BWCA Tin Can Mike in Winter Boundary Waters Winter Camping and Activities
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12/28/2012 02:39PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
Anyone travel this direction in February? Looking for a new lake to try for the last Pike and Walleye weekend. I see nice gills are caugh out here too. Any info would be appreciated!!
 
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catfish72
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12/30/2012 01:15AM  
I have not been there in winter but have passed through many times in the summer. that being said if you have never been in that area and are planning getting there through Mudroe it is going to be real nasty. the two portages out of mudroe into Tin can Mike lake are pretty steep and rough. The one out of Mudroe into Sand pit is the worst of the two. There is a winter route through Jackfish bay or Range lake that may be a better option. I do think they are longer routes though. Hope you have a great trip!
sayer
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01/01/2013 08:57PM  
As catfish recommended, you will definitely want to look at avoiding the portage from Mudroe to Sand Pit. There are multiple names for it "billy goat portage",,, "heart attack hill"... It's doable in summer for sure, but with large boulders in the trail it would be un-skiable unless there is snow galore, and to do it with a sled behind would be real tough in any condition. The portage from Sand Pit to Mudroe is longer but dead flat. Most of it is on a wooden walkway through swamp.

I would not expect to catch Walleye on Tin Can Mike, I'm sure they are there somewhere, but it's not a "Walleye Lake". 6 of us ended up staying there for days last summer because Horse Lake was full up. None of us caught or saw a Walleye. You can catch all the Northern and Bass you would want there though. I'm sure it is possible to find the Walleye there, but with Horse Lake just a quick portage away, why beat yourself up? We just made quick and light fishing portages up to Horse for our Walleyes and they were plenty abundant in that South-East bay coming from Tin Can Mike.

We decided that two nicest spots were on the hills at opposing sides of the North end of the lake. Have fun!
catfish72
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01/01/2013 10:01PM  
Sayer is right on this one. I misremembered! The portage from Mudroe to sand pit is nasty! the portage from Sand pit to Tin can Mike is the flat one. then the one from Tin can Mike to Horse is pretty ruff, but not as bad as the first. I do suppose you could do it if you were packing super light or willing to double portage in the winter. with the amount of stuff that I bring on my 9ft tobbogan I would have to split the load in 2 or 3 parts just to make it up that hill! Also going down would be imposible without 2 people guiding the sled. once you are done with it though it would be pretty smooth to the lake. sounds like a fun trip.
01/02/2013 10:15AM  
Thanks for the tips guys. So if Horse is the destination, maybe it makes the most sense to head up into Fourtown and then over. We have winter camped on Fourtown with some pretty good fishing success. How is the portage from Fourtown to Horse? It's been about 4 years since we did that one too so I have lost all bad memories :)
01/02/2013 01:10PM  
You could skip Mudro altogether and get to Sandpit from the end of the Cloquet Line, follow the old rail grade past Range Lake to Sandpit, from there to Tin Can Mike and Horse. That is, assuming that the Cloquet Line is plowed to the end in winter. If it is, the trail is pretty easy, except for one part where you have to go around a beaver pond that has covered the old right of way. But if the road is open, I'm sure others have gone in that way and you can see their route in the snow.
01/02/2013 02:01PM  
Great idea HoHo... to get to that Cloquet line do you drop off Cedar lake road? They look like the same road at times. Do they still always plow all the way up to the parking lot that was the Chainsaw Sisters? And then the question is if they plow that last little leg of the Cloquet??

So how far does that old rail grade go? Up to Horse??
01/02/2013 02:39PM  
The Cloquet Line goes directly off the Winton Road. Cedar Lake Road connects up with it and intersects it a few times, but you should stay on Cloquet Line the whole way. It does not go to the old Chainsaw Sister's parking lot anymore - I believe there's no drivable bridge over the Range River (not sure about that, though). Anyway, you just keep driving on the Cloquet Line until it ends at a small parking area. There are rocks there blocking further driving with an ordinary motor vehicle. But I am not sure how far up it is plowed. Maybe I'll drive over the next few days and take a look.

The old railroad grades continue up to Horse, Fourtown, and I believe even over to Angleworm, but I not sure you can follow them after Tin Can Mike. Maybe you could follow to Horse. Some of the grades are shown as railroads or roads on older maps.

01/02/2013 02:57PM  
I love the option you just mentioned: "maybe I'll drive over...". I didn't see until now that you are from Ely! Great place to be right now and I imagine every other season too.

That rail bed will make for great exploration. The group loves to ski and look around after making base camp.

Please do let me know if you make it out that way!!
01/02/2013 06:59PM  
Yep, been in Ely full-time for almost two years now and loving every second of it. If I don't post a report in the next couple weeks, remind me.

catfish72
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01/02/2013 11:34PM  
That is the winter routs I mentioned. I was out there some years ago not for any other reason than I was lost. I was actually trying to finD mudroe! but that is a different story. anyway the road seemed to be plowed until where it splits and goes over to Range lake. from there it was pretty packed down from vehicles heading out there. I do believe a fair amount of dog sledders head out that way. so if you have a 4x4 you should be just fine. Good luck on your trip Sobi!!
01/03/2013 07:46AM  
Will do! Hope to write up a little trip report for the first time on this site. Each of these winter adventures provides ample material for a good laugh. I will check back in a couple of weeks to see if anyone has a road report. Till then we will be planning and packing!!
Forse08
member (20)member
  
03/06/2015 12:29PM  
Just wondering if you made it up to Horse lake? I'm also curious as to how doable it would be to get to Jackfish bay from the Cloquet line road in the winter. Any responses would be greatly appreciated.
03/09/2015 03:49PM  
We never did. The crew has gotten a little soft and we haven't been winter camping for a couple of years now.
CityFisher74
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01/08/2016 12:45PM  
quote Sobi: "Thanks for the tips guys. So if Horse is the destination, maybe it makes the most sense to head up into Fourtown and then over. We have winter camped on Fourtown with some pretty good fishing success. How is the portage from Fourtown to Horse? It's been about 4 years since we did that one too so I have lost all bad memories :)"


Is this only for winter? I haven't seen anyone suggest this route before. I am planning on heading to Horse Lake in July 2016 and had always assumed we would go through Tin Can Mike etc.
schweady
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01/08/2016 10:09PM  
Sorry... wrong thread
01/10/2016 11:09AM  
quote CityFisher74: "
quote Sobi: "Thanks for the tips guys. So if Horse is the destination, maybe it makes the most sense to head up into Fourtown and then over. We have winter camped on Fourtown with some pretty good fishing success. How is the portage from Fourtown to Horse? It's been about 4 years since we did that one too so I have lost all bad memories :)"



Is this only for winter? I haven't seen anyone suggest this route before. I am planning on heading to Horse Lake in July 2016 and had always assumed we would go through Tin Can Mike etc."


No - there is a portage/route from Fourtown to Horse that we did in May.

There is an unmarked portage right near the last campsite on Fourtown (which we actually stayed at a few nights)... from there you'll paddle across a pond of sorts... and then encounter another set of light rock/rapids- some people ran the small set of "rapids" rock hazards - however we pulled over since we didn't want to bang up our kevlar canoe.

Then you'll do the 80 rod portage on the left side which is a nice walk through the woods and bam - you're into Horse.
 
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