Dean Anderson was assistant chaperone on a 1995 Boundary Waters youth group canoe trip from Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Minneapolis led by Rev. Keith Olstad. The youth ranged in age from 11 to 17 years old, including the our own Deputy Campaign Manager Samantha Chadwick, age 11-years-old at the time. Anderson had a fair amount of camping experience, and Olstad had extensive outdoors experience, particularly in the Boundary Waters. Flashback to 1995 with excerpts from Anderson's notes about their trip. Do you document your trip with notes?
Monday, August 21
Liz said Samantha and her were up before Keith and I who got out of the tent shortly before 7:00 a.m.
Breakfast of eggs, fried bagels and pseudo-orange juice.
Liz, Samantha and Nick tried fishing at the canoe landing. No luck. I found out I probably brought the wrong sort of lures: no Rapalas.
“Training” paddle out to campsite near the portage to Smoke Lake. Lunch there.
Paddled back to island on Boundary Waters' border for swimming and fishing, I lost a spinner and a hook to snags.
Paddled back to campground.
Waited for half our crowd to go see obligatory video, the viewing of which was required to get our permit.
There seemed to be some mixup in our paperwork, but a phone call or two straightened that out.
Crunchy bean chili for supper.
Dean and Nick fished on one canoe. Caught nothing. Keith, Liz and Sam fished in another. Liz caught a 12 inch northern.
Played card games and read around lantern.
Thursday, August 24
Cool, brisk breeze, overcast.
Snapper ate one of the northerns. (Note: the stringer had been placed in the water at the shore to keep it fresh. This also made it available to the turtle.)
Hot granola and fish for breakfast. Most had little or no fish, some had a lot. Sarah never got out of bed for breakfast.
Skies lowered, threatened rain. Rain fly erected with 7-foot birch staff found yesterday as center pole. Canoes pulled on land and turned over. Packs covered by tarp.
Little by little, a slow, steady rain fell and wind continued to blow. Campers took to their tents.
Trail lunch under rain fly. All ate eagerly except Lisa, who stayed in her tent and allowed her portions of sausage and cheese to be “horse and goggled.” All returned to tents except Nick who tried a few casts.
After a while, everyone was in the tents.
Gradually, the rain tapered off and later stopped but the ESE wind continued.
Liz and Samantha got bored and wandered about. Dean showed them the ancient graveyard of pygmy mammoths. Keith showed them the home of a tomte and told them about the spirits of Cache Bay in Saganaga Lake.
Spotted sandpiper.
Dinner: fettuccini, biscuits and more spuds. Stoves burned out and added to the prolonging of our late dinner. Dish washers worked by candle and flashlight.
Quickly to bed.
Some more rain at night and some high gusts of wind.
Saturday, August 26
Up earlier than usual to make sure we’d make it to our base camp in time. Once again, like yesterday, Liz and Samantha almost missed breakfast. Took so long to pack.
Partly sunny. Shirtsleeve weather, breezy. Up earlier than usual to make sure we’d make it to our base camp in time.
Paddled about one-quarter mile straight across the lake to our first portage to Burnt Lake: 227 rods. The kids were frequently confirming the lengths and number of remaining portages.
Keith told story of his “finest moment:” pulling a prank on a couple of his fellow canoeists during an expedition with his mens' group.
Ninety-three rod portage to Smoke Lake. Some trouble finding last portage to Sawbill Lake; obscured by reeds. Eventually found channel through reeds. It ended about 10 yards short of solid ground; muskeg kept us from floating right up to it.
First canoe unloaded and carried packs over nearly hidden logs laid in muck. Nick slipped into the slop up to his knee. Dean pulled empty canoe to small pool at shore. Keith carried his canoe over muskeg and log route, slipped on a slippery log and got one leg into muck up to his knee.
Lunch on island at boundary of the Wilderness on Sawbill Lake. Not much interest in swimming.
Paddled to landing about 1:30 p.m. Got vans, loaded them. Final visit to outfitter’s store. Depart about 2:30 p.m.
Stopped at Sturgeon Lake for gas and Tobie’s (Hinckley exit) for pizza.
Back at church at 8:30 p.m. Took packs to large upstairs room where we erected tents and draped packs and tarps over chairs to dry them out. Canoes carried to outside the nursery.
Round trip: 523 miles.
Got home 9:00 p.m.
