Weekend greetings everyone! If you are opening this and perhaps missed my post/email from Friday March 6th, click National Geographic wants a photo from the Cruiser Lake Trail to bring more relevance to why I’m sharing this today. It’s pretty cool news, I promise!😉
And if you did see that post and have been waiting for the follow up I promised, your wait is over. Here is the fun-filled story behind my time spent in Voyageurs National Park, a time that would eventually lead to that correspondence from National Geographic!
All great stories have an epic adventure tale behind them, or something like that right?! So, pour yourself a coffee, tea, (or something stronger if you like😂), sit back, relax, and enjoy…
“Marooned” - Voyageurs National Park, MN
Linhof Kardan Large-Format 4x5 View Camera
Schneider - Kreuznach Super-Angulon 90mm Lens (Wide-Angle)
F64 at 1/2 second
Professional Fuji Velvia 100
Now, I have backpacked what I consider to be a fairly decent amount and feel pretty darn comfortable doing so. The waterways, however, are something completely new to me! I have always loved to swim, especially in the ocean, but have spent very little time on any kind of watercraft. In fact, I really can’t even recall the last time I was on any sort of “boat” since my chilhood/teenage years. Well, I rented a canoe from a local outfitter, talked some things out, and planned a 3 night, 4 day adventure into the Wilderness of Voyageurs. A little nervous, but mainly super excited, I figured how hard can it be right?!
When I first “shipped out” I found the water navigation to be a little challenging as I worked out the kinks of getting my bearings and proper “steering” paddle control. But, overall, I think it went rather well for a complete novice! It wasn’t too awfully long before I felt like I knew what I was doing enough to be pretty calm and as the sun was setting, I found myself taking in a beautiful orange glow while out in the middle of this thin “canal” of Lake Kabetogama. And you know what? It was pretty darn awesome! :-)
Even with darkness encroaching and being in a totally unfamiliar situation, I remained very at ease (the surroundings here don’t hurt, trust me!). I had my National Geographic Park Map and my AllTrails App showing me exactly where I was and how to navigate around the island in front of me and into the channel I needed to be to reach my campsite on the opposite side. Oh, I should also note a full moon was approaching so that certainly helped with visibility out there! And so here I kind of gently ushered my way across the calmest waters as night set in, the moon and stars above me and a feeling of some of the utmost peace and solitude I have ever felt.
As I paddled close to the shoreline where my campsite was to be, out of nowhere a brief collection of howls pierced the silence… Wolves??!!! In case you don’t know this about me, I LOVE wolves and one of my big hopeful to do’s is to experience hearing and seeing wolves in the wild. Well, it was too distant and honestly I was so taken aback that I wouldn’t let myself confirm that it was wolves and not coyotes at this time. Still, to be out on the water, paddling past shore by moonlight and to hear this sound, well it’s up there on my list of coolest experiences! :-)
Soon afterwards, here I was - Lost Bay Island, a solid 4 mile paddle from launch and the site for my first night. And what a night it was - sitting there on my own private island, utterly alone in some of the truest wilderness (by today’s standards) that I’ve experienced in my lifetime - lost in the moonset and stars and silence.
September 15th, 2021 - Lost Bay Island, Voyageurs National Park -
“What a new type of adventure! Paddling through the waterways of Voyageurs like the canoemen of old. (Or trying anyway, haha!) This place is special indeed. A wilderness on water bringing utter solitude except for the occasional boat passing by.
This time in Minnesota, so far, has been a wonderful surprise! Very different and exciting. I am getting antsy to get back out on the water and on to my hike to Cruiser Lake, but first, a couple notes…
Two Bald Eagle sitings coming through the Superior National Forest 2 days ago - one right in the middle of the road, perched on top of his prey! What a glimpse of his size and talons I saw!
The paddling adventure last evening was such an incredible experience! Alone, in the wild, on canoe, making my way around islands at sunset and twilight and then star and moonlight to Lost Bay Island - a feeling of solitude and freedom I will not soon forget!
The peaceful sound of water lapping to shore. The orange glow of the setting waxing gibbous moon and the star rich skies full of dreams and wonder.
Did I hear the distant howls of wolves or was it coyotes??! My heart and gut want to say it was wolves, but I am just not 100% sure yet. However, the beautiful howls were nonetheless enchanting as I paddled past Eagle View, where I will spend tomorrow night…”
September 16th, 2021, 9:23pm Eagle View Campsite, Voyageurs National Park -
“And then, just after 9pm as darkness was really setting in and aside from the now calm water lapping the rocky shore, the silence so profound was pierced so sharply by a howl so guttural, there was no mistaking it!!!
I have officially heard wolf howls in the wild!!! No mistaking this one, so guttural! And this being where I heard “them” on Tuesday night confirms that was most likely these same wolves as well!
And wow, what a couple days to get here… Talk about working for it!”
Now, honestly partly not even knowing how to feel having experienced something I have so wanted to for years and something so few are blessed to ever experience, I just melted into the night. The moon and stormy sky put on a wonderful lightning show for me well off in the distance, which I enjoyed along with a good Stout and some really good Scotch, as I replayed this one of a kind Voyageurs adventure, so filled with delight.
On my last morning, I still had one heck of an adventure awaiting me to my surprise…
I was to be up before dawn to get packed and breakfast ready, and with hopes of catching a good sunrise on film. Then, I would have to pretty immediately shove off and get back to launch and out of the Park, return my canoe and get back down to the Minneapolis area for that weekends’ festival.
Everything was going great. I was up and ready, caught a beautiful dawn that really spoke to me about my time out here. And then I got out on the water…
Not being a complete idiot, I could tell the wind was kicking up again and the water was well, kicking up again too. It didn't appear to be THAT different from the previous day though. Well, then I was out there and struggling not so much to go forward, but to even keep drifting sideways and not be pushed backwards, and not get capsized at the same time!
Trying to convince myself that this had to be done, and was surely doable with some blood, sweat and tears maybe, I kept fighting. But I was going nowhere. Nowhere in the direction I needed to go anyways. I did manage to fight my way completely perpendicularly and made it to the opposite shoreline. By now, we are talking total white capped waves out there. Exhausted and admitting now that to go back out there was complete stupidity, I got the brilliant idea that if I could manage to get to the other side of this island, the wind and waves may be in my favor for the rest of the way…
Yep, I forged my way first with just my backpack to the other side of the island. It wasn’t much more than a half mile, but calling it bushwhacking doesn’t even really do the situation justice. However, refusing to be defeated, I dropped my pack and went back for the canoe. What I did next, I look back on and think - wow, Brandon. Yes, I somehow drug, hoisted over my head, whatever I had to do to that canoe to get through this unyielding jungle to the other side. Talk about a “real Voyageur experience of old!”
The best part - when I finally was there with my pack and canoe in the same place and tried getting out there, it was still to no avail. The wind and water just battered me to the adjacent shoreline, not allowing me to exit the little cove.
Marooned.
Completely defeated and muscles beyond spent, all I could do was sit there. It was now late morning/approaching noon. Miraculously, this entire time basically, I had cell service. In some ways, kind of disappointing, I know. But, given the circumstances, I was and am beyond thankful for however this is possible! I took a few moments to gather my wits and got on the horn. The weather app was showing me the winds were not going to ease up until between 4-6pm. I got ahold of the Kabetogama Visitor Center and confirmed the same with a Park Ranger, who relayed to me that this “system” proved to be much stronger than any of them expected, that they had put out a small craft advisory/warning, and that as long as it wasn’t life and death the best thing I could do was to wait it out. Then I called my canoe outfitter, who was completely understanding and just told me to be in touch in the evening with an update if I could. And lastly, I called the Festival director to inform them of my current status and that I would not be making it to my appointed check-in time, lol! I said that I hoped to be out in the early evening and should be able to make it down there in the wee hours of the morning and asked if I’d be allowed by security to begin setting up at a ridiculous hour. This was all doable. Now, all I could do was wait…
In hindsight, I think to myself, it would have been an opportunity to explore this or that, perhaps. But in reality, I was done, emotionally and physically, and I got myself in my sleeping bag protected from the winds and took an afternoon siesta. Stirring in the later afternoon, the forecast proved to be rather accurate and around 4pm I began making preparations. I believe it was right around 5pm when I deemed things seemed calm enough, actually quite beautiful, and I set sail, as it were.
Much as this adventure had begun a few evenings prior, I canoed off into the sunset. The water now calm and beautiful, I was able to savor these remaining precious moments, breathe in that watery wilderness air, and reflect on my time out here and what I had experienced, had learned. It is an experience I will never forget, and somewhere I sincerely hope to return to for further exploration.
I can’t help but laugh when I look back and think I could have just realized how bad the water was right away and just enjoyed relaxing at Eagle View that entire day. Then the entire canoe out would have been lovely! But, hindsight is 20/20 as they say, and I had places to be…!
As you might imagine, when I look at this image and/or recall all of this, it’s hard not to thank my lucky stars! And I am thankful I was able to keep my head and not panic, as it truly was an amazing, one-of-a-kind experience. And if you’d like to read even a little more in detail about it and see some more pics from the adventure and the Voyageurs landscape, click Wilderness Solitude (there are some cool pics there!) and go back to my original blog post about this.
Lastly, in wanting to do a better job of showing work I have on hand outside of the festival circuit - if you love this photograph, here is my first Artist Proof of the Print, in one of my Custom Curly Maple Frames.
“Marooned” - 11x14 Fuji Crystal Archive Print, Artist Proof #1/30
6-Ply White Crescent Conservation Board and TruVue Museum Glass
16x20 Custom Curly Maple Frame, color burned in w/ Aquafortis (roughly 22x26 outer frame dimensions / total wall space)
The price is $425. 6% PA Sales Tax would also be added and any shipping/delivery charges discussed. Just drop me a line if you are interested and/or would like to know more!
Alright folks, I’ll be sharing more again soon. Until then, thank you so much for your time and as always,
All of my best,
Brandon