So who has plans for sleeping on the snow this winter?

I think we're gonna try Missing Link EP #51.

I was told that I am going in on Lake One, down to the edge of the burned area around Three to burn the wood that the Pagami Fire did not. I think there will be 5 of us.

Me me me!! Probably sawbill but haven't planned it out quite yet

Tuscarora would be an excellent lake to winter camp on, but that portage in the snow would be a killer to haul my wall tent into. I'm hoping to get up to Daniels for a long weekend and chase some trout in march.

Sawbill as well here, with plans to also camp in the SNF around the Wilson Lake/Harriet Lake area and a weekend or two in George Crosby to explore the trails and park.

Was fortunate to make it in twice last year - once to Clearwater and once an attempt to get to Gillis but only made it to Gutter with day trips to Bat to fish Lakers. Thinking about doing Clearwater again and trying Tuscarora. That was a hell of a trip trying to get to Gillis through unbroken trail, slush and tough portages with heavy sleds since we hot tent.

After last years trip to Alder via Clearwater we will be taking a much easier route. Leaning towards Daniels.

Yep, probably in January. Don't know where yet.

quote cjacoby: "Was fortunate to make it in twice last year - once to Clearwater and once an attempt to get to Gillis but only made it to Gutter with day trips to Bat to fish Lakers. Thinking about doing Clearwater again and trying Tuscarora. That was a hell of a trip trying to get to Gillis through unbroken trail, slush and tough portages with heavy sleds since we hot tent."

Back in the 90's I use to go to French or Gillis every year with day trips to Gabi from French lake in the winter. Couple years we broke trail with three feet of snow. Never new how great of shape I was in back when I was young and age 45.
Beautiful country in the winter. Use to loop from Round to Bat and come out by way of Tuscarora. Those were the days I remember fondly. Remember some portages would of been hard to cross,except in the winter moose used these all the time and there tracks crusted,which helped a lot.

Slush can stop you dead in your tracks and it is very hard to move forward. Lucky most of our trips we had only spotty slush spots at most.

Planning to hot camp on Duncan over the MLK long weekend in January. Did it twice last winter and had good luck with the lakers. Nice lake, only about a 45 minute sled drag from the entry point, and always have the option of snowshoeing up stairway portage for a nice view of Rose Lake. Just hope it stays cold enough this year to get a second trip in March, last year had to fight a lot of slush the first weekend of March.

We've officially committed to Spending a night at one of Tuscarora Lodge's cabins, then heading into Missing Link lake for a few days. Hopefully we can make it to Mavis lake too. Ahhhhhhh winter...

quote motdur: "After last years trip to Alder via Clearwater we will be taking a much easier route. Leaning towards Daniels. "

you should try alder again but go in from east bearskin... then you have just one short flat portage.

quote TuscaroraBorealis: "We've officially committed to Spending a night at one of Tuscarora Lodge's cabins, then heading into Missing Link lake for a few days. Hopefully we can make it to Mavis lake too. Ahhhhhhh winter... "

That's a great pic. Winter can't come soon enough. The one thing I miss about living in IA is truly having a winter. TB-- I'd love to winter camp with you sometime!!!

We are officially going to the ice fishing derby on Feb. 16th (unless the date changes) and then heading up probably in to Trout Lake entry :)

quote mocha: "

quote motdur: "After last years trip to Alder via Clearwater we will be taking a much easier route. Leaning towards Daniels. "

you should try alder again but go in from east bearskin... then you have just one short flat portage."

Hey mocha...we ended up coming out through East Bearskin. One of the guys from Bearskin Lodge gave us a ride back to Clearwater.

quote TuscaroraBorealis: "We've officially committed to Spending a night at one of Tuscarora Lodge's cabins, then heading into Missing Link lake for a few days. Hopefully we can make it to Mavis lake too. Ahhhhhhh winter... "

You gotta love those snow covered spruce trees...I love this pic, note the spruce tops almost touching the ground.

no trips planned, yet. i wait for the right weather, but my brother and son are both in duluth, and both are ready for spur of the moment trips. we keep things simple, cold (very cold) tents, etc. we have many routes that we have used over the years, mostly off the echo trail.

December 9th-13th (if weather permits)I am taking a first timer into Bog. Jan. or Feb. I am planning on giving fortown a shot. In March it is on to the Kawishiwi. I will be super stoked and surprised if this all works out as planned. happy camping to you all and may your journeys be safe!

Ive been heading in the BWCA camping for years. As i live in grand marais. Winter camping is the most secluded and quite! We have our first trip planned jan 1 to chase lakers! Next i do a seven nite solo trip!! Big lakers!!

I try to get out camping at the end of March each year when the days are longer and warmer. Last year I had to take a boat with. We still caught lake trout but there was something unnatural about trolling for trout when I should have been jigging and chasing flags.

Hopefully this year it will look a bit more like this in March.

quote davepi1: "Planning to hot camp on Duncan over the MLK long weekend in January. Did it twice last winter and had good luck with the lakers. Nice lake, only about a 45 minute sled drag from the entry point, and always have the option of snowshoeing up stairway portage for a nice view of Rose Lake. Just hope it stays cold enough this year to get a second trip in March, last year had to fight a lot of slush the first weekend of March. "

Duncan is a pretty lake with all the pine trees. It can be a challenging lake to fish but it sounds like you figured a few things out. Catch any big ones? There are some pigs in there.

Trying to plan a winter trip or two or a long Dec-Jan trip. Got to get it on the calender soon but life has some twists at the moment. i may have to live vicariously through all of your adventures.

Currently I'm trying to slog my way through some health issues. I may have to limit my winter camping to car camping(at best), but at least it gives me goals to try to obtain. Something to strive for.......

quote Arceneaux: "Definitely planning a winter trip this year - thinking about Ram Lake as the entry - possibly taking a snowmobile to get to the entry point.
Tuscarora - we did the Missing Link Enty last year, with intentions of going both to Tuscarora and Mavis, but we ended up sticking around Missing link for 4 days - why move when you're catching fish!


PS - the mid site on the point makes a great winter site with several different tiers to it."

Thanks for the tip!

Hopefully we have the same problem regarding not making it to Mavis or Tuscarora. :)

BTW Welcome to BWCA.com!

Nice site for a view but you do get a workout climbing up to the fire grate!

quote Arceneaux: "Definitely planning a winter trip this year - thinking about Ram Lake as the entry - possibly taking a snowmobile to get to the entry point.
Tuscarora - we did the Missing Link Enty last year, with intentions of going both to Tuscarora and Mavis, but we ended up sticking around Missing link for 4 days - why move when you're catching fish!


PS - the mid site on the point makes a great winter site with several different tiers to it."

Like the X/Mas lights. Hopefully 12V of a Vex battery??

quote catfish72: "December 9th-13th (if weather permits)I am taking a first timer into Bog. Jan. or Feb. I am planning on giving fortown a shot. In March it is on to the Kawishiwi. I will be super stoked and surprised if this all works out as planned. happy camping to you all and may your journeys be safe!"

Any thoughts if bog lake will be accessible late January?

I don't think they plow the Tomahawk road in the winter. They might have a logging project down that way to keep it open. Check with the USFS in Ely or Tofte.

quote PINETREE: "

quote cjacoby: "Was fortunate to make it in twice last year - once to Clearwater and once an attempt to get to Gillis but only made it to Gutter with day trips to Bat to fish Lakers. Thinking about doing Clearwater again and trying Tuscarora. That was a hell of a trip trying to get to Gillis through unbroken trail, slush and tough portages with heavy sleds since we hot tent."

Back in the 90's I use to go to French or Gillis every year with day trips to Gabi from French lake in the winter. Couple years we broke trail with three feet of snow. Never new how great of shape I was in back when I was young and age 45.
Beautiful country in the winter. Use to loop from Round to Bat and come out by way of Tuscarora. Those were the days I remember fondly. Remember some portages would of been hard to cross,except in the winter moose used these all the time and there tracks crusted,which helped a lot.

Slush can stop you dead in your tracks and it is very hard to move forward. Lucky most of our trips we had only spotty slush spots at most."

That's one of my favorite areas too, winter and summer. A great winter loop, if the snow isn't too deep, and you don't travel too heavy, is: Round-Gillis-Gabimichigami-Little Sag-Crooked-Tuscarora-Round. Lots of trout potential and unlimited great camp locations.

I am planning a trip for the 3rd weekend in January, putting in on farm lake and setting up camp on clear lake for a few days. Last year I had good fishing on clear lake. I hope this year we will have a lot more snows to try out my new snowshoes.

I leave tomorrow with a group of 8 5th graders for a week in the bwca. Using Wintergreen as our outfitters, and this will be the 10th year I've taken students on a winter camping trip via Wintergreen.

Not sure yet what the route will be, but I will share our experiences when we return on 1/6. Should be a hoot; these kids are tiny and none have ever been winter camping before!

Best of luck on a great trip Frenchy.

quote SevenofNine: "Best of luck on a great trip Frenchy."

+1

quote Frenchy19: "I leave tomorrow with a group of 8 5th graders for a week in the bwca. Using Wintergreen as our outfitters, and this will be the 10th year I've taken students on a winter camping trip via Wintergreen.


Not sure yet what the route will be, but I will share our experiences when we return on 1/6. Should be a hoot; these kids are tiny and none have ever been winter camping before!"

Excellent job,what a Warrior.

Thanks, folks! The thing that is so awesome about this trip is that the kids are absolutely stoked, and rarely, if ever, do we ever sleep in a tent! In fact, the only time we've broken out the tents was two years ago when it rained. Otherwise, we're out under the stars.

Have a great time! Excellent travel conditions and reasonable temps, although tonight will be a bit cool for first-timers. Kudos for introducing kids to the North Country in winter.

NEWBIE headed in next week for my first BWCA solo!! Not sure how far I'll go, not sure what lakes I am doing yet?? I know one thing... I need to find some Lakers, maybe a Walleye or a large Pike.. And last but not least SOLITUDE! Route ideas and lakes are always appreciated, I could not have set up this trip without all of you guys and your great posts over the years!

C

quote Flightmed13: "NEWBIE headed in next week for my first BWCA solo!! Not sure how far I'll go, not sure what lakes I am doing yet?? I know one thing... I need to find some Lakers, maybe a Walleye or a large Pike.. And last but not least SOLITUDE! Route ideas and lakes are always appreciated, I could not have set up this trip without all of you guys and your great posts over the years!


C"

Perhaps give Snowbank or Sea Gull lake a try.

quote TuscaroraBorealis: "

quote Flightmed13: "NEWBIE headed in next week for my first BWCA solo!! Not sure how far I'll go, not sure what lakes I am doing yet?? I know one thing... I need to find some Lakers, maybe a Walleye or a large Pike.. And last but not least SOLITUDE! Route ideas and lakes are always appreciated, I could not have set up this trip without all of you guys and your great posts over the years!



C"

Perhaps give Snowbank or Sea Gull lake a try."

Have a great time,just don't over-extend yourself until you know your physical limits and your gears potential.

I remember seeing people going solo or a group on their first trip and they had over ambitious goals. I seen they were over laboring and there gear they had was not the best. They had big plans and I knew they would not meet their destination goal in the time allotted. Enjoy yourself.

If you are planning to target lakers know that the season for lakes entirely within the bwca is open now but lakes only partially in the bw like snowbank, or clearwater (not sure about seagull) are not open for trout fishing til next Saturday the 12th.

I have done a few short solos and would echo others sentiments about not biting off too much to chew. You will find space if not complete solitude wherever ou goin the bwca ths time of year. Days are short, foot travel slow and allow plenty of time for wood harvest and fun stuff like fishing or free-skiing (without a pack/toboggan/or other load to haul). I am headed up later next week and don't plan to be more than a lake or two deep in the wilderness.

tg

Anyone else headed out this week? I hope to be out Friday-Sunday. Looking at heading into Duncan or Daniels-the laker season outside the BWCA opens saturday so I hope to find some space inside the BWCA-if that makes sense.

tg

I wish all seasons would open the same day,that would take some of the excessive pressure off especially those lakes just inside the BWCA. They did change to the same closing date and that has helped quite a bit.

In other words the lakes inside the bwca have probably been worked over for a couple weeks now?

Thanks for the advice. Pretty sure I am going to stick to the Sag. area after researching the map. My only other option is heading to the Lac La Croix side. I am fairly well prepared, well traveled. I just haven't done the winter thing in a while! I am headed in Fri. and may stay til Tues. The only other problem so far is finding depth maps for Saganaga. No luck yet... I will write a report when I get back and I hope to take a few nice pics!


C

quote Flightmed13: "I will write a report when I get back and I hope to take a few nice pics!



C"

Looking forward to it.

For those of you with experience in the Sawbill area, does anyone know if Phoebe is accessible in the winter time? It may be too distant for a three-night trip I have planned for this upcoming weekend anyway (entering by way of Sawbill). It looks like the flowing water (interspersed with portages) connects Grace Lake to Phoebe, and I'm particularly paranoid of walking on ice with underlying currents. Perhaps someone has some knowledge on the depth of Phoebe River and any potential dangers involved with traveling this route. Thanks!

Talk to the Hansens at Sawbill resort.

heading into Bog or Clear lake on the 7th-12th of Feb. can't wait!

Anyone with a late season trip?

Yes if I get off my butt and just go. Hope for two trips in March. Probably 3-4 day trips each time.

Last year my march trip was a BWCA canoe trip on March 28th for lake trout.

We just got back from the Lake One area. As you can see the weather was sure kind to us. Hope to have a full report soon.

quote Sobi: "We just got back from the Lake One area. As you can see the weather was sure kind to us. Hope to have a full report soon. "

Looks downright balmy! ;-)