John,
As an outfitter, I’m always asked “What’s your favorite part of the Boundary Waters?” Surely I have some unnamed lake full of brook trout, or a far and remote campsite with rootless tent pads and perfect trees for bear-hangs? There has to be something that I’ve experienced that no one else has. And there is something — the people.
Outfitting has given me the opportunity to see the cross-section of those who visit the Boundary Waters, and they come from near and far. Many of our guests drive up from the Twin Cities, here for a quick two night excursion. Other groups are made up of friends from the East Coast and West Coast, reuniting here in a place that means so much to them.
There are those from all over the world who come here because they can’t find something like this anywhere else. My friend Takeshi from Japan has visited every single National Park in America, but this is the one place he has returned to again and again.
The Boundary Waters is a place that people can’t help but come back to. It is one of the last remaining places to go for solitude and disconnect from the busy world.
Some who visit are here just to fish. Others come in September to enjoy the bug-free air. There are those who thrill at the chance to paddle from sun-up to sun-down. Still others come to the BWCA for quiet mornings, staying in the same place with their book and their hammock.
The BWCA is a refuge for people and the planet. That’s why we need your support this Give to the Max Day.
Right now, your gift will be TRIPLED to protect the Boundary Waters for future generations.
The tall pines and clear waters, the solitude and the stillness—may be what drew us here for that initial push-off into the forest. But ultimately, we are all here, because the Boundary Waters means something to each of us.
