wondering if anyone has done the Louse river from Mahlberg to Hub and if there is a significant disadvantage going against the current? the timeframe would be mid-May.

this is a thought, nothing set in stone, not sure how many days this could take.
Tow to American Point on Sag, travel ottertrack, knife to Bonnie, spoon, pickle, Kekekabic, Strup, Wisini, Ahmakozee, Ferund, Fraser, Sagus, Roe, Cap, Vee, Fee, Hoe, Makwa, Pan, Anit, Kivaniva, Kawishiwi, Mahlberg, Louse River, Trail, Bug, Dent, Mesaba, Hub, Fente, Whipped, Mora, Tarry, Crooked, Owl, Tuscarora and then exit through Missing Link to Round, or exit through Howl Swamp, Copper, Snipe, Cross Bay, Ham.

realizing weather (wind) will most likely be an issue we have options to cut things short, or perhaps change ep's. the goal is to see some country not seen yet (south of Kek to Malhberg) and since it might be my only trip this year i want to make it a good one!

and as long as i'm being long-winded, any favorite campsites?

Shouldn't be a problem though the water levels might make a difference. A dry season could slow you a little. I went through in September and many places were 'just deep enough'. There are creeks that look like they wouldn't even float a canoe, but they did. Lots of good photo's through that area. I got some great ones in early morning on Trail Lake. The elevated site on Trail commands a great view, but the lower site is definitely the better site otherwise.

Thanks! we have stayed at the lower site in late sept, lots of beaver activity and trees falling during the night. they were not happy we were camped there!

this trip will be mid-may, shortly after ice-out, so i was hoping the water levels would be higher through that area.

We did the Louse River in August in 2011 or 2012. There was low water but we could float all of it. The beaver dams between Malberg and Frond are at choke points in the river with steep rocks on either side. Those could be more difficult going upstream. I think that route finding going east to west could be more difficult. The portages between Frond and Boze can be difficult to decipher. It seems to me that part of the 190 rd portage to the east of Boze could be floated. The 60 rd portage south of Tool Lake (Voyageur Maps) is tucked back in a smaller channel that could be easy to miss. We loved our stay at Trail Lake. The dragonflies were amazing. There may be one large beaver dam headed east out of Trail Lake, but as I remember, the largest beaver dams were headed east out of Bug Lake to Louse. You are not headed that way.

Campsites:
Kekakabic - Island site in southwest bay is very nice. Kind of open, but plenty of space and good tent pad.

Makwa: Everyone seems to love the western most site near the cliffs, but we were blown off that rock. We could not get a tent to stay put in the wind one afternoon. No soil to stake into and no cover for wind out of the south west. We finally gave up and moved on to another lake.

Malberg - avoid the one in the bay where you enter from the northeast corner of Malberg. The one right across the way from the opening into that bay is very nice. Gravel landing, good tent pad.

Trail: Already discussed.

Mesaba: The campsite in the narrows headed north is great. Good tent pads. You can be out in the open or back in the cover. Nice kitchen area.

Mora: There is a site tucked in kind of behind the island. It is smaller. Only one tent pad I think, but it has a great front porch and a nice small kitchen. Others write about the island site itself, but I liked this out of the way spot.

Crooked: Check out the western most island site. You will not get much wind protection here, but there is a great westerly view. Nice site above the water. Good tent pads and nice kitchen area.

Tucarora: Island site. If it is open, you will love this spot. Again, faces west, but great tent pads, easy landing, nice kitchen.

Other items:
False portage: Headed south through Panhandle to Pan, there is a false portage. It seems a number of people have been fooled, but it eventually runs out. If you use a GPSr, you might get the correct coordinates programmed in.

Hub to Fente portage ends in a long steep descent to Fente Lake.

Whipped Lake had a blow down at the narrows by the campsite. The narrows is quite shallow. The trick used to be to stay parallel right next to the tree and then make your turn as you pass the blow down.

We were through the Whipped to Mora portage last Aug. There were 5-6 blow downs significant enough that there was either a detour or we had to take the canoe or pack off to get through. There was a post that indicated that the Frost River blow down had been cleaned up. So perhaps they went through there also, but maybe not?

Thanks! that is excellent info. we have done the frost river and louse river coming from the Frost river end and feel we don't have enough time (or perhaps sawing energy right after ice-out) to do the frost river again. we need to see the area south of Kekekabic to Fraser to makwa and south to mahlberg, and we really enjoyed the louse river in the fall.
the concern with going upstream is valid. we found this situation on Jean creek in quetico.

if all else fails we could enter seagull and probably get to the kek area the second day.

Mocha....be sure to let me know what shape the Louse is in......we'll be going west on it in early June.

i will, Doc.

one other question i have would be if this series of lakes could be done in 9 or 10 days, with hopefully 1 or 2 layover days.

quote Mocha: "i will, Doc.


one other question i have would be if this series of lakes could be done in 9 or 10 days, with hopefully 1 or 2 layover days."

Here s how I see it playing out:

Day 1 - Saganaga to Knife (Near the Thunder Point area?)

Day 2 - Knife to Fraser

Day 3 - Fraser to Makwa.

Day 4 - Makwa to Malberg

Day 5 - Mahlberg to Trail

Day 6 - Trail to Mesaba

Day 7 - Mesaba to Crooked

Day 8 - Crooked to Round

Nine day trip gets one layover. Ten day trip gets 2 layover days.

First day looks looks long on a map, but it's almost all paddling after the tow. The third day is the route I have not travelled. It worries me a bit because of the amount of portaging. It appears to be about 8-10 miles as the crow flies. Day 4 should be shorter and easier before you tackle the Louse.

I think this is how I would plan it. Let's see if others have a different take.

this looks like a good outline. the first 2 days do look long. we've paddled this area in the past and i must say i find it boring, not sure why. as long as it's not windy we can make thunder point.

we've only taken one other trip in spring right at ice out, and it was the most exhausting 2 night trip!

I have not been across the Louse, but have been on some of the area that may be new to you.

In Sept 2016 I came up from Alice to Fraser and across and down to Boulder. The portage landing from Roe to Cap is several hundred yards (maybe close to 1/4 mile) into the east creek. It is on the left and easy to spot when you get there. You may remember it from a recent name that portage thread. The portage is easy and only about half the listed length. The portage from Cap to Ledge starts gradually uphill on a good trail until the turn to Boulder; beyond that I don't know.

In Sept 2014 Steve and I went north from Polly to Little Sag on the section you'll be coming south on. The Anit-Pan portage was flooded out by a beaver dam at that time and was still flooded in McSweem's video from 2015 or 2016. It required some bushwhacking/wading for us.

We stayed on the NE site on Pan Lake, which was a nice site if you need one in that area.

I think you will enjoy those areas.

we didn't have to wade got kind of lucky but coming from the north I would guess it would be easier to find your way