Have you volunteered on the Powwow Trail before, and now you’re ready to see all 31 miles of it? If so, come and join us for this spring’s circumnavigation survey trip!
We will circumnavigate the trail counterclockwise with a small crew and without tools. You will help survey treefall counts, campsite conditions, water sources, and document overall trail conditions on every segment of the trail. This information is reported in to all the other spring trips so that those crews have a better understanding of the conditions they’ll be facing on trail.
PLEASE MESSAGE SARA FULCHER OR MITCH AWALT TO EXPRESS YOUR INTEREST OR ASK ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TRIP. YOU MUST SPEAK WITH A TRIP LEADER FIRST, BEFORE RSVP’ING FOR THE TRIP.
ITINERARY
Departure, Thursday, April 27th (Day 1): We will leave the Twin Cities at around noon and carpool up to the Powwow Trail Head, stopping to gas up along on the way in Two Harbors. We plan to leave the Trail Head by 5pm and hike in to Pose Lake (7 miles) to make camp for the first night.
Friday, April, 28th (Day 2): After a good nights sleep in the woods and breakfast, we will continue our circumnavigation westward. The exact location for this night’s camping will be determined based on trail conditions and hiking progress during the day. At night we’ll share wild and wooly stories from the trail while enjoying our backpacking dinners.
Saturday, April 29th (Day 3): Repeat Day 2, making our way further down towards the south side of the trail. Again, the exact location for this night’s camping will be determined based on trail conditions and hiking progress during the day.
Sunday, May 21st (Day 4): Rise and shine early and take advantage of “parking lot fever” to backpack out to the Trail Head where our cars and clean/dry clothes await.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Even late April can have winter-like conditions in northern MN, so be prepared. It is also highly likely, given this winter’s snowfall, that there will be multiple spots on the trail where it will be unavoidable to get your feet wet to safely continue the hike. If the trail is not accessible due to snow/water, or the weather is still too wintery, the trip will be rescheduled as safety is our first priority.
OTHER STUFF TO KNOW
Pre-requisites:
Prior volunteer experience with BWAC. (Already an active BWAC member.)
Physically able to backpack over rough terrain for up to 12 miles per day.
Attend the spring crew member training event (Tuesday, April 4th - separate Meetup invite).
Attend a local hike/snowshoe, gear shake-down, or local camping event before the trip with your crew leaders.
Cost: $25 registration cost on Meetup (to offset admin, tool and map costs) + TBD carpool gas money.
THE FINE PRINT: Participants are required to sign a (1) liability release form, (2) confidential health form, and (3) USFS trip form prior to the trip. This is a pet-free and tobacco-free trip. Participation is subject to BWAC rules, i.e. trip leaders can deny participation to anyone for any or no reason.