Magic Paddler asked me to watch for his SPOT Messages while he is away in Quetico for a couple weeks.  He is doing a solo trip.  Magic sent me a "check" message from south of the border along the North Shore of MN last Thursday.  Allegedly he entered the park on Friday... but I've received no more "SPOTS."  Yesterday, Mrs. Magic gave me a call to see if I've received any messages.  Neither of us have.  We've checked the park service to confirm he entered the park as planned.  He did.  He registered his route with them per protocol.  As they see it, the first few days run through popular sections of the park, so they don't seem too concerned.

We know Magic intends to cross paths with other QJ'ers along the way.  I'm hoping if anyone out there DOES cross his path and returns home before June 26, they'll let me know.  Also, if you head in between now & then & see him, please give him the heads-up that he is not transmitting.

It is reassuring that Magic is one of the most experienced & wilderness-savvy guys I know.   The problem is likely electronic in nature. OR, perhaps even MORE likely, maybe he has simply lost his SPOT Messenger (Magic has lost stuff, including a cylinder containing his maps, in the past).  In any case, I KNOW what to do with "OK" messages & I know what to do with "Need help" messages.  Silence, however, is a bit more disconcerting.

I guess with the advent of technology our expectations go up.  We "expect" to hear from friends/family... even from remote wilderness. When we don't, the level of worry shoots up... perhaps even well beyond what it did BEFORE we these devices became common place.  I'm sure most of us remember being away for 8 - 14 days or more at a time and, since nobody expected to hear from you until you "got out", nobody seemed to have been particularly worried about you.

Satellite phones & SPOT Messengers have created higher expectations for us folks back home... for better or for worse.  At this particular moment re: Magic, it "feels" like it's for the worse for those of us supposed to be keeping an eye on him (especially for Mrs. Magic).  Yet, as little as 10 years ago I wouldn't have thought twice about it.   

Anyway, if anybody out there runs across him in the park before June 26, we'd be obliged if you would contact me.  I'd love to be able to put a few minds at ease.

Thanks!!!

Jimbo   

EP is Nym, then on towards Sturgeon (presumably via Deux Rivieres) & eventually headed down into the  Allan Creek area.  I'm thinking he had this year's Bushwhacker's Jamboree in mind (if there is even going to be one; I haven't kept up with that thread at all).  If so, he's headed for that No-Name just north of Berniece.  From there he listed several lakes but they were all over the place & he used the word "meander."  When I get home later today I'll retrieve the full list and post it to this thread.

From Nym it's at least a 2 day solo paddle down to Allan... and I don't think he was in all that much of a hurry.  That 1st day or so is relatively tame & pretty well-traveled, I'm thinking, in either approach (Deux Rivieres OR approaching via Lonely).  If he was in real trouble, I think it likely he would have been seen by someone.   It's that "Allan Creek/Berniece" part that starts getting remote & more worrisome.  Of course, there's always a concern in big wind & cold water when a small canoe is involved.

That's all I know to tell you just now.  More to follow.  Thanks!

Jimbo   

I certainly hope he is OK. One thing for certain, now he owes all of us a trip report. I also think he was headed for Stumpys rendezvous.

Was he a first time spot user or was he experienced with it. I know my gen 2 is odd that the "message sent" light starts flashing before its sent. I believe in leaving it on till it auto-offs.

Jimbo,
Can you help with other details such as make, color of his canoe, tent, tarp colors? Date of entry, last contact? Thanks.

That was my first thought too. But then I thought that would be something you'd almost have to go back for. I don't think my wife would ever forgive me if I just blew it off unless we had a previous understanding about when to start worrying.

Fingers crossed.

Just spoke with Magic Paddler's spouse.  She is pretty sure he took his green Bell Magic canoe.  Also, he DID talk to her specifically about doing this year's Bushwhacker's Jamboree.  That would have been a couple days ago, now. 

I'm figuring that, at this very moment (Wednesday the 17th), he is camped on Poohbah Lake, on the small island just below the bigger island campsite marked as H7 on the PaddlePlanner.com map of that lake.  That positions him directly opposite the Memory Lane Portages... which is where I figure he'll head next. 

Maybe the fish will cooperate better for him than they did for me in that location back in May....

Yeah, I'm thinking one of the scenarios previously mentioned is what is going on.  I played those notions to his wife; she really seemed to appreciate it.

I hope that means he has just a little less "hell to pay" when he comes out!!

Thanks, folks.

Jimbo   

I think MP is okay because unless he had some sort of medical emergency, he's savvy enough to get himself out of a tricky situation OR if he hurt but couldn't travel, he would hunker down and find an  old school way to attract help, like make a DIY smudge pot for signaling planes/paddlers.

But this brings up an interesting question at least in my mind?
I understand completely why many feel the need either for themselves or family or both to bring such a device, but electronics fail all the time or you don't know for sure they're working as seems to be the case here?

For all the talk about the SPOT devices or similar items, IS there one item that barring electronic failure a better option for fool proof communication?

Seems like a rented SAT phone and maybe mandatory calls morning/night to a loved one might be the way to go. Biggest problem I see with any device is even if they work as they should, someone could be unable to use it for a variety of reasons.

Your separated from the unit due to injury/dump canoe or your hurt so bad you can't operate it?

I guess I'm asking whether the fear that can be generated in the people your trying to comfort by the device malfunctioning or you thinking your messages are getting thru when there not, is every bit as worrisome than just going in for a set time and letting the park and maybe an outfitter know your route and expected return date and let THEM worry/look IF your late?

Even if you do signal for help, how fast can you expect help to arrive with a SPOT device unless you have some sort of code that would tell others how serious life threatening the situation is?

Seems at least to me, that despite the technology and the good intentions, the actual results can be worse worry wise as just going in the old school way.

Ranger wrote on Jun 17^th, 2015 at 1:17pm:

He does, in fact, wear it attached to the exterior of his PFD.  The principle reason for wearing it in such a manner is that he frequently runs his SPOT in a "continuous track" mode.  I believe Jimbo would be getting that if he had the SPOT with him.  Since it appears that there was no track since his launch, I suspect that the SPOT is not with him.

(At least this is what I'm hoping is the way it plays out.)

dd

If we knew make, model, color description of his vehicle, perhaps a ranger or fellow paddler could check Nym lake lot to see if spot is in vehicle. We know he has Illinois plates.

ST,  SPOT literature says they will pin-point your location within 20 feet.  From experience I know on maps that SPOT does indicate closely where I am when I send a message.  Testimonials from actual users of SPOT who needed to be assisted from a 911 message say the response was relatively fast.

Another thread can be started to debate spots, SATs, etc. Let's keep the focus here on MP.

Took a SPOT on my 2013 solo as at the request/demand of my wife. Found out that only a third of what I thought were successful "all OK" transmissions ever went through. Told folks on my list to watch for any "send help" messages but warned that if no all OK messages were received it did not mean there was a problem. Could be operator error, device issues...

I'm guessing the SPOT went into the glovebox after the pre-border crossing transmission and wasn't thought of during the canoe loading/departure excitement. Looking forward to the trip report.

Check the thread on bwca.com . It appears he may have been seen at bwj. He was tired and had blistered feet from bushwhacking.

And he stole your identity, dd.

Got it!

Many thanks!

Jimbo   

All,

I spoke with Magic Paddler just a couple hours ago as he emerged from the bush.  He had his SPOT with him all the while but it malfunctioned.

I'll let Magic share the details when comes back on-line.

All is well!

Jimbo   

Welcome back MP. You win my QJ man of the year award. For doing a great presentation at Copia and for the monster bushwhack to Stumpys pond among others. I'm greatly impressed.