BWCA Entry Point, Route, and Trip Report Blog
April 27 2024
Entry Point 39 - Baker Lake
Number of Permits per Day: 2
Elevation: 1497 feet
Latitude: 47.8452
Longitude: -90.8169
Summary: A 5-day loop from Baker up the Temperance lakes to Cherokee, and back through Sawbill and Smoke lakes back to Baker. A fairly difficult trip.
Day 0: We drove up from Stillwater in the morning and camped at one of the 5 walk-in campsites at Baker Lake, and it was nice.
Day 1 (Baker to S. Temperance) - A beautiful day, we decided to paddle all the way to South Temperance the first day which was a great paddle with easy portages except for the last one. We picked the campsite on top of a huge rock that was close to the middle of the lake. Tried fishing some but no luck
Day 2 (Rest) - In the night, we encountered the worst storm of the entire season. While we were there 19 people had to be rescued from the BWCA. We had about 50mph straightline winds, and I'm still surprised that the huge tent we had stood up to it. We slept in and took a rest day because of the intense winds. Amazingly beautiful sunset.
Day 3 (S. Temperance to Cherokee) - We left as early as we could to beat the heat, but it was no good. The lengthy, hilly portages were challenging and by the last portage we were pretty beat. We overpacked and single portaged which led us to speedier exhaustion. Still amazing weather. North Temperance was a beaut- I wish we had stayed there instead of South. We took the southeasterly facing campsite on Cherokee on the southeastern skinny island. Neat little site.
Day 4 (Cherokee to Sawbill) - Left a little later in the day but it was ok. We took our time going down the river letting out of the southwest part of Cherokee and it was a great area. BEWARE: The area between Ada and Skoop Lakes appears to be floatable, but a dam built recently has made the portion impossible to float. Be prepared for a long portage through muck and water. A guy that we saw there said he had been going to the BWCA for 40 years at least once per year and it was the worst portage he had ever seen. By the time we got to Sawbill it was pretty hot. We paddled all the way down to the site next to the portage onto Smoke.
Day 5 (Sawbill to Baker) - Cooler, cloudier weather for the first time on the trip. We were pretty hungry (I underpacked food a little and I felt really bad) and we were taunting each other with vivid descriptions of the burgers we were going to eat ASAP after getting out. We paddled back to Baker and returned our gear to Sawtooth outfitters.
Overall great route.
18 lakes in a week
Entry Date:
July 28, 2012
Entry Point:
Fall Lake
Exit Point:
Moose Lake (25)
Number of Days:
7
Group Size:
6
First nite super: Salmon hobo burgers, red potatoes, onion, carrots in foil wrap inserted into hot coals.
We returned to camp for a quick chicken salad wrap lunch. Leaving the women at camp, three of us set out to explore the four mile portage on foot. It went from being as wide as a road to a foot path in brush to a flooded track through marsh, at times knee deep. At one point it actually disappears and we had to set up out of water and take to higher ground. While not impossible to travel, I cannot imagine portaging gear through here. On the way back we ventured west to dip our toes in Muskeg Lake.
Our hopes of spotting the sunken steam engine from the end of the four mile portage in Hoist Bay was a disappointment on this day... Due to whitecaps on Hoist Bay..to be rewarded from a water- paddling view a few days later.
Dinner: pork loin smoked over an open fire served with Stove Top stuffing and cheesy potato soup.
From Ella to Fall Lake to Newton, Newton to Pipestone Bay....our goal was to reach Back Bay. Underestimating the toll of four portages and the windy weather, we did not make Back Bay but opted for a campsite northeast of New York Island. This site was a great choice.
Dinner: rehydrated beef and noodles.
Trying to make up ground our group decided to head for Basswood Lake for the night. Breaking camp, heading out of Pipestone Bay to Back Bay, to Hoist Bay...we paused to explore this side of the four mile portage.
We were able to find the sunken steam engine as clear as day a few generous inches above the waters surface located on the east side of the creek coming out of Gook Lake.
From Hoist Bay we headed to Basswood Lake and stopped for lunch at Norway Island. This site on the east side of the island was open and sunny, full of Mosquitos and a bit rocky. While it may work in a pinch, we opted to continue for a better site. Across the way was a beautiful campsite site 11 on the Fisher map. This campsite was georgous and would accommodate three tents easily. A bit secluded and buggy, we opted to move down to the end of Wind Bay in hopes for yet a better site.
This choice paid off. Wind Bay offered a nice campsite for three tents, easy access, less Mosquitos and positioned us for a nice day trip the following day.
Dinner: spaghetti-pepperoni-chicken with rehydrated sauce.
Leaving camp at 10 am we headed through the bog to Indiana Lake. This was the clearest and most beautiful lake of the trip. Two campsites in this lake... Less Mosquitos and a great breeze... A must visit if you are lucky enough to get a site.
From Indiana Lake over a 100 rod portage to Good Lake., 150 rods into Hula, 40 rods without canoes for a toe dip into Wood Lake.
Reversing the trip back to camp we stopped on Hula Lake island for a bean burrito-chicken-rice lunch and a hula dance or two.
We returned to camp around 5 pm to a nice swim and rehydrated baked ziti dinner.
Later in the evening, just before dark, we fixed dinner for a few new friends in search of a late campsite.
Once camp was set up we paddled to Washte Lake and took the unmarked portage to Withness Lake. Watch out for the leeches in these smaller lakes.
Dinner: lentil soup as a starter. Calzones for dinner (Italian flat bread-pepperoni-chicken-pizza sauce-onion-bacon bites-Parmesan cheese)... One even had tuna.
This night brought our first still water...and the sunset mirrored on the water. What a beautiful last night.
Breaking camp we left Wind lake taking the 175 rod portage to Moose Lake, paddling straight up to the outfitters dock.