Last Entry Point

Paddlers
and hikers planning an excursion into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
and Quetico Provincial Park—that storied region along the Minnesota–Ontario
border made up of rock, water, and pine—usually conjure visions of sunny days, pleasant
breezes, and starry nights. Though every guidebook advises being prepared, most
adventurers escaping to these remote areas assume that all will be well.



But
even those who are thoroughly prepared—who wear their life jacket and
scrupulously map their route and scan the skies for impending weather—may still
encounter the unexpected. And in those cases, being ready for anything can mean
the difference between a memorable trip and a life-changing, or life-ending,
event. In Last Entry Point,
experienced paddler and longtime regional journalist Joe Friedrichs gathers
tales that involve tragedy or near-misses, interviewing people who confronted
danger and walked away, as well as those whose loved ones died in the midst of
wilderness adventure. He talks with search and rescue teams to learn what goes
into finding those who go missing or who experience a medical emergency miles
from help. And in his explorations he considers what it means to step into the
wilderness, to calmly troubleshoot problems as they present themselves, to
survive a rapids or extreme weather when others in your party do not, and to be
left behind when an adventurer in your life does not return home.



These narratives
of tragedies and hazards may seem calculated to warn BWCA enthusiasts off their
dreams, but in fact they are meant to encourage all paddlers and hikers to
think through what could happen, and
to be prepared for all contingencies so that, ideally, they return with their
own tales that are memorable for only the best of reasons.