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.
North End of Sawbill
Entry Date:
August 21, 2008
Entry Point:
Sawbill Lake
Exit Point:
Sawbill Lake (38)
Number of Days:
4
Group Size:
4
We put in at about 1pm. Have wind from South... and we're paddling north. Yippee! The (2) kids like the first site we stepped out on, in N Sawbill... so that's where we set up camp.
Caught keeper smallie and pike. Too late to eat. Put them both in rocky "pen" at the shore. *I tell the kids they likely won't be there in the morning; they disagree*
No campfires allowed. Sigh.
Morning comes: fish are gone.
It's windy; we fish off of protected shores. Fishing is good! Caught smallies on leeches... caught smallies on spinner baits. Nothing huge, but big enough to eat.
Mink have den near the canoe landing; now we know where fish went!
No bugs; too much wind keepin' them down. No campfires: Sigh. We talk late into night around alcohol stove. :)
Still windy; wind has shifted; we fish, we nap, we fish. Fishing is good enough; we eat smallies and walleye for supper. Just big enough.
Still no bugs.
Who steals food from campsite? Not bear. Mouse. Bird. Sneaky little things.
No campfires: Sigh. We talk late into night around alcohol stove. Most of it is middle-school humor (ouch).
Break camp. Leave camp. Say goodbye to mink. Have wind from north... and we're paddling south. Yippee!