: hello all,

: regarding the ban on carts in BWCA: 1.

: I hope I remembered the name correct. what is that "BWCA" thing ?

: 2. : why are kayak carts banned there ? : what is the meaning behind such regulation ? : why would anybody want to ban kayak carts anywhere ?

Going backwards, People would ban kayak carts for the same reason that they would ban mountain biking. The wheels from bikes and carts cut into the soil more than footprints, promoting erosion. where a foot print creates a small puddle, a wheel track creates a furrow that rain flows through. My guess is that this is the reasoning behind such a ban.

Second guess is that you would be foolish to even try to use a cart in the areas where I traveled in the Boundary Waters. The paths are narrow, unpaved, rutted, rooted and steep. You would carry the boat over every big bump, and there is a big bump every couple of feet.

A portage is ALWAYS uphill, each lake is in the bottom of a giant bowl. You climb up from lake level to the rim of the bowl to get to the next lake.

The proper Boundary Waters Canoe Area is mostly in Superior National Forest, in the northeast corner of Minnesota, with a matching length north of the border in Ontario, Canada. The Canadans have their own names for portions of this area. However, the actual size of the area that you can canoe (or kayak)exceeds that, and almost any spot along the southern edge of Ontario, from the eastern edge of Manitoba to Lake Superior is a lake or river, which loosely could be considered a 'boundary water', too.

You may need a permit to enter the area. You can get these from ranger stations In the Superior National Forest. Any decent guide book will have the address of where to write, or the phone number to call. The rangers can probably give you the official reasons behind most of the rules. I was able to get maps of the area from the ranger stations, too.

hope this helps.

Paul G. Jacobson