Travel the Boundary Waters - Fall Special 3 days / 2 nights

The Boundary Waters is calling you!  

Fall is one of the best kept secrets for canoeing or hiking the BWCA of northern Minnesota;

• Warm days, cool nights
• Fewer people than mid-summer
• Good fishing
• Hear the call of loons, see wildlife
• And more…

The BWCA is one of the top 50 places in the world National Geographic recommends you visit in your lifetime.


Start your wilderness adventure in Ely MN, canoe capital of the upper Midwest . Easy access to a place where you can listen to the silence and slow down the pace of life.


Spirit of the Wilderness Outfitter/Outdoor Store is ready to outfit your needs and help you make lifetime memories.

Experience the wilderness for 3 days/2 nights with a complete outfitting package at a reduced rate. Spirit of the Wilderness is ready to serve you and help you make lifetime memories of a Boundary Waters adventure.

3 Days/ 2 Nights Complete Outfitted Canoe Trip

• $199.00 per person, minimum 2 people (regularly $285.00/person)

Includes:

• Kevlar canoe, life jackets, paddles, food (2 breakfast,3 lunch, 2 dinners), packs, tent, sleeping bags w/pads, cook kit w/utensils, stove w/fuel, matches, TP, water filter, detailed map and more.
• BWCA permit and usage fees not included
• Trip must start after August 16 and end by October 31, 2015
• No other discounts apply
• A $100.00 deposit per person required to confirm reservation
• Additional days available at discount rate

           

Call today and let Spirit of the Wilderness, Ely MN outfit you for a Fall canoe or hiking trip in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.

Ph: 218-365-3149 or 800-950-2709

email: info@elycanoetrips.com

Bear Encounter Report - August 17, 2015

This report is furnished by the USFS, Kawishiwi Ranger Station, Ely MN

•       On 8/11 on Spoon Lake south side, first site to the right of the south portage. At 5:30 a.m. bear wandered into camp and was chased away. 10 minutes later bear was in food pack tree. Was chased out but stayed near campsite for some time.
• .       8/15 and 16: south shore of Vera, second site to the south: Large bear pulled group’s food pack down while they were out on a day trip. Group returned before bear got into their food and they retrieved the pack. Bear continued to circle camp, woofing, most of the day.
• .       8/14 Knife Lake site 16 south of Thunder Pt: Bear tore into hanging food pack while group was on a day trip, managed to reach into cooler inside pack and pull all the food out. Group was experienced but pulled pack high and the pack came close enough to the tree for the bear to reach it. Group did not see the bear

Bear Awareness

1. Keep your campsite clean. Never eat or store food in your tent.
2. Take all precautions to discourage bears from visiting your site, including hanging your food pack or using a bear-resistant container, as well as garbage and anything that has a strong or sweet odor (soap, toothpaste, lib balm, etc.)
3. Some bears overcome their fear of humans and approach campsites looking for food. This includes island campsites since bears are good swimmers.
4. If you do encounter a bear, most will be scared off if you make noise (shout, bang pots, or throw fist sized rocks at the bear, etc)
5. A very persistent bear may be discouraged by spraying pepper spray into its eyes.
6. When scouting out a campsite and you spot bear scat (poop) in the campsite, assume bear frequent the site and move to another campsite. If you do not know the difference between bear scat and wolf poop, assume it is bear scat and move to another campsite.

Spirit of the Wilderness Outfitters & Outdoor Store, Ely MN rents and sells bear resistant barrels and pack hanging systems. Give us a call at 218-365-3149 or 800-950-2709 today and start planning your September BWCA adventure.

30 liter, 60 liter barrels w/harness

Kondos pack hanging system

    

Fishing Report - Saturday, July 18th

Walleye are being caught between 10-25 ft. You will want to drift along structures working from shallow to deep. The best result has been with leeches on Lindy rigs.

You will want to look for deep weed lines to bring in pike. Most are being caught when trolling shad raps or casting spinners and spoons.

Small mouth bass can be netted when using top water lures in the weeds, or if you are reef fishing use jigs and crawlers.

Crappies are the hardest to catch right now. They are traveling in smaller schools dispersed throughout the lakes. Most anglers are using crappie minnows at depths from 15-25 ft.

NEMO Bugout Screen Room Tarps for RENT

NEMO Bugout Screen Room Tarps

This unique tarp allows you to be sheltered from the rain with the added bonus of keeping the bugs out as well.

The canopy is made from 75D PU Polyester Ripstop (1500mm). The walls are made up of 15D no-see-um mesh. 

The Bugout comes in two different sizes; the 9x9 model which can fit 4 people comfortably, while the 12x12 will fit up to 6.

BUGOUT 9x9 Specs:

Trail Weight - 4 lbs, 12 oz 

Floor Dimensions - 108 x 108 in

Floor Area - 81 sq ft

Interior Height - 72 in

Number of Doors - 2

Packed Size 16 x 8 in dia

Shell Fabric 75D PU Polyester Ripstop (1500mm)

Canopy Fabric 15D No-see-um mesh

BUGOUT 12x12 Specs:

Trail Weight  7 lbs / 3.2 kg

Floor Dimensions 144 x 144 in

Floor Area 144 sq ft

Interior Height 84 in

Number of Doors 2

Packed Size 23 x 8.5 in dia

Shell Fabric 75D PU Polyester Ripstop (1500mm)

Canopy Fabric 15D No-see-um mesh

Spirit of the Wilderness customer review:

"The bugout room was awesome. I will definitely rent this again in the future. A tip to future renters remember to set up opposite corners first, and have a campsite with trees."  - Michael R. from Minneapolis, MN.

Rent one of these great screen rooms for only $12.00 a day.

 Click here to see our full list of outfitting gear, from only one item, or a full outfitting package.

Call us at 1-800-950-2709 or email us at info@elycanoetrips.com to reserve one or both of these fine products for your next Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness adventure.

NEW to rent: Helinox cots and chairs

HELINOX GEAR FOR RENT

The latest and greatest cots and chairs in the industry are now available to rent here at Spirit of the Wilderness. Helinox uses DAC's advanced alloy technology to make the lightest, strongest and most durable cots and chairs.

HELINOX COT ONE

Stay comfortably off the ground with this light weight and super strong cot. Using the unique Helinox lever system this cot stays solid and is easy to assemble.

Specs:
74.8" L x 26.8" W
6.3" Ground clearance
Weights 5 lbs
Weight capacity 320 lbs

Rent a great cot for only $6.00 a day.

HELINOX CHAIR ONE

This super strong and light camp chair is made similar to modern tents with the "hub" design versus that of a traditional folding chair.

25.6" H x 20.5" W x 19.7" D
13.5" Ground clearance
Weights 2 lbs
Weight capacity 320 lbs

Rent a great chair for only $4.00 a day.

 Click here to see our full list of outfitting gear, from only one item, or a full outfitting package.

Call us at 1-800-950-2709 or email us at info@elycanoetrips.com to reserve one or both of these fine products for your next Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness adventure.

Geocaching at Spirit of the Wilderness

Spirit of the Wilderness has joined the world of Geocaching. "Geo-what-ing?" you ask.

Geocaching.com defines geocaching as a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices. Participants navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find the geocache (container) hidden at the location.

What is Geocaching? Video:

Now you are probably asking how Spirit of the Wilderness has joined the community of over 5 million geocachers? Well it's simple, we have hidden a cache on our premises. That cache is one of the over 2 million hidden worldwide. We even have a few employees who are geocachers themselves.

The cache A Paddler's Paradise was hidden only a week ago and it's already accumulated over a dozen finds. 

A recent log posted on the cache page.
Click on the image to enlarge.

We are offering Geocaching clinics this summer. If you would like to book one for your next adventure in or near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness contact us at 1-800-950-2709 or email: info@elycanoetrips.com.

Visit us at the Northwest Sport Show this Week

This week March 25-29, 2015 Spirit of the Wilderness will be at the Northwest Sport Show at the Minneapolis Convention Center.  We look forward to seeing past customers and meeting new ones.  This is a great time to stop and talk about your BWCA canoe trip is summer.

We will have the following three seminars at the Northwest Sport Show. Hope to see you there!

• Friday, March 27, 2015 - 4:30PM - Packing for your BWCA Trip in room 102A
• Saturday, March 28, 2015 - 12:30PM - Traveling the BWCA this Summer in room 102A
• Sunday, March 15, 2015 - 1:30 PM -Top 10 BWCA Sites to Visit in room 102A

Photo by Jim Siirila

There are still permits available for your summer

2015 BWCA canoe trip.