BWCA Entry Point, Route, and Trip Report Blog
April 27 2024
Entry Point 49 - Skipper & Portage Lakes
Skipper and Portage Lakes entry point allows overnight paddle only. This entry point is supported by Gunflint Ranger Station near the city of Grand Marais, MN. The distance from ranger station to entry point is 28 miles. Access is a 320-rod portage from Poplar Lake or a 230-rod portage from Iron Lake. This area was affected by blowdown in 1999.
Number of Permits per Day: 2
Elevation: 1865 feet
Latitude: 48.0517
Longitude: -90.5366
Skipper & Portage Lakes - 49
Number of Permits per Day: 2
Elevation: 1865 feet
Latitude: 48.0517
Longitude: -90.5366
Skipper & Portage Lakes - 49
Float Stanley's Snipe Lake Adventure
by ozarkpaddler
Trip Report
Entry Date:
July 21, 2012
Entry Point:
Cross Bay Lake
Number of Days:
5
Group Size:
3
Trip Introduction:
Report
Friday, June 23, 2023 The last weather forecast was that the weather system was changing and we may get rain Friday into Saturday. We planned on playing it by ear and trying to get to Nina Moose Lake today and then decide whether to spend one last evening there. We were up by 6 am and moving toward boulder bay. Met a group that was on their last day and visited for a while on the water. They were killing the walleyes on a sunken island and told us where it was. They had gotten a ride through Zup’s and dropped off just north of Boulder Bay on the Canadian side, easy-peasy paddle into Boulder Bay. Peter fished the sunken island for a while and then put his fishing rod away. He caught up with me before the portage out of Boulder Bay. Soon we were on Agnes and moving fast. 
We were soon crossing the two portages to get into Nina Moose and were on the Sand beach at the inlet of Nina Moose in no time. Peter asked if I wanted to stay tonight, but once you smell the barn door, it is hard to slow down the horse, especially with heavy rains predicted. After a long paddle across the Nina Moose, we were on the homestretch, but it was a long time ago that we last paddled this stretch of the river. Peter got ahead of me on the river, and I came around a bend and thought I saw an alien paddling a canoe – it had humanoid features, but was wearing a white suit, with what appear to be a fencing mask and dark sunglasses. I swear I saw an image like this on ‘Ancient Aliens,’ but didn’t want to let on that I recognized the alien, so I remained quiet. I caught up to Peter eventually and asked if he saw the alien. He thought it was a person wearing lots of insect armor and that I should not let my imagination run wild. 
We finally got to the home stretch, and I could not carry a portage pack and my canoe, so I just took the canoe. Peter found me on his way back for trip two and told me to just get the canoes on the truck and everything packed up so we could get going when got the rest of the packs. I could barely move when I got to the truck, but I changed into lighter shoes and shorts and slowly upheld my end of the bargain, getting both canoes on the truck and making sure there was room for Peter’s stuff when he got back so we could make a quick exchange and hit the road. He brought two packs back on his first trip and I was barely ready when he returned with the final pack and we were on our way to EP#14 to pick up his truck. [paragraph break] It was late afternoon on Friday and no logging trucks on the trip, so we made it safely and made the exchange. His tire was still holding air, but I made him keep the air compressor, as it would do me no good without a patch kit, and he would be limping home on an injured tire. As I sat at Dairy Queen eating a Mushroom & Swiss with Fries, I could only wonder how many AAA batteries it takes to keep him running, as I am the younger cousin, albeit by only 3 months, but still! Some mysteries are too great to solve, so I will let sleeping dogs lie, and avoid any consequences that waking them up would bring. [paragraph break] Hopefully I have written something enjoyable that you can use to save your life someday, or at a bare minimum, enjoy this tale of two cousins whom have different interests and skills that make these trips enjoyable for both, teaching one to slow down and enjoy the journey, and the other to get going because at this rate we’ll never reach our destination. In summary, it is not about the destination, but rather the journey, but either way you still need to get somewhere. Thanks for reading. [paragraph break] PS – It was probably 8 pm when I got back to Ely, and it seemed like the heavens opened up and let all the rain out. My guess is it didn’t make the Moose River any worse as far as current, but it probably would not have been so comfortable coming out in the rain.
We were soon crossing the two portages to get into Nina Moose and were on the Sand beach at the inlet of Nina Moose in no time. Peter asked if I wanted to stay tonight, but once you smell the barn door, it is hard to slow down the horse, especially with heavy rains predicted. After a long paddle across the Nina Moose, we were on the homestretch, but it was a long time ago that we last paddled this stretch of the river. Peter got ahead of me on the river, and I came around a bend and thought I saw an alien paddling a canoe – it had humanoid features, but was wearing a white suit, with what appear to be a fencing mask and dark sunglasses. I swear I saw an image like this on ‘Ancient Aliens,’ but didn’t want to let on that I recognized the alien, so I remained quiet. I caught up to Peter eventually and asked if he saw the alien. He thought it was a person wearing lots of insect armor and that I should not let my imagination run wild. We finally got to the home stretch, and I could not carry a portage pack and my canoe, so I just took the canoe. Peter found me on his way back for trip two and told me to just get the canoes on the truck and everything packed up so we could get going when got the rest of the packs. I could barely move when I got to the truck, but I changed into lighter shoes and shorts and slowly upheld my end of the bargain, getting both canoes on the truck and making sure there was room for Peter’s stuff when he got back so we could make a quick exchange and hit the road. He brought two packs back on his first trip and I was barely ready when he returned with the final pack and we were on our way to EP#14 to pick up his truck. [paragraph break] It was late afternoon on Friday and no logging trucks on the trip, so we made it safely and made the exchange. His tire was still holding air, but I made him keep the air compressor, as it would do me no good without a patch kit, and he would be limping home on an injured tire. As I sat at Dairy Queen eating a Mushroom & Swiss with Fries, I could only wonder how many AAA batteries it takes to keep him running, as I am the younger cousin, albeit by only 3 months, but still! Some mysteries are too great to solve, so I will let sleeping dogs lie, and avoid any consequences that waking them up would bring. [paragraph break] Hopefully I have written something enjoyable that you can use to save your life someday, or at a bare minimum, enjoy this tale of two cousins whom have different interests and skills that make these trips enjoyable for both, teaching one to slow down and enjoy the journey, and the other to get going because at this rate we’ll never reach our destination. In summary, it is not about the destination, but rather the journey, but either way you still need to get somewhere. Thanks for reading. [paragraph break] PS – It was probably 8 pm when I got back to Ely, and it seemed like the heavens opened up and let all the rain out. My guess is it didn’t make the Moose River any worse as far as current, but it probably would not have been so comfortable coming out in the rain.
discuss this trip report (17 comments) - last post on January 22, 2014