Category: Boundary Waters Recommendations

Despite recommending that you read Hatchet, we don’t actually recommend that you bring a hatchet (or an ax, for that matter) on your next Boundary Waters or Quetico trip. Although packing an ax might seem like a no-brainer, we feel strongly that much better tools for easy firewood production.

Unless you’re cooking all your meals over a campfire, you probably won’t need enough firewood during your trip to justify the risk that comes with operating an ax in a wilderness area. In 2016, two different groups that outfitted through Tuscarora had to ended their trips early due to injury. Both of those injuries were caused by an ax. Axes don’t only cause bodily harm, when strapped to the outside of portage packs which are then dropped into floating Kevlar canoes, an edge of the ax head often damages the canoe’s foam core.

If you’re gathering firewood that’s dead, down, and wrist-size or smaller as per the Boundary Waters rules and regulations, you won’t even need to split your firewood while you’re in the woods. For the most efficient and safe firewood gathering in the BWCA, your best friend is the folding hand saw. 

In recent years, we’ve come to depend on a cadre of Silky brand folding saws for our firewood and brushing needs. As you can see above, we’ve accumulated quite a collection. A Japanese company, Silky is known for producing high quality, efficient, and smooth cutting handsaws.   

For Boundary Waters trips, the Big Boy Silky Saw pictured in the middle of the above photo with the orange handle is your most practical option. (In fact, it’s the saw that Amy and Dave Freeman used during their “Year in the Wilderness” back in 2015/16.)  The Big Boy weighs less than a pound and folds down to 15 inches. We find the extra large teeth blades work best for slicing through Northwoods brush, but you can choose from extra fine, medium, and large teeth blades as well. 

Before this post just turns into an infomercial, let’s bullet point what we appreciate about Silky saws: 

• Good ergonomics – the saw is designed to do its cutting when you pull the blade back towards your body which lessens body strain and allows you to make quick work of your firewood gathering. 
• Easy open, easy close – While it can feel like you need an engineering degree to assemble some of the lightweight folding saws on the market, the Silky saws simply pull open and shut like a pocket knife.
• Replacement options – You can buy replacement blades for about half the price of the actual saw. You just need a flat head screwdriver to switch out blades. 
• Safety first – These saws won’t fly out of your hands and land into your foot. And because the blade is securely tucked into its handle when not in use, you don’t have to worry about anyone accidentally cutting them when it’s not in use. 
• Economical –  The Big Boy retails at about $70.00. And because they’re easy to safely operate, you might even avoid a few insurance co-pays too!  

Here’s a short video of the Silky saw in action:

If you call us up and ask for a route recommendation for your first Boundary Waters canoe trip, chances are, we’ll mention Seagull Lake.

This large, versatile, and visually stunning BWCA lake near the end of the Gunflint has a route to accommodate every type of Boundary Waters first-timer, whether you’re a new parent wanting to introduce your toddler to the Northwoods (hello, Seagull Base Camp), an avid angler looking to cover some distance (Border Route), a scout or church group in search of good fishing and easy portages (Red Rock Loop), or an experienced backpacker, but first-time paddler, who wants to get a snapshot of what the Boundary Waters is all about (Seagull to Round, or vice versa).  

It might seem a little strange that we so often recommend routes that don’t start on the lake where our business is located, but we feel strongly that Seagull Lake provides one of the best Boundary Waters introductions out there. The public landing on Seagull Lake is just a 10 minute drive from Tuscarora Lodge and we offer free shuttle service to and from Seagull Lake with any canoe rental.

Of course,we’re a little biased.

Andy and I lived on Seagull Lake for six years before moving to Tuscarora and I had my first overnight BWCAW trip on Seagull Lake back in my toddler days. As kids, Andy spent a lot of time at his aunt and uncle’s resort on Seagull Lake, while I ended up on Seagull Lake with fairly frequent trips to Wilderness Canoe Base with my friend, Kati. Suffice it to say, this is a lake we love and know well.

We truly believe that Seagull Lake has something to offer every type of camper. You can portage off the lake if you want, but there’s plenty to explore without ever leaving Seagull Lake. 

If you’re tired of paddling, you can hike to the top of the Palisades or tackle the mile and a half portage to Paulson Lake. History buffs can search for old abandoned resort properties on the western end of the lake. (Hint: the large lilac bushes and domesticated roses are a dead giveaway that you’ve stumbled upon on a resort property.) Explorers can search for a hidden waterfall on the lake’s south shore and anglers have miles of lake to keep them busy for days. Sand beaches at many of the campsites make the lake a favorite for base campers and young families. The islands on the northern shore provide a navigation challenge for those wanting to test their orienteering skills.  Day trip possibilities include Alpine, Grandpa, Rog, and Paulson Lakes. 

That feeling when you find the perfect Seagull Lake campsite

Seagull’s a place to observe Northwoods ecology in action. In the last twenty years, the lake has experienced a significant blowdown event in 1999, and three wildfires in the 2000s. Happily, fire recovery area translates into bountiful wildflowers, as well as acres and acres of marble-sized blueberries on the south facing rock faces in late July and August. 

A noted lake trout lake, Seagull Lake is a Grand Slam Boundary Waters lake, meaning it offers angling opportunities for the four main fishing species: lake trout, walleye, northern pike, and smallmouth bass.  Don’t forget to try your hand at catching smallmouth in the flowage between Seagull and Alpine Lakes.

A few qualms are frequently raised against Seagull Lake, chiefly that it’s a big lake with motorboats and homes.

While big water can be scary and challenging in high winds, in the case of Seagull Lake, its size is one of its assets. With tons of campsites to choose from, you can set up camp within a 45 minute paddle (at most) of the public landing. Close proximity to your exit point can be reassuring for anxious first-time paddlers, regardless of age.

Conversely, you can paddle for three – four hours and feel like you’re deep in the wilderness without ever portaging. We guarantee that if you’re at the far western end of the lake, you’ll forget that you’re on a lake with homes and motorboats on its eastern end. We’ve day tripped to the western end of Seagull Lake in early August and felt like we had the lake to ourselves, so don’t let the high daily permit quota (12 + 2 Seagull only permits) scare you. 

Of all the canoe trips in your life, it is the most important for your first canoe trip to be a really good time. And that’s probably why we lean on Seagull Lake so heavily in our recommendations for first trips. It’s a lake with something to offer just about everyone and we find most people walk away from a Seagull Lake experience saying, “That was fun! Where should we go in the Boundary Waters next year?” 

Are you a Seagull Lake fan? Where did you go on your first-ever Boundary Waters canoe trip?