YOU MUST SPEAK WITH A TRIP LEADER PRIOR TO TRIP REGISTRATION.
MESSAGE BRIANNA (bm.robinette@gmail.com) AND/OR SARA (sfulche@gmail.com) TO EXPRESS INTEREST OR ASK ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TRIP - INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER, AND A GOOD TIME TO REACH YOU.
TRIP OVERVIEW
On this Memorial Day weekend trip, crew members will carpool to a USFS Campground near the BWCAW on Thursday afternoon, car camping for the night. Early the next morning, we will depart the Sioux-Hustler trailhead and backpack 12 miles along the western side of the loop to Pageant Lake, where we will basecamp for three nights. We will clear the trail with saws, loppers, and root slayers in the Heritage Creek North area. We work rain or shine.
WHY VOLUNTEER?
You will meet other like-minded hikers, share your skills and learn new skills from your crew, and have an unforgettable experience helping maintain one of the few hiking-specific trails in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
ITINERARY
Thursday, May 21st (Day 1):
Depart from the Twin Cities in the afternoon and carpool to the USFS campground.
Set-up camp for the night and enjoy dinner together.
Friday, May 22nd (Day 2):
Wake early for breakfast and break camp, then drive to the Sioux-Hustler trailhead.
At the trailhead, we’ll check gear, disperse group tools, and have a safety talk before beginning our hike.
Hike 12 miles (5-7 hours) to Pageant Lake, with breaks for lunch and refilling water.
Set-up basecamp and enjoy dinner together.
Saturday, May 23rd (Day 3) & Sunday, May 24th (Day 4):
Wake early for breakfast, and then discuss safety, tool usage, and USFS trail standards before making our way to the Heritage Creek North area.
Spend the day clearing trail until 4-5 pm (crew leader discretion) with breaks for snacks/lunch.
Dinner and tales of the trail back at basecamp.
Monday, May 25th (Day 5):
Wake early for breakfast and break camp for a 7:30 am departure.
Hike 12 miles (5-7 hours) to the trailhead, and then carpool back to the Twin Cities for evening arrival.
NEED TO KNOW
Pre-requisites:
Physically able to backpack 12 miles in 5 hours on rough terrain.
Physically able to carry self sufficient gear, food, water, and BWAC provided tools for 12 miles.
Attend the required Crew Member Orientation (April 14th at REI Bloomington).
Attend a required local hike and gear shake-down event before the trip with your crew and trip leaders.
Personal Gear: Gear lists will be provided and a gear shakedown meeting will be held to assess team members’ gear needs. Each team member will be responsible for carrying their own pack, shelter, sleep system, food, water, personal gear, borrowed trail tools, and their share of group gear. If there is something you do not have, please let the crew leaders know well in advance of the trip.
BWAC Gear: BWAC will provide: McKenzie maps, safety glasses, hard hats, trail clearing tools, safety training, and BWCA permits. Water sterilization devices and bear canisters are available for use as needed.
Anticipated Temperatures/Weather Conditions: Crew members should prepare for anything from hot to rainy or cold days and/or nights. Also be prepared for bugs. Crew leaders will discuss specifics closer to trip dates.
Food: Bring your own easy-to-cook, or no-cook, food to enjoy during the 4 days. Confirm your food fits inside your IGBC-approved, bear-proof container or Ursack with odor-proof liner. Do not assume you'll be able to hang food.
Costs:
$40 registration cost on Meetup (to offset admin, tool and map costs)
$20-30 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, alcohol-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. If you sign up for this trip without prior approval of the trip leaders, your sign-up is considered a donation to BWAC.
Please note the trip could be cancelled due to bad weather, fire danger, or other circumstances beyond the control of BWAC.
Thank you for considering this trip. By investing your time you will be creating lasting value for wilderness hikers and helping preserve this trail for future generations!