The Boundary Waters, A Wilderness Area
What is it that attracts you to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness? What makes a person want to drive 6 hours from the Twin Cities to visit the Gunflint Trail? These are questions that are easy to answer once you have visited the area.
I love living at the end of the Gunflint Trail on the edge of the BWCAW. As soon as I turn onto the Gunflint Trail and away from Grand Marais and Lake Superior I know I am home. When I drive the Trail I am reminded how lucky I am to live, and make a living, on the Gunflint Trail. The trees, the wildlife, the scenery, the trails, the lakes, the rivers, and the people, that’s what makes the Gunflint Trail a very special place to visit. Add the fact the BWCAW can be accessed from the Gunflint Trail and you have the closest thing to heaven on earth.
The BWCAW is an incredible place. There are no roads, no buildings, and cell phones do not work there. You can get away from it all while on a wilderness canoe trip. The traffic, the noise, and the stress of every day life is washed away with each dip of a canoe paddle. When you are surrounded by nature a sense of peace comes over you and makes you appreciate everything around you. The clear, clean, lake water that you can drink right from your paddle. The loons, wolves, and birds singing their song to you from across the lake. The sight of the sun or moon sparkling on the water’s surface. The thrill of seeing a majestic moose relaxing in the shallows. The challenge of catching dinner with a rod and reel. The quality time you can spend with the ones you love without the interruptions of every day life.
These are the things I love about the Boundary Waters and these are things the Cavity Lake Fire or any fire will never take away from the Boundary Waters. The scenery after a fire may be different, but they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I can see beauty everywhere I look in the wilderness and if it all looked the same, then what would push me to go farther and stay longer? The Boundary Waters will always offer the solitude we all need in our lives. It will always be a wilderness area and it will always be there waiting for us to become a part of it.