Doing some more preliminary route planning.

It may end up being myself, the 50lb dog, and some gear in a canoe for a week.

The dog never pitches in with paddling, so I'm guessing that the going will be slow.

So what's easier - going down Nina Moose and up Little Souix? Or the reverse? I'm planning a May trip, so water levels will probably be higher.

I've done that route going from ep16 to ep 14 is a little easier because the the steep portages are down hill. Are you looking at going through oyster - hustler - shell or the longer north route up through pocket- steep?

tom14: "I've done that route going from ep16 to ep 14 is a little easier because the the steep portages are down hill. Are you looking at going through oyster - hustler - shell or the longer north route up through pocket- steep?"

I'm looking at the same area for my group. Our outfitter sent us route suggestions that go 14 to 16, but they came with a note that said we could take the trip in reverse if we wanted to. Someone else on this board was talking about trying to stick to trips that went West to East because you would have the wind at your back, especially on larger lakes like LLC. Is wind as much of a factor on the smaller lakes like Lynx/Hustler/Oyster? Or is the major factor just the downhill portages?

tom14: "I've done that route going from ep16 to ep 14 is a little easier because the the steep portages are down hill. Are you looking at going through oyster - hustler - shell or the longer north route up through pocket- steep?"

Planning Pocket-Steep, but Oyster-Shell looks is an option for bad weather.

I've never connected the 2 entry points but have done trips from both so I've down and upstream on them. Seems like the current is more noticeable on Moose R. but not so much that I'd plan the trip around that. But your dog isn't paddling...so you may think it's worse. :)

If you're planning on using the smaller interior lakes, going with or against prevailing winds isn't a big deal. If you were doing LLC I'd go W to E.

Here's another perspective on it - You can go with the prevailing winds, but they may not prevail when you are there. And that's experience, not just supposition :( I went from #14 to #16 and fought wind the whole way. The portages that are uphill going one direction or the other will always be that way. The ones that are elevated in the middle are uphill both ways :). The current is usually not a big issue, but I've never done a spring trip, so that's a limited experience. And the current is only an issue for a small part of the route. People have completed it both directions under varying conditions. So flip a coin, make a choice, hope for the best, say a prayer, and when you get out there, just keep singing "I Shall Overcome".

Good luck; have a nice trip!

I'm not sure if this is helpful or not, but I've entered and exited on 16 numerous times...10+. Oddly, I've always made better time headed back to the car than on the way in. I can't really explain it because it means I'm faster paddling against the current - but it really is a fact. I rationalize it by thinking 1) I'm traveling lighter at the end of the trip than at the beginning, 2) I've been paddling for 4-5 days and have gained some strength/tone, and 3) a solid routine has settled in at portages making loading/unloading more efficient, all of which make me faster.

Not to dismiss your question but really to helpful, it probably doesn't matter much. Going up current will not matter as much as you think it would.

If you make me pick I guess I like the west-east theory the best. Paddling against the wind is worse than paddling against current. Then again, has anyone in a canoe ever had a tailwind? I don't think tailwinds are real.

gopher2307: Then again, has anyone in a canoe ever had a tailwind? I don't think tailwinds are real."

Last year we had trouble with a headwind on Gun. A couple of our members were less experienced paddlers, and any time they didn't face directly into the wind they made backwards progress. It took us two full days to get to our basecamp on Moosetown.

On the way back we had that headwind as a tailwind and we flew, nearly making it to our exit point a day early, had time to circle Fourtown for a nonexistant site, and then backtrack to boot for the night. I'm sure part of it was the fact that the return trip always goes smoother than the trip out, but that tailwind helped. That said, most of my trips haven't had anything like that experience.

I am looking at doing that same route..14 to 16 or maybe back to 14. This will be my first time in the BWCA. What time of the year are you looking at...I may be trying for August..but really no set date. Looking at either using VNO or Piragis for outfitter.