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  Last Visit: 03/28/2024 04:04AM

Entry Point 25 - Moose Lake

Moose Lake entry point allows overnight paddle or motor (25 HP max). This entry point is supported by Kawishiwi Ranger Station near the city of Ely, MN. The distance from ranger station to entry point is 21 miles. Access is an boat landing or canoe launch at Moose Lake. Many trip options for paddlers with additional portages. This area was affected by blowdown in 1999.

Number of Permits per Day: 27
Elevation: 1356 feet
Latitude: 47.9877
Longitude: -91.4997
Author Message Text
Hawbakers
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07/02/2012 07:32PM
 
New Trip Report posted by Hawbakers

Trip Name: We Throw Rocks at Bears.

Entry Point: 25

Click Here to View Trip Report
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paddlefamily
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07/02/2012 08:22PM
 
Sounds like you had a memorable trip! Nice details about the turtles, moose and bear. So..what happened with your car? Looks like your last sentence wasn't finished. :)
nojobro
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07/02/2012 08:30PM
 
Nice, Karen!


That group of five girls and one guy....were they headed in or out? Because we may have seen them on our way in when they were on their way out. Though I don't remember only two canoes, but they started out going up the rapids and then coming back down to the portage and taking it,except for the guy who came tromping through the woods. It was odd. But either way there were five girls and one guy, and the same area.
Hawbakers
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07/03/2012 09:25AM
 
@Paddlefamily - Thank you, we did indeed!
OK, I've got the ending fixed!


Had to edit a few paragraphs to get it to fit! Had to leave out the part of actually getting home to find our A/C unit frozen up and it was 85+ degrees in the house! But husband fixed that, no problem. Needs some freon.


@Nola Yes, there were on their way into Knife Lake. The guy was tall. The girls had several soft sided backpacks instead of canoe packs.
I had noticed the shoes the guy was wearing. Sort of a leather clog like shoe with a back strap on the heel. I am always amazed at what people wear on their feet and still portage through the mud and all. Another group we saw the dad was wearing tennis shoes carrying the canoe. He was beat! I just don't think wearing tennis shoes when carrying a canoe and stepping on rocks is a good idea. No ankle support if you slip and fall. Scary.
fitgers1
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07/03/2012 12:46PM
 
Great read Karen. Thanks. Sounds like a wonderful trip and it's always a bonus to see a moose these days!

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” Ralph Waldo Emerson...and...“Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading".
Hawbakers
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07/03/2012 04:08PM
 
Thanks, Jeff. Yes, it was an encouraging sight. We saw a cow with twins two years ago on Thomas Lake.
giddyup
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07/03/2012 07:23PM
 
Sounds like a great trip, Karen. Thanks for the report so we all can enjoy it with you. I'm jealous!

"Adversity makes for a better adventure."
Hawbakers
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07/05/2012 09:22AM
 
Thanks, giddyup. Jealous? When are you planning to make your escape?

*Editor's note*
Found out that the turtles we saw on our first campsite were NOT painted turtles. They are very colorful. Turns out what we saw was a Wood turtle. It had a crack in it's shell. Wonder if it was attacked by a big northern?
Goby
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07/05/2012 03:23PM
 
Great trip report, sounds like a lot of memories were made on this one! Glad everything was manageable with your van!

Tight Lines
Hawbakers
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07/06/2012 01:44PM
 
Thanks, Goby! All in all it wasn't too expensive. $129 for the alternator. Although I have to go back to Virginia to return the old one and get the core charge back. (Planning on some car camping up in Ely during the Blueberry festival late this month, so I'll be going that way.) The service station charged us $175 for installing it-not too bad, for a Sunday!


Before the trip I had to have the air conditioning fixed. The biggest of all the hoses had a leak and needed to be replaced. I had already gone last summer without it. I knew it was an expensive repair and waited until we had some cash saved up to do it. The hose itself was $350 plus labor and freon, etc. Cost about $650. But after this week I am SO glad we had it fixed! It's a 2000 Chevy Astro van so it is aging but it's still in pretty good shape for having 98,000+ miles on it.
Beemer01
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07/06/2012 02:46PM
 
A nice report - yeah the traffic over to Knife can be a buzzkill, fortunately the portages are wide...and probably 11,000 years old.


Strange news on the Bears - I don't see that many in a decade!


'Would have been nice to have had pictures?




"You're not serious about wearing sandals on this portage.... are you?"
Zulu
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07/06/2012 02:56PM
 
Great report! Thanks for sharing. I am glad you had a good time despite bears and auto repairs.
Hawbakers
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07/06/2012 03:06PM
 
@Beemer01 Yeah, we knew the traffic would be there. All weekends are heavy travel days for most.

I can post some photos here as I sort of ran into trouble this being my FIRST trip report. Here is the first bear swimming away from us. You might need to zoom in!
Hawbakers
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07/06/2012 03:11PM
 
The new REI Quarter Dome T3 Plus tent


A good size Nord



Palasides on Cherry Lake



Hansen Falls along the portage to South Arm
Hawbakers
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07/06/2012 03:22PM
 
..bears and auto repairs...Hey, Zulu you made a rhyme! lol

That would have been a good title as well! Hahahaha
nctry
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07/06/2012 11:42PM
 
Super report... Great you could see the wild life. To bad the campsite near Bonnie Lake bear was so persistant. I'd not sleep well either had I camped like that. We had make shift camps in WCPP like that that got us through the night and that's it. You sound like solid canoe travelers and able to make the best of situations. I hope you have many more trips and you post a report for each.

Nctry
Hawbakers
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07/07/2012 08:43AM
 
quote nctry: "Super report... Great you could see the wild life. To bad the campsite near Bonnie Lake bear was so persistant. I'd not sleep well either had I camped like that. We had make shift camps in WCPP like that that got us through the night and that's it. You sound like solid canoe travelers and able to make the best of situations. I hope you have many more trips and you post a report for each."


Thanks. Wouldn't you know that the site had the flattest, biggest space for several tents. If you stay there I guess you get to deal with it. There wasn't a decent tree to hang a food pack so we really felt like it wasn't too smart to stay there. Might have to consider the blue barrels if we want to stay there in the future. Randy & I first starting going to the Quetico in the 80's. The only part of the BWCA we knew was Moose Lake to Carp Lake, Basswood and Crooked. Plus we had traveled Ottertrack & Knife as well. Always have loved Knife as it has so many arms and bays. I like getting there from Seagull Lake better, I think.
Hawbakers
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07/07/2012 09:02AM
 
quote Beemer01: "A nice report - yeah the traffic over to Knife can be a buzzkill, fortunately the portages are wide...and probably 11,000 years old.



Strange news on the Bears - I don't see that many in a decade!



"



Yeah, no kidding, we haven't seen a bear since a trip 11 years ago on the portage from Seagull to Alpine. Just saw him on the trail and he booked into the woods. Have never had one in our camp before.
TuscaroraBorealis
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07/09/2012 12:06PM
 
Good job Karen! Very enjoyable read.


The "Enchanted Forest" portage really is a great spot. In fact that whole area SAK up through Cherry is top notch. It was neat to contrast your photos with the ones we (Vickie & I)took a few years ago.


Regardinging the rapids you ran. I must admit the thought crossed my mind when we were coming back through there. Of course having Aurora along, (obviously) quickly dashed any thoughts of that nature. Still they were at a most tantalizing water level..... :)


Hawbakers
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07/09/2012 02:27PM
 
Thanks, again. Randy & I both want to go back to Ester and stay a couple days there. Really loved it. We'll go back but probably from Seagull Lake instead of Knife unless it's off season.
The rapids was a thrill!
AndySG
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07/09/2012 06:06PM
 
Nice report from Karen and Randy. You two had quite the adventure! Ain't it amazing...I mean blood thirsty bugs, rain and wind, crowded portages, chased out of camp by bears, and we love it???? Something is wrong with us for sure. Thanks for the great report.
Hawbakers
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07/10/2012 10:07AM
 
quote AndySG: "Nice report from Karen and Randy. You two had quite the adventure! Ain't it amazing...I mean blood thirsty bugs, rain and wind, crowded portages, chased out of camp by bears, and we love it???? Something is wrong with us for sure. Thanks for the great report."


LOL, yes and I still want to go back!
Frenchy19
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07/10/2012 09:39PM
 
Quotable quote: "I had orange slug slime on my sock." YUCK; I hate those things!!


Sounds like you two had quite the adventure, and I am glad that your vehicle problems were resolved without too much inconvenience for you. Thanks for the report, Karen!

"The future ain't what it used to be" Yogi Berra
Hawbakers
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07/11/2012 08:13AM
 
lol Thanks. Enjoyed yours as well!
SunCatcher
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07/16/2012 10:08AM
 
Turtle Rock....I love naming the places I stay also!
Rocks at Bears!
Good luck fishing!
Rain!
Margarita's ....Mmmmmm.


Sounds like fun!


Thanks for sharing!


SunCatcher

p.s. I would have named that campgound with the bear
"Crap my Pant's Point"
and I wouldn't have slept well either!!!


"WWJD"
Trix
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07/17/2012 04:21PM
 
Enjoyed your trip report Karen. That is an area I have not been to but is on my bucket list to hopefully get to soon. Minus the bears of course!
I was thinking it might be better to go in the fall as maybe there would be less people. Seems like you had quite a crowd with all the scout troops.


So how was it visiting Dorothy's Island? After reading her book The Rootbeer Lady, I so want to go there. Definitely a feeling of nostalgia.

C-H-A-L-L-E-N-G-E: Do not let what you cannot do, interfere with what you can do.
Hawbakers
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07/18/2012 11:43AM
 
Thanks Paul. Glad you liked it! Yeah that campsite name could be appropriate! LOL



Thank you, Trix! Yes, it was cool. I'll tell ya more about it at Mini wing night!
TomT
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07/22/2012 09:27AM
 
Very fun to read. It's amazing the amount of people you ran into on the portages. It's one reason why I'll stick with Quetico during the busy months.


Regarding the car problems - at least it happened after the trip and not on the way up. I had to have my radiator replaced along with a long wait to be towed off the highway about 6 hours from Ely on the way up. That sucked really bad.


It seems like you guys roll with things pretty well and had a great trip anyway. Thanks for posting.







"Life is not about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself." --- George Bernard Shaw
Hawbakers
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07/23/2012 09:27AM
 
Thanks, Tom.


Ouch! On the way up, eh? Did you get your permit that day?


Yes, we were lucky that we had our extra day to deal with the van. The real amazing thing was that neither one of us lost our cool over it.
TomT
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07/23/2012 06:07PM
 
quote Hawbakers: "Thanks, Tom.
Ouch! On the way up, eh? Did you get your permit that day?
"



I was to spend the night with my nephews in Superior WI. (where they live) and go in the next morning. I ended up leaving my car at the service station around Black Falls for a week and my nephew drove down and picked me and my gear up. We got to my sisters house around 12:00 that night. All was good, just a little tired going in the next morning.




"Life is not about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself." --- George Bernard Shaw
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