Through Ober's Eyes

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Before I start talking about Ober's contributions towards the creation of the BWCAW, I want to use this blog entry to show his own appreciation of the BWCAW. I feel it is hard to really understand or care about what Ober did unless you can see and understand his passion, through his own eyes. I was going to write this blog through my point of view, about how I really look forward to and enjoy my yearly Boundary Waters visits, but decided Ober could do the job better. This blog entry is an attempt to give insight into Ober's passion for the Boundary Waters, in order to create some sort of understanding in the reader. Hopefully this will lead them to better appreciate what Ober fought and struggled for, over a period of almost 60 years. I thought the best way to sum up his passion for the wilderness of Northern Minnesota, would be through his own words:

       "It was still a place of rare delight- a region apart from the modern world, where man could enjoy the profusion of nature as completely as in the days of Colombus. There was nothing wilder in the jungles of Brazil or the heart of Africa. It wasn't a somber forest, but a forest threaded with sparkling waterways, flooded with sunshine and people with all its ancient creatures." 

This quote was taken from  one of my principle web sources: www.eober.org.  This site has a TON of information on Ober and is set up by The Ernest Oberholtzer Foundation on Mallard Island (the Northern Minnesota home of Ernest- on Rainy Lake). This foundation has access to a lot of Ober's letters, which is where this quote sprang from. 

The quote I chose, gives a small but telling glimpse of Ober's passion for the Boundary Waters. It is this very passion that gave him the strength and motivation to dedicate most of his adult life to protecting the place he called home. I agree with Ober completely in his statement. The BWCAW is a rare gem, there is no other place like it. The park has everything a man like Ober would ever need; crystal clear water, majestic, rugged land, clear blue sky, a strong, cleansing breeze, and the sounds of animals in their natural environment. I can also relate to his description of the Boundary Waters as nothing akin to "a somber forest". It is anything but somber. The area is alive in every sense of the word and we should consider ourselves lucky to have the opportunity to walk through its forests, canoe its lakes, look up at its sky, and hear the chatter of its creatures. It remains a unique fossil of the past; a look back in time; before humans ransacked and conquered nature. Alas, the BWCAW continues to be the wildest part of Minnesota and as Ober stated, perhaps the whole world.

The Boundary Waters does not only matter to me, but to MANY other people. In fact, about 200,000 people visit the BWCAW each year, with a permit of course. This is the largest possible number of people that can enter the Boundary Waters in any given year. This limit on visitation (the permit system) was created in order to keep the area as undisturbed as possible by human traffic and use. So far, the BWCAW has managed to stay relatively pristine, due to regulations such as the permit system, created and drawn up by conservationists such as Ober. In fact, it's because of Ober that in the 21st century, people like me are able to follow in his footsteps and find enjoyment and peace in the wilds of Northern Minnesota. Through his efforts, he was able to protect and provide people with a place to connect with nature, family and friends. A place to self-reflect and regress back to a simpler time, when it was just you, your body, and nature. Without the Boundary Waters many of us would be lost; lost in the hustle and bustle of life or lost in the materialistic world we are surrounded by on a daily basis.

As Ober said, "Man was made for broad scenes and tall shadows. He craves a noble background. Cramp him, and he reverses in an ever narrowing circle, until finally he doubts his own destiny. The song goes out of his soul." 

Who the heck is Ernest Oberholtzer and what is the BWCAW?

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Imagine a place where the world falls away, where it is just you, the sky, the trees, and the water. You can forget about the stress, the drama, the pressure and just fall into a rhythm. A rhythm of just being; of letting your body work and giving your brain the freedom to float and wander. As soon as that paddle hits the water, you become calm and ready for the next adventure or disaster. There is no real planning because essentially, you are at the mercy of nature and must accept whatever the day brings. Whether this means accepting the annoyance of a pack of mosquitoes flying around your face everywhere you go (still working on handling this without screaming in frustration) or accepting the scary situation of a sudden fierce, pelting storm while canoeing across a large lake, you learn to just be.


Alas, this is what time spent in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness feels like for me. For those who do not know, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) is located in Northern Minnesota and Southern Ontario. It enjoys the title of the most visited wilderness area in the United States. I have been fortunate enough to frequent the Boundary Waters almost yearly, since I was a wee baby (my parents are crazy). Although I started out with an innate hate for the place (didn't much enjoy being eaten alive by flies or lugging heavy packs across portages as a kid), I slowly, begrudgingly, began to cherish the area and the way it brought me to peace.


I suspect it was this same feeling of peace or what say you, that also brought Ernest Oberholtzer (a native of Davenport, IA) to become attached to the mystical, interconnected lakes and forests of Northern Minnesota. In fact, he was so greatly attached that he spent the majority of his life struggling to make sure that what he enjoyed so greatly, would also be around for people like me, in the future. Thankfully, his efforts at preservation prevailed and now, because of him and others, the Boundary Waters remain here for all to enjoy.


Now, you may be wondering: who the heck is Ernest Oberholtzer? Although I'm sure most people know of Sigurd Olson (who was also quintessential in the creation of the BWCAW), honestly, how many of you have heard of Ernest Oberholtzer? I'm guessing the answer is: not many, if any, which is a shame. Unfortunately, due to the fact that Oberholtzer did not publish any literature, as his friend Sigurd Olson and many other colleagues of his time did, his connection to the Boundary Waters and his role as a conservationist and outdoors man have been relatively forgotten. This is why I feel it is important to write about the efforts of Oberholtzer in his struggle to protect the BWCAW.  He deserves to be recognized for what he accomplished and to be honored for his commitment to conservation, in a time when protecting the wilderness was considered of very little significance. Therefore, in my blog, i will try to make evident the impact Oberholtzer had in protecting and creating the Boundary Waters, while hopefully providing insight into what makes the Boundary Waters such a special place.