Hungry Jack Canoe Outfitters, Gunflint Trail, Grand Marais, Minnesota

Hungry Jack Outfitters :: Getting Ready

Boganho Lake (photo: Jay Steinke)

Canoe-Country Weather
Things to Read
Menu Planner
What to Bring
Checklist
What to Leave Behind
Fishing Gear
Directions

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Once you've decided on your wilderness trip, you've got to get ready -- watch the weather, read up on the area and its wildlife and history, plan your menu, make sure you pack what you need to bring with you and leave behind the stuff you don't, think about your fishing gear, and, finally, plan how to get here. The sections below, and the separate menu planner and checklist for clothing and personal items (designed to print out easily) should help.

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Canoe-Country Weather

Average Monthly Highs:
May 62°F
June 69°F
July 75°F
Aug. 71°F
Sept. 59°F
Oct. 46°F

Some general weather rules to remember:

Weather can change often and quickly.
It can be very cold or very warm any month from May to October.
You are exposed to the sun all day even when it's cloudy.
Wind from the east usually means rain.
Wind from the west usually means stable weather.
Sub-freezing temperatures are possible in May, September, and October.
Remember -- no rain, no rainbows!
If there is any thunder or lightning near you, get off the water immediately!

Here is a link to weather and other information you may find helpful:
Area Forecast and Satellite Images
Gunflint Trail Weather

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Things to Read

There are many books about canoe country at your local library. Here are some we find useful and entertaining.

Camping How-To

Canoe Country Camping by Michael Furtman
     This is the only how-to book we would endorse for Boundary Waters camping.

History

The Boundary Waters Wilderness Ecosystem by Miron Heinselman
     A fascinating work on the natural history of the area, primarily focused on fire-based ecology. Highly recommended.

Our Historic Boundary Waters by Duane R. Lund
      A good history of the area from the first white explorers to present.Saving Quetico-Superior: A Land Set Apart by R. Newell Searle
     An exhaustive study of the political and legal history of the border country.

The Voyageur's Highway by Grace Lee Nute
     Originally printed in 1941. A good history of the different people who inhabited and used the area through the early part of this century.

Up Country by William Joseph Seno
     Actual journal entries and writings from some of the early explorers of the north country.

Plants and Animals

The Sierra Club Naturalist's Guide to the North Woods by Daniel and Sullivan
     A good all-around guide to natural history, plants, animals, and geology. Our favorite book on the area.

Canoe Country Wildlife by Mark Stensaas
     Everything you ever wanted to know about the reproductive cycle of the leech, and much more! Black-and-white illustrations.

Canoe Country Flora by Mark Stensaas
     Great information about the plants of canoe country. Illustrations are B&W, so it is not good as a field guide.

Plants of the Quetico and Ontario Shield by Shan Walshe
     Currently out of print. The best field guide for plants in the area.

Tom Brown's Guide to Tracking and Nature Observation by Tom Brown
     A great book about learning to "be" in the woods and learn from them.

Bunchberries - a boreal forest wildflower

Bunchberries
(photo: Betty Hemstad)

Peterson field guides

A Field Guide to Wildflowers
     Good for identification but not much information.
A Field Guide to Birds, Eastern edition
     A basic bird identifier.
A Field Guide to Animal Tracks
      Sometimes the best way to identify your neighbors in the woods. Also identifies scat and droppings of woodland animals.

Nature Writing and Photography

The Singing Wilderness (and other titles) by Sigurd Olson
     The best works I have found.

Canoe Country by F.L. Jaques
     The story of a trip done the old way. Stunning illustrations.

Woman of the Boundary Waters by Justine Kerfoot
     The life story of an area pioneer.

Challenge of the Wilderness by Calvin Rostrum
     In the same style as Olson but more down-to-earth.

The Wild Neighborhood by John Henricksson
     Short stories about our neighborhood's "wild" inhabitants.

Chased by the Light by Jim Brandenburg
     Awe-inspiring photography of the area.

Gunflint Territory by Jay Steinke
     Excellent photos of the Gunflint Trail area. Many are here on our Web site.

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Menu Planner

Campfire Cooking
(photo: David Seaton)

If we are preparing your food, please print out the menu planner, fill it out, and return it to us. You may attach it to an email or mail it to Hungry Jack Outfitters, 318 South Hungry Jack Road, Grand Marais, MN 55604. There are two pages.

Our goal is to make our food a positive part of your vacation. To do this you need to let us know what your preferences are. We will try to accommodate them any way we can. Please fill out the menu planner completely. If we do not receive your menu planner 10 days before your trip we will choose and pack for you.

What to Bring

"Even Rain & bugs cannot dampen spirits when properly dressed"

If you select a complete outfitting package, Hungry Jack Outfitters will provide all the camping and cooking gear you need for your trip. You will need to bring only clothing and personal items on our separate printable checklist. Here are some general principles to consider:

Clothing

Durable, versatile, and comfortable are the key words. Lightweight or medium clothing that can be layered will be more versatile than a few heavy items. Try to pack items that will serve several purposes. And remember -- at the portages, you'll have to carry everything you bring along.

We always carry polypropelene long underwear tops and bottoms on every trip, to make sure we don't get caught unprepared by a cold snap.

Weather can vary quite a bit over a 5-or-6-day trip, so don't fooled into leaving those warm things behind on a hot starting day, or throwing out the shorts if it seems cool. Unlike backpacking, you carry your gear only while portaging between lakes, so a few creature comforts are encouraged.

One other general note about clothing. Avoid lots of cotton in spring, early summer, and fall, as it tends to get wet and stay wet. Sweat pants, sweatshirts, and jeans weigh about 400 pounds when wet, and they're very difficult to dry. Wool or acrylic sweaters and Polarfleece all work very well, and they dry quickly, even while you wear them. Thin poly-and-cotton trousers or wind pants are great for layering, and they pack nicely, too.

Boundary Waters Footwear

We probably get more questions about footwear than anything except fishing tackle. The key here is whether you want to keep your feet dry or not.

Rainbow, Quetico
(photo: David Seaton)

During the warmer months (later June, July, and August), it's much easier and more convenient to go wet and change to dry shoes at the end of the day.

Old tennis shoes work well, but lightweight hikers (not Gore-Tex) work really well; so do the new "amphibious shoes" that are designed to be wet and drain. Having good support for your arches and ankles is very important. Aqua socks do not provide enough support for portaging but are good for swimming.

"The correct footwear is very important"

During cooler times of the year, you will want to try to keep you feet dry. The best option is calf-high all-rubber "wellies." Your feet will sweat in them, so you need to change socks often. L.L. Bean hunting shoes, with leather uppers and rubber bottoms, are a good compromise for watertightness and all-day comfort. The leather parts need to be coated with waterproofing. "Bogs" boots are also recommended.

In any case, you will want dry, comfortable footwear for camp. I like sandals or even moccasins with rubber soles, but the old tennies work just fine. Just be sure there is breathing room for your feet.

Checklist

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What to Leave Behind

Suitcase-Size Camera Bags and Tackle Boxes

We see some pretty funny stuff going into the woods. And many people groan after a trip about carrying some item they considered a necessity, only to find that it never came out of the pack.

Try to keep fishing tackle, camera equipment, and other "toys" to a minimum.

We find a good-quality pocket camera with a telephoto option to be sufficient for us. On the other hand, we always carry more film than we imagine we can use -- you just never know.

The same goes for fishing tackle: keep it simple. I fit all my tackle for a week-long trip (including pliers, stringer, and knife) into a box about 6" x 10 x 3" -- and I almost always end up using only about half of what's there. If fishing is the big priority for your trip, then bring one extra rod and reel for the entire group, just in case someone has a breakdown.

Nifty New Gadgets

Be very hesitant to buy the latest camping gadget at your local outdoor store. You may despise it after three days at the bottom if your pack. Take only what you know you'll need; you won't miss the stuff you're not used to.

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Fishing Gear

Tackle

For all types of fishing in this area, you can use light spinning tackle, 6-ft medium-action rod, and 6- or 8-lb-test line. You may want to use heavier line (12 lb) if you are after northern pike, and lighter (4 lb) if mainly after trout. Checklist.

A good tackle box should have:

small snap-swivels
split-shot weights
#6 hooks
nail-clipper (to cut line)
needle-nose pliers w/wire-cutter (to remove hooks)
a slip bobber and bobber stops
9-in steel leaders
filet knife
a few Band-Aids

You'll want a short-handled landing net.

Think SMALL and LIGHT! Big fish bite small stuff too!

"Erik with a keeper"
Smallmouth Bass
(photo: David Seaton

Lures

We've found several lures variously good for bass [B], northern pike [N], trout [T], and walleye [W]:

Daredevil Imp 2.5 in, red/white or black/white [all]
Rapala Shad Rap #5 & #7, blue/silver/orange or crayfish color [BTW],
Floating Rapala #3, #5, and #7 in gold/orange [all] black/gold [all], perch [all]
Mepps #2 or #3 bucktail spinner, white [all]
Heddon Sonar red/white [T]
Beetle spin, chartreuse & black/yellow
Little Cleo 3/4-oz orange and gold [T]
1/8-oz & 1/4-oz jigs and twister tails in black, white, yellow, and crayfish color

Walleyes

If you're serious about catching walleyes, you will want:

Live bait and slip bobbers with bobber stops

Jigs: 1/8-oz and 1/4-oz in chartreuse, green, fluorescent orange, white, and black

Lindy-type spinner rigs in white, fluorescent orange, blue, and green

Jigs and spinners will be tipped with leeches or nightcrawlers, which you can bring or purchase in our store when you arrive. All lures and bait are available at our store.

Northern Pike in Quetico Park
(photo: Nancy Seaton)

Fly-Fishing

If you are fly-fishing, a #5 or#7 rod will do for most purposes, but a #9 will allow you to cast bigger flies for bass or pike. Please call to discuss what flies you will need for your trip. We have locally tied patterns in our store.

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How to Get to Hungry Jack Outfitters

To get to Hungry Jack Outfitters:

Drive to Duluth, Minnesota, on Interstate Hwy 35 or Wisconsin Hwy 53. As you enter Duluth, follow Hwy 35 / North Shore Dr / Hwy 61. Follow Hwy 61 for 110 miles NE to Grand Marais, Minnesota. (If you have a few extra minutes, you may want to take the Scenic Drive [Old Hwy 61] for 20 miles between Duluth and Two Harbors. The entrance is just as you approach the freeway on the east side of Duluth.)

As you enter Grand Marais, you go down a long hill into town. About 1/2 mile past the only stop light, turn left onto the Gunflint Trail (County Rd 12). Follow the Gunflint Trail over hill and dale for 29 miles to Hungry Jack Road (County Rd 65), just before Trail Center Lodge. Turn right on Hungry Jack Road, and go 1/3 mile to a fork in the road.

There you will see our sign and a street sign for South Hungry Jack Road; veer right and follow our road and directional signs 1.5 miles to Hungry Jack Outfitters.

See you soon!

Hungry Jack Outfitters' location in Minnesota

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