Trip Stories: Record River Monster

By Alex Kvanli
July 01, 2025 (comments)

Intrepid explorers Jack C., Luke C., Charlie J., Browning G., and Chuck J. led by nurse Elena Richardson and assistant director Alex Kvanli hit the trail on Lake One one hot summer day on a fishing trip for the record books. Chuck J. navigated the crew with occasional assistance from Jack “Gouverbolt” while Alex guided them to secret fishing holes he’d uncovered from a dozen Little Triangle trips spanning nine summers. Alex shared that sometimes river fishing is simple: Keep your line wet, cast near moving water, don’t get snagged, and use wacky worms. A few failed attempts casting into...

Dancing with Wabakimi Rapids

By Alex Kvanli
June 02, 2025 (comments)

By: Jack Casebolt, camper 2021-2024 Shortly after New Year’s in 2024, an anticipated email message arrived stating I’d been invited on the 14-day Wabakimi Canoe Expedition. My excitement filled the room. Eager to see who else was invited, I texted my Camp friend group and discovered that the other campers attending would be Anders Malmberg, Ben Hummel, John “Huck” Ginn, and Peter Harris. Assistant Camp Director Alex Kvanli was slated to lead the canoe expedition and Billy Idol’s Greatest Hits CD would provide the eight-hour soundtrack for the van ride.

Trip Stories: Canoe Rescue on the Basswood River

By CV Staff
May 01, 2025 (comments)

By: David D. Cass (camper 1953-1959), Edmonton, Alberta, Canada In 1960, three friends and I took a canoe trip on the Basswood River. We started at Camp Voyageur where we spent one night in cabin 3. The next morning, we had breakfast in the Mess Hall. After breakfast, we packed and loaded our canoes and launched in Home Bay. Sam Stegman and I were in one canoe; Ron and Dave Horn were in the other. We paddled north through Garden Lake until we reached the falls between Garden Lake and Fall Lake. We paddled through Fall Lake and turned toward...

Trip Stories: Fishing Along the Border

By Alex Kvanli
November 01, 2024 (comments)

By: Henry, 13 years old, 2nd year camper We started our trip at the Angleworm portage–Mitchell, Whit, Owen, Ben, our counselor Kevin, and me. The intimidating 640-rod (two miles!) portage to begin the trip was rough but satisfying once we had completed it. It dropped us right into the heart of the Boundary Waters. That night, we camped on Home Lake where Kevin caught a walleye. The next night, we found a great campsite on Friday Bay, and I caught a 20.5-inch plaquer walleye! We paddled to Saturday Bay, where we set up a base camp and went on a...

Trip Stories: Wildebeest Trout

By Alex Kvanli
July 02, 2024 (comments)

Hi, my name is Oliver, and this is my story about our trip from Snowbank Lake to Moose Lake. On this trip, we had eight people: Grant, Grayson, Drew, Gianni, myself, and our counselors Oscar, Asher, and Davis. Our first day was a push day. We breezed through Snowbank Lake because the conditions were perfect—tailwinds and clear sky. I was proud of everyone, especially considering they were first-years. We all struggled on the portages, carrying the heavy gear over slippery rocks. For dinner, we had Asher’s “special” beans and rice, which was surprisingly delicious. On day two, we made it...

My First Minnesota Summer Camp Adventure

By Alex Kvanli
February 19, 2024 (comments)

This summer I stayed at Camp Voyageur for two weeks. The reason I went there is because my dad went as a kid. After four days in the cabin, I went on a six-day canoe camping trip into the Boundary Waters. We had to pack food, pots and pans, gear, and clothes. The next day we tied the canoes to the van and loaded packs, fishing gear, and paddles in the back of the van before heading to Moose Lake to begin our trip. On the first day, I did the longest portage of my life, 195 rods carrying a...

Paddling Through Time: History and Fishing along the Four Mile Portage

By Alex Kvanli
October 16, 2023 (comments)

Deleterious drought conditions with the summer solstice fast approaching foreshadowed a rugged but tolerable four-day fishing adventure. We kicked off from Fall Lake and paddled two miles to the Four Mile, or Truck, Portage, leading to Hoist Bay of Basswood Lake. The portage was built in 1901 by the Swallow and Hopkins Company as a railroad for a 40-ton locomotive to serve the logging industry. After World War II, the rough road was used to bus tourists to resorts and houseboats on Basswood Lake. Alas, the last motorized vehicles to cross the portage were removed in 1984, so we had...

Trip Stories: Moose Lake to Camp Voyageur

By CV Staff
June 29, 2023 (comments)

5 Nights on the Trail By: Joey Erdmann with Ben K., Finn H., Lleyton A., Chuck H., Demetri S., and Trip Leader Charlie Erdmann. Day 1 We loaded two small vans–later than expected– because our big van had been hijacked for a rescue mission. Alex trekked us up the Fernberg Trail to the Moose Lake landing where he and Kevin O’Kane helped us to the water and snapped a photo to see us off. The wind had picked up by this time, so we paddled across the waves to a protected point and crossed paddles. “May the wind be at...

2022 Paddle Post

By John Erdmann
February 03, 2023 (comments)

That latest edition of Camp’s newspaper recounts our 71st summer.

Trip Stories: The Pagami Creek is Always a Good Idea

By Alex Kvanli
January 11, 2023 (comments)

There are several infamous “shortcuts” in the Boundary Waters. Morris Creek from Saganaga Lake to Granite River eliminates several miles of paddling along the U.S./Canadian Border. The rugged Beartrap River offers an alternative route to Iron Lake. The Angleworm entry point could be considered a shortcut to the fishing-hotspot Crooked Lake. All of these routes have three things in common: (1) They may be less in miles but not in time or effort, (2) that is no secret, and (3) it doesn’t stop people from trying. The Pagami Creek shortcut from Lake One to Clearwater Lake is no exception. Below...