Can you believe it?! We’re already sending out the last trips of the summer and, WOW, we’ve got some good ones!

The first trip left before breakfast on Monday morning and the last trip left this morning (Wednesday). Everybody will be back by Friday afternoon 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.

Senior Capstone Superior Hiking Trail – 5-DAY

This grand adventure is led by Birchwood Senior Leadership Counselors, Frosty (back row, left) and Mac (front row, left).

This trip has been fully planned and packed by our Senior Leadership Campers as part of their leadership training here at Birchwood! For many, this will be their first year as a Senior Camper and, therefore, their first capstone trip! They’ve planned an intense five-day backpacking trip along the Superior Hiking Trail, beginning at Crosby Manitou Sate Park and ending all the way south at Split Rock Light House. This trip is roughly 60 miles total and offers stunning views of Lake Superior.

Follow them on their adventure: https://share.garmin.com/65CZR (Birchwood 4)

Canadian Fishing Trip – 5-DAY

This trip is led by Birchwood counselors, Nairo (middle row, left), Duke (back row, left), and Ghost (back row, right).

These chaps are in search of their own grand fishing adventure! They’ve paddled deep into the Canadian wilderness of the Crownlamds! They’ll paddle the abundant waters of Mowe Lake, Plummes Lake, and the North Channel of Northern Light Lake in search of big fish before paddling back to camp through Saganaga Lake on Friday. This land is the wild west of wilderness territory and the fishing is somewhat legendary! We fully expect them to catch some monsters and eat a handful of keepers for supper!

Follow them on their adventure: https://share.garmin.com/65CZR (Birchwood 1)

North Shore Climbing – 5-DAY

This trip is led by counselors Gov (back row, right), Hercules (front row, sitting), and Frizzlw (back row, left).

A Birchwood favorite, the North Shore Climbing Trip is unlike any other trip! This group is in for 5 days of climbing cliffs that stand directly over Lake Superior at Shovel Point in Tettegouche State Park, bouldering at Sawmill Creek Dome, top roping at Section 13 on the Superior Hiking Trail, and base camping at a nearby campground. This trip is popular for the world-renowned rock climbing AND the big meals cooked in the Dutch oven.

Follow them on their adventure here: https://share.garmin.com/XXT8Z (Birchwood 5)

East Bearskin Paddling – 4-DAY

These boys are guided by counselors Lobo (front row, left), and Puddin’ (front row, right).

This group of young men set out for a 4-day paddling trip out of East Bearskin Lake, where right away they have two small portages followed by a big zig-zagging portage into Pine Lake! What a first day! On the second day, they’ll take it easy by paddling down the long Pine Lake into McFarland Lake and John Lake, where they’ll make camp. On Thursday, they’ll paddle East and West Pine Lakes just north of the line they paddled in on to reach Clearwater Lake, which will be their base camp until pickup on Friday afternoon. This is a gorgeous section of the BWCA with lots of old-growth forests and elevation change!

Follow them on their journey here: https://share.garmin.com/N4V2F (Birchwood 2)

Skipper Lake Expedition – 3-DAY

This trip is led by counselors Hemi (left) and Dragon (right).

These gents have dubbed their trip “The Skippers Merry-Go-Round” because they’re going to be paddling a big circle around a section of the Boundary Waters! They’ll begin at Iron Lake campground where they’ll paddle into the BWCA via Portage and Skipper Lake entry points. From there, they aim to paddle all the way to Long Island Lake on the first night to make camp. On the second day, they get to paddle the long Winchell Lake into Caribou or perhaps Gaskin for the night. They’ll round out their trip by ending on Poplar Lake, not far from where they began. This is a group of very strong paddlers – each and every one of them is advanced enough to portage a canoe!

Follow them on their journey here: https://share.garmin.com/N4V2F (Birchwood 7)

As our campers set their sights on adventure this week, the last week of camp, let’s wish them a week of memories in the making! May the wind be at their backs, the trail be clear ahead, and a possible sighting of the northern lights!

Happy Trails,

Ashley, Director