Thinking about a Boundary Waters trip with my son and maybe my girlfriend and her son. Curious for feedback on your experiences and how to go about planning a trip? I have some mobility issues and am concerned about portages, etc.... Also curious about what you'd recommend for timing. I'm thinking early to mid September. Thinking it might be less buggy, and less crowded, but hoping it might still be possible to get in the water. How did you decide on which outfitter to use, getting permits, your route, gear, etc...? May be too late for this year, but I've never been and it's a bucket list thing so even if I can't this year, I'm thinking future years.
Apologies…
I just saw this…
Having spent 17 days there back when I was a teenager my advice is: don’t do it…
While it’s a beautiful place, with great fishing (if you like pike), it turns into conditions that would make a Marine DI smile when you affect a portage…
Seemingly, every biting, blood sucking, insect living in North America makes their home there and as soon as you step out of your canoe they all do their utmost to make you their personal entree… Ticks, No See-ums, black flies, horse flys, along with any other of type of bug that might think they can make a meal of you, plus a uniquely vicious breed of mosquito that’s evolved to be able to feed off bear and moose with their primary breeding grounds being the marshes you’ll be portaging through…
Add a 65 pound canoe, a couple of paddles draped over your shoulders, and a 50 plus pound pack on your back and you’ve set yourself up to experience a sort of misery that would make the Marquis de Sade wish he’d thought of it…
Literally nearly anywhere else would make for a better vacation experience (in my opinion)…
Pro Tip: If you do go don’t wear sandals when portaging…; you don’t want to become one of the horror stories about leeches laying their eggs in your leech wound hidden under the sandals strap…