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landoftheskytintedwater
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09/15/2015 02:54PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
I plan on taking my first Quetico trip next spring. I've taken over 25 trips to the BWCA. We'll likely have 10 days, 9 nights. I will likely build in two layovers, so we're looking at a 70-90 mile loop. There will be two of us. Priorities would be scenery and nice campsites, pictographs/waterfalls, etc. Fishing is secondary and we're fine with some tough portages.

We'll almost certainly want to enter from the south. We'll likely go the week BEFORE Memorial Day so ice could be an issue if it's a late spring, and I think we'll potentially enter the day before the ranger stations open so that could offer up different options for our entry into the Quetico.

Any thoughts?
 
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dentondoc
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09/15/2015 03:40PM  
My suggestion:

Enter at Prairie Portage and head across Bayley Bay to Burke Lake. Turn right and head to Sunday Lake and take the 2 Meadows Lake portages ("big agony" and "little agony") to Agnes Lake. On Agnes, you will find over a half-dozen picto sites as well as Louisa Falls. Continue on to Kawnipi Lake (for more pictos, go via Keewatin Lake; for more intimate surroundings and better fishing go in via the Agnes River thru Murdock Lake). I'd spend a layover on Kawnipi and take time to explore McKenzie Bay and Kawa Bay (there are a couple of faint picto's in that area also). Proceed on east to Kenny Lake to catch a few of the waterfalls of the Falls Chain (Kennebas, Canyon, Koko, Little), then turn back west at Wet Lake to begin to close your loop. Head southwest through McEwen Lake down a chain of comparatively small lakes (Glacier, Turn, Edge, Bud, Dumas, Farquier, Star and Arp) to Louisa. Complete your loop by going DOWN the portage adjacent to Louisa Falls and reconnect to Agnes Lake. Repeat the Meadows portages back to Sunday Lake, but to do something a little different, take the portage from Sunday to Bayley Bay, directly ... skipping Burke Lake on the way out.

I've not measured out the length of this trip, but I'm reasonably certain it is within your mileage window. You can also cover a lot of water in a single day with lakes like Agnes and Kawnipi on your route (but alternately, you could have a battle with wind). The stretch between McEwen and Lousia will be a bit slower due to the number of portages involved, but placing this stretch toward the back end of your route means your gear will be a little lighter due to food/fuel consumption. And going from Louisa TO Agnes will make that portage easier. Hopefully it won't be wet. (BTW: There are spots on that portage where the two of you might what to work together to get your canoe down.) For this route, you'd be hard pressed to find better fishing opportunities. I think you'll also enjoy many abundant cliff faces along Agnes and broad vistas on Kawnipi. There are several exceptional campsites on this route. For me the only deficit could be the lack of solitude (although I once went 10+ days in this area without seeing anyone else).

dd
billconner
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09/15/2015 03:45PM  
From PP with some of your priorities, I'd consider Man Chain to Falls Chain and then McEwen back to Agnes. Great scenery, though slim pictos. But its a great route - I think around 70-75 miles if you tow to PP. Add Moose in and it will be near 90. Its one I want to do again, though pre-Memorial Day will make the bath in the Devil's Bathtub a challenge. This could start and end at end of Gunflint Trail as well.

There are a lot of good options.
09/15/2015 04:30PM  
The loop from PP to Kawnipi can be taken in various routes. I like dentondoc's route but would go out the falls and man chain returning via birch to Moose and out. I have done this loop in both directions and would use water levels in the falls chain as determining factor. High water means faster current going into Kawnipi.
The falls and man chains have some of the finest paddling and Kawnipi is majestic. Three days on Kawnipi and its bays and tributaries is not enough to enjoy its variation from old growth pine to recent burn down.
marsonite
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09/16/2015 06:13AM  
Not sure if going the day before the ranger station opens saves you anything. I believe you still have to go and drop your payment in the drop box at Prairie Portage.

9 to 10 days is a lot of time even with two layovers. You don't say how much travelling you do. My pick would be to go up through the meadows portages to Agnes, then up to Kawnipi head west, and come down Cairn -Sark to Kashawapiwi. I've done this in a 5 night trip. If you wanted to see yet more country you would go further west from Kashawapi maybe to Sarah, Macintyre, Tuck...some beautiful lakes there!

Hard to go wrong really.
landoftheskytintedwater
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09/16/2015 10:46AM  
It'll be me and my fiancee (by then wife). We generally single portage and on BWCA trips, we've done everything from 7-15 miles in a day, so I think a 10 mile average would work. This summer we did Round Lake to Little Sag via Tuscarora in a day both on the way in and out.

Thank you for the suggestions so far. Just based on things I've read, I want to include McIntyre and/or Argo but we certainly don't have to.

I think if we enter off-season we could register via mail so theoretically we could enter Mudro and go directly to Argo or something via Horse River/Basswood River/Crooked Lake or something like that. I could be wrong, though.
billconner
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09/16/2015 04:53PM  
Officially I don't think you can get you permit by mail but call the office and ask - they make exceptions.
dentondoc
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09/16/2015 05:00PM  
You don't need to acquire an "early" permit if you go in pre- or post-season. When unmanned, the ranger stations have a self-permit "kiosk" available where you complete your permit form and make payment.

While this handles the permitting issue, you will still need to check in with Canadian Customs or acquire an RABC (Remote Area Border Crossing permit). If you want to head in via the shortest approach to Argo, you might want to go in via Crane Lake. Tow operators out of Crane Lake will make a stop at Sandy Point to clear Canadian Customs before dropping you at your selected EP. Other southern EP's require an RABC.

Also remember you need a license and an Ontario Outdoor Card if you plan on fishing. This can be acquired online, which always seems the easiest option to me.

dd
marsonite
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09/16/2015 07:01PM  
Yes call the park. Pretty sure you are either going to have to go to PP for a permit (Or Lac Lacroix via a tow from Crane Lake), or else pay Latourelles to go pick up your permit for you which would give you the option of putting in on Mudro. They charge $125 for this. I would think they could go drop your payment at the kiosk too. Hopefully you could get a BWCA permit because it makes for a sort of long day to stop at Latourelles to get your permit and then drive to Mudro and paddle the 10 miles to get into the Q.

However, if you haven't been to the Quetico before, I really don't think you would be disappointed going in through Prairie. I have been to the three major canoe parks in NW Ontario as well as all over the BWCA, and my favorite paddle remains the paddle up Agnes in the narrows section and then breaking out into the main basin of the big lake. Or go for Sarah, or the Man Chain, or whatever. Lots of great options out of Prairie, and being that you haven't been, I'd say start there.

PineKnot
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09/17/2015 05:13AM  
One of my most memorable trips was a 10-nighter in 2008 with my son when he was still in high school...we towed up to PP and over to Lincoln Island. From there we paddled through the Basswood Falls area into Crooked, then to Argo, Brent and back down McIntyre to Robinson and then out via Kett back to PP. Lots of great campsites, clear water, pictos, Table Rock, falls, message caches, etc....and great fishing just about everywhere...
landoftheskytintedwater
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09/17/2015 09:48AM  
PP may be the most appealing regardless because while I have some hesitation to use a tow, I think it'll be worth it on the way in.

We're both experience in a canoe and I have full faith in our map-reading abilities but I worry slightly about doing the falls chain in spring without having been before. But I also don't know which way the water flows, would we be going up or down stream coming from PP?
dentondoc
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09/17/2015 10:01AM  
quote landoftheskytintedwater: "PP may be the most appealing regardless because while I have some hesitation to use a tow, I think it'll be worth it on the way in.

We're both experience in a canoe and I have full faith in our map-reading abilities but I worry slightly about doing the falls chain in spring without having been before. But I also don't know which way the water flows, would we be going up or down stream coming from PP?"

The water flows toward Kawnipi from Sag. I've traveled the complete falls chain in the May and didn't have any particular issues. However, you might note from my suggested route, I only had you do a part of the chain ... and going UP stream. I only remember Kennebas Falls being much of an issue going up stream, but there is an eddy area on the right as you approach, so its just a little swift water paddling before you are out of the current as your approach the falls.

Doing the complete chain going down stream, there are a couple of points where the take-out point for the portage is very close to where the falls drop off. But even in a solo canoe, it can be safely negotiated going down stream ... you just need to pay attention.

As for the tow to Lincoln Island (and then to the Basswood River/Crooked Lake, Argo, etc.) ... that is also a nice option. One thing that could be a minor inconvenience is that the truck portage operator (taking you from the Sucker Lake into Quetico per se) doesn't typically operate a full schedule until permitting season begins. So if you are taking a tow to PP and area heading in pre-season, confirm that outfitter transporting you to PP and confirmed a time with the truck portage operator. Otherwise, you could be waiting a while (which happened to me on the way OUT on a fall trip).

dd
Canoodler
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09/20/2015 06:12PM  
You say that you would almost certainly want to enter from the south but it is cheaper to enter the Q from the north and those entry points, after a little paddle and portage, will reveal a quieter trip.

I'd enter at entry point 22, Sue Falls, and see your first falls. Then Quetico Lake to Jean, to Sturgeon, Lonely, Walter and McAlpine ending at your starting point. There are 4 pictos on Quetico, one on Cirrus and one on McAlpine Lakes. A trip of this layout has few portages relative to the distance travelled. You will be mostly alone because the large lakes tend to swallow people up. The one caveat is because many of the lakes are big, being wind bound is a possibility. With your trip duration, however, you can build in layover days easily because on good travel days, you may cover a lot of miles. Exit large lakes early in the morning, if possible, to beat the winds. The only drawback to this trip is the dearth of waterfalls. A side trip to Russell Lake brings you to Chatterton Falls which is impressive. So, a one or two waterfalls, many pictos, scenic lakes, trout and pelagic fishing. Research will point you to many great campsites along the way too. I could point out a commercial Quetico campsite database but this forum will not let me steer this to you. I could email this to you if you wish.

I would strongly advise that you start your trip later since fishing is secondary in your plans. It is dangerous to be out in such waters so soon after ice-out. Wilderness canoeing presents enough physical challenges so why add significantly to the list?
billconner
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09/20/2015 08:31PM  
quote landoftheskytintedwater: "PP may be the most appealing regardless because while I have some hesitation to use a tow, I think it'll be worth it on the way in.


We're both experience in a canoe and I have full faith in our map-reading abilities but I worry slightly about doing the falls chain in spring without having been before. But I also don't know which way the water flows, would we be going up or down stream coming from PP?"


I paddle from Moose EP. It's two hours to PP. Lots of great routes. I've never been bothered by the motor traffic, especially this early in the season
09/29/2015 07:26AM  
Two things:

1. The Falls Chain flows NW from Saganagons to Kawnipi.
2. The tow up the Moose Chain only saves you two hours or less. Hardly worth the money, IMO. We don't use a tow and still paddle to beyond Agnes narrows in a day. Moose Lake landing to the bottom end of Agnes takes 7-8 hours if you are efficient.
carmike
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09/29/2015 07:37PM  
Just curious: Why no interest in entering from the north?
canoester
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09/30/2015 06:24PM  
quote landoftheskytintedwater: "It'll be me and my fiancee (by then wife). We generally single portage and on BWCA trips, we've done everything from 7-15 miles in a day, so I think a 10 mile average would work. This summer we did Round Lake to Little Sag via Tuscarora in a day both on the way in and out.


Thank you for the suggestions so far. Just based on things I've read, I want to include McIntyre and/or Argo but we certainly don't have to.


I think if we enter off-season we could register via mail so theoretically we could enter Mudro and go directly to Argo or something via Horse River/Basswood River/Crooked Lake or something like that. I could be wrong, though."


There are so many "musts" in QPP. Everyone should do an Agnes-Kahshahpiwi loop at some time. Doing the Man Chain and Falls Chain to Wet and then McEwen and down to Louisa is nice. I'd suggest if you want to get to Argo, get a Sarah EP. Get up to Brent and come through Darkwater to Argo. It MUST be a sunny day or you will not experience what makes Argo special. Come down the Siobhan to Crooked and visit Curtain Falls. Return along the border, taking in the pictos on the Basswood River.

I've done the Falls Chain to Kawnipi often from Cache Bay. Another route no one should skip. My preference however, if Kawnipi and the lakes above are the destination, is to come in through the Poet Chain. Here the journey is every bit as great as the destination. Enter Dawson Trail or Nym.

Lac La Croix can be either a BWCAW or QPP trip. The pictos are superb.

Paddled the length of the Maligne as one segment of our trip in August. Beautiful river that I've always enjoyed.

I love trips that include Jean, Sturgeon and Quetico lakes. Quetico has some of the most interesting pictos. In the Spring, I'd opt for Nym or Dawson Trail EPs. Beaverhouse is another option but that's an EP that I would avoid during the muddy season because of the road, but totally reasonable at other times. Easy access to Quetico Lake. That was OUR honeymoon trip a few years back.

So many options but all of these trips should be on your bucket list. Many more also, but you have to start somewhere!

FWIW, we avoid tows like the plague. I wish they were banned.

(P.S. I'm being anal here but it's not "the Quetico" any more than it's "the Woodland Caribou" or "the Wabakimi". It's simply "Quetico" or Quetico PP". It is however "The Quetico-Superior area". Just sayin'...)
 
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