We will be heading in at EP #37 on 8/20. The master plan is to head up to Makwa (in a roundabout way) and back to Sawbill via the Louse River. The backup plan is to simply head back out the way we came in. Has anyone hit up the Louse in the past few weeks? I know it was reportedly a bit of a mess earlier in the season. Any insights into water levels and how its looking now?

I was at Sawbill a week ago and talked about this. They recommend traveling downstream on the Louse due to the number of beaver dams. Easier to pull over and down as opposed to up and over. In the end we wound up doing the big loop from Sawbill up through Mesaba, Hub and Mora to Little Sag and back via Elton, Makawa, Pan, Malberg and the Lady Chain so we did not travel the Louse. I am sure they would give you an update if you called.

I can't see it being a lot different then it was in June, especially if the beavers are holding water in sections. The paddle worthy portions are fairly deep, so a slight drop shouldn't hurt them. Portage landings may change, but maybe for the better as you get a little more bank/rocks to step out onto or at least it would make wet footing easier. The beaver dams are a slight issue. One was about 6 foot tall that we had to toss gear and canoes over.

We had planned to Loop through from Sawbill to Wine to Trail, etc. But we had an equipment malfunction and ended up base camping on Wine. We took a day trip through to Louse Lake. The water levels were about perfect and dropping. There was water running over the falls on Mug Lake. There was water running in the stream between Poe and Louse but not a lot. The middle of the Lujenida/Zenith portage was flooded both ways, but the middle section of the boardwalk was sticking out of the water on the way back. The water had dropped at least 5 inches in those 4 days.

We were there 7/29-8/2. You will be about 2 1/2 weeks behind us. We had 2 brief rain showers while we were there.

I am sorry that's the best I could get you.