We’ll be packing up and departing from Amnicon bright and early on the morning of Monday, May 13th. If you’d like to stay over at Amnicon the night of Sunday the 12th you’re welcome to do that.

Each day we’ll paddle a new stretch of the Cloquet River, setting up a new campsite each afternoon along the river’s shore. Each morning we’ll gather for a brief reflection (called First Word), and each evening we’ll dig deep into life together around the campfire (Last Word). We’ll take turns cooking meals over a fire, and share the adventure together. 

We’re planning on being back to Amnicon in the afternoon on Thursday, May 16th.

Previous experience paddling in at least Class II rapids in a canoe is highly recommended. 

Trip participants must be:

• At least 18 years old on the first day of the trip,
• In reasonably good health,
• Able to lift and carry 30 pounds over a short distance,
• Able to swim 25 yards and tread water for 30 seconds while wearing a USCG certified Personal Floatation Device (life jacket)
• Be able to manage their own personal care, breathing, and mobility without assistance
• Be able to communicate and follow directions given in English
• Able to walk half a mile over uneven terrain without assistance, AND
• Have a licensed medical practitioner sign a health form certifying that they are healthy enough to engage in the kinds of activities we’ll do on this trip.

Anyone with a chronic medical condition must:

• Be able to manage their own care without assistance,
• Bring all their own medications and supplies,
• Be willing and able to communicate with Amnicon staff if they’re not doing well,
• Have experience managing their condition during prolonged periods of increased stress & activity, AND
• Have not had any medical emergencies within the last year.

If you have questions about whether this trip will be a good fit for you, don’t hesitate to contact us! Call 715-364-2602 or email info@amnicon.org

We’ll start and end every day with a brief activity or discussion which we like to call First & Last Words. First Word usually consists of 15-20 minutes of reading a short story or poem, and then discussing it as a group. Last Word is a little bit longer, as we gather around the campfire in the evening. Everyone in the group will have the opportunity to share a story from their own life, and hear and discuss a story from the Bible or other profound world literature.

All spiritual elements of this trip are designed to bring people closer to each other and closer to God. Do you have doubts, struggles, questions? Good! This is a safe place to share those and talk about them openly. Have you walked with God for a long time? Good! Please share that experience too, and be ready to learn from the life experiences of the other people on the trip.

Our wilderness guides are amazing, and you’ll love them. We send at least two highly trained individuals with each group. They have been chosen because they have demonstrated an impressive level of maturity, care of creation, and a desire to connect with and serve people. We do our best to hire a diverse staff every year, and often hire staff from overseas! Amnicon does not discriminate in our hiring based on gender identity, sexual orientation, race, country of origin, or religious affiliation. 

Good food is a high priority at Amnicon! We have a trail menu that adapts lots of the foods you are used to at home: pancakes, pasta, brats and lots more. There are plenty of snacks, too! If you have specific dietary needs please let us know so we can be prepared with good food for you, too.

The watercraft campsites feature a “Ranger Box” style toilet, similar to other wilderness locations such as the Namekagon/St Croix National Scenic Riverway, the Flambeau River State Forest, and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Due to the remote nature of this wilderness location, we may occasionally have to dig our own “cat holes” to bury our waste.