News from Ely and the Boundary Waters

Piragis Northwoods Company

Outfitting Enews

January 11, 2012

Greetings!

The first days of the new year are behind us. Our feet are still walking on snow here in Ely, however some of us have seen green grass in our backyards. It is a strange winter that is for sure. Just enough snow to ski on the local trails, but not quite enough for the ski team to hold a home meet. The conditions on the lakes are awesome with good ice and a crust of snow that imitates late winter/early spring conditions when the skate skiing is fantastic. The fish are biting in Northern Minnesota and being out on the ice sure is nice when you're sitting on a bucket and the sun is bright. We are finding it hard to complain about, let's just say that.

"Winter Walleye"

Ravens overhead,

my shadow stretching long,

over the tip-up, past the other holes.

Sun on my back and

the smell like Spring in the air.

Wondering, under the ice,

is it really so cold and different?

Is a raven following you down there?

Do you like the looks of my jig?

TJS, 2012

Sincerely,

Tim Stouffer

Piragis Northwoods Company

We have great winter camping conditions in Ely!

Skiing, Snowshoeing, Fishing and Camping have long been practiced in northern climates. Explore the winter wilderness during a time of extreme beauty when snow blankets the ground and the stars shine bright. If you've never snowshoed or x-country skied, rent our equipment for a day trip and discover the Superior National Forest and the Boundary Waters in a whole new way!

Satellite Phones $15/day + $3/minute

Be sure to take one with you and give your loved ones piece of mind while you are in the wilderness. Don't get stuck without one!

Adult Skis $25/day
Cross-Country skis made for performance and mobility.

Youth Skis $15/day
Full-performance x-country youth skis.

Kid's Skis $10/day
Try the little ones out early on the ski trails.

Adult Snowshoes $20/day
Our tried and true snowshoes with sizes to fit every adventurer. Crampons built in for good grip on ice too.

Youth Snowshoes $15/day
Lightweight, quality shoes made especially for youth.

Pulk Sled $25/day
Pack all your gear in a sled with a quality harness system. Pull it with ease as you snowshoe or ski to camp.

Wood Stove (medium or large) $25/day
Keep your tent warmer than you do your house with our ultra-lightweight, packable wood stove.

Sleeping Bag (includes pads) $15/day
Winter rated bags proven to withstand all that Northern winter nights can throw at you.

Ice Auger $10/day
Drill holes, fish through the ice and catch dinner.

Ski Boots Only $10/day

Skis/Poles Only $15/day

Snowtrekker® EXP Shortwall Tent $40/day Tent : 19.78 lbs, Frame: 7.34 lbs
Total: 27.06 lbs
Ridge Height 78.5 inches, Ridge Length 97"
9 feet x 11.5 feet, for 2 - 4 people

Snowtrekker® EXP OUTFITTER Tent $50/day
Tent : 26.16 lbs Frame: 22.00 lbs
Total: 48.16 lbs
10 feet x 15 feet, for 3 - 5 people

Click Winter Rentals or email Michelle for more details

News from the outfitting desk

Permit reminder:

Boundary Waters info - January 25th at 9am is when we can start reserving permits for paddlers on a first come, first serve basis. If you are an early planner and want us to get your permit when it opens, please call Adam or Drew before that date and make your reservation with Piragis Northwoods.

Click HERE to see changes to BWCAW quotas for 2012 and campsites impacted by the Pagami Creek Fire

Quetico info - Permits can be reserved 5 months in advance of the start date of your adventure. Now we are in January, so we are getting permits for June, 2012.

Tidbits of info:

Drew and Adam are here if you have any questions about routes and need help figuring out where to go or what canoe to reserve. The paddling season gets closer every day and we want you to be set with your plans so you don't have to worry about all the details throughout the rest of the winter.

We have Bug Tarps for rent!! These are the tarps with the screens coming down from each side. There are two sizes, 10x10 and 15x15. If you don't like bugs, especially the black flies in June, then call and get one of these reserved. Quantities are limited so reserve sooner rather than later.

Boundary Waters Guides:

If you are looking to enhance your trip and learn a ton from someone who knows the woods, we have guides available. This can be a perfect way to increase your skills for when you take your family into the Boundary Waters the next time. Our guides are so fun to have with, not only will you see how wilderness travel is done, but you'll have a new friend for life

Call Drew or Adam at 1-800-223-6565 to set up your trip today.

Fire Ecology Guided Canoe Trip NEW!!

June 23-29 and Sept. 1-7

Fires are vital to the health of the forest. They are part of a natural process that helps rejuvenate the ecosystem. The Pagami Creek Fire provides us with a unique opportunity to explore the aftermath left behind by the inferno.

You probably have seen pictures of the Pagami Creek Fire in action, and the results that it left behind. Our six day, five night canoe trip will actually give you the opportunity to investigate first-hand what the fire has left behind, and how much regrowth has already occurred. We will discuss why fires are so important and why the forest could not survive without them. Our guide Steve Johnson will share his wealth of knowledge with you, not only about the fire, but the Boundary Waters in general.

This trip will give us a unique perspective into the life of the forest and its regeneration process. We will be able to compare parts of the old growth forest that hasn't been burned to the fresh greens of the areas affected by the fire. Though the tree cover is greatly diminished in some areas, this allows us to see deeper into the forest and see parts of the landscape that are normally hidden. Seeing deeper into the forest also means that we will have a better chance of seeing wildlife. Aside from uncovering more wildlife, fires often uncover archaeological sites. This trip will provide us with a rare chance to explore the landscape more intimately that it has been in years.

For those of you who want to get one of the first looks at the fire area, we are holding an early bird trip from June 23-29. Those of you who enjoy the beautiful Boundary Waters Fall season, we will be taking a trip out from Sept. 1 -7. We are very interested to see how much rejuvenation occurs in just one summer.

We would love to get some campers to go on both trips so we could compare notes and pictures of the forest's regeneration. Sign up for both the early and late Fire Ecology Trips and we will give you a 15% discount on both trips!!

Call 800-223-6565 or Email Adam or Drew for more info

Lazy on the Lake Guided Canoe Trip NEW!!

July 21 - 27

If you are looking to escape the everyday routine to relax, swim, explore, fish, read, eat, or just sit around the campfire, there is no better place than the BWCAW. Our Lazy on the Lake Base Camping trip is six days and five nights surrounded by serene wilderness, designed for both novice and experienced canoe campers looking to unwind. We will be taking an extra guide to help take care of all the camp chores and cooking. Your only responsibility is to have fun, enjoy the food, and relax. We will take care of everything short of carrying you across the portage! If you have been thinking about a relaxing Boundary Waters experience, this is your ticket.

Call 800-223-6565 or Email Adam or Drew for more info

Vietnam Kayak Trip

Dear friends,

I have been offered the opportunity to return to one of my favorite places in the world to guide a paddling adventure in Vietnam. After several trips to Vietnam I never get sick of it and I always say yes when the call comes to guide again. The trip will be April 17 - 30, 2012 ($3895). We'll climb aboard our brand new luxury craft that will be our base for paddling in Ha Long Bay for 6 days and go to the outer reaches of the big bay to explore where other tourists rarely visit. The big excitement is paddling into sea caves that connect to salt water lakes in the interior of an island. These hongs are where we'll find most of the wildlife like macaques and hornbills and perhaps the rare Cat Ba langur. Life on board the ship is nothing short of epicurean and indulgent.

The second half of the trip we travel up toward the Chinese border in the mountains of Ba Be National Park. Paddling is on the lake there and the river which cuts spectacularly right through the solid rock of a small mountain.   We'll visit and stay with the chief of the local village of Tai minority people and see how they use dug-out canoes for moving their produce to market and getting around the lake. Short hikes in the mountains will bring us to remote villages of Tai people and their market day where most everything for sale will be new to our eyes.

The Vietnamese people living on boats and floating villages in Ha Long and the minority people in the mountains are among the most friendly you will ever meet. They are happy to show us how they live and share food from their kitchens and a sip or two of their homemade snake wine which is really ever clear with a preserved snake in the bottom of the bottle.   You'll gain a far reaching understanding of this industrious country that played such huge role in the lives of any American over 50.   Join me this April and I'll show you a people and a scenery you'll never forget and share with all your friends as a lifetime adventure.
  Steve Piragis

Call Steve at 800-223-6565 or click HERE for more details

Agnes's First Boundary Waters Trip

A few days after Zane and I got back from the Snowbank Loop, I finally decided to buy a black lab puppy. I had been considering getting a pup for some time and I was lucky enough to find Agnes, the last pup of a small litter of 3. Agnes was 8 weeks old when I got her. One week later, I took her on her first Boundary Waters trip.

Zane had the same days off as I did so he decided to come too. We decided that we were going to do the P-Loop out of #14 Little Indian Sioux North. We both worked until 2:00 on our "Friday", and with the long days up here in June, we decided to leave right from work. This gave us an extra night in the woods. We were packed and ready to go so we could leave immediately after work.

We were on the way up to #14 by 2:15, and on the water by about 3:30. This gave us plenty of time to get a good start on the loop, which we needed since this was Agnes's first trip and we weren't sure how much, if at all, she would slow us down. I realize this route might be a little ambitious for a puppy's first trip, but I thought starting her young would help her get used to being in the canoe and camping.

Agnes's first portage was no problem. Fortunately, we only had two small packs and the canoe, so the guy without the canoe just took Agnes on the leash. Getting Agnes to walk well on the leash, however, is another story, but we have been working on that.

Go to our Blog to finish reading

Lonnie Dupre Mount McKinley Expedition

Unfortunately, Lonnie had to start coming down the mountain before he reached the summit because of some very nasty weather conditions. Though he didn't make the summit, the physical and mental toughness to get as far as he did is very admirable.