Pagami Creek Fire Update Sept 11, 2011

TODAY’S MESSAGE: Yesterday’s dry air and north winds pushed the Pagami Creek Fire farther south yesterday. In consideration of today’s high fire indices, fire managers began a proactive movement of campers from Lakes Two through Hudson, nearby routes, and the Isabella River within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). Specific closures are listed below. Most of the BWCAW remains safe and open to visitors eager to enjoy the fall season.

ACTIVITIES TODAY:
Public Safety crews are sweeping the areas to be closed, assisting campers into other lakes.
Airplanes and helicopters are being used to drop water, keeping the fire within the wilderness and south and east of the Kawishiwi River.

CLOSURES: The vast majority of the BWCAW remains safe and open to visitors. To insure public safety the following waterways and portages are temporarily closed: Lakes One through Hudson, Fire, Bridge, Rifle, the Wilders, Horseshoe, Pagami, Clearwater, Turtle, Camdre, Pietro, Gull, Quadga, Rice, Isabella Lake, and the Isabella River. The southern campsites on Bald Eagle are closed. The Pow Wow Trail is closed. Sites, routes and portages will be re-opened as soon as it is safe to do so. The following entry points are closed: #30 Lake One, #84 Snake River, #75 Little Isabella River, #67 Bog Lake, #86 Pow Wow Trail, #35 Isabella Lake, and #34 Island River. Campers already in the BWCAW will be able to travel through these routes to exit the wilderness but visitors will not be allowed to enter at these points until further notice.

SAFETY: Campfire restrictions are in place. Wilderness wide, campfires are allowed only between 6 p.m. and midnight. Be sure that campfires are doused thoroughly until cold to the touch.

DATE OF DETECTION: August 18, 2011

CAUSE: Lightning

CURRENT SIZE: approximately 4500 acres burned. Acreage is expected to increase today due to weather conditions.

LOCATION: Township 63 N, Range 9 W, Sections 30, 31, 32: approximately 14 miles east of Ely (within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness) in the Pagami Creek area between the South Kawishiwi River, Clearwater Lake, and Lake One.

AGENCY: Superior National Forest, Kawishiwi Ranger District

SMOKE CONDITIONS: Smoke may be heavy and wide spread depending on wind direction.

RESOURCES: The fire is now under the management of Type 2 Incident Management Team Hinds.

Canoecopia Paddle Show

We will be heading to the Canoecopia Paddle show in Madison, WI this weekend. The show runs March 11-13, 2011. We will have show specials for those that book their trips during the show. Stop by the booth to talk about your summer canoe trip into the BWCA or Quetico.

• Need help with picking a new route? We will have maps to look at route options.

• Need to reserve your trip? Stop by the booth to talk with Steve or Kathy Nelson and set up your 2011 trip.

• Just have questions about how to get started planning? Once again we can help you.

We look forward to seeing past customers and meeting new ones.

Maplewood Camping & Outdoor Expo

We will have a show booth at this Saturday, Feb. 19th, 2011 at the Maplewood Camping & Outdoor Expo. The Expo will be at the Maplewood Community Center in Maplewood, MN.

Stop by and say hi. Get your BWCA and Quetico canoe trip questions answered. You can book your trip in person with us and talk about route ideas you have.

Not sure where you want to go this summer? We can help you pick an entry point or trip route and get you started with your plans.

We hope to see you there. Can't make it to the show? You can always call or email us to set up your trip. You can reach us at 800-950-2709 or 218-365-3149. Send your email to info@elycanoetrips.com.

We are looking forward to a great summer.

Rochester Sport Show

We exhibited at the Rochester, MN Sport Show over the past weekend. It was a good turnout. Thank you to all of our previous customers that stopped by. It is always good to hear stories about your wilderness adventures. We met many people that are interested in experiencing the BWCA or Quetico Park and invite you to visit our website at www.elycanoetrips .com for more details and to start planning your adventure.

On Saturday and Sunday we offered a seminar on “Fishing the BWCA.” Attendance was good and showed us that interest in the BWCA reaches across all ages. Our seminar covered what tackle to use, where to fish, doing C.P.R. (catch-photograph-release) with the big fish and more. And of course some BWCA stories that cause all of us to laugh and enjoy.

Be sure to visit us at the following shows:

February 19 – Camping & Outdoor Expo, Maplewood MN Community Center

March 11-13 – Canoecopia, Allina Convention Center, Madison WI

March 30-April 3 – NW Sport Show, Minneapolis Convention Center**

** Watch for an announcement of our seminar times

Good paddling,

Steve

Spirit of the Wilderness in the Winter

Spirit of the Wilderness is open May through October. The summer months look a little different than Ely, Minnesota in the winter. Here's a little peak into what you miss by coming up in the summer. Note the snow is almost deep enough to cover the van wheels and deep enough to cover the bottom canoes on the rack.

Happy New Year!

2011 is officially here. With a busy holiday season of visiting friends and family the time has sure gone by fast. We hope the holidays have been good to you and your loved ones. If you family is like ours, we talk about the fun things we did over the past year. Many of the stories are of the canoe trips we have taken and the fun we have had. Here's to you and 2011 being full of more fun adventures.

Ely, Minnesota has gotten a number of recent snowfalls. It's beautiful to see all the trees covered with snow. A few more months the snow will start to melt and we will be back into the canoeing season. Until then we will be enjoying the snow and ice. This is a great time to do a little cross country skiing or snowshoeing. There are many great places to sneak into the Boundary Waters across the frozen lakes. This is a time of year when you definitely have peace and quiet. Compared to the summer months, not many people venture into the BWCA during the winter. Speaking of winter, you can't forget about ice fishing. The Walleyes and Northern Pike are the fish of choice currently.

Happy New Year.