If your first choice on a May EP were taken check back with the permit site, with this extended winter and late ice out many permits are becoming available for Memorial Day weekend do to cancellations, I secured a May 25th for Snowbank, which was previously booked.

I wonder if there is a way to set up an RSS feed to notify of a certain date(s) when they become available? Thanks for the heads-up though!

yes, it's a week to week , see on the weather, for many paddlers. this is the spring we will remember. i have a may 13 permit, mudro, i will eventually get up there.

bwcasolo: "yes, it's a week to week , see on the weather, for many paddlers. this is the spring we will remember. i have a may 13 permit, mudro, i will eventually get up there. "

My favorite story is when taking my wilderness first responder course I had breakfast with a gal that just came off a big canoe trip. This is like May 12... She'd started in April, and for over a week they drug their canoes over ice. They I believe started at mudro and went to basswood and such. One tough gal... And taking a group of kids that were of the troublemaking sort. A trip they will never forget. Not going at all shouldn't be an option. I'd give it a shot. A month from now things will look a lot better. You at least could settle for a campground site if you absolutely couldn't go. But I'm thinking you'd be surprised what kind of experience you'd be in for. Yeah, there will be some ice... But I'm guessing open water too. My second favorite story is Dan Cooke falling through some ice, going to shore, wringing out his wool clothing and was good to go. Could take a little more planning, but hey... That might be the trip of a lifetime!
Yesterday on I 70 in the Colorado mtns the weather deteriorated just like that... We were forced to chain up. But many drivers were too lazy (their words) and thought they'd wait it out. I needed to keep moving, it just felt like it was getting worse. And worse it did... I had to go around rescue efforts of trucks also too lazy to chain and thought they could make it but didn't. Same kinda deal. Moving forward, taking proper precautions and away I and several others went.
April trips can be very iffy. (I'm back to canoeing) haha. But in may... You can do it. You may get snow, you may get some cold... That's why they called it "May". Crappy trip? Good excuse to take another later on.

nctry: "

bwcasolo: "yes, it's a week to week , see on the weather, for many paddlers. this is the spring we will remember. i have a may 13 permit, mudro, i will eventually get up there. "

My favorite story is when taking my wilderness first responder course I had breakfast with a gal that just came off a big canoe trip. This is like May 12... She'd started in April, and for over a week they drug their canoes over ice. They I believe started at mudro and went to basswood and such. One tough gal... And taking a group of kids that were of the troublemaking sort. A trip they will never forget. Not going at all shouldn't be an option. I'd give it a shot. A month from now things will look a lot better. You at least could settle for a campground site if you absolutely couldn't go. But I'm thinking you'd be surprised what kind of experience you'd be in for. Yeah, there will be some ice... But I'm guessing open water too. My second favorite story is Dan Cooke falling through some ice, going to shore, wringing out his wool clothing and was good to go. Could take a little more planning, but hey... That might be the trip of a lifetime!
Yesterday on I 70 in the Colorado mtns the weather deteriorated just like that... We were forced to chain up. But many drivers were too lazy (their words) and thought they'd wait it out. I needed to keep moving, it just felt like it was getting worse. And worse it did... I had to go around rescue efforts of trucks also too lazy to chain and thought they could make it but didn't. Same kinda deal. Moving forward, taking proper precautions and away I and several others went.
April trips can be very iffy. (I'm back to canoeing) haha. But in may... You can do it. You may get snow, you may get some cold... That's why they called it "May". Crappy trip? Good excuse to take another later on."

yep, for sure, i've been on many may trips, snow to warm in the same week.i keep going back mid may. i always say, never again, but as soon as winter starts letting go, i am ready to welcome spring with a may canoe trip.
such a nice passion.

Wool clothing will save your life! Safe travels, Ben. I've driven that highway in Colorado as well as I-90 from Bozeman to Missoula in a determined April storm -- fun stuff.