While I hope to get in a couple more trips, at least, this season...the 'guys group trip' was fantastic this year, and the team is planning for 2024.

We've got an odd situation where two of our group come from Toronto, and three from the US, and the Toronto guys used Camp Quetico as an outfitter (Barry is great) and were flown into & out of Cache Bay - all very successful.

Looking at possible 2024 routes, and one I like might involve the Americans tripping for a couple of days, and then meeting our buddies several hours after they land on Clay Lake. Thinking we set up on McKenzie lake, and then day-trip through Belaire over to the Wawiag to meet them & escort them back to McKenzie.

I know the standard route for them after landing at Clay Lake would be to descend the mighty Greenwood, then turn right and go upstream on the Wawaig, which might take 3 -4 hours to get to the portage to Belaire. We are likely going in around May 18-20, and the high water of the last two years make me wonder about how realistic the upstream travel aspect might be.

Feel like sometime, somewhere, I read (or possibly dreamed) that there was a direct-to-the-Wawiag portage North out of Clay. For most folks heading to Kawnipi or Mack, this would make no sense, so they take the Greenwood.

Does anyone know if this direct connection to the Wawiag exists? It's under a kilometer as the crow flies, likely over a kilometer as the bushwhacker whacks.

Figment of my imagination?

I have read an article that described a trip the author had supposedly had taken this portage or it was a portage from the Wawiag to Powell Lake. I think he did it in his dreams. He supposedly paddled up the Wawiag to where the portage was. That section of the Wawiag has rapids that swamp most canoes coming down them. I have seen the lower one no one is paddling up them. Here is a short trip report of a trip in that area.

sns: "We are likely going in around May 18-20, and the high water of the last two years make me wonder about how realistic the upstream travel aspect might be."

I can't comment on the portage you're hoping for, but based upon our paddle down the Wawiag this year with higher water, I wouldn't be too worried about an upstream paddle. While we were going downstream, the river is broad and deep and docile enough that you shouldn't have much trouble going upstream.

I'd much rather do the Wawiag upstream in high water than the Nina Moose River in high water, which we did last year and was physically challenging.

Thanks for the insights - Indeed, a mythical shortcut portage there would still have the rapids to contend with.

Good to know paddling upstream is possible - at least downriver of the rapids.

Cheers!