BWCA Upstream travel on the Maligne Boundary Waters Quetico Forum
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ArrowheadPaddler
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04/13/2018 06:42AM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
I am planning an August trip that may include upstream travel on the Maligne. Are there major issues with upstream travel between Tanner Lake and Sturgeon Lake during a typical August? I know there are 3-4 established portages, but I am more concerned with the various swifts/minor rapids without portages on this section. Just a little hard paddling and wading to get through? Maybe a half to 3/4 day of travel?

In scouring the board (including a previous post by me - sorry for bringing it up again - I didn't make it to the river that year), I seem to get conflicting ideas on the ease of travel against the current on this river, but I think a lot has to do with the season and water level. Thanks for any advice.
 
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04/13/2018 09:02AM  
Been upstream on the Maligne 4 times but not in August. I trip the last week of June every year in the Q.

When water levels are high ... it can get a bit hairy on some parts of the Maligne. You have to Line your canoe a few times but if you are careful, it can be very doable.

I would think that water levels will surely be lower for you in August and the current very manageable.
GraniteCliffs
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04/13/2018 09:49PM  
In August you should not have any problem at all. It would take an awful lot of rain to prevent you from going upstream.
In May it may be a different story. Once, in May, we planned to go down the river from Sturgeon but the current was raging and we decided against it. That was a spring of torrential rain. Going upstream would have been impossible.
ArrowheadPaddler
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04/13/2018 10:00PM  
Thanks to both of you for the information.
Eyedocron
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04/14/2018 02:42PM  
Should be no problem that late in the season. My crews have done it. From Tanner to Sturgeon the portages are all on the north side.
If you are doing also the lower part from LLC to Tanner, and portage up Twin Falls, the portage is on the west side AND hug the west shore as you launch upstream, or you could be swept over the falls.
04/15/2018 05:38PM  
Agree on the Twin Falls advice.... HUG THE SHORE !! Amazing power even 100 yards up from the Falls. Closest I have been to a major catastrophe in all my years of tripping.
GraniteCliffs
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04/15/2018 11:13PM  
Odd, in all my years of Quetico travel the only time I was really in trouble was at Twin Falls. It was very close to a catastrophe. Learned a lesson that day.
ArrowheadPaddler
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04/16/2018 10:20PM  
Thanks for the heads up, I'll be sure to use caution at Twin Falls.
 
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