On September 12th, I was part of a group of eight women who embarked on an epic journey up the Echo Trail, towards our entry point Little Indian Sioux River (north). About 30 minutes into our drive, a wolf was spotted on the side of the road, watching us drive by. Led and guided by Pam Wright (Soka Outdoors), we were part of a group touring with Women’s Wilderness Discovery, an Ely-based guiding company run by Peta Barrett.
Our group had a unique makeup, with four friends from Rochester (including a woman who had turned 80 this year!), a speech-language therapist from Stillwater, and co-owner of Back Channel Brewing, Melissa Leddy. This year, Melissa was introduced to Save the Boundary Waters, when she included us in a birthday fundraiser, which set out to raise $40,000 for four nonprofits. She exceeded her goal, raising over $73,000!
Our route included river and lake paddling, and we paddled Upper and Lower Pauness Lake, Devil’s Cascade, and Shell Lake. We had two challenging 220-rod portages (one with a pond in the middle!), but smiles and laughter were always in abundance. While the weather was on the warmer side for mid-September, we made the most of it by swimming every day of the trip.
While I’ve been to the Boundary Waters four times with a mixture of day and overnight trips, I had never portaged a canoe before or taken stern. I challenged myself to portage the canoe at every single portage, and to attempt to master the J-stroke. Being in the Boundary Waters with a mixture of new and returning paddlers was such a unique experience. I was asked such interesting and unique questions, which made me reflect on how I can incorporate this into my work.
On our final day, we woke up to leaves falling and the tops of trees beginning to turn - fall was right around the corner. As we made our way back to our entry point, we were filled with happiness, a sense of immense accomplishment, and a tinge of sadness to be leaving this wonderful wilderness. We each walked away with an understanding that we need to protect the Boundary Waters for everyone, forever.
Amy Yoelin (Development Officer at Save the Boundary Waters) on the left, Melissa Leddy on the right
*All photos below were taken by Pam Wright.*
