I'm headed to Sarah Lake in a few days:)

I've been through the route to North Bay before, coming from Kahshawapiwi. If I recall correctly (big if these days) the portage out of Side to the south is a bear--the only portage in my life that I have fallen and dropped the canoe!

Anyway, I see from the map that there is another route. The other route involves two portages instead of one, and logic would tell me that no one would take two portages instead of one unless the two were substantially easier.

Anyone know anything about these portages?

Are u talking about the portage into side from unamed? I did the 2 portages on the way out from Sara. As you leave Side theportage splits, one to the left that goes up and another that goes straight. Any of this sounding familiar?

I thought the 2 were easier than the CLimb/descent of the one. the 2 are pretty much flat.

I sent a buddy on that route though and he couldn't find he portages from unamed end. You go through some weeds, then over a beaver dam, then find the first portage. There is a small lift over halfway to the second portage. If lift overs are tough for ya then stick to the one portage.

If water is not higher then I am not sure it is easier. I would also guess it is easier leavin side than going into.


T

Banksiana and I were talking about this when we went through in late May. I say give it a try and report back!

Sarah to Side - I like the northern route with usually three portages and two paddles. If you mean from Side towards Isabella - in high water I like the route straight south and you can get into sw end of Isabella without going over heart attack hill.

Thanks. Yes I mean from Side to unnamed before Isabella. Yes, Timatkin, you have it right. I remember the fork. I don't mind a liftover or two so we're going to try going that way. So if I keep going up the creek, I'll find the portage? Do remember if it is on the right or left?

From Side to Sarah it looks like you basically follow the creek? My Christmar map doesn't show anything on the creek, though Fisher shows a 7, 22, and 21.

I'm tossing around the idea of getting really crazy on this trip. I'm a little tired of the Burke-North Bay route. I'm considering going Poacher-Sunday-Anchor-North Bay, then Nest and Point. I've got my wife and daughter along though. They don't mind long portages, but hip deep mud may be a deterrent (The Anchor Lake portage sounds like a sedge meadow.)

I'll definitely report back on the Side to unnamed portage.

quote marsonite: "I'm tossing around the idea of getting really crazy on this trip. I'm a little tired of the Burke-North Bay route. I'm considering going Poacher-Sunday-Anchor-North Bay, then Nest and Point. I've got my wife and daughter along though. They don't mind long portages, but hip deep mud may be a deterrent (The Anchor Lake portage sounds like a sedge meadow.)"

You are likely to find hip-deep swamp on the Point end (last 100 yards or so) of the Nest-Point portage ... at the Point end, there is a spot or two that it might be to mid-chest.

I'd also take the 2/3 portages down the creek between Sarah and Side. If you are lucky enough to have high water, you'll be able to float the first one; otherwise, you be negotiating boulders at the mouth of the creek (Side end) before reaching paddle-able water.

dd

We took the Nest-Point route in September 2005, during a dry period, and I thought it was really nice. None of the muck that dentondoc describes. The last few weeks have been much drier up here than earlier this summer (at least on the Echo Trail - assuming it's the same in southern Q), so I'm thinking muck will not be much of an issue now.

If you do go that way, there is a portage from Point to the Unnamed just west of Isabella that is not shown on the Chrismar/Adventure map, although it is shown on Fisher. We took it in 2005 too. It is potentially very mucky on the Unnamed end, but in that dry period was easy. It would be more direct coming from Point than portaging twice into Unnamed via Isabella if you are going to take the alternative north-south route into Side. Maybe it's no longer being maintained by the Park since it is not on Chrismar, which otherwise has everything, but it was cleared and in good condition in 2005.

From Side to Sarah, you have two choices. The one that I have always done follows the creek. I recommend breaking it up in three portages with paddling between. The first one from Side is more of a lift over, then a short pond paddling, than an up-and-over portage, then a marshy creek paddle, then another up-and-over portage. The other portage, which I have never taken but have heard about, is an all-land route that also goes up a lot and from what I've been told is not easier than the creek. If the water is really low, though, then it could be hard to paddle the marshy part of the creek and the all-land route might be better. The two portages start on Side close to each other - the all-land route begins just a bit south of creek, whereas the creek route starts - surprise - at the creek.

I understand what you are saying about being tired of Bayley-Burke into North Bay but you can easily be first night on Isabella, maybe Sarah, and beyond Sarah on second night. Of course in bad weather, always nice to avoid Bayley Bay.

I recall from no name north west of Isabella (first no name on route to Heart Attack Hill) to little no name south of side to be a kind of marsh more then a stream, an my son pulled canoe and me through. I thin I got out for 10 feet at end but seem to recall I never unloaded canoe.

And that year, the north portage Side to Sarah was three very short and easy portages and two very pretty paddles through marsh and lilies.

Sounds like the Point to no name would be matched with the south route to Side.

Just returned from 14-day solo PP-Nest-Point-Sarah-McIntyre-Ted-Elk-Gardner Bay-Friday Bay-Basswood Falls-PP. First campsite was Point. Portage from Nest to Point was uneventful, mostly dry. The portage from Point into Isabella had some wet spots midway, but overall not bad. Decided to take Heart Attack Hill from Side to Sarah instead of 3 portages via creek as it had been several years since I had been on the hill. In the future, I'll do the creekside portages...the hill was...painful.

My map-reading skills may be getting worse as I get older, but I had a heck of a time finding the first 3 portages on the southern route from McIntyre to Ted. I bushwhacked my way up and over the left side of the creek running from the unnamed into McIntyre, then spent 30 minutes trying to find the portage out of the first unnamed. According to Chrismar, it's between the two creeks on the north shore. Finally found the portage to the left of the western creek. Then I spent over an hour trying to find the portage in the little northwestern bay on the very scenic unnamed leading to Earl. Chrismar shows the portage at the northern end of the bay. So I scouted the entire perimeter of the marsh/bog with no success and was resigned to paddling out of the little bay back to McIntyre when I spotted the portage trail on the western shoreline as you enter that little bay. I was relieved I found it but a little ticked that I wasted wqell over an hour.

PineKnot - Re the southern route to Earl and Ted - it sounds like you went the right way on the first "portage" - it really is just a scramble up the rockface by the creek. And the starting points of the other two portages are marked somewhat off on Chrismar. So your map reading skills were fine, the map was off. Just remember, if you can't find it - keep looking!

Like marsonite, I'm thinking of an alternative route back to Prairie Portage from North Bay at the end of the trip. So - does anyone have any information on the Anchor route? And does anyone know what Poacher Creek would be like after several weeks of dry weather (preceded by a couple months of high water)?

quote PineKnot: "Decided to take Heart Attack Hill from Side to Sarah instead of 3 portages via creek as it had been several years since I had been on the hill. "

PK - I used the term Heart Attack Hill to refer to the portage out of the second no name north of Isabella into Side. While the high route from Side to Sarah might be technically worse, I think I have at least one map identifying it as the one from the south east into Side.

Your route sounds great!

Always wondered what the real Hart Attack Hill was...

I think that up and down portage from Sarah to Side was much more demanding than the steep portage from Side to the first unnamed...but they are both tough...

quote BillConner01: "I understand what you are saying about being tired of Bayley-Burke into North Bay but you can easily be first night on Isabella, maybe Sarah, and beyond Sarah on second night. Of course in bad weather, always nice to avoid Bayley Bay.


I recall from no name north west of Isabella (first no name on route to Heart Attack Hill) to little no name south of side to be a kind of marsh more then a stream, an my son pulled canoe and me through. I thin I got out for 10 feet at end but seem to recall I never unloaded canoe.


And that year, the north portage Side to Sarah was three very short and easy portages and two very pretty paddles through marsh and lilies.


Sounds like the Point to no name would be matched with the south route to Side."

I'm travelling with the family, driving up from Duluth in the morning. We don't push the first day, and I'll be happy to make it to North Bay if we go the conventional route. Sarah...no way. Now if I was alone or with another guy like myself, it would be a different matter.

I doubt I will do the Anchor Lake thing, at least this trip but I want to some day. I went through Poacher earlier this year, and just loved the short paddle from PP and bang, you're in a fairly remote feeling area.

quote marsonite: "Thanks. Yes I mean from Side to unnamed before Isabella. Yes, Timatkin, you have it right. I remember the fork. I don't mind a liftover or two so we're going to try going that way. So if I keep going up the creek, I'll find the portage? Do remember if it is on the right or left?


"

I think we are talkign about the same thing. Isabella---no-name---then go to the western most portage on CHrismar on no name to creek (tough to find on this end, located on the left side of creek don't quote me on that--that's how I remember it though) I had to pull over a beaver dam to get to the portage---then portage into another no name (actually portage ends before the creek is done where the Beaver widend the creek into a pond). You have to navigate around in the end of the creek--small pull over some rocks/beaver dam, then officially into the second no name. Portage straight shot into Side, you will see the other portage on your right--keep going straight don't go up the hill or you get to do a circle :)


Make sense?---seems complicated when I read it :)

T

quote timatkn: "

quote marsonite: "Thanks. Yes I mean from Side to unnamed before Isabella. Yes, Timatkin, you have it right. I remember the fork. I don't mind a liftover or two so we're going to try going that way. So if I keep going up the creek, I'll find the portage? Do remember if it is on the right or left?



"

I think we are talkign about the same thing. Isabella---no-name---then go to the western most portage on CHrismar on no name to creek (tough to find on this end, located on the left side of creek don't quote me on that--that's how I remember it though) I had to pull over a beaver dam to get to the portage---then portage into another no name (actually portage ends before the creek is done where the Beaver widend the creek into a pond). You have to navigate around in the end of the creek--small pull over some rocks/beaver dam, then officially into the second no name. Portage straight shot into Side, you will see the other portage on your right--keep going straight don't go up the hill or you get to do a circle :)



Make sense?---seems complicated when I read it :)


T

Yeah, I follow you. Good to have the detail on the ponds as I could easily imagine giving up without some advice. I'm back next Wednesday. I'll let you know.



"

Thanks Tim, we are going to give that a try on Sunday.

Let us know how it goes Marsonite and HoHo. I did that route from Side to Isabella. I thought it was easy, while on the way in I took the 2 other portages and was quite tired. I know I thought I'd never do heart attack hill again :) but would be curious on other's opinions.

T

I think that low route from Isabella to Side is my choice in middle to high water, but low water seems to leave you with long mucky carries. I'd be cautious to commit to it in late fall.

Here's how it went. From the unnamed lake northwest of the west end of Isabella, we took the "western route". Thanks to Timatkin, I had no problem finding the portage out of the first unnamed. We did first run into two beaver dams, which were actually rather challenging pull-overs; the water was deep enough that I had to clamber over the packs, with no room to pull the canoe up sideways and the footing too iffy to jump over the side. The trail was on the left right after the second dam. No problem once we got to it. There was a third pull over through some rocks when we got to the unnamed pond, though that was easy. The next portage to Side would have been fine, except there is recent beaver flooding close to the unnamed end so we had to walk close to knee deep in water for several hundred feet, after getting everyone loaded up. The footing was sound, though. I suppose we could have re-launched at that point, but it hardly seemed worth the effort. There were several other wet spots as a result of the beaver activity. I think I'd go for the hill next time.

We came up from Point-Nest. The real issue we ran into is that Fisher showed a portage from Point to the first unnamed, and Christmar didn't. Foolishly, we believed Fisher. (I read the fine print and the Canadian portion is based on a 1979 topo map. Period! Christmar is checked by the Park) There were fresh footprints so we weren't the only fools. The unnamed end involved some distance of the proverbial boot-sucking mud; in fact, I got my foot stuck to the point I had to put down the canoe and extract myself with some difficulty. Definitely avoid this one, and take the two portage route (First to Isabella, then to unnamed).

We were tired and hungry by the time we got to Side, and had enough of mud, so we took the longer portage into Sarah. I didn't think it was that bad at all, just the first little pitch from the landing.

Anyone else stopped on the first island on Sarah? There's a concrete block at one of the campsites! Was that someone's cruel joke hid in a food pack?

We took Pineknot's route from MacIntyre to Ted. We really enjoyed it. We had some luck finding portages. From unnamed to Ted, we had spied this flat rock that seemed like a possible landing, though we started pushing up the creek at the end. But before we got too far, we figured we better check out the flat rock (it had a recent blow down disguising it) and sure enough, that was the portage landing.

On the Earl to Ted portage, we ran into a couple who had conveniently left their canoe on the end of the trail.

All that said, every portage took some searching.

From Ted, we made the mistake of going to Gardner Bay via the Newts. The portages into and out of Little Newt were not fun at all. Out of Newt into Little Newt, I had to Bushwhack around a little bay where we thought the trail left. I found it, but the only way to get to dry land was to carry our gear through flooded sedges that were too thick to paddle and almost to thin to walk on. Little Newt to Gardner bay was not much better.

Never did go through Anchor lake. There was a howling NW wind on our put in day, so we went through Poacher and struggled to get to a two star campsite on Sunday. Didn't help that PP closed for an hour lunch right when we got there. Figured if we were going to make Sarah on day two we better skip Anchor. Some other time. There was a map showing where the portage crew had been this year, and Anchor Lake was one of the routes they had cleared. In fact, in spite of the oddball portages we always seem to find ourselves on, we never once were stymied by a blowdown. Pretty impressive, really.

The only problem with the Quetico is that it ruins you for ever going to the BW again.

quote PineKnot: "My map-reading skills may be getting worse as I get older, but I had a heck of a time finding the first 3 portages on the southern route from McIntyre to Ted. I bushwhacked my way up and over the left side of the creek running from the unnamed into McIntyre, then spent 30 minutes trying to find the portage out of the first unnamed. According to Chrismar, it's between the two creeks on the north shore. Finally found the portage to the left of the western creek. Then I spent over an hour trying to find the portage in the little northwestern bay on the very scenic unnamed leading to Earl. Chrismar shows the portage at the northern end of the bay. So I scouted the entire perimeter of the marsh/bog with no success and was resigned to paddling out of the little bay back to McIntyre when I spotted the portage trail on the western shoreline as you enter that little bay. I was relieved I found it but a little ticked that I wasted wqell over an hour."

I detailed that area on a map in my trip report from a year ago. I wasted some time there too PineKnot. Here's a link and I point out the mistakes on the maps and the actual portage locations. McIntyre to Ted Lake Route

quote marsonite: "Here's how it went. From the unnamed lake northwest of the west end of Isabella, we took the "western route". Thanks to Timatkin, I had no problem finding the portage out of the first unnamed. We did first run into two beaver dams, which were actually rather challenging pull-overs; the water was deep enough that I had to clamber over the packs, with no room to pull the canoe up sideways and the footing too iffy to jump over the side. The trail was on the left right after the second dam. No problem once we got to it. There was a third pull over through some rocks when we got to the unnamed pond, though that was easy. The next portage to Side would have been fine, except there is recent beaver flooding close to the unnamed end so we had to walk close to knee deep in water for several hundred feet, after getting everyone loaded up. The footing was sound, though. I suppose we could have re-launched at that point, but it hardly seemed worth the effort. There were several other wet spots as a result of the beaver activity. I think I'd go for the hill next time."

We also took the route between Isabella and Side described by Marsonite. I've been playing with a new GPS to track trips so I've created and attached a little map of our route in this section, at the bottom of this post. On my map, "Unnamed 1" is the first lake northwest of Isabella, which (I think) you have to go through on any route to Side. "Unnamed 2" is the lake on the way to the Heart Attack Portage route, which we did not take this time. "Unnamed 3" is the lake (and beaver pond) to the west with the alternate portage into Side that we have been discussing in this thread, and which we did take this time. "Unnamed 4" is a little lake to the west that is shown on some maps as having a portage to Side but to my knowledge does not, so it can be ignored. The very southern tip of Side Lake is marked on my map with a label and arrow.

As Tim and Marsonite both said, to get from Unnamed 1 to Unnamed 3, you have to go up the marsh at the northwest tip of Unnamed 1 and over two beaver dams. I did not find these beaver dams to be as hard as Marsonite did, but they definitely added to the work. Then the actual portage begins at Waypoint 021 on my map, and ends at the beaver pond that is the eastern portion of Unnamed 3 on the map. This portage is moderately rugged and not heavily used. (On my map, there are multiple track lines across the portage itself because we were double portaging, so made three trips across. When we paddled, there is only one track line). The Unnamed 3 beaver pond itself is marshy, not open water, and you pull over another beaver dam between it and the main body Unnamed 3 at a very scenic spot (where the "3" is on my map). Taking the beaver dams and ruggedness of the portage into account, I would say that portaging from Unnamed 1 to Unnamed 3 is definitely more work than portaging from Unnamed 1 to Unnamed 2 - but not WAY more work.

Now, that extra work would easily be offset by the much easier portage from Unnamed 3 into Side compared to the Heart Attack portage from Unnamed 2 into Side - IF it were not for the fact that the beavers flooded the southern end of the Unnamed 3-Side portage. The flood is not visible from Unnamed 3 itself, so we unloaded at the obvious portage outtake at the north tip of Unnamed 3. But after carrying the canoe only a few steps, my path dead-ended in water. To us, it was not obvious which way the portage trail continued through the flooded area. So we loaded up the canoe again and started paddling forward through thick vegetation, until we were in the midst of swamp alders that impeded further progress. We didn't see the portage from there and were about to turn back when David explored a little to our west and found a short bushwhack track to the real portage that was on dry land just to our west, at Waypoint 023 on my map. We were able to unload our gear there, and then it was a very very easy carry the rest of the way to Side.

After we carried our first load from Waypoint 023 to Side and had walked back to Waypoint 023 for the rest of our gear, I decided to continue walking back on the portage trail as far as I could to see where the trail came from. I had to wade through some patches that were flooded ankle deep but were still readily passable, until the portage path dead-ended in deeper water at Waypoint 022. As you can see on the map, that's very close to where the portage begins. In fact, I estimate that only about 75 feet or so of the portage is really flooded. I did not wade out to see how deep it was. Basically, coming from Unnamed 3, when you get to the flooded part of the trail, the portage continues TO THE LEFT through the water (to Waypoint 022), not straight ahead the way we paddled (to Waypoint 023). So we went the wrong way. It sounds like Marsonite was more observant and followed the correct route through the flood to Waypoint 022. On the other hand, by paddling to Waypoint 023, the way we went saved us a lot of carrying and made the portage extra short!

All in all, I'd say that for us the flooding on the portage from Unnamed 3 to Side cancelled out any advantage compared to taking the Heart Attack route from Unnamed 2 to Side - especially when you factor in that it is somewhat harder to get from Unnamed 1 to Unnamed 3 than from Unnamed 1 to Unnamed 2. But much of the added difficulty was really psychological - not knowing where the portage was in the flooded area. If we had been armed with the current info supplied by Marsonite and by this post, it might have been easier. Anyway, it was an adventure!

Here's the map -

That's the route. The year we went was high water and maybe the beaver dam wasn't there but we basically floated or pulled through to the end of that portage - the "3" in "Unnamed 3" - where we lifted packs about the length of a canoe.

Unless there is a lot of rain between now and Sunday, I think we'll do heart attack hill (the three o'clock leg from unnamed 1 to Side, right?). It should be early in the morning - albeit second day which is traditionally when the aches and pains are worse for me - but seems drier. There's a decent site around eight o'clock on unnamed 1 as I recall - buggy sometimes - if the Isabella sites are not available. I don't recall much on Side.

HoHo - thanks for great report and map! Really good - printing and taking a copy with me.

GReat I thought I had discovered some secret easy route to Sara and now soem beavers flooded it :). We didn't get wet at all on our trip from Sara to North Bay takign this route so the Beaver dam (the one that flooded the portage)happened in the last year. Thanks for the update.

T

Cool. A picture is worth a 1000 words. Yes my conclusion was the same. The route would be worth it except for the flooding on the portage to Side.

I probably overstated the difficulty of the pullovers since we were three people and a little dog in a Q17!

This is an old thread but I thought I would update it since it concerns the main route to Sarah and one of the main routes to Kahshahpiwi.

As described by my 8/27/2012 post above, at that time part of the portage from "Unnamed 3" into Side was flooded by beavers. We went through there last Thursday (9/3/15) and that is no longer the case. The portage from Unnamed 3 to Side is now wide open, and it is flat and easy with a smooth tread - a huge contrast with the hilly, rough and rocky portage from "Unnamed 2" into Side. So now that the beavers have no longer flooded the former portage, it seems to me to definitely be the easier option.

Thanks for the update HoHo.

T