Crossing Borders: Boundary Waters to Quetico | Part One

I'm currently planning a winter camping adventure that starts in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA) in northern Minnesota and heads up into Quetico Provincial Park in Canada. Over the next few weeks, I'll be sharing some of the ways that I'll be preparing for this. I hope that it will be informative and inspire you as you plan your adventures. Sound good? Great. Here we go...

GOING AS A GROUP

We are going as a group. If you go as a group, it's a great idea to discuss route/trip expectations, fitness levels, skills, preferences, and goals before you adventure together. You should also discuss safety and risks and how you'll handle those challenges. It's a good time to chat about whether you'll share gear or if everyone will be self-sufficient.

Our group is interested in "fast and light". That means we hope to have some longer mileage days and cold camp. We're skipping hot tents (bigger tents that have small woodstoves). I'll share more about that later. Our goals are flexible though, as everything depends on the weather, ice/portage conditions, and how everyone is coping.

We've decided that each person in our group will be self-sufficient and that we will travel together and pack similarly. However, we'll be sure that some of us are carrying crucial items such as satellite beacons, maps/compasses, first aid, shovels, or saws.

Dragging firewood back to a remote campsite in the BWCA.

SETTING A DATE

Setting a date isn't too hard. I'm planning to go when I'm pretty certain the ice is good. Which usually means, after December. The key to winter adventures is flexibility. Weather and conditions dictate everything and you need to be willing to have another plan in place (or three). Other than that, if you're going with others, it's coordinating schedules.

SECURING PERMITS

Getting a BWCA permit during the winter is easy. Self-issued permits are required for non-motorized day-use visitors year-round and for all overnight visitors entering the BWCAW from October 1 – April 30. Self-issued permits are also required for Day Use Motor visitors from October 1 - April 30. Self-issued permits are available from kiosks at all BWCAW entry points and Forest Service offices (no reservation required and no recreation fees).

You’ll need an additional permit to cross into and camp in Canada/Quetico from the BWCA. Getting a Remote Area Border Crossing (RABC) permit into Canada takes a little more work, but it's not too bad. Allow for six weeks to get the permit in the mail. Surprisingly, we got ours within a week. We filled out the application, uploaded two forms of ID (required), and emailed it in with our payment info. Bonus–it’s good for the calendar year.

Interested? Find more info on securing a Boundary Waters Canoe Area Permit and Canadian Remote Area Border Crossing Permit (RABC).

Head to Part Two of this series.

[ o ] Alex Horner

Disclaimer: I do not receive any compensation from the resources mentioned in this article. If you want to go on your winter camping trip, it’s up to you to plan and prepare for all the conditions you may encounter. Honestly assess your experiences, fitness, and skill set. The BWCA and Quetico are remote wilderness areas and help may be hours or a day away. Conditions change frequently. Check with local outfitters and ranger stations for current updates. Information stated in this article may be inaccurate or not up to date.