West End News: April 27

Shortly after last week’s West End News, the paddling season officially began. The ice went out up here at Sawbill on April 21. Although we were having an unseasonably warm spring, the ice out is only four days earlier than last year. True to form, some die-hards have already arrived to head into the Wilderness.

Lest we get too ahead of ourselves, sprinter came back with a vengeance in the form of a lovely storm of wintry mix. Over the hill in the west end we got some ice, but mostly we ended up with a fresh new layer of snow. Things are looking more like November than April right now.

As soon as this last vestige of winter melts, keep your eyes peeled for the delicious wild edibles that grow abundant in our west end woods. A few little birds have already mentioned to me that the ramps have started coming up. Ramps are a wild vegetable that is something of a cross between onions, garlic, and leeks. Fiddle head ferns will be making an appearance soon, too. As always, it’s best to go on your first harvesting trip with someone who is experienced with wild edibles. Armed with a little knowledge, the right tools, and an appetite for adventure, you can come up with some delicious spring treats. North House Folk School offers wild edible classes, check out their website if you’re interested in learning more.

The Northwoods Volunteer Connection held its volunteer pint night last week and announced their 2017 volunteer opportunities. There are three overnight projects in the Boundary Waters, one in June, one in July, and one in August. Volunteers will have the opportunity to work on the Angleworm Hiking Trail, the Granite River portage, and the Ramshead Lake portage, respectively. NVC provides most of the gear needed for the volunteers, and cost is only $50 for these trips. Check out their website for more information.

They also have some opportunities for wilderness visitor use monitors. Monitors report visitor use back to the Forest Service, which helps the agency determine the patterns of use in the Boundary Waters. If you’re interested, contact the volunteer connection and a travel route and date will be assigned to you. There are several day long volunteer opportunities coming up as well, if you have a tight schedule.

A new opportunity this year is the Adopt-an-Entry point program. Much like adopting a section of highway, you can adopt a Boundary Waters entry point. An individual, group or business can adopt the entry point, which means you’ll help keep the area clean and open for use. Mainly, it will consist of a couple of days clearing brush and litter each year. There are a number of entry points available here on the west end, including Kawishiwi, Hog Creek, Brule, Baker, and Homer Lakes, to name a few. The Sawbill entry point has been claimed by our intrepid Sawbill crew.

The loons have made their annual journey back north, and can be heard wailing their excitement as they fly overhead. The cattails are sporting their yellow dusting of pollen and hungry fish can be seen rising in the newly opened waters. Fishing opener is May 13, hope to see you out there.

For WTIP, I’m Clare Shirley with the West End News.