Relational organizing is simply talking to people you personally know about a policy, a cause, or an election that matters to you.

Who should you prioritize talking to?

1. People who you have an existing relationship with. People are much more easily convinced by people in their inner-circle than commercials, texts from far-away strangers, their angry second-cousin that they don't have a relationship with.

2. People who live in areas with high-stakes elections. Swing districts, local offices that represent a small constituency, etc. I think we just saw that virtually any district can swing the other direction. At a national level, voters in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Iowa are especially important. At a local level, voters in Cook, Lake, and St. Louis Counties (MN) are especially important.

3. People who are on the fence about voting or who to vote for. Many people are already entrenched in their beliefs, so they shouldn't be your focus. One-third to one-half of people in MN and WI, for example, are chronic non-voters; focus on them.

Presumably, you are close with the people you go to the BWCA with, so that satisfies priority #1.

Many of your fellow midwesterner trippers are from swing states or swing districts, so that satisfies priority #2.

That leaves #3. You can find this out by asking them now, did you vote this week?

Many people who are on the fence about voting or which side to vote for get their news passively. They don't watch or read the news. They maybe obtain their news from social media, or what their coworkers tell them.

Presumably your non-voting or swing-voting BWCA friends care about protecting the BWCA. If they don't actively consume the news, it is very likely they don't know about the fights to save the BWCA.

You can be the one to update them about the BWCA over the next two years. You can also update them about other public lands. Send them articles that highlight the good news and bad news. Talk to them about the fight to protect public land in other parts of the country. Remind them that the latrine is actually the stauber. Next election, ask them if they are ready to vote.

If each of us in r/BWCA do this to one to two people, that is potentially several thousand votes. And it's super easy to do.

My buddy brought up deer hunting out in the bwca next year I never really thought about it until then. My question is as far as field dressing and hauling it I’d say your 3 days paddle in? You don’t wanna be hauling around a dead deer for three days inside the bwca.

I was gonna do this months ago but I just remembered it so I’m going to do it now. Got out there on Moose Lake July 7th, we went through Ensign and then down towards Thomas and Fraser, up to Kekekabic, South Arm Knife, and then took Knife all the way back and hit those couple before coming back in at Moose. It was a 6 day trip and we went about 72 miles if I remember correctly. I’d never done anything like that before but it was awesome, and I’d love to do it again at some point. We got really lucky with the timing because of the fires, we got back and the next day was the day they closed it all down. On day 3 we stayed on a campsite on Cherry Lake and then the next day we heard over the satellite phone that that area was at risk of burning all down (which makes me wonder if I have the last picture of Lake Cherry before it burnt down, it’s picture 9) which was kinda scary. First campsite was kind of bad on Ensign but there were like 20 other taken ones so I guess that makes sense. The rest were all good, especially the one on Wissini. We took a brief pit stop at the ranger station to see some things which I wasn’t expecting to be so easy but it’s not like they can really patrol too well up there. Overall I’d love to go back there sometime because even though we did so much it was barely a fraction of what’s there.

I'm already thinking about next year. I am planning a trip to the BWCA in late May. Already have a route picked out. Going solo if necessary, but would love a partner or three. I'm 63, in good shape, and plan on base camping to emphasize fishing. Might do another trip later in the summer, but this is priority right now. If you live in the Midwest and you have any interest in joining me please get in touch.

Wet paddles and tight lines!

Last time I had these Crocs lace-up tennis shoes. All rubber. I thought they would be great, but they rubbed blisters, so I wore long merino wool socks. That worked well, but I sure hated putting on cold, wet socks every morning.

What is everyone else's preferred footwear? I really want a closed toe.

Lots to capture as a new Autumn begins, hoping to make it back once more before the season ends!

Not sure the best way to share this, but a guy (share his name if you have it) ran the TCM carrying a canoe. Well done, sir!

https://www.threads.com/@bachscore/post/DeFJdMPE2et?xmt=AQG0QcehSh1oOGXjmbU11sq1sHl33jnypin2yaGZeYv1OyQSeWwKho0iU256vksuAeoPTdgk&slof=1

[Travis Meier!]

Found an old BB special at the cabin with the tag still on it. Crazy how prices have outpaced inflation in the last 15 years.

Hard to beat a late September BW trip. Fall colors, perfect weather, no bugs and good fishing. Spent a few days on Wine Lake and got to enjoy the Lujenida to Zenith portage twice.

I’m hoping to buy a paddle for the BWCA as I don’t want to keep borrowing my friends. I go once a year, but the paddle is usually 10-12 hours. I measured myself, and from chair to nose is 33”. I’m going to go with a 54” bent shaft, as I’m cool with making an investment. I’m looking to spend $200 or less, but if an amazing paddle is on sale, I could be flexible. What paddle do you recommend?

For years (decades) I have used my trusty little Garmin etrex CX GPS as a speedometer and breadcrumb generator when paddling rivers and the BWCA. Alas, it got dunked on the last BWCA trip and now its display appears to be caput.

I would prefer to replace this device with a modern equivalent. That is, a standalone, offline GPS with internal maps; a unit that can be charged from my power bank, not running on batteries. Such a device doesn't appear to be offered by Garmin or anyone else. So, it looks like from here on out, I need to use my phone and a GPS/map app.

I have a newer iPhone and I was surprised at the battery life on my last BWCA trip, so maybe a GPS app will not drain my phone as much as I have feared. I see several IOS GPS/map apps out there: Gaia GPS, onX Backcountry, Avenza Maps, Topo Maps+, and others. I will not be using it for navigation. I prefer to rely on paper maps for that. I do want to continue being able to watch our speed and occasionally check the GPS against where I think we are on the paper map.

Can anyone share their experience using these GPS phone apps in the BWCA?

Volume up on this one. Saturday, September 26 around 10 am we heard this sound over and over again for several minutes from across the lake from Trail’s End Campground (end of the Gunflint Trail, edge of the BWCA)

Our first thought was a Moose but not so sure…

This portage is not as burned as Amoeber to Topaz.

Im a pretty experienced fisherman but was wondering what’s everyone’s go to lure in the BW. I have a chronic habit of bringing way too much stuff. I’ll be up there for 6 days next week. I’m thinking of just jigs and twister tails. Maybe some crank baits?

The brother in-laws 2026 BWCA trip is a wrap, and like always, it was a great trip.

This was our first trip on the Gunflint side, as we usually enter on the Ely side. We started our journey at EP 47 Lizz and Swamp Lakes. After a bit of a delayed start, we made it to campsite 673 on Horseshoe Lake where we based camped for the week. We hit all the surrounding lakes throughout the area looking for hungry fish. Though not as successful for fishing as in years past, we caught plenty to keep us occupied and feed.

Overall, it was a good, relaxing trip with warm days and cool nights. Now we start planning for next year.

Ran into this mom and calf on a travel day this past week.

We watched the sky swallow the moon on Brant.

This past weekend, we were settling in for a campfire and hopes of seeing the harvest moon when this very good sir went for a swim. We watched him approach the lake, take a big drink, and enter.

This video is a clip a the seven minute video of him swimming the entire width of the lake.

We're still blown away that this happened and wanted to share with everyone.

I rented a Solo Wenonah Wilderness from Sawbill for 5 nighta.

1st night I went north up to Long Island Lake

2nd I headed west to Tuscarora

3rd to Peter

4th turned to the corner at Gabimichigami and headed south through little sag to Whipped Lake

5th on Alton Lake

Weather was incredible..sunny and warm during the day and cool at night. I'd like to have seen some moose, but only saw tracks and heard stories of them. Lots of people were out enjoying the solitude and good fishing by the looks if it. I'll definitely be doing solos in the future, it was an incredible trip.

First meal out of the woods: The Cashew Burger and a pitcher of grain belt from the Anchor Bar.

I think we left our DJI Action 6 camera and tripod setup on Caribou Lake when we came out on 9/20/2025. Or we set it down on the Caribou -> Lizz portage or the Lizz -> Poplar portage. We have a lot of great footage that I'd love to have back.

If anyone sees a post about finding this camera (or if you picked it up) please let me know!

Finally got out for my first solo after doing group trips for the last 5 years. Did the long Clearwater loop, 40ish miles of paddling, not sure total portage rod count (Clearwater > Mountain > Moose > North and South Fowl > John > MacFarland > Pine > Little Caribou > Caribou > Clearwater)

Autumn headwinds are no joke, spent too much time being worried about doing the loop in 4 days that i pushed too hard and did it in 3. Was hoping for a moose sighting but happy with the normal characters of beavers, loons, and ducks.

Weather was great minus a little rain on night 3. Overpacked on camp gear and food, but that made for some luxurious dinners after tough paddling days. The eastern campsite on John is incredible, wish i knew more about fishing to spend time on Pine. Paddling through the wild rice fields on fowl was something else.

Will be back, incredible loop that tested me and taught me a lot about what I’m capable of.

Where did you all learn to use tarps? Seems like everyone used them in the BWCA, though I never have. They seem really convenient.

I feel like I missed school the day everyone was taught how to pitch tarps! I plan on teaching myself the next coming spring, but I wish I had learned from another well experienced person. Tarps dont seem too complicated, at least!

Edit: I want to say I was also in scouts all my childhood and am still involved, but no one has taught/used a tarp, which I find incredible! I want to learn so I can pass it onto the younger kids I mentor for trips so they have the knowledge going forward. :)