BWCA Mid-September 2018 Trip Boundary Waters Trip Planning Forum
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KjerJoy
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08/15/2018 08:12AM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
Hello! We are first timers looking for tips for a Mid-September trip.

My fiance and I are headed to BWCA for the first time this September for 8 days and 7 nights. We are entering at EP37 and plan to head up to Polly for the first night. We might spend a couple nights at Polly before heading down toward the Lady Chain. We're using Sawbill Outfitters, so we plan to exit out Sawbill. We both have experience canoeing and camping, but very little experience portaging.

We don't have our route set in stone yet, other then EP and Exit Lake. Are there any "must see" locations/lakes in that area? What are the portages typically like? We've read a few trip reports from previous seasons, and have some idea of what to expect, but any tips or tricks for portaging would be appreciated!

Basically, at this point, we're open to any advice, tips, and suggestions. We just want to have a safe, enjoyable and fun first trip to BWCA.

Thanks in advance!
 
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08/15/2018 09:47AM  
Most people double portage. Keep hand held items and loose items on packs to a minimum(less likely to get lost). Try to put all your stuff in a single pile, out of the way, at the ends of the portages, again less likely to lose stuff. Practice at home or a park.
ChazzTheGnome
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08/15/2018 11:57AM  
Always try and know ahead of time who is taking what. If you are double portaging (two trips across) also plan out what is going first and what is going second.

Once you have a good system, it goes pretty quick. Like mentioned before loose items = equals lost items and/or time and frustration. The only loose items we like to have are fishing poles and paddles.
SevenofNine
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08/15/2018 01:17PM  
Get yourself some BDBs (Bungee Dealy Bobs) to strap paddles, poles and etc to the canoe. Keep everything loose in a pack or strapped to something to free your hands.

The outfitter told us to take the single portage from Grace to Beth lake. We chose to do the two portages and go through Ella. I'm glad we did as I enjoyed seeing that small lake.

Taking time to paddle the lake you make home is worth the effort often it's the small things (a pretty boulder, a sunken logging dock, or a cliff face) that bring joy on a lake. Honestly if it looks worth investigating and you have the time you should explore.
08/15/2018 05:36PM  
In the banner there is a tab for maps & entry points. Open and go the EP/Sawbill area and you will notice dots and lines. These represent campsites and portages. Click on them and some will have photos or descriptions. Ratings are subjective, of course.
I also like to use the search engine and trip reports for areas I plan to visit. They also have photos and comments that help know what to expect.
And a strong support for practice. I presume if you have your own canoe you have portage pads. If not they are well worth the price. Pack with no loose items with the intent you will carry these packs and canoe over a trail. How will you split the load and also have a good distribution for trim in your canoe when on the water? Proper packing can make a big difference when you are carrying it and on the water, as you well know.
A final tip...take time to enjoy and plan on returning. Many of us consider the BWCA an addiction.
Bumstead
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08/15/2018 07:55PM  
Welcome to the site! Sounds like a great trip ahead for you. I've not done those specific lakes, so I can't help there; however, it is evident that you have plenty of time to make sure you enjoy the BWCA scenery and surroundings. Don't be in a huge rush to make mileage on travel days, and the advice about having all things contained (no loose items) for portages is priceless. Have a great time planning and enjoy the trip.
pswith5
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08/15/2018 09:19PM  
I also usually double portage. When doing a new-to-me portage I like to take a pack first. Then I can see where I am going better than when I have a canoe on my shoulders.
08/17/2018 09:00AM  
One bit of advice for Sept. trips........don't plan to "lay up short", on your last full day, at a possibly busy lake near an entry point. If it lands on or near a weekend, the "weekend" crowds go in and base camp for the weekend on those lakes. You could get stuck with no campsites in your attempt to have a short paddle out on your exit day. Make your exit day a longer paddle out to avoid the hassle. This is especially true in the Fall if weather is gorgeous. Example......don't plan to camp last night on Beth or Alton if you're going to get there late friday or saturday. Stay your last night on Grace, or Ella, or maybe Phoebe, and have a touch longer paddle out your exit day.
Kawishiwi Lake can be packed on Fall weekends, as can Polly......on the other end, Beth, Alton and Sawbill. Plan ahead.
The portages into Polly are easy to find, fairly level, good paths. The 97 out of Polly to the Phoebe river is a beautiful portage. After that, the portages along the Lady Chain get a little more challenging. I prefer the 2 portage route out of Grace instead of the 280, but the 151 to Ella is a rock pit. The landing is a rocky challenge and the path is rocky half way up, and it gains good elevation, but Ella is beautiful. Make sure to talk to Sawbill oufitters about finding the "channel" through the rocky section of the Phoebe River between Hazel and Knight. Depending on water levels, it may or may not be easy to see and if you don't find it, it can be a slippery rock slog to get through there.
Beautiful area....enjoy
BuckFlicks
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08/17/2018 04:37PM  
If you're going to spend a couple days on Polly, it might be worth your while to grab a site on the north end and make a long day trip up to see the pictographs on Fishdance. There is some long portaging getting up to Malberg from Polly, but once you're on Mallberg, there are very few portages to get to Fishdance. Maybe only one, and it's short... but if you're day tripping, you won't need to double portage, so getting over the land will be easier.

Anyway, the pictographs are a must-see if you're in the area, and the paddle from Mallberg to Fishdance is very enjoyable.

Agree with the idea expressed by Cowdoc. If your exit day is Friday-Monday, don't count on nabbing a campsite close to Sawbill. You may find one, but chances are you will see one occupied site after another and then be forced to either paddle all the way out to Sawbill, or backtrack to a previous lake that wasn't so full. If you're exiting T/W/T you might have better luck.

Mid-September is a great time to experience the BWCA. No bugs and thin crowds. Weather is very unpredictable, though. Be ready for anything from 90 degrees with no clouds to snow, and everything in between. Maybe all of it in the span of 3 days. I'm sure you don't need to know that as an experienced camper, but it's the way of things... the weather could do anything that time of year.
08/17/2018 05:05PM  
You have received plenty of good advice about portaging. Minimize loose items and be organized.

If there's a universal lesson first-timers learn on the first trip it's: "we took too much stuff!" Portaging is a lot easier with less stuff.

For Sept the weather can vary considerably, although it is generally very pleasant. Check the record highs and lows as well as the averages and be prepared. Also check the sunrise/sunset times. Wind can sometimes be a problem; the best plan is to paddle early and find a site before too late.

You have plenty of time to do that route. Steve and I did a week-long Sept Kawishiwi to Sawbill trip in 2014 (see trip reports). Your route was our short option, but things looked good and we opted to take the longer route through Little Saganaga, where we spent two nights. One day was a very short one and none were real long.

IIRC, Your route was around 35 miles +/-, which includes the extra two walks across each portage since I also "double portage". It's 9 miles (including the extra double portage distance) to the north end of Polly. It takes me around 4 hours.

Keep asking questions if things aren't clear.
 
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