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Boundary Waters Quetico Forum Trip Reports Trip Report - Mechanic Chain Solo |
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10/02/2019 07:51PM
New Trip Report posted by landoftheskytintedwater
Trip Name: Mechanic Chain Solo.
Entry Point: 39
Click Here to View Trip Report
Trip Name: Mechanic Chain Solo.
Entry Point: 39
Click Here to View Trip Report
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10/03/2019 08:54PM
bwcasolo: "nice report and area, how did you like the prism, sawbill set-up?"
First few strokes it seemed bizarre and then I settled in. Only problem being I singled portaged so I only had the one pack which needed to be way up front standing up which was a problem with gusty winds. Overall it was fine, just not ideal. I did enjoy not putting the yoke on.
10/05/2019 11:58AM
Ajoutdoors: "Great report. I think we were the guys you passed on day 1. You made the right call going out on Wednesday. The wind didn't let up at all."
Small world, funny. Where did you end up your first day? I was disappointed two of the better South Temperance sites were taken when I went through.
10/05/2019 07:03PM
Small world, funny. Where did you end up your first day? I was disappointed two of the better South Temperance sites were taken when I went through. "
We ended up almost staying on Weird around 2 pm. But we decided to push on and take the southern site on S Temperance (which was occupied). So we ended up on the southern site on N. Temp. It was a nice site but very windy. We stayed there for two nights.
There were two sites of thought of staying on before this trip started, the lone campsite on Flame and the southern site on S Temp were both occupied. Lol.
10/07/2019 03:15AM
Thanks for sharing your trip - that route is on my bucket list. Would you do it again? were those small lakes worth the effort to go through. It sounds like Gasket & Vesper are in a big valley! Thanks for sharing!
"it is tough to beat a person who doesn't quit" - famous philosopher George Ruth
10/07/2019 08:44PM
I would do it again. I think you also have to catch the conditions right. I don't think I'd do it if it were really wet or raining steadily.
I debated in my head that it might be easier to day trip in from Brule. You'd still need the canoe and I think Gasket is definitely worth seeing, but then you'd be doing those two portages twice, so perhaps better to just suck it up and do them all.
I will say, the worst part is the Vesper landing on the Vesper-Town portage. If you take it slow it's manageable. I wanted to see that stretch in the fall and I don't regret it at all.
I debated in my head that it might be easier to day trip in from Brule. You'd still need the canoe and I think Gasket is definitely worth seeing, but then you'd be doing those two portages twice, so perhaps better to just suck it up and do them all.
I will say, the worst part is the Vesper landing on the Vesper-Town portage. If you take it slow it's manageable. I wanted to see that stretch in the fall and I don't regret it at all.
10/08/2019 08:25AM
landoftheskytintedwater: "I would do it again. I think you also have to catch the conditions right. I don't think I'd do it if it were really wet or raining steadily.
I debated in my head that it might be easier to day trip in from Brule. You'd still need the canoe and I think Gasket is definitely worth seeing, but then you'd be doing those two portages twice, so perhaps better to just suck it up and do them all.
I will say, the worst part is the Vesper landing on the Vesper-Town portage. If you take it slow it's manageable. I wanted to see that stretch in the fall and I don't regret it at all."
I did those portages 10 years ago on my first solo. It was the most difficult stretch of portages I have encountered. Right away I sunk up to my thigh (coming from Town). Another section I remember as just being a boulder field.
It was raining and my pack was way too heavy so that added to the difficulty. Then, adding to the frustration that day was the fact I passed 9 occupied campsites that I would have stopped at. It was early June and it ended up being a very long day.
12/30/2019 02:25PM
I'm planning on taking a group around this stretch next summer. I was wondering for your solo trip the bag you brought? I have wanted to try my first solo and did not know what size bag would suffice for a 5-7 day trip. Was looking at Granite Gear bags, great report!
12/30/2019 10:00PM
I used a Granite Gear #4, however it was probably 2/3rds full. I can fit my stuff into a Granite Gear #3.5 but I like the load being slightly wider and lower in the #4 while single portaging. I use two liners. I close the inside liner over all my gear/clothes and then put my food in its own stuff sack and close the outside liner over that.
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