What I learned in the wilderness with my family.

July 2015, my wife and I took our children into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.  We chose a plan that included a base-camp on Seagull Lake.  It was an amazing trip, and easier than many suppose.  We had great support from other people, and of course God working through other people to ensure that it was a great experience.  Monday was our travel day.  We drove from our home in Appleton Wisconsin to Duluth, then along the north shore of Lake Superior to Grand Marais, and then along the Gunflint trail to Tuscarora Lodge, on the edge of the Wilderness.  Tuesday was an adventure canoeing to a campsite.  Wednesday was spent land locked due to high winds, Thursday was spent exploring the Western end of the lake, and Friday was a disorienting trip out of the Wilderness. 

Part 1 of 4: God provides a safe place, and St. Raphael intercedes for us. 

Monday night, we had an orientation at Tuscarora with our outfitter.  We reviewed the map and got some suggestions for campsites.  We learned about the Wilderness, and the special rules for leaving no trace, and made sure that we had all the proper licenses and permits.  That night, we settled into the bunk house, but some members of our party were too excited to sleep.  It was a rare hot night in the north woods, so we all slept on top of our sleeping bags.  The mosquitos were particularly bad since it was a still night. 

On Tuesday morning we had a great breakfast of French toast, fruit, and hard-boiled egg canoes and coffee.  After the restless night, the coffee was very welcome.  A stiff breeze helped to cool us a little, and keep the mosquitos away.  Each of us used a flush toilet, something that we assumed we would miss the next few days.  Dan from Tuscarora Lodge took us out to the public launch, showed us a few tricks for lifting the 20 ft., 50 lb. canoe, and then helped us load and launch it. 

We started out across the open section of the eastern part of Seagull lake.  The wind had picked up a bit and there were a few waves as we went out across the water.  It took some trust in God, knowing that we were frequently in areas where the water was very deep.  Sharp drop-offs and sheer cliffs are normal for this lake, and very quickly we were far from shore.  We prayed for safety and continued to the north end of Fish Hook Island.  After that we stayed along the shore.  Even close to shore, there were few people around and the water was deep. 

The wind continued to pick up.  Every inlet, point, and island looked the same, and it was frequently difficult to judge distances.  My wife wanted to stay close to shore, which was probably the best idea (more on that when we get to day 4).  I was reluctant to do that at first, but soon saw the benefits.  We went into one calm bay where a loon sang to us.  We were right up against the sheer cliffs of the palisades on the north side of the lake.  I settled into a deep appreciation, not only for God’s creation, but also: our health, that allowed us to take this kind of trip, the foresight of people who preserved wilderness areas so that all people can enjoy them, and for our children, and especially for my wife who first suggested that we take the children on this adventure. 

As the wind picked up, and we headed directly into it, we began looking for the campsites that our outfitter had recommended.  The first was in a scenic area where there was good hiking and a great view.  It was taken.  The second was across a bay from that one, with a nice beach landing, a great place for the children to swim.  Taken.  So we continued on, into the wind.  As the waves got a little bigger and the clouds a little darker, my wife said that maybe we should pray for a safe passage.  She wondered out loud, who might be the patron saint of travelers.  “St. Raphael,” was the response from our 9-year-old.  So we asked the archangel to pray for us as we continued our search for a place to spend the next 3 days and nights.  After seeing the first recommended sites taken, I prayed quietly to myself, that if the next campsite was right for us, that it would be open.  I had to trust God that maybe the ones that were taken were not right for us, or that God had something more appropriate for our family.  Storms were predicted, and we wanted to set up camp before it was too late. 

As we rounded a point between an island and the shore, we saw a quiet bay with a loon.  Was this a campsite? Was it open?  The map showed that site on the other side of a peninsula.  If there was a landing there, it was probably the site.  We went around the peninsula, and the wind and waves were a little intimidating.  It pushed us toward the rocks.  We landed next to a large rock, and Maureen and the children went to look for the campsite.  There was a fire grate, tent pad, and trail to a “wilderness box” latrine.  It was a campsite, and it was open.  We unloaded our canoe, and claimed our site.  It was amazing!  We thanked God (and St. Raphael for his prayers) for getting us there safely, and to such a beautiful place. 

God was not done blessing us on our first trip into the wilderness.  The storm that was threatening, broke up and blew around us.  The wind, which became stronger, kept the mosquitos away.  And we found a level, rock-and-root-free area to set up our 7 person tent.  As we set up our tent , fly, hammock and cook stove, we kept encountering ways that God had blessed us.  Two trees were perfect distance from each other for the hammock, set in a small clearing away from the main camp.  A tall tree was 100 feet from camp that had not been touched by fire, perfect for hanging our garbage.  Two more trees were close enough, with nothing between them for our dining fly and food prep area.  Everything came together to make a perfect home away from home. 

That night, as we settled into our tent and sleeping bags, we were grateful for one more thing, a well- designed tent.  The tent had come from relatives who had used it 2-3 times, and then passed it on to us.  It was very wind resistant.  Something that we did not know until it was buffeted by 30-40 mph winds that night.  Never before had I staked down the rain fly on this tent.  It flapped loudly all night, something that we had never experienced in that tent.  The tent withstood the wind, despite the fact that the soil was so thing that many of the stakes were barely in the ground.  Boundary Waters Canoe area wilderness had very thin soil on top of bedrock.  Later someone commented that our site was sheltered from the wind, which meant that the wind was stronger than we felt.  Yet another way that God had provided a safe place for us. 

Each night, most of us rest in comfortable beds, sheltered in sturdy houses.  God provides us with the shelter.  He may have worked through the craftspeople who built it, and our employers who pay our wages.  But all of these are ways that God is working through others and through us to give us the shelter that we need.  We received direction and support from many people for our Boundary Waters adventure.  When we allowed God to work through others, and trusted in what he had prepared for us, we were richly rewarded.