A Paddler’s Dedication to Voyageurs Conservancy
Voyageurs Conservancy Member Spotlight – Barry Brahier
Barry Brahier discovered kayaking in his late 40’s as a way to restore his health, fitness, and sanity after spending 50 or more hours a week in his stressful desk job. First, he hired a guide to take him kayaking in the Boundary Waters (minimal portaging required), to learn to kayak camp. Barry now jokes about his camping skills at the time, “I didn’t know the tent poles from the rain fly.”
He then joined a kayaking club and learned the skills needed for the big water of Lake Superior. Gaining confidence, he wanted to try solo kayak camping (but not on Lake Superior with its infamous waves). That’s when a kayak club buddy recommended Voyageurs National Park, which Barry knew nothing about. At his friend’s urging, Barry took his first solo trip to Voyageurs in 2009 and, after spending four October days on Kabetogama Lake, he was hooked. “I had Kab to myself and felt like I’d found my slice of heaven,” Barry recounts.
Since that first Voyageurs trip, Barry has returned every fall – always solo kayak camping - gradually increasing the trip length to up to 10 nights. Throughout the years, he has explored Rainy, Kabetogama, Namakan, and Sand Point. He’s experienced the challenging conditions that come with late season paddling, including all-day rain, a failed stove the morning his wood was covered in ice, and four-foot waves on Rainy that forced him into staying extra nights. There’s still a small section around the peninsula on Rainy Lake he hasn’t paddled yet due to trip-changing waves, despite planning two trips specifically to visit that area. But he knows he’ll get to it eventually. Barry has also had plenty of beyond belief, “slice of heaven” days that keep him coming back. He says, “I’ve had the privilege every trip of experiencing the awe that the beauty of Voyageurs always provides.”
After returning home from one of his early Voyageurs trips, Barry recounts, “Having fallen in love with Voyageurs and realizing while it’s free to enter, it still costs a lot of money to run, a quick internet search turned up the Voyageurs Conservancy website. It was easy to see the importance of their mission and that the Conservancy’s gifted staff and loyal volunteers have been supporting Voyageurs even before it became a park. My wife and I take our charitable giving seriously, treating contributions as investments in our values. If you love Voyageurs like I do and choose to support it, Voyageurs Conservancy is the right place to give your money and time. I give back to the park monetarily and by spreading the word about kayak camping in the park. It’s a privilege to be an ambassador for Voyageurs – both the park and the Conservancy.”
Barry is indeed an ambassador, sharing his knowledge about kayaking and the park with paddling groups locally in the Twin Cities and at national paddling events. He says, “I haven’t paddled in a lot of places, but it has the same geology, flora, and fauna as the Boundary Waters, the campsites are reserved and luxurious compared to the BWCA, you can be gone for 10 nights and not have to portage, and it has a fully restored historic hotel (and bar!) right in the middle of paradise. The paddling community deserves to learn how amazing it is to take a trip into Voyageurs National Park.”
One of Barry’s campsite on Namakan Lake.
