Normal?

Hey, It’s another beautiful day in the North Country. A bit of drizzly rain this morning and now bright and breezy. Clean air all day and still a few meteors to see in the night sky.

We’ve been sending folks out on trips for a bit and people are happy to be in the woods. All the Gunflint Trail entry points are open to overnight travel and there is a chance Quetico will open next week.

People keep asking if everything is back to normal. That depends. From a paddlers stand point things are pretty much as they should be this time of year. Weather is close to perfect, bugs are at a minimum and there are still people catching fish.

What’s not normal is there are still people holding permits, cancelling last minute, or just not using them because they think it’s not safe or smokey or whatever. Their loss. But more importantly – those permits could be used by people who really, truly want to be here and are willing to accept that this ain’t Disneyland. You have to meet nature where she says the lines are drawn. That is true no matter what time of year you are here and there is always the risk of your trip being less than perfect. Most Boundary Waters trips are less than perfect. It is that imperfection and the efforts to get around them that make this place what it is.

Love the wilderness for what it is. Don’t expect what it isn’t. You’ll have a great trip every time.