Martin Kubik – Backpacking Trails in the BWCAW and other stories

Martin Kubik, who guided in the BWCAW out of Gunflint Trail, was a US Forest Service firefighter and survived capsizing in an open canoe on Lake Superior. A lifelong advocate for hiking trails in the BWCAW, Martin is a recipient of several outdoor volunteer awards. He is the founder of the Kekekabic Trail Club, the 3M Outdoor Club, the BW Advisory Committee, and the Boundary Waters Heritage Trails. After retiring from 3M Co. as a printing specialist in 2018, he enjoys sewing custom camping gear, exploring wilderness paths that are less traveled, and adventure storytelling. Martin can be reached at martin.kubik@bwheritagetrails.org.

Most people know the BWCAW as a canoeist’s paradise. But the best-kept secret is that several overnight backpacking trails can be found only on foot. Martin Kubik will share photos, maps, stories, and origins of the Kekekabic, Powwow, and Sioux Hustler trails. Hiking on these paths offers unmatched solitude, immersion in the deep forest, and potential survival experience for the unprepared. Martin will cover the gear, food, and clothing basics for a trip you will enjoy, not endure.
Time permitting, Martin will share about his winter trek in the BWCAW, a snowshoe day hike in a quest for a forgotten campsite, a what was supposed to be an easy day trip that ended up being a 20-hour nighttime ordeal, getting by at night with only a small emergency pen light.