Going from Crane to Little Vermillion for the border route, is it best to take the ~380 rod portage from east bay and portage straight east to Little Vermillion? Or is it best to paddle king williams narrows north and then loop back down south? I noticed the portage review stated it is a snowmobile trail that goes thru a bog and not a canoe portage but am having a hard time finding out any other info about it. Google maps makes the portage look doable but it also looks like the imagery is from when its very dry. We will be going around memorial day. Any insight or advice would be greatly appreciated.

It's only 380 rds so it would depend on how fast you portage. Personal opinion is to skip the portage and just paddle. Any time you could save portaging rather than paddling is probably burned by the loading/unloading aspect of it. If you're a fast, single portager it only will save you maybe 20 minutes. I have never done that part of the border route though, so maybe wait for some input from someone that has?

I have only scouted it from Google Earth and that was clear enough. It's a winter route. I stick to the water. But....I know of no one that has tried it. You could be the first !

There are neat pictographs at the narrows on the north end of Crane Lake. You would miss them if you take the portage.

I've wondered the same thing. I've tried to find an answer online and used Google Earth and couldn't arrive at a definitive answer. It would be a time saver and a way to duck big winds on Crane. If I didn't live 750 miles away I'd scout it out.

Voyager: "I've wondered the same thing. I've tried to find an answer online and used Google Earth and couldn't arrive at a definitive answer. It would be a time saver and a way to duck big winds on Crane. If I didn't live 750 miles away I'd scout it out."

I've made some posts on facebook and reddit and the overwhelming response is do not take this portage in the summer. A couple first hand reports of people that tried it last year and had to turn around when they got to the bog. Sounds like its a big waste of time unless its winter.

I looked at trying to do that portage last year. I called the ranger station in Cook. The ranger I spoke to said he hadn't been over that portage in a couple of years but it was still passable. A few rolling hills but not technically difficult. He relayed that the route had been rerouted around the marshy spot you can see from satellite images. I don't attempt it because I was short on time for my trip.