered carrying it out but it must have weighed close to five pounds- set it back against the tree.

In 1986 while trolling through Mackenzie near the skeleton my partner Scott set his rod down to dig something out  of the pack in front of him. While distracted, boom a fish slams his lure and the rod is overboard and gone. The next day we camped at the Mackenzie  bay narrows site and discovered the previous camper had left his/her rods and reels leaning up against a tree. Scott took this to be a clear sign from God that he was not to be without fishing equipment in the Quetico. Three years later Scott and I are back in Mackenzie, trolling near the skeleton and Scott hooks some old fishing line. First pulls up a broken line end then a very slimy rod and reel on the other end that he swears is the one that went overboard 3 years prior.
Jon

Jon wrote on Apr 27^th, 2012 at 1:32pm:


Must be the spot for finding stuff; we camped there the second night of my first trip. On one of the nails was a big spinner.

We've been past countless various quantities of gear at the ends of portages with nobody around. We've left it alone on the premise somebody would notice it was missing and return.

Once we actually got to meet the folks that left the stuff behind. Just as we were coming into Hook Island another group was just finishing loading for their tow out. After we got unloaded and stretched a bit, we noticed a dry bag that wasn't ours. A look inside revealed the gear of a serious photographer. wasn't long until the tow boat came back!

On one trip we found a very very old penny in the dirt at the end of a portage.  I forget the exact date, but I think it was 1910 or so.  I found an old Buickthat was almost that old, but couldn't haul it out.  If anyone found a very nice rain parka at Prairie Portage in late June 2007, I hope they enjoyed it.  It was brand new and I didn't realize that I had left it until that night at camp.  My brother left his PFD at an island where we ate lunch last summer.  We didn't realize it until we hit camp, about 4 miles and two portages later.  It was the first day of a 9-day trip, so we couldn't go on without it.  He and I were the strongest paddlers, so we went back and got it. Fortunately we had made camp early.

Little thing, but interesting: a button, seemed to be of lead, near old fireplace on overgrown campsite on Suzanette.  A little looking on the net suggests that this kind of button might go back to the mid 1800's.  Left it at the campsite.

Half of a poly kayak at the bottom of one of the rapids on Basswood River.  A whole, but trashed, canoe at the top of Olifaunt portage.  Lots of fishing lures.  Several "spare" paddles; the last one on LaCroix.  A folding camp chair in camo case on Carp portage.  A nice folding canoe seat on shoreline of Saganaga.  An army type duffel with potatoes, onions, tortillas, and a 1/2 gallon (partially consumed) of Whiskey on Brule; floating on shoreline 2011.  A roach clip on portage trail in Q.  A very nice camp axe on Birch Lake.
A Timex watch under water at the bottom of Upper Basswood Falls...it worked for years after I rescued it. 

Someone has found a very long and strong tarp rope on Kashapiwi that I forgot.  Also a long sleeved shirt with $30.00 in the pocket that one of my camping partners left on Knife portage going into the Kek ponds.   

Quote:


That strikes me as being funny as hell
Considering the amount of gear people leave, you'd think camo is the last color you'd want

Lots of cord & tent pegs always found on every trip.  I keep 'em.  Usually found on the daily find-10-things camp clean up.

Stove in an army style satchel.  Found on a portage.  Likely forgotten after lunch.  Left it in plain view in case the owner came back for it.

4 sleeping pads found at one end of Batchewaung Bay.  Rolled up and bundled for transport.  A couple had been nibbled by critters.  No portage near.  No evidence of anyone having been around.  There had been wind storms a few days earlier.  I assumed they were lost and carried them to the Nym portage where I promptly forgot about them.

Found a map after losing mine.  I wasn't going anywhere I needed a map for.

Once I found an awesome Gransfors Bruks axe, I beleive it was the American Felling axe at a campsite we were investigating.  Unfortuantely after about 5 minutes, the owner, who was set up in the adjacent camp site, came to claim it. 

An old weather worn Sawyer paddle coming out of the Man chain.  It was floating near the shoreline and had obviously been wandering around the wilderness for a good while.  Very heavy compared to today's paddles....could be ash.  It made it's way into my paddle case and came home for a life of leisure.

pd

I stopped to pick up someone's discarded worm container (one of my least favorite things to carry out for someone else) and there was a beautiful Browning lockblade knife underneath it.  Karma!  Somewhere on the end of a portage up near Kawnipi, I think.  For some reason, I find abandoned sandals often.

In the Wabikimi Park, on a wood plaque attached to a tree at a lunch site at the bottom of a long rapids, commemorating the life and death of a young man who drowned in the rapids. 

Written by his mom.

prouboy

In areas with more invasive human history I've found old walls/fences, cars, buildings, equipment - the remnants of homesteading, logging, and mining.

Not as cool as an old Buick, but there's an old bedframe at one of the campsites on the far eastern edge of Quetico Lake.  Growing inside of the frame are 4 red pines that are each close to a foot in diameter.  That frame has been there for a while.

There is also a car back in the pine trees at the BH/Quetico portage - Quetico side.

Buick..... (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)


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