The Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA)

Women's trips into the boundary waters were great

and no one was ever late!

Mary, Rose, Joanna and I thought it was the very best ever!

Very seldom did we get a not again or never

even in the rain

it was the same refrain

isn't this beautiful up here, even with the bears

and those 1,000 stairs

to get to those waterfalls on that day trip!

That was the bomb, Joanna said and we laughed at the quip.

For some reason the food was always better

the fresh blueberries in our pancake batter

Then there was the ride down the tiny waterfalls that were enough

reason to bring our air mattresses as some of us were not as tough

as we used to be and it was better than sleeping on rocks or some

thin mattress pads. I would sleep on rocks rather than not come

and enjoy all that the BWCA has to offer as I love it up there.

No electronics, well there is now, some places, I suppose where

we went back then there wasn't but the signals are stronger now.

The exercise, the companionship, the beauty, wow!

The land and water, the animals and the fresh air

I would rather be up there than anywhere!

Couples trips were fun, as we went up with my brother in law and sister in law and the planning was always so right on. We would enter in one spot and circle around to land in the same spot or we would leave a vehicle at another spot that we were coming out at. We would canoe, portage, canoe, camp. Wake up eat, pack up, canoe, portage, canoe and camp. All the while enjoying the beauty and each other. An occasional mishap, making it an adventure, like when we tipped our canoe on a rapids and I used my paddle to steer me away from the rocks. I lost a pair of sunglasses but the rest of the gear floated. I was not hurt, nor was he! We got wet, but nothing else! Part of the fun on the couples trips were not having to manage kids. We would actually miss them on the trips though and talk about some of the fun times we had with the kids. We had plenty of fun in the sun with and without them!

Family trips were always more work, until the kids were older. Kids fight, kids don't want to go to bed when the sun goes down, and do not want to get up when the sun comes up. They get tired during the day then. They don't want to paddle or they are too strong for mom when they paddle in the front, so we just go around in circles. They don't want to put the pack in the tree, bury their fish scraps, rinse out their dishes or filter the water. Who does it then? They do with patience from the parents. We do, with no patience, when in a hurry to go to bed or move on the next morning. The fun of watching them have fun was the best!

All in all it was a good time! One scary trip was being out on the water in a lightening storm and trying to find a spot to get off the water. Good for adrenaline junkies but not much else. We were fine and had fun watching the show from a safe spot. We were still able to get off the lake and on the road that day. The kids loved stopping for pizza or burgers and fries once back to civilization as they referred to the town of Ely, or Grand Marais, MN or whichever town fit meal time and was on our way home. Their very favorite was Sven and Ole's in Grand Marais!

Since I am planning a trip with BWCA buddies, my memories of the BWCA have come up. The trip we are planning won't be the same, and we will still have the companionship we have come to love, and the adventure! And my favorite part is we will not be sleeping on rocks! I forgot to say that the good part is that you can get so tired up there with the workout and the fresh air that you don't notice the rocks! For some people, I suppose that is not the good news!