Welcome to the BWCAW blog of Ely Outfitting Company and Boundary Waters Guide Service!

See our websites at ElyOutfittingCompany.com and BoundaryWatersGuideService.com.

We are a Boundary Waters canoe trip outfitter, Quetico outfitter, and guide service in Ely, Minnesota. This Boundary Waters blog shares photos, stories, humor, skills, and naturalist insights from guiding in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW).

Most entries are from our founder and head guide, Jason Zabokrtsky. He is the Boundary Waters Blogger.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

The Dogs Know

At 6AM we arrived in the Wintergreen kennel to start loading sled dogs into the trailer, and launch our journey to Hudson Bay. That's earlier than we are typically at the kennel.

The dogs knew something was up instantly. I walked several dogs from their doghouses to the trailer. Lightning had a glint in her eye, leaned forward for mechanical advantage, and pulled me with all her might to the trailer. Then she hopped into the portable kennel and I closed the door. The photo shows the main entrance to the Wintergreen kennel this morning.

We hit the road with 20 dogs in tow at 6:30AM. It's now about 17 hours later and we are still driving. We are in Canada's Manitoba Province about 100 kilometers south of Grand Rapids. It is snowing.

We stopped for a generously privided lunch at the home of an expert on the Canadian Inuit Dog, near Winnipeg. The photo shows our guide Don Watson leading the dog Steve back to the trailer after a water, stretch, and bathroom break.

We will pull off the road and camp soon.

The dogs know a new adventure in a foreign land is underway, and they are excited. We are too.

2 comments:

Jorge Farias said...

Jason, great blogs! Thanks for sharing and making us feel like we're on these trips with you vicariously. Enjoy this trip!

Jason Zabokrtsky said...

Jorge, thanks for the encouragement. I'm looking forward to our September canoeing adventure!