1986
1986 was my first year in the Boundary Waters, and had a lot of unexpected ups and downs. (While I was there the family dog of 14 years died, too.) Also rookies were Mike, Bill, Pat, and Bobby and Dwain. Without knowing what to expect our preparation suffered, and it was difficult out there at times. But that was nothing compared to what young Bobby and Dwain went through.
Their first difficulty came when they decided they didn't want to carry their packs and carry their canoe over a stretch of land, instead choosing to shoot the rapids. They were doing okay until the river suddenly plunged down a 30 foot waterfall. Luckily they were able to get over to shore quickly enough to avoid being dashed on the rocks. But instead of hauling their gear over level land they had to hike down (with the canoe!) a brush filled 45 degree slope. They didn't shoot the rapids the rest of the trip. Nonetheless, their troubles were just beginning.
Not long after the waterfall incident the weather started clouding over. A few of us noticed that Bobby and Dwain had their sleeping bags just tied onto their packs and not inside anything. We offered them some garbage bags, but they said, "Nah, it probably won't rain anyway. And we like to rough it."
It poured. The sleeping bags were soaked. And this was on the way in! When we finally got to the campground they had to hang the bags on a line and hope they'd dry.
Meanwhile another Bobby and Dwainism took shape. One way of telling the experienced campers from the inexperienced is looking at where they pitch their tent. If you see someone looking for a nice flat spot with soft ground, chances are they are new. The reason is that these areas tend to be the lowest to the ground. And the veteran camper looks for the higher ground.
Which did Bobby and Dwain choose? Yes. In fact, while it was flat, padded with leaves and "beautiful" as Dwain described it, it was also a hole in the ground.
Everything was okay until the third night. And that happened to be the first night their sleeping bags dried out and they could use them. It rained again. And guess where the drainage site of the camp was? Bobby and Dwain woke up floating on the air mattresses they used for padding. They were in a new foot deep pond in the camp. Their sleeping bags were wet the rest of the trip.
On the way out, Bobby and Dwain made one last little mistake. Somehow a hole got poked in their cooking oil, and without double bottling or bagging it, it spilled all over the canoe and everything in it. They had a rather interesting time trying to grab hold of everything on their way out!
On to 1987 pictures
