Royal River bluff from the Border Route on the Minnesota Arrowhead (photo by jhy)

received from Ed Solstad esolstad@pressenter.com


The Border Route (northern portion of the Minnesota Arrowhead North Country Trail) is doing well in comparison to the other trails, being No. 2 in use for 2009 and No. 1 in 2010 & 2011. In 2009 the Kekekabic Trail was No. 1. The Kek is also part of the NCT, just to the west of the Border Route.

The Forest Service recently issued this report of all Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness trail entry points permits.

In 2009, 2010, and 2011, the Kek had 76, 51, 45 permits issued, respectively.

The Border Route, for the same three years was 42,54, and 55.

Ed says, "Thanks go out to all of you that have helped in our maintenance efforts. Without your dedication, the trail wouldn't be what is is today."

See the full Trail Use Report (an xls file)

This segment is in the Border Route guide

See Border Route Trail

A 30 Hour Thru-Hike of the Border Route

from Gear Junkie

In September 2011, The Gear Junkie and friends attempted a 24-hour thru-hike of the Border Route Trail, on the Minnesota Arrowhead section of the NCTA. They didn't quite make that goal, but came close, covering the 68 rugged miles in just over 30 hours.

It's my opinion that hiking shouldn't be about simply how fast you can cover the ground. Nevertheless, this type of adventure will appeal to many people.

Fast & Light on the Border Route Trail, Minnesota - Brought to you by Timberland™ from Gear Junkie on Vimeo.

See Border Route Trail

Hiking Rush Hour Expected on Otter Lake Road

Swamp River Bridge on Otter Lake Road. The Superior Hiking Trail Trailhead is ahead just around the curve, while the Border Route Trail Trailhead is directly behind the photographer (photo by Todd McMahon)

a guest post by Todd McMahon

Otter Lake Road is a remote forest road in northern Minnesota just a few miles from Canada. It doesn’t get very much traffic, probably just a handful of cars a day. But on the morning of Saturday, September 18, 2010 a rush hour will occur on Otter Lake Road, when two NCT affiliates launch organized hikes from the road.

The Superior Hiking Trail Association will be hiking 8.7 miles from Otter Lake Road south to Jackson Lake Road. Meanwhile, the Border Route Trail Association will be doing a Reconnaissance and Maintenance Hike on the Pigeon River Cliffs Section of the BRT.

The SHTA hike will cover the northern-most section of the Superior Hiking Trail, which includes Rosebush Ridge the highest point on the trail. This hike will have beautiful views of Lake Superior along with some challenging ascents and descents. Gayle Coyer, Executive Director of the Superior Hiking Trail Association, will be leading the hike. The hike is free for anyone who wants to attend. Gayle will be camping at Judge Magney State Park and will be hosting a Campfire Program on Saturday Night. Park admission and camping fees will apply to anyone wishing to camp at Judge Magney State Park. Gayle will also be leading a 5.1 mile hike from Jackson Lake Road to the Arrowhead Trail on Sunday, September 19.

Meanwhile, the Border Route Trail Association will be having a hike to find possible locations for new campsites on the Pigeon River Cliffs Section of the Border Route. And they will be doing some trail maintenance, especially in the three timber sale areas on the trail that were clear-cut this spring. Ed Solstad, the BRTA’s Mechanized Trail Director will be leading this hike. The BRTA will be camping at the Otter Lake Trailhead Campsite. This outing will start on Thursday evening, when they will be driving up from the Twin Cities and end on Sunday evening when they drive back. The cost for the trip is $55 per person, which includes transportation from the Twin Cities and all food on the outing except for the pit stops on the way up and back.

According to Gayle Coyer, the last time the SHTA hosted the Northern Hikes over 50 people attended. The BRTA’s hike has a limit of 12 people, due to transportation reasons. For more information about these hikes check out their websites.

See Superior Hiking Trail Association
See Border Route Trail

Border Route Trail Clearing Trips

trail work on the BRT (photo from the BRTA)

if you like this article, click the Blip chiclet!
a news release of the Border Route Trail Association

The "Big Blow" on July 4, 1999 wreaked havoc on the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness by toppling trees along entire ridgelines and consequently had a big impact on hiking trails in the area. The Border Route Trail has been cleared of the deadfalls related to that storm, but as a consequence of the lack of a tree canopy, brush such as Alder, Poplar, Thimble, and Raspberry thrives around and in the trail bed. And of course, trees continue to fall on the trail.

Every year in the Spring and Fall, we welcome members and non-members alike, to join us to help maintain this gem of a trail. Non-mechanized trips using two-person cross-cut saws and nippers take place on the trail where it is inside the BWCAW. Mechanized trips utilizing chain saws and brush cutters take place on the other areas of the trail. Beginners and experienced people are welcome. If you don’t like the idea of running equipment, there is always a need for people to throw the cut brush and deadfalls off of the trail.

2010 Trips:
South Lake, May 6-9 or extend it to May 13 or May 16. The South Lake trip is planned to accommodate participants that wish to volunteer for more than a weekend. Thursday (6th) evening the group will drive up to the Rockwood Lodge and stay in a bunkhouse Thursday night. Friday they will hike in on the South Lake Trail clearing the wilderness section of the South Lake Trail on the way in. Camp will be set up on South Lake. Clearing will continue on the BRT with deadfall and brushing.

Partridge Lake, May 13-16. Thursday (13th) evening the group will drive up to the Rockwood Lodge and stay in a bunkhouse Thursday night. Friday they will canoe in to a campsite on Partridge Lake. Clearing on the BRT with deadfall and brushing.

Duncan Lake, May 13-16, and May 20-23. Thursday (13th) evening the group will drive up to the Rockwood Lodge and stay in a bunkhouse Thursday night. Friday they will canoe in to a campsite on Duncan Lake. Clearing on the BRT with deadfall and brushing.

trail work crew on the BRT (photo from the BRTA)

Gunflint, April 29- May 2, mechanized trip. We'll be clearing winter dead falls from the Gunflint Section of the BRT. You'll enjoy the unsurpassed scenics, great food, hot showers, and camaraderie that can't be beat. Scenic highlights will include Magnetic Rock, the Gunflint High Cliffs, the South Rim, and Bridal Falls on the BRT plus the magnificent stands of old growth cedar on the Brice-Breon Trail. This trip is open to both beginners and experienced hands.

Gunflint/ Otter Lake, April 29- May 9, mechanized trip. This trip will be a part of the Gunflint Cliffs trip for the first weekend and join the Pigeon River Cliffs trip for the second weekend. This trip will include reconnaissance of some possible new sections of trail.

Otter Lake, May 6-9. This trip leaves from the Roseville REI Thursday after work, driving up the North Shore to the lovely Otter Lake campsite on the east end of the BRT. Our work will focus on a dead-fall sweep of the entire 13.2 miles of the eastern end of the trail, with brushing as needed.

See Border Route Trail Association for complete details.

Help Create Spectacular Scenic Loop

Rose Lake and Rat Lake from the Rose Lake Cliffs (photo by Ed Morse)

if you like this article, click the Blip chiclet!
from Ed Solstad of the Border Route Trail Association

Join us in creating the most scenic loop trail in the Midwest.

From Tuesday, May 4th through Thursday, May 6th, we’ll be doing reconnaissance and possible initial layout for the newly proposed 2.5 mile trail connecting the South Lake and Caribou Rock Trails along the south side of Moss Lake. This proposed trail would create a loop route incorporating the spectacular Rose Lake Cliffs and Stairway Portage Falls on the Border Route Trail, the many scenic overlooks on the Caribou Rock Trail, plus the historic South Lake Trail built by the CCC in the 1930’s. It would without a doubt be the most scenic loop route in the entire Midwest.

This trip will be a part of the BRT Gunflint Cliffs maintenance trip for the first weekend and the Pigeon River Cliffs maintenance trip for the second weekend.

Thursday evening, April 29th - Sunday evening, May 9th

Lodging: Bunkhouse & Cabin at Gunflint Lodge, Car Camping at Otter Lake

Trip Cost: $120 (Consult trip coordinator for cost w/o Transportation or fewer days)

Difficulty Level: Be able to bushwhack 4 to 5 miles per day through thick woods, brush, and deadfall over semi-rugged terrain.

For more information, contact Ed Solstad

Duncan Lake (photo by Ken Harmon)

if you like this article, click the Blip chiclet!
From the Border Route Trail e-group

Winter Weekend on Gunflint Lake FEB 26-28. This is a casual trip with options to xctry ski, snowshoe, ice fish, dance and of course EAT with 12 other individual ski buffs and Border Route Trail enthusiasts. There are many ski options from beautifully groomed, rolling runs for beginners to back country wildness for those who want a challenge.

THERE IS ROOM FOR 6 MORE INDIVDUALS! We will stay in rustic cabins at Heston's Lodge, (www.hestons.com) Cabins have cooking facilities, showers, wood stoves and lake views. There is also a fabulous lake side wood burning sauna! This is also Gunflint Trail Wintertracks weekend offering other activities like dogsledding, dancing at Windigo Lodge, ice fishing contests. (www.wintertracks.com). But the best part is the camaraderie of shared meals with food enthusiasts. Breakfasts, lunches and dinners will be included if you like. Trip costs include 2 nites lodging, 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches and Saturday dinner. We will help arrange carpooling closer to the trip date. A $50 deposit is required to hold your spot, no exceptions.

ESTIMATED COST: $90 (includes food) + gas, ski passes, alcoholic beverages. For additional info contact Trish H @ 612-824-1328.

This segment is near the Border Route on the Minnesota Arrowhead

See Border Route Trail

Kerfoots Report Hikers Still on Kekekabic Trail

Sue and Bruce Kerfoot, owners of Gunflint Lodge (photo by JHY)

if you like this article, click the Blip chiclet!
based on a Club Outdoors Blog entry by Sue Kerfoot

Sue Kerfoot, of the Gunflint Lodge, a popular supply point near the connection of the Border Route and Kekekabic Trails, regularly writes for the Club Outdoors blogs of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Sue and her husband, Bruce, are the owners the Gunflint Lodge. The lodge operates year-round, and offers various levels of accommodation, for everyone from a resorter to the thru-hiker.

She reports that the lakes are beginning to freeze, although it will be several weeks until the big lakes are solid. Early winter is the best time for skating the small lakes. Cold weather, before the serious snow begins, results in clear ice with no slush. She warns that one should check with local people before skating, as the ice can be extremely dangerous.

Of serious interest to North Country Trail folks, is the following: "Sunday night we had a young couple come through who have been backpacking in the area. They sent a package for re-supply to Gunflint Lodge and stopped by to pick it up. The next leg of their journey is to hike the Kekekabic Trail to Ely. It just seems a little too cold for me to be sleeping out in a tent but we wish them well."

It is definitely heartening to hear that hikers are still out there on this very remote section of trail.

This segment is covered in the Border Route Trail Guide.

See Border Route Trail
See Live Post- What a Hike!

New BRT Overview Condition Map

follow link for full size map

if you like this article, click the Blip chiclet!
from a posting in NCT Friends

John Garbe has created a map showing the condition of the BRT using Google maps and Ed Solstad's trail condition spreadsheet to serve as a replacement for the old trail conditions maps on the Border Route Trail website:

The color indicates condition of the trail: green = no deadfall and minimal brush, yellow = minimal deadfall and moderate brush, red = moderate deadfall and heavy brush, and grey = road or wide ski trail that isn't regular trail. If you put your mouse over a section of trail (the hand will turn into a pointed finger) and click on it you'll get more detailed information about that section. The usual google maps features (pan, zoom, satellite and terrain overlays) work.

The trail condition information comes from Ed's spreadsheet, which divides the trail into 56 short sections and records the condition of each section and when it was last cleared. Garbe wrote a little program to convert the data in the spreadsheet into a form that google maps can read and combined it with coordinates for each section. Any time somebody updates/edits the spreadsheet (updating trail conditions or adding/modifying trail segments) it just takes a couple minutes for John to update the map.

Garbe plans to add on spur and access trails and incorporate the map into the regular website layout. He welcomes any suggestions or comments.

See Border Route Trail

Nimblewill Nomad is Back on the Trail

Nimblewill Nomad in NY a few weeks ago (photo from Mary Coffin)

if you like this article, click the Blip chiclet!
submitted by Todd McMahon

On Sept 11, Nimblewill wrote in his journal, from the Border Route Trail "My right knee gave me a fit the entire day last, not a moment of letup with the pain. Rolling out this morning, I am very stiff and sore. Finally, I'm pack up and moving, although ever-so-slowly. I've a hunch these last couple-three miles will stick in my memory awhile."

He had, indeed, injured his knee, and headed home for some work and recuperation time, hoping to finish the NCT yet this year. He continued "After 4100 miles, only 300 left to finish this odyssey--I don't understand, I just don't understand. And so, with great reluctance, we turn from this trail, load, and head for home."

But word was received via email to Todd McMahon on Sept 23 that Nimblewill Nomad is headed back to the trail! Todd said "Eb Eberhardt, AKA NimbleWill Nomad, is apparently going to be headed back up to Northern Minnesota to finish the last 8 miles of the Border Route, then hike the Superior Hiking Trail down to Two Harbors."

The knee is still a little swollen, but he just can't stay home any longer! Eb quoted Lance Armstrong, "Pain in temporary. Quitting lasts forever."

There is no update on his journal yet, but we wish him well!

Nimblewill Nomad's Journal

Border Route Maintenance - East

the Border Route Trail heads north from Otter Lake Rd. at the northern end of the Superior Hiking Trail (photo by JHY)

if you like this article, click the Blip chiclet!
from Ed Solstad, Mechanized Maintenance Coordinator, Border Route Trail Association

We're pleased to announce that all portions of the Pigeon River Cliffs section of the Border Route Trail from The SHT / BRT Otter Lk Rd Junction through to McFarland Lk have now received both a dead-fall and a brushing sweep between mid-May, 2009 and mid-September, 2009. All it needs now is more users to help keep it open. This is where all of you come in.

If you've avoided hiking the BRT because of the usually exaggerated reports of impenetrable brush and dead-falls every few feet, take heart. While it is still not up to Hennepin Park standards, we want to keep it that way on purpose. The Pigeon River Cliffs Section has many of the same characteristics as the BWCAW sections such as magnificent overlooks, stands of old growth forest, and solitude without having to deal with wilderness restrictions, permits, lack of road access, etc. We guarantee that you won't be disappointed.

Pigeon River Cliffs on the Border Route Trail (photo by JHY)

We highly recommend that you give it a try this fall while the recent maintenance is still fresh. If you can't make it out to hike this fall, consider joining one of the BRT maintenance trips next Spring.

Speaking of maintenance trips, we're planning a non-mechanized trip to the East Rose Lake Section on Oct. 2nd through the 5th. Contact Chris Fothergill at 651-454-7030 or csfothergill@gmail.com for further information. There are also two mechanized maintenance trips to the Gunflint Section on the weekends of Oct 3rd & 4th and Oct 16 through 18th. Contact Ed Solstad at 612-822-0569 or esolstad@pressenter.com.

We welcome anything that will help to keep this trail open and usable be it as simple as a getting out and taking a day-hike to one of the easily accessible overlooks to a longer overnight, or for the truely hardcore, a through-hike. What the is most in need of however is maintenance in the Wilderness Sections. One way of improving the situation would be to establish a network of interested people who actually live closer to the trail. Trying to run an adequate trail maintenance program from the Twin Cities is certainly not the most efficient way of doing things. If you can provide anything along the lines of sugestions, contacts, actual manpower, etc. pleas contact us. The trail thanks you. In the meantime, get out there and hike.

Border Route Trail
Contact Ed Solstad at 612-822-0569 or esolstad@pressenter.com.

Border Route Trail Reconnaissance Trip

from Ed Solstad

We're looking for a few good people for a weekend of wilderness day-hiking and canoeing on the BWCAW section of the Border Route Trail.

Now that we have your interest, please read on.

After receiving reports on the less than ideal condition of the wilderness section of the Border Route Trail, we've decided that we really need to send out a reconnaissance trip in order to accurately assess the situation ourselves. While this trip is not for the casual day-hiker who loathes roughing it, neither do we require you to be a graduate of Marine Corp Recruit Depot, Parris Island - although that might not be a bad thing judging from some of the reports that we've seen. Still interested? See below for further details.

In order to get a first hand idea of the condition of the Wilderness section of the Border Route Trail between Clearwater and Loon Lakes We'd like to take a reconnaissance trip the weekend of August 15th and 16th. The plan is to do this as a series of day hikes and to spot a canoe or canoes at Stairway Portage in order to have a reasonable hiking distance per day. (See below for details) The ideal trip size would be 4 people but we could possibly accommodate as many as 8. Participants should be in sufficiently good physical shape to be able to hike up to 9 miles on trails that have an unknown amount of deadfalls and brush. GPS experience would be helpful as we want to create records of what needs to be done where. The plan is to leave Friday night and return on Sunday night. We could also go up for 3 to 4 days if people were interested. Trip cost would be no more than $49/person.

Let me know if you're interested. If you can't make it on the 15th and 16th, would you be interested if it went out later and if so, what weekends would work for you.

Minnesota Rovers

DYFORYST

Todd McMahon (self-photo)

guest post, submitted by Todd McMahon, "T-Man"

I just wanted to write a story about one of my experiences when I hiked the Kekekabic Trail in late May. I had stopped early and camped at the Aganok Falls campsite. It’s a truly spectacular falls, and I took lots of photos. My plan was to get up early and hike out to the Gunflint Trail the next day.

So I got up the next morning and started hiking by 6am. About 15 minutes after I started hiking I got to a place where the trail goes up a gigantic hill. Now, backpacking up a steep hill is not my most favorite thing to do, but I kept on thinking that maybe there would be some incredible views at the top. Maybe I would be able to take some great photos. Well, I made it to the top of the hill, and I did see some incredible views. They were incredibly bad.

I was in the burn zone and everything I could see going forward was burnt. It was very sad. I did hike out to the Gunflint Trail that day, but the whole hike, all 12 miles of it was in the burn zone. And the next day I hiked the Magnetic Rock Trail which is a burnt up landscape, too.

After I came home from my backpacking trip I decided to find some information about the fire on the internet. The fire is called the Ham Lake Fire because it started at a campsite on Ham Lake. It is suspected that a canoeist had left the campsite with his campfire still smoldering. The Ham Lake Fire burned over 75000 acres, and was the largest fire in the Boundary Waters in more than a century.

The Forest Service recommends that all campfires should be drown with water. All the embers should be completely soaked. After reading all this I came up with an acronym. Here it is, DYFORYST. It is pronounced like Die Forest and stands for “Drown Your Fire Or Ruin Your Special Trail.” It’s not the most catchy acronym in the world but it makes a powerful point: drown your fire or the forest will die and your favorite trail will be ruined. It doesn’t matter if it a canoe trail or a hiking trail, it will be ruined. The acronym DYFORYST might just be different enough or weird enough that people will remember it.

The canoeist in question was an avid outdoorsman who loved the Boundary Waters. Maybe he made a mistake or maybe the fire started some other way. We’ll never know exactly what happened on May 5, 2007 on the shoreline of Ham Lake. But if you remember DYFORYST, maybe you can prevent a big fire on the date of your next outing.

Border Route Trail
Kekekabic Trail

T-Man Does the Kek

Tman (photo by Todd McMahon)

submitted by Tman (Todd McMahon)

I started out from Ely, Minnesota on Friday May 22 and hiked all of the Kekekabic Trail, and parts of the Border Route and Superior Hiking Trail. Some of the spectacular scenery I experienced included Agamok Falls, Magnetic Rock, Bridal Falls, Stairway Falls, the Rose Cliffs, Cascade State Park and Lookout Mountain.

This was my first extended solo backpacking trip, so I made a few mistakes like underestimating how cold it would be. But overall it was a wonderful trip which I backpacked over 100 miles. The hike ended on June 2 in Lutsen.

War Club Lake on the Kek (photo by Todd McMahon)

The reason I was out backpacking was that in March I was Laid Off of work for up to six months. I figured I'd take the opportunity to go on a backpacking trip I've always dreamed of.

I may go back and finish the part of the Border Route I missed. The reason I bugged out at Clearwater Lake was my ankle was feeling a little sprainy after I fell when crossing a downed tree. I didn't want to risk trying the Clearwater Lake to Hovland section which is about 45 miles with no way to get out. I know there is a small campground at the Arrowhead Trail on McFarland Lake, but there is no guarantee that anybody will be over there.

Redeemed myself by backpacking from Grand Marais to Lutsen on the Superior Hiking Trail. If I get in trouble there, all I have to do is hike east and I will hit Highway 61. But my ankle recovered and all went well.

NOW THE BIG NEWS, the Border Route is featured in the latest edition of Backpacker Magazine in the best places for solitude article.

That's all for now, Todd McMahon AKA Tman

See all of Tman's pictures
See Hiking the Minnesota Arrowhead

Hiking the Minnesota Arrowhead

Marie Altenau and Ed Morse on a rocky overlook (photo by JHY)

by JHY

What an awesome hike! I think that we managed to hit the very best time to hike the Minnesota Arrowhead on the northern Superior Hiking Trail, Border Route and Kekekabic Trails. Despite all the horror stories that we have been told, we were able to follow the compacted treadway over the entire 133 miles of the hike.

For all but the Kekekabic Trail we were treated several times a day to rocky outcrops, usually with great views. However, the weather was cold and damp for most of the first 10 days. All those nights were below freezing, and one of the days we walked in snow and a cold wind all day. The picture below is attractive, but we longed for some warmer weather. And before the end of the trip we did seem to really encounter spring.

fog rising between the ridges (photo by JHY)

All along the Border Route the scenery is just incredible. The views just never seem to stop. The lakes that form the boundary between the US and Canada are stretched below the trail.

JHY overlooking the US-Canadian border from the Border Route Trail (photo by RMA)

One of the most fun things that happened was that we encountered Matt Davis leading a group of hikers on the Kekekabic Trail coming west to east. We stopped and chatted with them for about an hour! Believe it or not, we met more hikers on this remote section of trail than we have ever met on any of our other NCT hikes.

See My Quality Day for more details from the hike.

Program to Highlight the Border Trail

where the BRT and SHT join (photo by JHY)

from Ed Solstad

John Garbe, Sara Gille, and Ed Solstad will be presenting a slide program on the Border Route this Tuesday, April 28th at 7:30pm at the MN Rovers weekly meeting at Macalester College, Olin-Rice Science Hall, Room 350. Macalester College is located at the intersection of Grand Avenue and Snelling Avenue in St. Paul, Minnesota.

There will be slides from the initial construction in the 70's, slides showing many of the great vistas, slides from the Ham Lake fire, and of course, slides form maintenance trips.

Minnesotans - Support the Arrowhead

Spring BRT Clearing Schedule

from Ed Solstad

The western portion of the Border Route Trail is likely to become an official segment of the North Country Trail when the Arrowhead Reroute is approved by Congress. The Border Route Trail Association in partnership with the US Forest Service announces the following clearing trips on the Border Route for 2009.

Destination	Dates	Type	Days	Cost
Wilderness Trips
McFarland Lake	May 7-10	Car Camp	3	$65
McFarland/ East Pike	May 7-10	Canoe In	3	$65
Pine/ Pike Ridge	May 14-18	Canoe In	4	$65
Pine/ Pike Ridge	May 14-25	Canoe In	11	$110
Pine/ Pike Ridge	May 21-25	Canoe In	4	$65
Clearwater East	May 14-17	Canoe In	3	$65
Clearwater Central	May 21-25	Canoe In	4	$65
Clearwater East	May 21-25	Canoe In	4	$65
Mechanized Trips
Otter Lake	May 7-10	Car Camp	3	$65
Otter Lake	May 7-17	Car Camp	10	$90
Otter Lake	May 14-17	Car Camp	3	$65

The tax-deductable trip fee covers transportation from the Twin Cities (MN), food, and group equipment including canoes and tools. Trips leave from the Twin Cities the evening of the listed start date and return the evening of the listed end date.

Mechanized trips use chain saws, power brush cutters and other tools on sections of the trail outside of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Wilderness trips use hand tools to work on the portions of the trail that are subject to the BWCAW regulations. Those wanting to use two-person saws or chain saws are required to attend a full day of Forest Service saw training on Saturday, April 18 or Sunday, April 19. The Forest Service Training is not a requirement for trip participation as most trail work is done with bow saws and brush cutting tools that can be used by all volunteers.

For more information visit the Border Route Trail Association web site or contact John Garbe or Ed Solstad.

See Border Route Trail Association
Contact John Garbe
Contact Ed Solstad

Bart Smith Warns- Northern Arrowhead is Tough

Bart Smith (courtesy photo)

an item from NorthernWilds.com, by Shawn Perich Editor, Northern Wilds Media, Inc, undated

In October 2008, Bart Smith completed a 16-year quest to hike all the National Scenic Trails. He was the 9th person to complete the entire length of the NCT. Ed.

Northern Wilds recently received a phone call from Bart Smith, the man featured in our last issue who is hiking all of the National Scenic Trails. He passed through Grand Marais last summer as he hiked the Superior Hiking Trail, which will soon be part of the national North Country Trail. At the time, some local trails were closed due to fire danger, so Bart had to return in the fall to complete his Minnesota hike.

When he returned, he hiked the Border Route Trail and Kekekabic Trail. He called to ask Northern Wilds to warn other hikers that both trails were in poor condition and very difficult to follow.

On the Border Route Trail, which follows the Canadian border east of the Gunflint Trail, he found the past was very brushy and difficult to discern. Although the trail was marked in places with blue plastic flagging, sometimes the ribbons were in the wrong place.

Still, Bart says, “I’m glad I walked the Border Route Trail. The lookouts were spectacular.”

On the Kekekabic Trail, which runs west from the Gunflint to Ely, Bart passed through recently burned areas. He met a party of hikers from the Granite Gear company who were coming from the other direction. He said it was helpful to follow their footprints through the burned area, because the trail was very difficult to follow. He was unable to complete the Kekekabic, because he eventually lost the trail.

See Walking Down a Dream for pictures from Bart's hikes.
Read Bart Smith completes epic adventure

Minnesotans- Support the Arrowhead!

hikers in the Boundary Waters (photo by J Young)

from Matt Davis, NCTA Regional Trail Coordinator- MN and ND

Minnesotans needed to Contact our Congress people to encourage their support for the North Country Trail's Arrowhead Re-Route legislation

If you have not heard of "the Arrowhead Re-route," you may be wondering, "What the heck is it?" Simply put, it is an effort to change the official route of the North Country National Scenic Trail (NCNST) in northeastern Minnesota. The re-route will incorporate outstanding Minnesota "Northwoods" scenery and encompasses almost 400 miles of existing trails, including the Superior Hiking Trail, Border Route Trail, and Kekekabic Trail. Additionally, 150-200 miles of new trail will need to be constructed in Itasca, St. Louis, and Lake Counties between the end of the Kekekabic Trail and the existing North Country Trail within the Chippewa National Forest in Cass County. The Superior Hiking Trail Association is already working on connecting with the NCNST at the Wisconsin border by Jay Cooke State Park.

Couple the fact that the Arrowhead Re-Route will take the North Country Trail through world-class scenery on existing trails with the fact that only 100 additional trail miles (compared to the original route directly from Remer to Jay Cooke State Park) would have to be built and this is a "no-brainer." It is supported by local governments, all of our agency partners, and the trail groups in Minnesota. We only lack the federal legislation to make it official.

Congressman Oberstar (MN-7th District) has recently introduced H.R. 481, the North Country National Scenic Trail Route Adjustment Act of 2009. Please make your voice heard! Let your Congressperson know that you support the Arrowhead Re-Route and that you want to see H.R. 481 passed. We also need Senator Klobuchar to introduce a companion bill in the Senate and to see it passed in the Senate!

If you've never done it, it's easy to contact your Representative and Senator via their websites. Go to Write your Rep and put in your Zip code and visit to contact Senator Klobuchar. Of course, you can also call their DC office or any of their offices here in MN or use the good old reliable USPS.

For more information or if you have any specific questions, please feel free to contact me at (701) 388-1883 or Matt Davis.

Sawyer Certification- Minnesota

from Ed Solstad, Border Route Trail Association Mechanized Trips Coordinator

Hello all of you Border Route Trail enthusiasts

Plan now to obtain/renew your US Forest Service crosscut and/or chainsaw certification at either Saturday or Sunday, April 18 or 19. (You need only attend one day.) As in prior years, the sessions we'll be held at the Bunker Hills Campground Visitor Center located in Bunker Hills Regional Park, CSAH 14/Main Street (Formerly Highway 242) and Foley Boulevard, Coon Rapids, MN . We'll be inside from 8-noon and outside "hands-on" in the afternoon.

The Forest Service wants to be sure to have enough instructors and materials brought down from up north so PLEASE RSVP (yes, that's redundant) via email with your name, address, phone #, crosscut and/or chain saw, plus Saturday 4/18 or Sunday 4/19 to John Elliott Note: If you want certification for both crosscut and chain saws, you’ll need to attend both days.

We’re planning on hosting a chain saw and brush cutter familiarization and practice session on Saturday, April 4^th . Contact Ed Solstad at esolstad@pressenter.com for details.

John Elliott will be coordinating the 2009 BRTA saw training and certification programs.

The Spring Maintenance Trip Calendar will be available in February with both weekend trips and week long trips scheduled for both the the BWCAW and Pigeon River Sections.

The western portion of the Border Route is concurrent with the North Country Trail. NCTA sawyers qualify for a patch to display. Contact NCTA Headquarters for more information.

See the The “USFS *Chain Saw and Crosscut Saw Training Course - *Student’s Guidebook” (a pdf)
See Border Route Trail