Our experienced guides pride themselves on providing you with the trip of a lifetime. They will help make the trip accessible and more enjoyable for your group. We can do trips of any length. Advantages of bringing a guide along:

• Spend more quality time with friends and family.
• Learn how to be efficient in canoe country.
• Help portaging.
• Improve your paddling skills.
• Find the best campsites and fishing holes.
• Take the pressure out of navigating.
• Gourmet cooking over the fire.
• Learn flora and fauna.
• Lots of photo opportunities.
• Practice your camp craft.
• Help with camp chores and finding good firewood.

JumpStart Guide Service
This is a nice option for a group that wants a little guidance at the beginning of the trip but then wants to venture into the wilderness on their own, or the group that has some outdoor experience, but not much Boundary Waters tripping experience.  Think of it as a One-day Boundary Waters Canoe Camping Clinic with your own personal instructor. It’s a great introduction to traveling and camping on your own in the BWCAW.

How it works:
Our experienced guide will meet your group on the morning of the trip. They will help you get all packed up, organized for the trip, and review your route. You will all head into the wilderness together, the guide leading the way and teaching you how to be efficient in canoe country. The guide will spend the whole day and the first night with you and your crew.  This way, they can help with dinner, campfires, and clean-up for the first night. The guide will leave at 7am the next morning.  You will be on your own at this point. The guide isn’t there to help in the morning. Their focus will be on exiting the wilderness. You may not even see them in the morning if you aren’t up early.

The guide will assist with the following and aim to teach you things such as how to:

• Pack your bag.
• Load and unload the canoe.
• Paddle a canoe.
• Basic Boundary Waters navigation.
• Portaging tricks.
• Basic campcraft. (How to hang a tarp, gather firewood, start a fire, set up tents, etc.)
• Cook over the campfire and do dishes in the wilderness.
• Hang your food pack/take bear precautions.

**Because the guide must exit the wilderness in a timely fashion in the morning, only certain routes and trips are appropriate. Call us for more details and to see if this is an option for your trip. In many cases, it may be best to hire a guide for the duration of your trip.