I have a trip coming up soon but I can't get a response from any Ely outfitters. Are they closed down till spring? Kind of makes it hard to plan. Probably too spendy for a basecamp and guide anyway, but I at least need some portage wheels, bear barrel, etc. Also looking for people to join the group. 4 nights for the opener, May 11th to 15th. I have an overnight motor permit for Fall Lake entry.

I just got off the phone with Canoe Country Outfitters.....picked it up on second ring.

Packsack Outfitters is located right on Fall lake. We used their service last August and they were great.

Try their email contacts as well. I know Bob LaTourell (Moose Lake) shuts down his office during the winter but always answers my emails if I can't get him by phone around this time of year.

Click the outfitters link at the top of this page, scroll down to Request Information From All Outfitters. You'll get plenty of responses.

Thanks MJ. I am going with Packsack. They're right on the lake, they have all their prices listed, they'll do portage service without buying a big base camp package first, and you can rent as much or as little as you need.

Good choice. A tow with them to the top of Pipestone is well worth the four hours of paddling that it will save you.

Good choice. A tow with them to the top of Pipestone is well worth the four hours of paddling that it will save you.

HighnDry: "Good choice. A tow with them to the top of Pipestone is well worth the four hours of paddling that it will save you. "

I don't think he is paddling on this trip.

You're right QM. I think I was just reliving my own misadventure when I paddled it last May. I sure wished that I had a tow on the way out!

Not getting a tow, but they are going to portage the boat for us, Fall to Newton for $30 and Newton to Pipestone for $45. Just trying to decide if it's worth it to pay $100 for the Back Bay portage from Pipestone. I thought that one was pretty easy, but now I have Psoriatic Arthritis and my dad had triple bypass surgery a couple years ago. IDK, I could use that money on a couple new Swimbaits instead.

Just found out Wilderness Outfitters has gone out of business due to tax problems. That's why they weren't getting back to me. Packsack seems better anyway.

I’m surprised the phone number wasn’t already assigned to someone else. Wilderness Outfitters closed at the end of last June.

The Backbay portage from Pipestone is like a highway. Pack sack is top notch. Been with them for years. Bunkhouse , tow service. Great folks.

Dodger.

Dodger: " The Backbay portage from Pipestone is like a highway. Pack sack is top notch. Been with them for years. Bunkhouse , tow service. Great folks.


Dodger."

That's what I thought. I thought it was super
easy but alot of people disagree. IDK why? There is a little bit of an incline at the landing on Pipestone. We'll be going back and forth on that to get to Jackfish so I'm happy to see someone reinforce my sketchy memory of it.