Pagami Creek Fire Area BWCA 2012

During my first BWCA trip of 2012, I paddled the eastern edge of the Pagami Creek fire area.  The fire area was breathtaking, and this photo doesn't come close to doing justice.  This photo was taken on either Square Lake or Kawashachong Lake, just as you begin to observe the full impact of the fire on its eastern border.  The smell of smoke was still strong, even though the fire had subsided approximately 8 months prior.  Regardless of the politics that surround this particular fire, and how easily some have asserted that it could have been suppressed during the early stages, I decided to enjoy the changes for what they're worth...  With that said, I'm not an expert on fire, weather, forest ecology, or anything for else that played into the decisions that were made.  All that I know for sure is that I'm glad that nobody was injured during the fire and that it will be interesting to see how the forest changes going forward.

Another image of the Pagami Creek fire area near Square/Polly/Kawashachong Lakes.

BWCA Lake Trout Trip

After a couple of fruitless efforts to the same area, I finally tasted the success of BWCA lake trout fishing this year.  Trolling for these beautiful (and delicious) fish was a simple task.  During the last week of May, we trolled 20' or 30' running lures over water not much deeper than 30 feet.  On this particular lake, there appeared to be a dominant year class of fish, which were all in the 18"-20" range.  No complaints regarding the fish- great size for eating, and they put up a good fight.  I can't wait to hook into one of the larger fish that I know are lurking in this lake...maybe next year.

Lake trout four ways... need I say more?  The crowd favorite was a last minute surprise...Dijon mustard/lemon pepper blend.  They were all good!

BWCA Moose Encounter- Part Two

This is mama moose just before she entered the water to swim after her calf (previous post).  I believe that this is the same moose that almost ran over my uncle on a portage trail earlier in the day.  

Here's the story: I was paddling in the stern of the canoe. My Uncle Joe would get out first at every portage landing, help unload the canoe, take a pack, and go.  After that, I'd take my small pack and the canoe, following shortly after him.  On this particular portage, after dropping off the first of two loads, my uncle was about 25 yards ahead of me after the turn-around.  I had just dropped the canoe and pack, and was heading back for my second load, with Joe just ahead of me.  That's when I was Joe come running back toward me.  Just after he said "moose", I saw an adult moose chasing him down the trail.  We were both scared, the only difference was that he was being chased, and I only had about a second to stand and watch a moose chasing him, coming toward me, with no time to react.  After about a second or two (for me)- and considerably longer for Joe, the moose decided to dart off into the woods.  

Considering the apparent aggressive nature of the moose, with its chasing my uncle down the trail and the noises that followed, we assumed that it may have been separated from a calf.  I had time to look close at its head, and I didn't see any evidence of antler growth.  Not more than five hours later, we had the encounter depicted in my previous post, which occurred approximately one mile away (as the moose roams), from our first encounter.  Coincidence?  

BWCA Moose Encounter- Part One

Let me start by giving credit to my brother, Tom Pecharich, for taking these incredible photos of a cow moose rescuing her calf from the water (click on photos to see larger images). This photo shows the cow biting the ear of the calf, apparently trying to steer the calf back to shore.  Unfortunately, in the panic of the situation, the pair veered in two different directions before deciding to head for a point that was at least twice as far as the nearest landing.

The action started out just about 50 feet from where we were camped, on Malberg Lake.  I was fiddling with my fishing line, looking at a knot that I was tying, when I heard a loud splash near where I had beached the canoe.  When I looked up, at first I thought that I was looking at an adult deer.  I knew that everybody else had heard the splash, and I was the only one with a clear line of sight to the noise, so I immediately said "deer", just to calm any fears that it was something to worry about.  After a second or two, I realized that I was looking at a newborn moose, which are much lighter in color than an adult.

In this photo, it is evident that the cow is giving a piggy-back ride to the calf, which was struggling to stay afloat by this point.  Note that the back of the calf is almost perpendicular to the back of the cow, yet the wake created by each is moving in the same direction, which shows that they were each moving in the same direction.  On several occasions, the cow could be seen looking back at the calf, making sure that her efforts were paying off.

This is a photo of mama moose entering the water, just as she realized that her calf was in trouble.  What an impressive animal!  Thanks again to my brother, Tom Pecharich, for taking these photos- nice work!