BWCA July 2018 Mudro restricted entry Boundary Waters Trip Planning Forum

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July 2018 Mudro restricted entry

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anthonyqh

03/28/2018 09:03PM

Hi everyone,

I am wondering how realistic it is to paddle about 14 miles on our first day out of Mudro to the campsites near the pictograghs on the Basswood river. We will be on the water by no later than 10 am and probably earlier. The restriction on our permit is that we can't camp on Horse Lake during our trip so it is either do a short first day and camp on Tin Can Mike or try for a site on the Basswood river somewhere. Our preference is to get in one long paddle day first so that we can spend more time fishing and exploring on Crooked and maybe Iron lakes.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

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saltdog

03/29/2018 08:40AM

Our only experience going that route is in the reverse direction. We usually camp in Moose Bay on our way out of Quetico. It usually takes us about 8 hours, double portaging, to get to the parking lot at Mudro. We are a couple of 60+ year old duffers, but we are pretty efficient paddling and portaging. If you left Mudro at 10:00 AM, you would get to the Pictograph area around 6:00 PM (traveling at our pace) Campsite availability might be an issue depending on the date of your permit. The farther you go from the falls, the better chance to find an open site.

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Tman

03/29/2018 08:48AM

There are others here probably more qualified to answer but I'll give it a shot since you don't have any replies yet.

I think it depends on your group and on water levels.

I have done it with a group of teenage boys who were newbies. We entered at Mudro and camped at site 1551 just downstream of LBF. It was a long day but was certainly doable. However, we got a much earlier start. Probably on the water by 7:30am. Double portaged and kept moving for the most part. Pretty strong 15 and 16yo boys. If your group is strong, moves at a decent pace, and the water levels are normal you should be able to do so. However, I'd definitely try to get an earlier start than 10am unless you are really strong/fast. Particulary in case you find campsites full, which can happen in that area. I believe all of the sites around LBF were occupied that night.

However, I went that route in October of 2012 when the water levels were low. There were many more portages and pull-overs on the Horse river than what is shown on the map. We didn't enter until the afternoon so we camped on Tin Can Mike the first night and then headed north the next morning. It would have been really difficult, if not impossible, to make it in one day even if we started early. Water levels are most likely to be normal in July so this is not likely to be an issue for you, but I would confirm before heading in.

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Walleye6

03/29/2018 10:33AM

I'll echo a couple things others have said. Water levels are the great wild card on this trip. When the water levels are high, I think there are only a couple portages you need to make on the Horse River, as a couple of the marked portages have runnable rapids in high water. With low water, I think you almost double the portages that are actually on the map. At least you'll have to get out and line your canoe though a few shallow spots.

I've done this trip a couple times in June and we've gotten to LBF by lunch. In fact, we've gone all the way to Crooked on those first days. We're pretty seasoned paddlers but I don't think we're the fastest out there, just efficient. The key as others have said is to start early. Starting at 10AM is way too late for me personally unless there is some special circumstance. I'm at the parking lot before sunrise and on the water just as it's coming up. This allows you to paddle in generally the calmest time of day, the coolest (more important in summer) and also gives you the best shot at viewing wildlife (i.e. moose). There's always time for a nap when you get to camp :)

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tarnkt

03/29/2018 01:20PM

We’ve made it from the parking lot to the campsite east of lower basswood falls in one day. We were on the water at sunrise and only had to do the three marked portages on the horse river. Probably took about 7 hours double portaging.

If you are not set on the picto area another option that gets you into crooked would be to camp on gun your first night and hit Friday bay on day #2. I would rather do that than lay up on tin can mike night 1.

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mgraber

03/29/2018 07:44PM

I'm just going to bluntly say that you need to leave several hours earlier to make this safely doable, and you need to be efficient at traveling. It's not that 14 miles is all that far, It is that it can be very difficult to get campsites after about 3pm until you get way north of the pictos. Also, as stated earlier the Horse River is not always a short easy paddle.

So many fish,so little time

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Jonessie

03/29/2018 08:52PM

Mudro > sandpit > tin can > horse lake will take you roughly 1.5 to 2 hours. Horse river will take a bit longer. You shouldn't have any problem getting to lower basswood but I would grab your camp site and set up early on basswood and head to the pictographs the following day. Best part about the bwca is taking it at your own pace so you can enjoy the scenery. Enjoy your trip!

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cyclones30

03/29/2018 09:58PM

If the water is low, and there is not a NE wind I'd take Jackfish Bay to the top of the upper falls. Plenty of sites on the Bay beyond the motor line. Yes, you'll have a long portages to get past the falls but it's basically a flat sidewalk. Last trip that way we started about 8 am and we're at camp along the border of Basswood Lake around 1 or 2

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egknuti

03/30/2018 06:00PM

mgraber: "I'm just going to bluntly say that you need to leave several hours earlier to make this safely doable, and you need to be efficient at traveling. It's not that 14 miles is all that far, It is that it can be very difficult to get campsites after about 3pm until you get way north of the pictos. Also, as stated earlier the Horse River is not always a short easy paddle."

Your concern will be finding a campsite so late. 3pm might be too late near the falls. If your starting late, I’d consider staying on Tin Can or Fourtown. Make it an easy first day. We had to camp illegally in Canada because of poor planning from a few of my group members. Not something I want to do again.

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Blatz

04/01/2018 08:54AM

Jonessie: "Mudro > sandpit > tin can > horse lake will take you roughly 1.5 to 2 hours. Horse river will take a bit longer. You shouldn't have any problem getting to lower basswood but I would grab your camp site and set up early on basswood and head to the pictographs the following day. Best part about the bwca is taking it at your own pace so you can enjoy the scenery. Enjoy your trip!"

I think 2 hours to Horse Lake is a very unrealistic estimate unless you're single portaging and paddling at a good clip. I did this last route last October with somewhat High water levels. I started at 8:30 and camped at Horse Lake just by the River. I arrived around 2:00. I was solo and double portaged. If you want to accomplish the goal of getting to the Basswood river. I would be on the water by 8:00. BTW the Horse River has some unmarked portages.

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BigCurrent

04/03/2018 07:19PM

Depends on the experience of your group and if you are single or double portaging. We have done this route several times, some time camping near the falls, some times traveling to crooked. We single portage and don't loiter at the portages. We generally take our lunch break at the falls around noon when we get on the water by 8:00 - 8:30.

Even with double portaging I would say Lower Basswood Falls is very doable in a day even with low water levels on the Horse River, just keep moving.

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boonie

04/04/2018 07:43AM

As BigCurrent suggested, people travel at different speeds; if you don't know yours, I'd use the conservative estimate until you do. Otherwise you could turn an already longer than anticipated day into a longer one. Travel speed also varies with conditions and weather. It's generally advisable to start early to avoid wind and get a campsite by mid-afternoon before they fill; availability may vary depending on the timing of your trip.

I don't know how useful this will be to you, but I generally estimate my travel at 2 mph average when I solo. It could be a little faster or a little slower. I double portage, so this includes walking each portage 3X. I'm also experienced and efficient at portages.

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schweady

04/04/2018 08:27AM

We didn't do it all in one day on our family trip, but if you splice together the segments I recorded, we covered the route from parking lot to pictographs in 6 hours 21 minutes. We double portaged on entry day, but had the advantage of being on a day trip for the segment from our base camp on Horse Lake, so that went a lot quicker. (Although, we included a 5-min trail mix stop along the river and spent a half-hour at the falls area for photos and taking in the sights.) Water level was moderately okay on the river, even for mid-August, but we still had those three spots where we needed to lead the canoes around by painter ropes through the rocks. (Exactly where John and Lynn from VNO had marked them.)

"You can observe a lot just by watching." -- Yogi Berra

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Bushman

04/04/2018 10:32AM

Here is hoping the water levels will be adequate. My son and I have plans August 12 to go from Mudro to a campsite somewhere near the falls.
I am doing my best to keep everything at a minimum and single portage.
So far so good but it is going to be tight. We are planning a loop around Crooked and back down thru Moosecamp lake and River. Also looking to spend a little time in the PMA with perhaps a good bushwhack of about a mile and a half if everything goes to plan.
If we are not feeling it when we hit the water that day we will shoot for a campsite on Horse lake and adjust from there. I keep checking the permit availability for the days before ours to get an idea of traffic and camp availability.

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Jonessie

04/04/2018 06:02PM

Your correct, single portaging it is doable. But as others have said that's at my own speed and lightweight gear. I'll second that if you want to make it to basswood you better start at sunrise with a restricted permit otherwise depending on the water levels you could get caught with your pants down. I'd suggest going the other way and camping on fourtown the first night right by the first postage into horse, but depending on the wind fourtown can be a real booger for someone new due to the waves.

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oldguide2

04/05/2018 03:18PM

It is doable, but here are the wild cards. Weather: even Horse in a wind can be interesting. Rain will effect the river. Low water levels can expose more rocks and slow you down. Other parties. This is a well-traveled route but the landing sites are small and rocky on the river so you may have to wait on people. The falls is ALWAYS crowded. If you leave as late as ten you are really increasing the odds that you won't be able to camp near them. Sites between the falls and Crooked are small and ok, but not great. Get a RABC and Canadian fishing license to enjoy that side. What ever your normal paddling speed it will take you longer than you think because the Horse winds a lot.

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