BWCA First Quetico Trip - Route advice welcome! Boundary Waters Quetico Forum
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Archer
  
06/29/2017 05:32PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
First trip coming up (first week in August) and while I have a tentative route picked out, I wanted to pick the collective brain here and see if I am unknowingly leading my group to disaster. We're entering from French Lake and planning to follow this route:

Pickerel/Dore'/Twin Lakes/Sturgeon/Russell/Sturgeon/Rouge/Burntside/Jean/Lonely/Walter/Jesse/ Maria/Pickerel/French

Has anyone done this route before? Any reason (aside from possible low water on the Deux Rivieres Portage) that anyone wouldn't?
Also, what can I expect in terms of paddling upstream on Jean Creek?
 
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06/29/2017 07:04PM  
done this route except from pickerel went south through Bisk Beg Bug and Fern to Olifaunt. we chose this route because it was late september and we didn't want to run into a low water situation.
Eyedocron
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06/29/2017 08:58PM  
I see no problem with this plan. Do not know how many days you have. Wind and weather allowing, you have a route of 7 modest days or 4 marathon days, plus time for fishing and any layovers. If I were to do this with a crew that wanted to both tour and fish, I would plan for 8 days out, plus your driving time.
If you are launching at French Lake and going west on Pickerel, launch early before the wind starts. My crew spent 2 days wind stranded on an island, and 2 of 3 canoes swamped the 3rd day trying to get to the dam. Coming back a few days later, it was smooth as glass.
mapsguy1955
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06/30/2017 06:46AM  
quote Archer: "We're entering from French Lake and planning to follow this route:

Pickerel/Dore'/TwinLakes/Sturgeon/Russell/Sturgeon/Rouge/Burntside/Jean/Lonely / Walter/Jesse/ Maria/Pickerel/French "

This is practically our route in mid September except we are putting in at Nym. Also a bit concerned about water levels in Deux Rivieres... Can't wait!!
QueticoMike
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06/30/2017 07:27AM  
Good fishing area!
OldFingers57
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06/30/2017 11:49AM  
quote mapsguy1955: "
quote Archer: "We're entering from French Lake and planning to follow this route:

Pickerel/Dore'/TwinLakes/Sturgeon/Russell/Sturgeon/Rouge/Burntside/Jean/Lonely / Walter/Jesse/ Maria/Pickerel/French "

This is practically our route in mid September except we are putting in at Nym. Also a bit concerned about water levels in Deux Rivieres... Can't wait!!"


Hopefully it is not like last year in August the water was really low on the Deux Rivieres. We had to pretty much scull with our paddles to get thru some really shallow areas down where it empties into Sturgeon Lake. Had 3 beaver dams to go over with the one farthest upstream being the worst as there is no ground to portage on around it. The lower two had some land to load and unload on.
mapsguy1955
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06/30/2017 01:09PM  
We also found some pretty low water in Art last September, but still, it was paradise! Then again, one of our portages had about a quarter mile of 3 foot deep water that normally would have been dry. It is all good!

Is Deux Rivieres a popular route?
OldFingers57
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06/30/2017 01:22PM  
quote mapsguy1955: "We also found some pretty low water in Art last September, but still, it was paradise! Then again, one of our portages had about a quarter mile of 3 foot deep water that normally would have been dry. It is all good!

Is Deux Rivieres a popular route? "


Yes a lot of people use that route to get access to Sturgeon and Russell and other lakes down that way.
Archer
  
06/30/2017 04:42PM  
Thanks for the feedback! I agree, an early start on Pickerel is pretty much a no brainer.
So, no problems paddling up Jean Creek to Burntside? Every trip report I've read involves travel downstream to Sturgeon.
wyopaddler
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06/30/2017 05:02PM  
There's no problem with current traveling up Jean Creek to Rouge and Burntside if that is your question? If I remember correctly there are two beaver dams (one rather large) roughly halfway up the creek toward Rouge. We were through there in September of 2014 and again in spring of 2016. We had excellent bass fishing in Rouge and Albert if you have a chance to take a short detour into there. The wind can be a challenge traveling west on Sturgeon. Been winded in once for an entire day on the eastern end. Have a great trip.
Kawnipi1
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07/03/2017 12:19AM  
I have taken that route before. Our destination was Russell and Sturgeon. Well worth the trip.

Pickerel is a looong paddle. If you can make it first night there is a very good campsite on Dore. From there it is a easy venture to Sturgeon and Russell. Both Russell and Northern Sturgeon and the Narrows are awesome.

Reading your plans sounds like you want to cover a lot of different territory. So from Pickerel into Sturgeon you have a couple portages. Your route out depending on water levels adds a dozen or so portages to get out versus the same two portages you took in.

I understand you wanting to cover new territory however IMO you would be better served spending that saved portage time enjoying your destination and having an easy portage out.

I would choose Pickerel Dore Twin Sturgeon Russell Sturgeon Twin Dore Pickerel and enjoy quality time.

I will be there for Perseids and new moon in August. Enjoy your trip.

K
Kawnipi1
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07/03/2017 09:48AM  
I took a look at your route. That Yeh lake to Lonely lake portage looks to be a rough one.

For me taking 2 easy portages in and 2 easy portages out from Pickerel to Sturgeon is preferable versus adding another 10 portages to your total. All that time and work could be spent leisurely enjoying a great area of the park you are already in.

Chatterton Falls into Russell are very cool. You can take a day trip up into Chatterton, Keats, McDougall or Alice lakes. Easy portages. Very Cool Area.

There is a short portage listed between Sturgeon and Russell. I have always been able to float it with no problem.

K
 
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