I leave next Friday from Michigan to Minnesota for a week long trip.
Leaving Mudro Sunday morning and heading for Lower Basswood falls.

We will be doing the loop from there up and around crooked to Friday bay and down through the small lakes towards Moosecamp Lake and River and south through Fourtown and back to Mudro. We are also planning a one night stay in the PMA at Jackfish Lake.

I am an avid fisherman and hunter and in pretty good shape for 44 years old (the day we leave) however, after loading up our packs and "portaging my 85 lb canoe around the woods and trails behind my house I'm wondering if maybe I am biting off more than I can chew. The plan is to 1.5x portage.

We will be renting a Kevlar from VNO so the weight will be better. I figured I'd practice with the heavy one.

I'm wondering if I should make camp on horse lake the first day and Jackfish lake in the PMA the second or shoot for Lower Basswood camp spot the first night. If everything is taken it could be a long haul up towards crooked before finding a spot.

I know folks have done this route a lot but if anyone has any specific info or tips or recommendations to pass along I would appreciate it.

Neither one of us have canoe camped like this but we have spent a ton of time canoeing and camping and countless weeks in the bush at deer camp where everything is packed in for 2 weeks at time and we never leave. I have done a lot of spike camps and non-guided hunts and fish camps all over the US and Canada.

Thanks in advance,
-Bushman

Bushman, you have lots of time to cover this route if you have a week or even close to a week. If you got a good jump in the morning you can easily make it to LB Falls, even if you double portage.
With that said, with a full week you certainly do not have to hurry. I just did this trip in reverse a couple of weeks ago in three nights and it was not a push at all, single portaging.
Staying on Horse the first night still gives you ample time to cover our ground but there are also limited campsites there as well. One option is to get your early start and check out the campsites on Horse. If one is open and you like it just grab it. If not, move on to LB Falls. There are a number of sites both above and below the falls. When you hit the Basswood River it might be prudent to check the couple of sites above the falls(hook a right when you get to the river) to see if they are open before you portage the falls in case the sites below the falls are taken. It can be a long paddle if the sites below the falls are taken.
I hope you have good weather for your trip---both for you and because I will be back out the same week.

What GaniteCliffs posted is spot on. I’ve done this loop 3 times. I did it solo once with my 60 lb Kayak. I did double portage. Made it up to Wednesday Bay on day one. I would echo what he said about getting an early start. It’s a popular place, so leaving early and not getting stuck behind slow movers can make all the difference. I say to just double portage. It depends on your bag weight and physical ability of course. I consider myself to be in pretty good shape I’m 6’2 215 and not fat. You can wear yourself down pretty fast single portaging. You won’t be rushed if you double. You have plenty of time. If you double you could add a third bag and distribute some of the weight. Overall the portage aren’t too crazy. The long one leaving Friday Bay is just that long. Just a gradual up and back down. And there is a couple steep ones in there. But overall not too bad. I love to fish myself, and one of my biggest BW regrets is biting of more than I could chew on a particular trip. Hard portages, and a lot of ground to cover left me and my buddy exhausted every day. Never had the energy to do any real fishing. I was up in a low travel area that I’m sure had great fishing, just didn’t have the will to get back in the canoe after a long travel day. So I say don’t push yourself too hard, ecspesially on your first trip. Your #1 goal should be enjoying your time there.

Dont feel too tied to your planned route and schedule. Weather, local conditions, other campers, an expectation adjustment, or a last minute brainstorm are all legit reasons to go a different way.

One more thought for you to assure you of the fact that the distance you have planned is no problem at all. A few years ago at age 63 or so I planned to do the same route, absent the PMA, in two nights on a solo, double portaging. I got up to Weds Bay the first night. The second day my weather radio spit out an End of Times forecast for that night and the next day. Wanting to avoid this I simply kept going and got back to Mudro in time to pack up in the daylight just as the storm moved in. Translation: You will have no problem!

The lighter canoe will make a huge difference.

Thanks so much for the replies!

It is very reassuring. I would love to push and get close to the falls the first day. My main objective for the first couple days is getting into the pma for solitude and what I am hoping is a pike mecca on jackfish Lake. I would also love to explore the river/creek that leads up to Thursday bay and see if it is navigable. To me that would be cool. I would feel like an new age Lewis and Clark.

There isn't much info on that PMA and I can't find where anyone recently has bushwhacked that to see. There was one mention of a fellow that took a look at that route but decided it probably wasn't passable or worth the effort.

I am so excited for this trip. I just wish I would have known about this type of adventure years ago. I had no clue that the BWCA or Quetico even existed let alone all of the other parks. I was only recently interested from a fellow angler who does these types of trips with his son. He is also the owner of Canada Fishing Guide. His job is to fly in to many of the camps and rate them and the fishing etc. Awesome job if you ask me. He had me hooked last year when he went to Algonquin.

Thanks again for the info!

Good luck and let us know how it goes

A wise man I encountered in the middle of Quetico once said to me, "if you are in a hurry, well then you are in the wrong place".

Just curious but from maps and satelite views river from Ftiday bay looks more likely navigable and shortwr portages. How did you pick Thursday? Not questioning it but curious.

I just wanted to say welcome to the insanity. We're glad you're here. It's all good.

billconner: "Just curious but from maps and satelite views river from Ftiday bay looks more likely navigable and shortwr portages. How did you pick Thursday? Not questioning it but curious."

I hope to explore the river/creek that goes from Jackfish Lake north into Thursday bay and then continue north through thursday and around into friday and then south

I do not see any rivers that lead from jackfish Lake directly to friday bay.

Sounds like an awesome trip! I guess my recommendation would be to stay on Horse the first night. You can certainly make it to Lower Basswood in one day, but why push especially early in the trip.

As far as Jackfish Lake goes, I have been in a number of times and have had some pretty decent fishing in there. I have always gone in on day trips, and can't recall any really good camping spots on the lake. There is a good spot for a shore lunch on the island, but not enough space to camp (especially with the USFS regulations they put on PMA's).

I should also note, that you can make it up the creek going north out of Jackfish. Well, at least you could last time I did it about ten years ago. The creek was navigable and the portages were obvious, although they did have a lot of blow down on them.

CrookedPaddler1: "I should also note, that you can make it up the creek going north out of Jackfish. Well, at least you could last time I did it about ten years ago. The creek was navigable and the portages were obvious, although they did have a lot of blow down on them."

Thank you for the info!

We will play it by ear and see how day 1 goes. No big hurry. I need to get the city thinking out of my head before I set foot in that canoe.

We have a two person tent and a 10x10 tarp. It is just two of us so we do not need much room for a camp. That will be fun searching for the perfect spot. If not and we can't find anything on the small lake to the north there is always Crooked lake to camp on if we back track a little.

we can surely hang out in there for the day fishing and exploring and also checking that route up to Thursday Bay!

Bushman: "

billconner: "Just curious but from maps and satelite views river from Ftiday bay looks more likely navigable and shortwr portages. How did you pick Thursday? Not questioning it but curious."

I hope to explore the river/creek that goes from Jackfish Lake north into Thursday bay and then continue north through thursday and around into friday and then south


I do not see any rivers that lead from jackfish Lake directly to friday bay."

My mistake - Thursday over Wednesday, not Friday over Thursday, but there is a Wednesday bay route with a 95 rod portage (over the 70 rod one from Thursday). An option.

I did that exact route last October in 4 days. ( I'm 59) Don't try to get to Basswood on the first day. Stay at Tin Can Mike or Horse ( can be full). The Horse River always takes longer than you think. A week is plenty of time to have a mellow trip. The 300r portage out of Wagosh is flat and smooth. The last 3 portages into Mudro are collective butts. The stretch from Lower Basswood Falls to Crooked is gorgeous. The area around Thursday and Friday can be confusing to make sure you get into Friday. Check your map or gps often. Enjoy

Bushman,
On 8/5 I sent you an email to the address on the envelope. Have you received it?

Spartan1

Check your permit to see if it allows camping on Horse Lake. Not all Mudro permits do.

Spartan1: "Bushman,
On 8/5 I sent you an email to the address on the envelope. Have you received it?


Spartan1"

I did receive it, thank you very much!

It's natural to second guess. I've gone back and forth on things right up until the morning we've left for the EP when I've brought my kids in, due to the responsibility of keeping them safe. As soon as I reached the entry point, I was reminded of how profoundly inspiring the Boundary Waters has always been for me and so many others, and became euphoric. Sometimes it takes a few moments to wipe the grin off my face when entering the first lake, river, or stream. I always have objectives, but am willing to change the route depending on weather, the physical condition of those involved, what happens while out there, how we are pacing, how everyone is feeling, etc.. Just being there is enough for me.