[Paddlewise] Storm hits BWCAW

A severe storm hit the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW)
Sunday, injuring at least 19 campers, many of whom had broken bones
from falling trees and tree limbs. Quoting from the Duluth News-
Tribune (http://www.duluthnews.com/today/dnt/storm1.htm):

"Sunday's storm, packing winds in excess of 80 mph, knocked down
numerous trees in a swathe four to five miles wide and 30 to 35
miles long starting in the Moose Lake area and going up to Alpine
Lake just west of Seagull Lake."

Forest Service personnel are checking on a lake-by-lake, campsite-
by-campsite basis to make sure people are okay, but because many
portages remain blocked by fallen trees, canoeists will probably be
delayed getting out of the BWCAW. The Gunflint Trail and Highway 61
along Minnesota's North shore were also blocked by standing water,
washouts, and debris, and might still be blocked in places.

Because of the severe damage, some campsites and entry points might
have to be closed. If you have plans to go to the BWCAW, you can
check the status of the entry points and portages by calling
(218) 365-7600.

The storm was widespread throughout northern Minnesota and along
the south shore of Lake Superior at least to the Apostle Islands,
where Linda and I were camped with friends. We were in our tent
under a pine tree on the sand spit on Rocky Island when the rain
started about 10:00 p.m. Shortly after 2:00 a.m. we were awakened
by lightning, loud thunder, and strong winds that occasionally
shook the tent. I was concerned that a tree or tree limb might fall
on us, but we came through dry and unscathed, though the next morning
we found that a birch tree had blown down a few hundred feet from us,
and we found a cutting board and pot lid 15 feet from where we had
left them. At 5:00 a.m., when I dashed out of the tent for a pee
break, it was still raining, though no longer lightning nor blowing.
A few hours later, as we trudged up the beach to the privy, we found
water standing and running everywhere, cutting new channels in the
beach. After paddling back to our put-in at Little Sand Bay, we
returned home via Wisconsin Highway 13, where we saw much standing
water and several near washouts. We managed to get through one short
section near Port Wing marked "Closed" only by driving on the left
lane, the right one having been undermined by running water, and in
several places the drainage ditches on the uphill side of the highway
were full and running over the road.

It was a heckuva storm.

Strangely, despite much rain this year, Lake Superior is down about
ten inches; as the ranger on Rocky Island said to us in her Texas
accent, "there must be a leak in it somewhere."

Chuck Holst



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