I'm planning a 10-14 day trip for early to mid October. Usually I put the canoe in the water and work my butt off getting from point A to point B and putting on miles is the priority. Not this year...I won't do it. I am going to base camp waaay more, explore waaay more and fish wayyyyyyyy more. I might also try to actually relax wayyyyyy more. So I've never been to the Gaskin/Winchell lake area and it looks like minimal long portaging, lots of nooks and crannies to explore and plenty of interesting topography.

Anyone have a campsite or two in that area that is worthy of staying at for 2-3 days...maybe longer?

Thanks in advance!

Several sites on Gaskin are great for base camping. I would choose Gaskin over Winchell for 3 reasons: 1) the wind on Winchell and chances of being wind-bound, 2) Gaskin has spectacular camp sites, and 3) the portage from Gaskin to Winchell. In Sept. '17 the Gaskin side of the Gaskin-Winchell portage was a muddy mess. We day-tripped over to Winchell and I distinctly recalling how glad I was not to have to unload a canoe full of gear. Horseshoe is another nice lake with good chances of seeing moose. In October you will have the area to yourself. I will be in the same area the 3rd week of Sept.

Site 762 on Winchell is very nice and the site on Omega 592 is also very nice. Omega has Northern and Walleye. Winchell fishing I found to be tough.

I'll agree 762 on Winchell is about as nice as it gets. Although fishing is pretty tough.

Thanks for the input!!

Good luck with relaxing wayyyyyy more. I say that every year but once I’m out there it’s go go go go.

634 on Gaskin. Do a clockwise day trip to Winchell and climb the cliff. Should be gorgeous in October. As you face the cliff, trail starts way to the right...west of the big boulders. Let the west wind blow you down Winchell to the Gaskin portage.

cowdoc: "634 on Gaskin. Do a clockwise day trip to Winchell and climb the cliff. Should be gorgeous in October. As you face the cliff, trail starts way to the right...west of the big boulders. Let the west wind blow you down Winchell to the Gaskin portage. "

All of this! We stayed at 634 last July for a three night base camping trip. Our very first time in the BWCA. We loved it! I believe there are some pictures of the site in my trip report. We enjoyed day tripping through Henson, Omega, and Winchell (lovely waterfall), and Gaskin itself is such a neat lake that we spent an entire day staying there just to explore.

I've stayed on site 762 on Winchell many times. I considered it one of my favorite sites in the BWCA because of the rocks that slope to the lake. It offers some wind protection if you want it, and lots of rocks for sun and breeze if you don't.

I've also stayed a couple of times on site 634 on Gaskin. It has more of a vista and a great view of the lake.

I'm partial to Winchell, though the previous statements made about wind are serious. Winchell is a long lake with an E-W orientation. There is a lot of lake for the prevailing winds to make into big water.

Mike

MikeinMpls: "


I'm partial to Winchell, though the previous statements made about wind are serious. Winchell is a long lake with an E-W orientation. There is a lot of lake for the prevailing winds to make into big water.


Mike"

They don't call it Wind-hell for nothing. Was wind bound on site 762 a few years ago. It was a planned day trip day and we just didn't feel like fighting the wind on Winchell. Only people we saw that day were 2 FS guys checking permits and latrines. They just tucked their heads and dug deep, they made surprisingly good head way in that wind. Meanwhile a friend of mine was entering on Brule that same day and I later found out he dumped twice while fighting the wind, didn't find all his packs until the next day. I was very content to nap the day away.

nofish: "I'll agree 762 on Winchell is about as nice as it gets. Although fishing is pretty tough.



"

I agree! Great site

Depending on how you are planning on exiting, Brule can be a real bear latter in the day. More than once I have decided to stay the night on one of the protected sites just into Brule and paddle out at first light. The difference is a white cap multi-hour hair raising slog and a peaceful 90 minute cruse (no guarantees). Given your time frame something to take into account if Brule stands between you and cursed civilization. Especially, if you are soloing that late in the year.

Thanks again for all the input!!