Читать книгу Boundary Waters Canoe Area: Western Region онлайн

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Of course, any route may be made more difficult by completing it in fewer days than recommended, or made easier by adding days. If fishing is a priority for your trip, you should consider adding at least one day for every three days suggested in this guide. For longer trips, you may also want to add layover days to your schedule. The longer you are trekking, the more likely you are to encounter strong wind, foul weather, sickness, or injury that could slow your progress. (Always carry an extra supply of food for just that reason.) Furthermore, after three or four days of rugged trekking, you may simply want to rest for a day before continuing.

The difficulty ratings for the routes in this book are subjective. Difficulty is relative. A route that is “most rugged” to one party may be merely “challenging” to another group. An “easier” route to most paddlers may be “most rugged” to an inexperienced group of paddlers who really had no idea what they were getting into when they entered the BWCAW. Two major factors contribute to the difficulty ratings in this book: 1) the average distance paddled per day, and 2) the length, frequency, and difficulty of the portages. An “average” day in the BWCAW includes about 8 to 10 miles of paddling, interrupted by five or six portages, measuring 50 to 100 rods in length. This should challenge most visitors. Anything less is usually rated “easier.” Trips with a great deal more paddling and/or longer or more frequent portages are rated “most rugged.” The ratings are based on original author Robert Beymer’s 30 years of Boundary Waters travel and his experience with all age groups and experience levels.