This week have a wide variety of trips! Fishing, Paddling, Rock Climbing! The first trip left on Sunday and the fourth trip left this morning (Wednesday). Everybody will return on Friday afternoon, with the exception of the Canadian trip which will return Thursday, to share their tales from the trails but we won’t leave you hanging that long! Keep reading to discover which adventures our Birchwood boys have set out for this week.
P.S. The northern lights have been dancing over us this week! Let’s hope our campers get to witness the show out in canoe country! The BWCA is the largest dark sky sanctuary in the world so it’s a pretty good place to catch a northern lights display or, at the very least, a full view of the milky way! One of our staff members, Scooby, caught this photo of the northern lights right in camp on Monday:
Canadian Crownlands Fishing – 5-Day Trip
This trip is led by Birchwood counselors, Casio aka Jacob (back left), Kumu aka Robert (back right), and Voldy aka Noah (front right) with Senior Leadership Campers Hugh (back middle) and Charlie (front row second from left).
This trip is very special because it’s one that we’ve only sent once before, way back in 2019! These chaps drove all the way down the Gunflint Trail, up the north shore of Lake Superior, through Canadian customs, and then deep into the Canadian wilderness where they put their canoes in the pristine Crownlands water. This land is the wild west of wilderness territory and the fishing is somewhat legendary!
Follow them on their adventure: https://share.garmin.com/XXT8Z (Birchwood 1)
North Shore Climbers – 5-Day Trip
This trip is led by co-counselors Gatsby aka Dylan (back left), Flash aka Dan (back second from right), and Wiki aka John (back right) with Senior Leadership Camper Nathan aka Cheebie (back second from left).
A Birchwood favorite, the North Shore Climbing Trip is unlike any other trip! This group is in for 5 days of climbing the sheer cliffs that stand directly over Lake Superior, which boasts world-renowned climbing. Not only will they be climbing incredible rocks, they’ll get to eat some incredible camp meals! Since this trip is car camping based, they have more space to pack cast iron pots and big bags of groceries. We can’t wait to hear all about their climbs and their meals when they get back.
Follow them on their adventure here: https://share.garmin.com/E95B6 (Birchwood 4)
Poplar Paddle – 4-Day Trip
This trip is led by co-counselors Ghost aka Ian (back) and Teddy aka Camilo (right).
The BWCA entry point for this trip is called the Lizz and Swamp entry point but don’t let the name fool you, this entry point is the gateway to the quintessential canoe country with its long narrow lakes and plentiful wildlife. Specifically, Winchell Lake is a camp favorite for fishing!
Follow them on their adventure here: https://share.garmin.com/N4V2F (Birchwood 3)
Saganaga Lake Explorers – 4-Day Trip
This group is guided by Buggs aka Nicolás (left) and The Duke aka Wyatt (right) with Senior Leadership Camper Brooks (back row second from right).
They will get a full tour of Lake Saganaga, which is the largest lake in the BWCA! They’ll skirt the Canadian border, portage into the crystal clear Ether Lake, and explore countless little fishing coves. This is not a base camping trip – this is a grand tour of the grandest lake in all the Boundary Waters!
Follow them on their journey here: https://share.garmin.com/GXMPD (Birchwood 2)
Meeds Lake Paddlers – 3-Day Trip
This group is guided by Nacho aka Jack (left) and Danté aka Harlan (front).
These gents are off on a paddle adventure that will loop through Poplar Lake, Lizz Lake, Caribou Lake, Meeds Lake, Gaskin Lake and on until they wind up back at Poplar Lake. Wish them luck as they set their sights on the biggest fish!
Follow them on their journey here: https://share.garmin.com/GXMPD (Birchwood 7)
Alumni Spotlight – Josh Fox and Jon Martin
On Wednesday morning, from the depths of camp, we heard “HAGIE BAH BAH” ringing from the shore! We thought, “Uh oh, is a trip back early?” To our surprise, it was not a group of campers. It was a group of Birchwood alumni paddling by on their way to Saganaga Lake!
Josh and Jon were counselors beginning 1998 (Jon was previously a camper as well). They brought their families with them for a little stroll down memory lane, pointing out things that haven’t changed and things that have changed. One thing that remained the same was the hand painted sign hanging on the rafter in the photo above. Josh painted that himself in ’98 and countless campers have sat underneath it since. It reads, “Relax your mind… Relax your mind and you will live for a great long time.”
Our hearts are warmed everytime an alumni steps foot on our docks! Thanks for stopping by Josh and Jon!
As our campers set their sights on adventure, let us wish them warm nights and perhaps a glimpse of the northern lights! In every walk or paddle with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.
Happy Trails,
Ashley, Director
