I'm going with my posse on Sunday. Just interested in anyone with reports on lake and river levels, muddy portages, bugs (they're bad in Grand Rapids, they have to be awful in BW), storm/wind damage, and campsite conditions. With the insane pounding by storms, all you guys and women who just got back are probably busy cleaning your stuff.

emptynest56: "I'm going with my posse on Sunday. Just interested in anyone with reports on lake and river levels, muddy portages, bugs (they're bad in Grand Rapids, they have to be awful in BW), storm/wind damage, and campsite conditions. With the insane pounding by storms, all you guys and women who just got back are probably busy cleaning your stuff."

Grand Rapids MN? Hey neighbor!

We got back yesterday. Between Sawbill and Lake One the bugs weren't bad at all, probably because of the high temperatures. Water levels were high, but not exceptionally so, and although the lady chain was muddy it wasn't as bad as I expected. Farther west was actually fairly dry, again probably because of the high temperatures. The storms we got moved in fast and dumped a lot in a short period of time, but then cleared up so things dried well before the next one.

I will be giving my tent a nice bath in the tub this week.

Are you Ben? I am Tim, and yes, I will be a neighbor soon. Maybe in a year or two. We have a plot of land on a local lake and have camped there for 24 years. We love the Grand Rapids area and are thinking of building a home on what has been the perfect campsite. I grew up in the eastern WI rust belt and have always felt like the local people were my own.

Tom,
Thanks for the report. I wondered at what point the rains and heat would disorient the mosquitoes. I kept seeing the severe thunderstorm warnings in the BW and I was concerned for the campers and what is left of the stately pines from LLC to Crooked.

Just came out of EP19/16 area. Very buggy on most of the portages, and after sunset. We had some rain and the portages were a bit muddy for the most part but otherwise fine. No widespread tree damage in that area that we could see even though winds were high half the time we were there. Bring your headnet or bugsuit!

Agreed. Was in EP 14 area 7/5-7/8. Wore the my headnet on long portages and one morning in camp but otherwise the wind kept them away. Portage landings are mostly flooded, some wet spots on portages. Water is great for swimming.