BWCA Adventure | Alex Horner Photography Photos

Check out this dreamy photo gallery by our friend, cinematographer/photographer, Alex Horner - a compilation of images from our early March 2022 winter camping trip into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. More details below.

“It is not spring yet, not by three feet of snow and a lake full of ice. And high winds as cold and damp as a dog’s moose and just as searching, whine through the woods. Yet there is something in the air that stirs the blood and you can’t help lifting your eyes to the sky to look and listen for the first geese, although you know full well they will not arrive until the lakes show open water.”
- John J. Rowlands, Cache Lake Country

Over a period of four days, our group of five camped on Disappointment Lake, northeast of Ely, Minnesota. From our basecamp island we explored remote areas and only encountered one other small group. Total solitude! Our weather varied from bright, sunny days to blizzard like conditions. Temperatures ranged from high’s near 20º and lows of -22º. We each pulled sleds across frozen lakes and portages.

Location: Ely, Minnesota
Entry Point: Snowbank Lake EP 27
Lakes travelled: Snowbank, Parent and Disappointment Lakes
Day trips: Thomas Lake Winter Trail and parts east. Cattyman Falls north of Disappointment Lake.
Group packing list: Lighter pack packing list. A few things we rented or borrowed but most of the gear we own.
Personal packing list: This is what we recommend for most conditions and temps.
Route: Interactive map that shows our route, including day trips and points of interest.

Read the trip reports from our adventure!

Photos in this article taken by Alex Horner. Used with permission.