The still pictures from all my trips can be viewed and purchased at https://davidcgray.smugmug.com.

My fourth 'hike' of the 2021 season didn't involve much hiking, but it sure required a lot of paddling!

When I was growing up in Michigan my family took a number of multi-day canoe trips on the Au Sable River, and they were great times. Fast forward to my early days of backpacking when I would talk with Bob about all things 'backcountry' - I knew Bob was a veteran of multiple Boundary Waters canoe trips and I took every opportunity I could to pick his brain for tips and techniques. He also had a huge Boundary Waters map on his office wall and we would talk about his routes and various lakes that he had explored. Ever since then a trip to the Boundary Waters has always been high on my 'bucket list'.

The opportunity to go presented itself in 2020 when Rick, a co-worker of mine from the old Delphi days, asked me if I'd be interested in going with him on a Boundary Waters trip in the fall of 2020. I was interested, but unfortunately the torn meniscus in my knee from the 2020 Adirondack trip forced a delay in our plans. But as soon as the snow melted in early 2021 we got right back on the planning for a 2021 trip.

We settled on a 6-day, 5-night trip starting at the Seagull Outfitters on the Gunflint Trail, 55-miles inland from Grand Marais, Minnesota. Our plan was to start on Saganaga Lake, head down through Ottertrack and Knife Lakes to the South Arm of Knife Lake, and then head back northeast to the outfitter through Ogishkemuncie and Seagull Lakes (as well as a ton of smaller lakes, all involving portages). In all we paddled for approximately 60 miles, including our travel time as well as many side trips and fishing excursions (according to the app on my Apple Watch).

Despite my canoe trips on the Au Sable river long ago (45+ years ago!) I started the trip as a complete canoeing 'newb' and, frankly, I was more than a bit intimidated by what I had gotten myself in to. I likened it to taking a person who had never backpacked before on a 6-day trip in the Rocky Mountains - probably not a great plan! But I was game to give it a shot, hoping that my comfort level would increase quickly, and, fortunately, it did. By the end of the trip I was quite comfortable during our long days in the canoe, and my paddling muscles had come into their own.

It was certainly a different sort of experience from a backpacking trip, but I (eventually!) loved it. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is incredibly beautiful, and the fishing is fantastic. We caught multiple Walleye, Bass, and Northern Pike, and they were all big (tasty too!). For anyone planning to take a trip to the Boundary Waters I think this video will give you a great start, and a good idea of what to expect.

For those who have watched my other videos this one is done in the same style - a little over an hour in length, intended to bring the audience along for the 'ride', and with a still picture slide show with music at the end. If you just have a few minutes skip to the end and enjoy the pictures.

Equipment / Gear List:

Still and Video Camera: Nikon Z6 https://amzn.to/3dHJvni
Lens: Nikkor 24mm f1.8 Z-mount lens https://amzn.to/2QZqNOo
Tripod: Sirui T-025X carbon fiber tripod https://amzn.to/3bH3Rvg
Camera shoulder clip: Peak Designs Capture clip system https://amzn.to/2wRdusp
Video Editing Software: Vegas Pro 16 https://amzn.to/2X5dKyu
Pack: Zpacks Arc Blast 55L
Tent: Zpacks Triplex
Sleeping Bag: Zpacks 20degF Sleeping Bag
Sleeping Pad: Therm-A-Rest NeoAir X-Therm https://amzn.to/2yjrUlj
Sleeping Pad: Therm-A-Rest NeoAir XLite https://amzn.to/39zju6v
Pillow: Exped Air Pillow UL https://amzn.to/2WYE5hZ
Stove: JetBoil Flash https://amzn.to/3azKRi7
Stove: MSR PocketRocket 2 https://amzn.to/3dPtOL5
Pot: MSR Titan titanium 0.9L kettle https://amzn.to/3bF1RDB
Headlamp: Black Diamond Spot https://amzn.to/2R0JvoW
Buff: Merino wool Buff https://amzn.to/3dCYHSC
Recharging Battery: Anker 3500mAH ‘lipstick’ charger https://amzn.to/2URI7G3
Camp Chair: Helonix Chair Zero https://amzn.to/2xzbwgh
Camp Shoes: Xero Shoes Z-Trek https://amzn.to/3bA3X7I
Wet Wipes: Survivorware Wet Wipes https://amzn.to/2JwbQ2e