ELY — Two adventurers who spent an entire year in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area have returned to civilization.

Dave and Amy Freeman paddled out of the wilderness Friday, accompanied by more than 200 supporters in more than 65 canoes and kayaks.

The Freemans spent the year there to call attention to the threat they said the proposed Twin Metals copper-nickel mine near Ely poses to the Boundary Waters.

Since the Freemans began their journey, Gov. Mark Dayton has come out against mining in such close proximity to the wilderness, and federal agencies have expressed strong reservations.

Twin Metals last week sued to try to keep the minerals rights leases it needs for the $2.8 billion project. The company says it can mine in an environmentally responsible way while creating hundreds of jobs.