This morning, our first campers of the summer put canoes in the Seagull River and paddled off on their first trips in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Quetico Provincial Park! Spirits were high, and we could feel a sense of excitement in the air! Maybe some jitters too?

Each cabin group is going on a two-night/three-day trip (returning Friday afternoon) together to bond as a cabin. We also have a very special trip headed into the Quetico, manned by seven veteran campers! Read more about each trip and follow their group throughout the wilderness via their satellite pings!

THE QUETICO EXPEDITION

Our veteran campers are guided by veteran counselors Frizzle (left) and Boots (fourth from left).

In 2025, we could tell that many of our veteran campers were ready for a bigger adventure. Over the winter, we planned a ten-day paddling expedition and offered it to returning camp families. It sold out immediately! In recent memory, we have not sent a trip of this scale, and we’re very proud of our campers for eagerly embarking on a big new trip like this! Kudos to them!

This trip covers almost 90 miles of the Quetico Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada. The boys paddled away from our docks before the breakfast bell rang, after having spent the day prior preparing. Their first stop – the Cache Bay ranger station. After the check-in, they will head to Dead Man’s Portage, and that’s where day one will end.

Day two will cover the Falls Chain and end on Kawnipi Lake.

Day three will be a big day on Kawnipi, ending on Rose Island on the south end of Kawnipi.

Day four, they will leave Kawnipi and head to Agnes Lake.

Day five will be a long paddle running the length of Agnes, camping on the South Bay.

Day six, the group will leave Agnes and head northeast to Louisa and paddle to the north bay where they’ll set up camp.

Day seven, the group will hit a pocket of smaller lakes where the fishing will be top tier, ending either on Glacier Lake or Dumas Lake.

Day eight, they’ll start to head back to the original entry from McEwen to Wet Lake and end the day near the Maligne River.

Day nine, they’ll paddle from Maligne to Saganagons, making for a short day.

Day 10 is the last day! They’ll paddle from Cache Bay back to camp!

Follow them on their journey here: https://share.garmin.com/N4V2F (Birchwood 6 and 8 (backup))

AVANT CABIN

This trip is led by Birchwood Wilderness Camp Counselors, Samba (right) and Ryder (left).

The young Avant adventurers will be enjoying a scenic paddle into Lake Saganaga where they’ll camp on a couple of different islands. Being the largest lake in the Boundary Waters, Saganaga has plenty of island campsites to choose from. This group has its sights set on Long Island or Gold Island tonight, followed by Horseshoe Island or Camper’s Island tomorrow night. They’ll enjoy some big water paddling and exceptional campsites before paddling back to camp on Friday afternoon.

Follow them on their adventure: https://share.garmin.com/65CZR (Birchwood 7)

RAVEN CABINS

This trip is led by co-counselors Beagle (left) and Perry (right).

Raven cabin is headed out with the intention of completing the classic Alpine Loop by Friday afternoon. Although all the campers and one counselor on this trip have been to Birchwood before, none have been on this staple trip! They’re approaching from Seagull Lake, then up to Alpine, where they’ll camp on night one. On day two, they’ll paddle into Red Rock Lake, followed by Red Rock Bay, then into Lake Saganaga, where they’ll camp on Long Island. On Friday, they’ll close the loop from Saganaga to camp.

Follow them on their adventure here: https://share.garmin.com/XXT8Z (Birchwood 1)

SHANG + BEAR CABIN

These adventurers are led by co-counselors Puddin’ (back right), Hemi (back left), and Yukon (front left).

This group is headed into the mighty Lake Saganaga on a mad dash to tag American Point, where they hope to camp on night one! Day two will send them back across Lake Saganaga, through many islands, until they reach Horseshoe Island, which boasts many beautiful campsites to choose from. A campsite on Horseshoe positions them perfectly for an easy paddle back to camp on Friday.

Follow them on their adventure here: https://share.garmin.com/GXMPD (Birchwood 2)

As our campers set their sights on their first adventure of the summer, let’s wish them calm waters and clear skies!

Happy Trails,

Ashley, Director