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10/22/2017 10:37PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
Already thinking of next summer, we're going to take about a week to go roughly Sawbill to roughly Lake One - goal is instead of doing a loop, go from a Tofte EP to an Ely EP. A long time ago I decided I'd never go in at lake One again, but for this trip it seems the logical take out point. Sawbill looks like a good place to go in, but then I read that it's a zoo, like the interstate of the Tofte region. Starting and ending on an interstate isn't ideal, but I think we'll have solitude for several days in the middle so maybe it isn't so bad.

So, thoughts? At the moment I'm just planning the broad strokes of the trip, but would like to be settled on the entry and exit points before permits come available.
 
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Grandma L
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10/23/2017 06:58AM  
I like Lake One to Seagull through Boulder. And, I prefer travel west to east for the possible prevailing wind. Outfitters on both ends for transport or bunkhouse.
You could also think about the "Challenge" - Crane or International Falls to Grand Portage (Lake Superior) along the border route. This was the 2017 Challenge invite
landoftheskytintedwater
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10/23/2017 10:09AM  
I've done all of the routes you'd likely take between Sawbill and Lake One. I'll assume you've figured out the shuttle/transportation challenges of starting at Sawbill and ending at Lake One.

Sawbill busy but it also funnels people along four routes out of it. If you're worried about crowds, you could get rid of them pretty quick if you take Kelos/Lujenida up to Zenith. If you did that route and took the Louse River to Malberg that would be the most remote portion of the trip for sure.

The Lady Chain to Polly/Malberg would be an easier option.

The longer option would be going up to Cherokee then taking the Frost and Louse Rivers to Malberg (you could even do the Lujenida route and go up to Little Sag then travel through Makwa/Pan back to the Kawishiwi River.

You'd certainly have a lot of options and if the wind cooperated you could just exit from Insula all the way out to Lake One to avoid the crowds on the numbered lakes.

Make sure you work the Fishdance pictos into the route. I love the route from Little Sag back to the Kawishiwi River via Makwa/Pan/Kivaniva.
10/23/2017 12:24PM  
A lot of options between those two broad brushstrokes. It might depend on how much time you have and how hard you travel. You can be out of the Sawbill crowd pretty quickly as noted by several different routes - west through the Lady Chain or north to Zenith and then west or farther north.

There are also options from the Gunflint Trail if that possibility interests you.

There are other options out of Tofte - Kawishiwi Lake and Hog Creek.

Depending on entry, time, and travel, you could alternatively exit at Snowbank, Moose, Little Gabbro, South Kawishiwi, or Farm.

A lot of options and a lot to think about. To a large extent, where you enter and exit will depend on the route, which will depend on travel time.

Good luck and enjoy the planning!

WHendrix
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10/23/2017 03:48PM  
It also depends on when you are going. A couple of years ago when I put in at Sawbill in early June I mentioned to Bill Hansen at Sawbill Outfitters that it seemed pretty quiet. He said their season really didn't get going strong until late June.
Michwall2
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10/24/2017 12:05PM  
Ok. So I have too much time on my hands on a cold and rainy day in central Illinois. I thought I would look at many of the possibilities for a one-way trip from Sawbill or even the Gunflint to Lake 1. This is by no means exhaustive, but I thought it was a good representation of what might be possible.

Sawbill 1
Sawbill to Phoebe
Phoebe to Malberg
Malberg to Insula (Via Fishdance)
Insula to Lake 1

Sawbill 2
Sawbill to Wine
Wine to Trail
Trail to Malberg
Malberg to Insula (Via Fishdance)
Insula to Lake 1

Sawbill 3
Sawbill to Frost Lake
Frost Lake to Mesaba Lake (Frost River)
(Afton to Mesaba?)
Mesaba to Trail Lake
Trail Lake to Malberg Lake
Malberg to Insula (Via Fishdance)
Insula to Lake 1

Baker Lake
Baker to South Temperance
South Temperance to Frost Lake
Frost Lake to Mesaba Lake
Mesaba Lake to Trail Lake
Trail Lake to Malberg Lake
Malberg Lake to Insula Lake (Via Fishdance)
Insula to Lake One.

Seagull 1
Seagull to Ogishkemuncie
Ogishkemumcie to Kekakabic
Kek to Alice
Alice to Lake Number?
Number Lake to Lake One

Seagull 2
Seagull to Ogishkemuncie
Ogishkemuncie to Little Sag
Little Sag to Malberg
Malberg to Insula(Via Fishdance)
Insula to Lake 1

Seagull 3 (Grandma L)
Seagull to Ogishkemuncie
Ogish to Little Sag
Little Sag to Fraser (Little Sag to Cap)
Fraser to Insula (Cap to Thomas)
Insula to Lake 1 (Thomas to Insula)
(Insula to Lake 1)


Lizz Lake 1
Poplar (Lizz Lake portage) to Kiskadinna Lake
Kiskadinna Lake to Snipe Lake
Snipe Lake to Crooked Lake
Crooked Lake to Little Sag
Little Sag to Malberg
Malberg to Insula (via Fishdance)
Insula to Lake one

Lizz Lake 2
Poplar (Lizz Lake ) to Kiskadinna Lake
Kiskadinna Lake to Frost Lake
Frost Lake to Mesaba Lake
Mesaba Lake to Trail Lake
Trail lake to Malberg Lake
Malberg Lake to Insula (via Fishdance)
Insula to Lake 1

Round Lake
Round Lake to Tuscarora
Tuscarora to Little Sag
Little Sag to Malberg
Malberg to Insula
Insula to Lake 1

Hope you have a great trip!
10/24/2017 12:58PM  
Wow! How to do I give a bug-eyed face emoji on here?

You sir (or madam) have just given me loads to look over. I was drawn to this general region both because it spans a huge section of the center of the BWCA while crossing from one zone to another, and because there are so many routes. So I'll be looking over all of those - and maybe a few more :)

The best part about winter is looking at all the possibilities!
10/24/2017 04:23PM  
Tom-

Winter's long, so just in case you need more to look at . . . ;)

If you go from Sawbill to Mesaba, you could continue north to Little Sag . . .

From Little Sag, you can go through Pan to Malberg,
or through Ledge to Boulder, Adams, Beaver
or through Cap to Sagus, Fraser . . .

And Lizz is only one entry out of Poplar, so . . .
you could enter at Meeds
or you could use Skipper through Banadad to Long Island

And there are multiple options out of Round Lake - Missing Link EP and Brant EP and multiple options there . . .

And, of course, another Gunflint EP would be Cross Bay with one option being Snipe and the Howl Swamp to Tuscarora . . .

Happy planning :)
10/29/2017 11:33AM  
So my daughter kiddingly suggested that if we camped on Elton Lake, the latrine would be the Elton John.

It got me looking. How much would I hate coming out at EP27, Snowbank? I've never been at a combined paddle/motor entry.
10/29/2017 03:42PM  
I don't know, I've never been through there, but you could probably still exit at Lake One - I doubt if there's more than a few miles difference although I haven't measured it out precisely.
BuckFlicks
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11/02/2017 04:16PM  
Start at Brule? That's a Tofte EP, but won't have the traffic that Sawbill does.
billconner
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11/02/2017 06:54PM  
quote TominMpls: "So my daughter kiddingly suggested that if we camped on Elton Lake, the latrine would be the Elton John.


It got me looking. How much would I hate coming out at EP27, Snowbank? I've never been at a combined paddle/motor entry. "


The landings are separated but having gone in and out Snowbank twice in last few years, I never saw a motorized boat near landing. Saw one across lake once. August and September.
Michwall2
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11/03/2017 10:18AM  
quote BuckFlicks: "Start at Brule? That's a Tofte EP, but won't have the traffic that Sawbill does."


Baker Lake would essentially be the same without the wind risk that Brule represents. Baker has only 3 permits per day so the traffic there is also light. You will need an extra day to travel to S or N Temperance from Baker (If the wind is light you might be able to reach Cherokee Lake from Brule in one day.), but the route from Baker to the Temperance lakes is as pretty as you will find anywhere in the BW.
mjmkjun
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12/08/2017 10:47AM  
quote WHendrix: "It also depends on when you are going. A couple of years ago when I put in at Sawbill in early June I mentioned to Bill Hansen at Sawbill Outfitters that it seemed pretty quiet. He said their season really didn't get going strong until late June."

Yep. Sawbill doesn't go into 'zoo mode' until July 4th holiday. Been there the 3rd and another time on the 4th week of June and found it to be on the quiet. Once July 4th weekend hits it's much busier. Still, it's relatively quiet because Sawbill enforces campground rules. I've witnessed such when a group arrived late in the night and, in their excitement, were talking loudly to one another as they set up camp. I don't think they realized how much their voices carried thru the silence of the night. The host (#17) was quick to calm 'em down.
12/08/2017 04:33PM  
Did Sawbill to Wine....Louse River route last year in June. It was a medium tough day to get to Wine. The 460 takes a while. We went from Wine to Malberg the next day. That was a long, tough day. Nothing easy along the Louse. Be prepared if you choose that one. I wanted to stop at Trail......it looked inviting. We saw nobody from Lujenda to Malberg. Very quiet, rugged route. Took the Lady Chain back. The east end is busy, western Lady lakes were quiet.
 
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