The Power of the Boundary Waters

_{Pictured above is Project Success BWCA volunteer, Jesse Brown, and one of the students in his group. Jesse had his first opportunity to serve as a trip chaperone on our 2015 trips, and wrote this reflection upon his return.} 

Choosing Our Own BWCA Destiny

I stepped off the bus at the start of our Boundary Waters canoe trip and was warmly greeted by Andrew Shay, Wilderness Canoe Base Guide and Project Success alum. He greeted all of the students with a gentle handshake and smile. Jorgen, Stefan, Ford, Paul, Olivier and Ramone all reciprocated his warm welcome. After saying “hello” to the six boys, he greeted me with a big hug.

Even though we were all strangers about to embark into the wilderness together, Andrew immediately made us feel at home. And our work started immediately, too: Within minutes, the whole group piled into two large voyageur-style canoes and began a short paddle across the bay to the island on Seagull Lake, home to the Wilderness Canoe Base. We grabbed our bags and started the quick hike to our cabin. From there, we traveled down to the “swamp and swim” beach – our first taste of what the water felt like.

We learned what it takes to get your canoe floating again if you tip over. Two of the students were more hesitant than the others to swim and to purposefully swamp the canoe. However, after a few laughs and a bit of encouragement, we all passed the “swamp and swim” test.

Andrew then took us back to the cabin and we started to pack our bags for our six-day trip on trail. As a group, we learned how to pack the Duluth Pack, safely pick it up and carry it, and keep its contents dry – a skill we would soon realize was of utmost importance.

We talked as a group about our plan for the next six days: What lakes did we want to paddle? How much did we want to portage? What sights did we want to see? This exercise was the first of many where the students were given the opportunity to be independent and to choose their own BWCA destiny.

Once we had the logistics ironed out, we talked about the importance of working as a team and agreeing to be supportive of each other no matter what.

The Challenge of the Portage

It was raining the morning of our departure. We were only a few paddles and J-strokes into our trip and our rain gear was already being put to the test. Rain or shine, we were excited to finally embark on our trip. Slowly but surely, our band of eight adventurers crossed Seagull Lake.

The students were still picking up how to most effectively propel the canoes through the water. Andrew and I patiently encouraged them, knowing all too well that the excursion was not about the speed at which we paddled, but the way in which we paddled. Their goal was to learn to support each other and accept the cyclical tendencies of the BWCA: paddle through the rain, set up camp, cook, sleep, paddle through the sun, portage seemingly endless trails, paddle through the rain, cook and eat, sleep, paddle through the rain … There is a real beauty in the way the Boundary Waters challenges you and encourages you. 

Our first portage was 105 rods, the second longest portage we would face throughout the trip. It was a learning experience for us all.

Like most of the kids, this was my first portage. I was a little worried, but also excited – anxious to earn this rite of passage as a Minnesotan. The kids supported me as much as I supported them. When it came time for our initial portage, Andrew and I looked at each other, then looked down at the edge of the lake: two canoes and two packs were left. I put one of the packs on and then Andrew and I lifted one of the canoes onto my shoulders. As I settled into the portage pads, Andrew “soloed” the second canoe onto his back and we began our 105 rod walk through the woods.

The kids were somewhat nervous about what packs they would be able to carry. Initially, all of the kids wanted to take the lightest loads, worried the canoe or the equipment pack would be too heavy.

The one exception was Stefan.

With a calm, cool, collected tone, Stefan said, “I’ll take a canoe.” I was inspired by his courage. Throughout the trip, he continued to prove his grittiness and leadership qualities.

Although it was difficult, I enjoyed every step of our first portage. The kids did too. They greeted me at the other end of the trail with a smile and words of encouragement. Admittedly, I was struggling and quickly dumped the canoe off my shoulders and into the water.

Little did the kids know that over the course of the next six days, they would progressively become more confident in their own ability and willingness to take the heavy packs and portage with canoes.

This was the most clear piece of personal development I saw in these young men: by the end of the trip, they were glowing with a self-confidence only the most beautiful place in the world could instill in them. 

Seagull. Alpine. Jasper. Kingfisher. Ogish. Annie. Jenny. Eddy. Southarm Knife. Hanson. Esther. Otter Track. Swamp. Sag. And back to Seagull. For six days, we paddled, portaged, cooked, ate, sang, rapped, joked, swam, paddled some more, portaged some more – all the way through 14 beautiful lakes. Each day, our campsite was more scenic than the last. Each meal got better the longer our days in the boat became. Each loon and its call sounded more magnificent as time went on. Yes, paddling and portaging all day long was challenging but each day, I remember thinking to myself, “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else in the world.”

Propelling through Adversity

After six life-changing days with this crew in the BWCA, there are an infinite number of stories I could share – and even then, they wouldn’t capture the essence of being there. But three things stick out in my mind as significant moments of transformation.

First, on our last portage of the trip, Jorgen was carrying a canoe and suddenly tripped. The canoe became a little too heavy, the terrain a little too unstable. Luckily, Jorgen was able to maneuver the canoe away from him during the fall, but he was a bit shaken up. The canoe wasn’t on the ground for more than 30 seconds when Ramone said, “Don’t worry, Jorgen, I got it.” Ramone asked for help from two of the other students and before I knew it, Ramone had the canoe on his shoulders and he was finishing the portage. Now, this was significant because Ramone hadn’t carried the canoe at all the whole trip. Although it took him awhile to realize he was strong enough to carry the canoe, he still did it.

When it really mattered, when his friend really needed him, he stared adversity in the face and found his confidence to do something difficult. For the rest of his life, Ramone will have that moment propelling him through adversity.