Written by Voyageurs Conservancy volunteer and member, Ellery McCardle
Ask Arnie Kurmis about Voyageurs National Park and he will tell you that it’s “the whole package.”
“The scenery, the wildlife, the exploring and cruising around on the boat. It’s a lot of fun,” he said.
Kurmis has a plethora of memories at the park, after visiting more than 30 times. Vacationing in the wilderness of Voyageurs National Park has become a yearly tradition for him and his kids Lucas and Emily. Their typical visit involves camping on Namakan Lake, fishing, and stringing up hammocks to create peaceful reading spots within the wilderness.
Kurmis first went to the area in the early 1970s, before it was officially designated as a National Park. His father was a forestry professor at the University of Minnesota and took him to the area for work. There weren’t many trails in the area at the time, which brings to mind one sweltering 90-degree day where he hiked through swamps swarming with deer flies.
But one trip may trump them all. Just over 30 years ago, and newly married, Kurmis took his wife to the park for the first time. One morning after breakfast, two bear cubs appeared near their campsite.
“We just sat there and they proceeded to move right into our campsite and started knocking over a cooler and going through our food. It was a narrow peninsula. We were on one side and the boat was on the other side, and they were right in the middle. We couldn’t jump in the boat, so we went in the tent,” said Kurmis. The bears ate most of their food, and at one point, the mother bear got within 10 feet of Kurmis.
Needless to say, the trip didn’t last long. Amid so many memories at the park, there’s one thing Kurmis hasn’t experienced first-hand. Blueberry season.
“We’re always too late, the blueberries are pretty much gone when we go mid to late August,” he said.
He can add blueberries to his Voyageurs bucket list and would also like to portage across the Kettle River to the east end of Rainy Lake. 30+ trips under his belt and Kurmis has big plans for more adventures ahead.
“I love the place so much,” he said.
