BWCA pics…

Just got back from our BWCA/Quetico trip this past Tues and with all the BW talk lately I thought I’d share some pics we got. Ended up having some very tough weather conditions for fishing so spent some extra time taking photos this trip. Gotta have at least one moose pic!

Here’s a shot of one of the ancient Indian pictographs that are scattered throughout the BW/Q.

We had just come across a portage when we heard an odd croaking noise. Next to the water we saw that this snake had latched onto his next dinner, starting with the dark meat. Frog legs on the menu!!

This is a close up photo of a Fisher Spider, the largest spider in Minnesota. These things actually eat minnows and other smaller fish! They can get almost as big as a dinner plate in diameter. This is a small one.

Those are awesome pictures!

Any idea what the pictographs mean? I’m thinking it is a plan to ambush that moose?

This pic isn’t the greatest but gives an idea of the constant barrage of storm fronts that came at us one after another. They would darken the skys and bring insane winds and heavy downpours.

Finally on our last day we were blessed with clearer skys and calmer winds and were treated to an awesome sunrise on Argo Lake.

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Those are awesome pictures!

Any idea what the pictographs mean? I’m thinking it is a plan to ambush that moose?

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Glad you liked them!

I have a couple books on the subject and no one really knows for sure what they mean other than the actual artist I guess. Some theories put them at four hundred to as recent as one hundred years old and were most likely painted by Ojibwe shamans.

The Ojibwe had many sacred and religious beliefs of the spirit world and most of the pictos reflect those beliefs. Some images are of dream visions and some may chronicle actual events. The horned serpent in that first shot was known as either Missepishu or Missikenabek, an evil spirit, who was supposed to have lived beneath the water and was responsible for occasionally dragging braves to their death by drowning while crossing heavy seas or running rapids. At other times the same spirit can be a protector while crossing big open water like Basswood or Lac La Croix. This particular display is near the portage into Argo Lake which I can attest to being an absolute tempest when the wind comes up. We were wind bound for a day and a half there.
Chris

Here’s another quick picto pic of a cow moose and her calf. Notice the hole in the chest of the cow where the heart would be. The Ojibwe like most other tribes had the utmost respect for their game and other animals that lived in the area and believed every creature had a spirit. Hunting was one of their most sacred activities.

Sheeesh! Sorry for the history lesson. Hope I didn’t bore you too much.
Chris

I dont think you are going to bore anyone with those pics. Nice work!

great pics. thanks for sharing

Great Photos.

Those are SLICK!!!

Thanks for sharing! Looks like a trip to remember!

Thanks for the pics, and the history lesson. I have always wondered about the meanings behind the pictures, but have never done any research myself.

Looks like you had a blast

awesome pics , I can’t wait to get up there again someday…

Cool Pics.

very nice pics thanks for sharing

Great pics!! Those are amazing!

Nothing boring there. I can’t wait for my first trip up there this summer!!!

Awesome report and pics! We got tons of people around here to post fish pics. So its nice to get scenery and history info for a change!

dd

Great pictures! I have never been there so it gives me a taste of what is up there. The snake picture is pretty cool, though it looks like it may have a tough time engulfing that frog.

I went to school there and boy those make me really miss the area!!Thanks for bringing back the memories!

Those pictures are fantastic. Wht kind of camera were you shooting?

Some were taken with a Nikon D200 and a couple were with a Canon G6 Power Shot. The Nikon is an expensive SLR and the Canon is basically a point and shoot with some extra features usually found on higher end cameras. It’s been replaced by the G7.

I’m definitely a fan of the vari-angle twist view screen found on the G6 and some of the other Power Shots. Along with the remote control it works great for taking self portraits when your alone. The pros don’t care about it but for the fisherman/hunter it’s very handy IMO. They left it off on the G7.
Chris

Those are some awesome pics.