Pagami Creek fire--- BWCA

[Jerry Fruetel]

You may have read recent reports of the large Pagami Creek fire in Minnesota's BWCA. Friends and I saw it up close while canoeing there last week and took a few pictures (attached). Four of us in two canoes went in Sept. 8, aware that a small lightening fire was burning near our intended Sept 14 exit point. Firefighters were monitoring it and the rangers predicted it would be out by the time we got there. From the start, we could see the distant smoke plume, but assumed it was under control and thought nothing of it. On Sept 11, the plume seemed to grow, but we attributed that to windier conditions. By the morning of Sept 12, we were two thirds of the way toward our planned exit point, but we could now smell the smoke, feel the heat, and hear the fire’s dull roar. It was obvious the fire had spread, and we estimated the wind gusts were 40-50 mph. We decided to abandon our plans, reverse direction and paddle out the same way we had come in. It was a rather hairy paddle out in the wind and waves, and we could see the flames leaping from treetop to treetop.

Only after returning to our car and turning on the radio did we learn that the Pagami Creek fire had burst out of control and become one of the largest fires in Minnesota history. It’s still going, and as of today has burned 150 square miles.

Our canoes were a Bell Northwind kevlar, and a skin-on-frame (ballistic nylon and fir) made by at risk youth in St. Paul's Urban Boatbuilders, Inc. program (http://www.urbanboatbuilders.org/). The Bell is a very nice canoe, but over seven days in all kinds of lake conditions, including strong wind and whitecaps, the skin boat outperformed the kevlar.

 

[Dan Lindberg]

Jerry,
Thanks for posting the report and pics. That fire may endup in the same/similar catagory as the Blowdown.

Here's a link to the FS site about it.
Until I looked, I wasn't aware the fire was that far North, ie, the Number Lake chain to Insula.

http://www.inciweb.org/incident/2534

Dan

 

[Andre Cloutier]

Thanks for posting those incredible photos. Once in a lifetime (hopefully) event, to be sure.

 

[Greg Nolan]

Jerry,

Remarkable pictures -- an awesome experience, to be that close to such an event.

Switching gears, which of the MCA plans was the SOF canoe built from. They look like they have a number of interesting plans.

Greg

 

[Jerry Fruetel]

Greg, the SOF design has been modified by Urban Boat Builders. I'll have to check and see what the original plan was.

Jerry

 

[Dave Wermuth]

Those are the first photos I've seen. Pretty dramatic. Here in the lower penninsula of Michigan we have had spectacular sunsets and the news reported that the smoke we were smelling came from the fire. We are over 900 miles downwind.

 

[nickb]

I've also smelled smoke once or twice in the last few days, and it wasn't until reading Dave's post that I even considered it could be from the BWCA fire - and I'm only a couple hundred miles downstate... Speaks once again to the awesome size and power of this planet...

 

[Mike Wamhoff]

We actually had enough smoke here in eastern WI north of Milwaukee that we had to close up the house for most of a day early last week. It was a little sad to think of an area that I paddled fairly extensively back in the early eighties, even though I know it's good for the ecology of the BWCA in the long run.

Jerry - Any other insights into the SOF boat like general paddling characteristics, long term durability, and overall build quality? It's probably a larger canoe than I would want at this point in my life, since I only paddle solo, but after looking at more photos on their site I'm very taken by the look of the boat - beautiful hull shape and shear ( and the price! ). Did anyone in your party get a chance to paddle it solo? Mike

 

[normsims]

Here's Mark Neuzil's report for MinnPost on the fire:

Www.minnpost.com/markneuzil

 

[Jerry Fruetel]

Switching gears, which of the MCA plans was the SOF canoe built from. They look like they have a number of interesting plans.

Greg

Greg, the SOF is a modified design based on the MCA's "Guide" model.

Jerry

 

[Jerry Fruetel]

Jerry - Any other insights into the SOF boat like general paddling characteristics, long term durability, and overall build quality? It's probably a larger canoe than I would want at this point in my life, since I only paddle solo, but after looking at more photos on their site I'm very taken by the look of the boat - beautiful hull shape and shear ( and the price! ). Did anyone in your party get a chance to paddle it solo? Mike

Mike,

With a keel, the SOF tracked beautifully, much better than the Bell kevlar. And faster, too, when fully loaded. It weighs a bit less than 60 lbs, not bad for portaging. The ballistic nylon skin has a polyurethane sealer and is really tough; it is virtually unscathed after 30+ portages and many fully loaded landings and takeoffs in rocky terrain. It routinely bounces off most rocks, but of course can be pierced by sharp points or edges. The frame is lashed together--- no fasteners are used. The lashings remained tight throughout. The lashing showed some wear along the stem below the waterline, where it's exposed, but remained intact. The canoe is a little tough to turn, and is best suited for lake travel. Fully loaded, it's quite stable. Unloaded, it feels a bit tippy at first, but is fine once you get used to it. The only solo paddling we did was in calm water with no gear, and it performed well. I can't predict long term durability, but I should think it will last a long time, if given reasonable care. All in all, we gave the SOF a pretty tough workout, and it exceeded our expectations.

As you noted, it's an eyecatching craft, and just begs to be photographed. It attracted inquiries and compliments from virtually every paddler we encountered along the way.

Jerry