by Kyle Hellman
The primary transportation method of most visited wilderness in America remains the same over a thousand years later: canoe.
Kyle Hellman and Chris Parr returning to their campsite after an evening fish slaying. (Photog Randi Boisen)
On the Northern edge of Minnesota, consisting of over 1 million acres of land, 1175 lakes, along 150 miles of Canadian border, with over 2000 designated campsites is the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Possibly most unique to this massive territory is the network of lakes that make canoes the primary method of transportation. While the entire land only has 12 hiking trails, there are over 1200 miles of canoe routes. (Source: ely.org)
(photog Anna Petersen)
Throughout history, the BWCAW has withstood constant controversy, from 11,000 years ago when native American tribes forced each other off the land, to the mining proposals of today.
In 1909, things changed as President Theodore Roosevelt signed into law Proclamation No. 848, which formed over 1 million acres into the Superior National Forest. The land was maintained and controlled by Forest guards, who posted up among the 20 Ranger Stations scattering the forest. (Source: usda.gov)
The story of Dorothy Molter, known as Root Beer Lady, is integral to the history of the BWCAW. In the 1940s, Dorothy sought a life outside of her hometown of Chicago, so she fled to Northern Minnesota, where she picked up a job working at a resort in the Superior National Forest. As Dorothy fell in love with the North land, she became sole-proprietor of the establishment in 1948. (Source: startribune.com)
(Photog Dorothy Molter)
(Photog Dorothy Molter)
The first year into her ownership, the US Forest Service offered to buy Dorothy’s land. Despite an overwhelming amount of pressure from environmental groups, Dorothy refused to sell. Shortly after, an executive order issued by President Truman banned planes in the Superior National Forest. As a result, her resort had extreme difficulty restocking supplies. Yet, she still refused to sell. (Source: growlermag.com)
The offers continued, and Dorothy continued refused until 1964, when the Wilderness Act was passed, which was a federal mandate protecting over 9 million acres of land. Within this land was, of course, Dorothy Molter’s resort. After a tumultuous battle that eventually garnered national media attention, the government gave Dorothy lifetime tenancy. She was the only resident in the entire property.
This, however, was not a total win. Now, Dorothy’s property had no plane access and the nearest road was 12 miles away. The only way to get in and out was via canoe and portage. This was especially hard on Dorothy as she was used to selling root beer to thousands of visitors each year. Tough as nails, Dorothy Molter would portage her canoe and 13 packs from town to make her root beer from the waters of Knife River each and every year. She would hoard ice in an ice house that would last through the summer, usually until mid-September each year. Because of this, the root beer would heat up enough to cause fermentation. After September, her root beer was described by patrons as, “the most god awful, yeasty root beer I’ve ever had.”
For years and years, Dorothy continued to live like this, greeting visitors with a (sometimes) cold root beer. In 1986, after enduring some of the harshest Minnesota winters on record, Dorothy passed away at the age of 79. (Source: rootbeerlady.com)
Today, the BWCAW has reached national attention, once again. This time, recent mining proposals threaten the livelihood of the wilderness area and are currently undergoing legal battles.
Kyle’s Experience
Kyle fishing (Photog: Kyle Hellman)
The first time I visited the BWCA was in high school, when my senior class went on a winter trek to Seagull Lake for an extended weekend. Along with seven other classmates, I spent three days chopping wood, fishing, slogging through snow up to my waist and building the biggest fire possible on the lake. Those three days were the beginning of my relationship with the BWCA, and it’s (mostly) been happiness ever since.
Since my first excursion, I have traveled back to the BWCA four separate times. Each trip came with its own unique style and memories. During my first visit back, some people who will remain nameless forgot most of our food, so we had to rely on what we could catch while fishing and a bag of rice. Another time, the infamous Minnesota state bird, mosquitos, forced us into bed by dusk every night. On my last trip to the BWCA, the loon calls were so constant that they were my white noise as I fell asleep at night and my alarm clock in the morning. Every time has been a memorable experience, and I desire to expand them with new ones in the future.
As all life progresses, so do I. I moved to the east coast, making the BWCA trip a little harder to reach compared to my friends still residing in the Midwest. Every year I try my best to make the journey, as it is important to me to continue to build bonds with my old and new-found friends. Although it’s nice to focus on those relationships, I also go to the BWCA to improve my relationship with nature. I currently live in a city, where trees are replaced by buildings and loon calls are now sirens throughout the night. Although I do have my outlets to invigorate my sense of wonder for the Earth, nothing compares to the feeling of setting the canoe in the water and leaving the entry point, or having a few days of nothing planned but meals and our canoe route.
That is the beauty that I find in the boundary waters canoe area. You make it what you want. I’ve had treks where the theme was suffering - be it the bugs, way too long of portages or just pure exhaustion. Other times I’ve cried from laughing, played camp Olympics and sat in silence as an eagle dove into the water to catch a fish. I’ve had so much fun teaching others how to set up a tent, paddle a canoe and properly hang a bear bag. You get what you put in with the BWCA and that experience can be whatever the hell you want.
BWCA sunset (Photog: Joe Baumann)
Where else in life does this mantra work? You probably already have a few ideas in your head but I don’t care. This is a special place for me and countless others and I have found it to be an exhilarating experience each and every time.