Voyageur's National Park-trip report wit h pictures

“Way too many, I know and the following trip report will be also too long..but, I had such a great time..7 days, solo, kayaking..I entered Voyaguer's via the Ash River Visitor Center..
Map of Voyageur's National Park
at the center of map..I planned to kayak up to the historic Kettle Falls Hotel which is right and up from the Visitor Center. I spent Thursday evening, May 27th, at Wade and Nicole Watsons place..they run Voyageur's Adventures Outfitting on Lake Kabetogama..for $45 I had a whole cabin to myself with 6 bunkbeds to spread out my stuff. It had rained prior to leaving home so I was only able to throw stuff in the car. They gave me great campsite advice..all of which I took.

I only kayaked a few miles that first day but exploring the shoreline added to the distance. I planned to hole up at one site over the Memorial Day week-end and unwind..which I did..I had a whole island to myself with very little traffic..of course, that may have been because the weather was terrible Saturday and Sunday..still, I enjoyed myself hiking the island and fishing in the rain.

I had discovered mushrooms which I was sure were morels, although a bit strangely shaped..without hesitation I picked them. The next morning I ate them after first cooking them in butter then scrambling them with fresh eggs..I love kayak camping! They were excellent. I was stupid..when I got home and looked them up in my mushroom book I found, while they don't affect some, others have died eating them..false morels, is what they're called..gyromitra esculenta..dumb Mataharihiker..

While packing to leave on Monday, I was hailed by a beautiful huge, wooden canoe holding more than 6 and less than 10, guys.."Do you know where you are?" I was asked. "As a matter of fact, I do," was my reply. It turns out their canoe had capsized in 4 foot waves the day before. Luckily for them, they had washed up near a house and were able to dry out but, they had lost their map. I pointed them in the right way..they were on their way out. I was headed towards the island where they had capsized having already decided to take the shoreline route instead of the main channel where they had met with disaster.

I loaded (a 2 hour process) my kayak and, while searching for my gloves, felt water in the stern..horrified, I discovered 4 inches of water!..I had sprung a major leak! I emptied the kayak and, with difficulty, flipped it over..water came pouring out of a lock nut which had come unlocked. My last purchase had been a tiny Leatherman copy, bought for fishing, which I used to tighten the nut..it worked.

I headed out in a very high (20-30mph was my guess) winds and some good waves..more than I had ever experienced but, as I have almost no experience, that's not saying a great deal..I didn't go far..everytime I came out from behind an island into the wind roaring across Lake Namakan it was a huge effort to make headway. I was headed to the campsite at the mouth of Johnson's Bay but, I saw it was sitting right in the teeth of the wind..no good..however, a tiny island nearby had a wilderness site I spotted from the water and it turned out to be an amazing spot.

Finally, a sandy landing and a beautiful, windless campsite..and everywhere, piles of mooseturds..and folks, we're talking piles every 6-10 feet..this was one populated island..not good..I began to walk the circumference to check it out..just followed the piles of turds..the island was probably only 200-300 yards across and there were no moose to be seen..I did spot, however, a very old, man-made leanto..took some good pictures of it.

The rest of the kayaking part of the trip was uneventful. After 3 stormy days I got calm, beautiful waters..I kayaked up to Kettle Falls:
Kettle Falls Hotel
without incident where I had a wonderful, fresh walleye dinner my first evening. I met the whole crew..it was before the tourist rush..they treated me so much like family I forgot to tip! Rick, the owner of the concession the past 9 years, spent almost an hour looking through forgotten sunglasses for a screw to replace the one that had just fallen out of my glasses..he found one..

I kayaked back to my campsite by moonlight and the sound of calling loons. It was hard to sleep on such a beautiful night. The sound of feeding fish slapping the water also kept me awake..still, I woke up before sunrise to try a little fishing..like everyone else I had met, no luck. The next day, I returned to the hotel for a wonderful breakfast and a $2 trip to their modern bathrooms..for that you get the bathroom of your choice, soap, shampoo, conditioner, washcloth and towel..I took a bath, then a shower, then a bath. Rooms are $70 with bathrooms down the hall..

I dwadled that day..kayaked around..got some great photos of the nearby nesting baldy which I took from my kayak..had a river otter surprise me while I was fishing..he was only 6 feet away..too quick for my camera..and, hung about in my hammock just enjoying the day.

Next day, I packed up while a couple of the nice kids that worked in the hotel who had kayaked over to check out my campsite, kept me company. I left early afternoon expecting to only kayak 6 0r 7 miles but, it didn't work out that way..I still felt I had plenty of energy and kayaking in the calm of the late afternoon is wonderful..mistake..there were no free campsites, islands or landfalls available..all were occupied..it was amazing..where did they all come from on a Thursday evening! I checked out every side bay andback bay and island I saw along the way..no room at the inn! I was very tired when I saw, to my amazement, what could only be the boat pullout ramp at Ash River..it was a straight, 14 mile shot from Kettle Falls to Ash River and I had hardly kayaked in a straight line..no WONDER i was tired! I was about ready to give up and pull the kayak out of the water when I noticed the point opposite the visitor center at the entrance to Lost Lake appeared unoccupied..amazingly enough, it was free! I threaded my way through the dozen or so fishing boats and took up residence..grateful to have found a spot!

The next morning, I arose before the fisherman and kayaked around Lost Lake..I saw, in one short hour, 2 loons, a beaver and his home, a browsing deer, a river otter, a flock of honking northbound Canadian geese, many colorful turtles and, the real surprise, a moose swimming from my campsite to the opposite shore! Shots of all, but the river otter, are in the 2nd album..

So, here are the links to Webshots for those of you who like pictures..
Voyaguer's N.P. pictures..part 1
Voyageur's N.P...part 2”

“Voyageurs and Rocky Mountain National Park should be in a contest for most scenically boring national park. Throw in Petrified Forest NP in Arizona too.

Sorry.”

“water and pine trees interesting..I know what you mean..I think that's why no one posts pictures of the Boundary Water Canoe Area..perhaps we should be grateful there aren't many like me who try to make it interesting..oh well..sigh...”

“what park do you consider not scenically boring..I quite like RMNP..”

“Sorry, I spent some of my years living in eastern South Dakota. A trip from there to Voyageurs would probably make Voyageurs seem incredible.

Once you've seen parks such as North Cascades, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Mt Rainier, Wrangell-St Elias, Denali, Canyonlands, Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Olympic, Glacier, Kenai Fjords and others you might understand.”

“Well I appreciate the photos and report. I'll be heading up to the boundary waters for a week in July.

Thanks.”

“oh boy, I am too tired to read the complete TR right now, but I did look at the pics. NICE!!!

Night ya'll!!”

“BTW, I was so eager to get the hell out of eastern South Dakota, I volunteered for the Navy to see the the world.”

“I've seen the Grand Canyon, Zion, Yosemite, Kings Canyon/Sequoia, the Cascades, the Olympics, Glacier a few times, the Tetons, Yellowstone, the Alps, the Himilayas..lived in most countries all between Nepal and Europe for a few weeks if not months; hitched East the first time..drove West and back again once(minus Spain and Portugal)..lived in Bali and Hong Kong..passed through Thailand, love the Dakotas and find nothing outdoors scenically challenging..except, maybe parts of eastern Iran..but, that's just me..I still have yet to see Alaska but did like Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway..”

“that's scenically challenging! LOL”

“eastern Dakota is pretty bad..that stretch before the Missouri..painful..”

“I'm with you Matahari.

Some places are indeed truly jawdropping but every place has something wonderful to behold if you allow yourself to see it on its own terms.”

“Nope, can't agree with you on the ocean.”

“but, it's the light that's fascinating, don't you think?”

“Yes, that and the wind on water.”

“Voyageurs also doesn't impress me because it looks a lot like Eagle Lake where my brother lives in the Twin Cities.”

“MataHariHiker, you have been to every "vacation" country in the world, why did you pick Wisconsin to live in?”

“I was very close to my grandmother, who lived here, when I returned to the States in 1987..got a job, fell in love and there you have it..if anything happened to Bill I'm not sure I'd stay here but, in the meantime, I find this peaceful, little spot very beautiful geologically...I like rocks and water..alot of that around here..weather fascinates me and we have some of the most unpredictable weather in the USA right here where I live..

I definitely have the wanderlust bug in me and get the urge to see new sights fairly often..the Canadien Shield is unlike any rock formations I had previously seen..we have traprock (basalt) around here which is black..the rock up on the Canadien border is smooth and silver..

I learned a long time ago, if you look closely enough, all things have beauty..I even like Eastern Montana! Unfortunately, if you move quickly, many beautiful places become empty and ugly..the secret is to slow down!”

“I thought so MataHariHiker. The presence of people, and the absense of people are the two biggest driving forces that determine where I live and where I travel.”