New Trip Report posted by PortageKeeper

Trip Name: Portage clearing trip 2016/ LIS North.

Entry Point: 14

Click Here to View Trip Report

Thank you very much for all your hard work. FRED

quote FOG51: "Thank you very much for all your hard work. FRED"

+1

quote boonie: "

quote FOG51: "Thank you very much for all your hard work. FRED"

+1"

+2 On my solo trip last week I found a whole new level of appreciation for the work you do to clear portages. I entered solo at Morgan last Sat. and it took me 2 and 1/2 hours to get through because of how many trees were down across the portage.

kind of funny.... last night I was watching some bwca youtube videos and ran across one of nibimocs talking about planning on doing a portage clearing trip in May in the LIS North area ;) when he said that my first thought was maybe he was going with you

Yes thanks very much! Where do you stay on these trips? Do you bring canoes and camp at regular campsites? Does the group work closely or are you spread out? Is the axe used for stumps? I got one of those Irwin rough cut saws at your suggestion years ago and I use it all the time.

Thanks again! I really admire that you guys get out and do that.

Thank you,your awesome for your volunteer work.

quote Zulu: "Yes thanks very much! Where do you stay on these trips? Do you bring canoes and camp at regular campsites? Does the group work closely or are you spread out? Is the axe used for stumps? I got one of those Irwin rough cut saws at your suggestion years ago and I use it all the time.


Thanks again! I really admire that you guys get out and do that."

We paddle in and camp as normal. Everyone brings their own gear, canoes, food etc. I usually supply all the tools. We spread out for the brush nipping which is the lions share of the work. On trees, we team up. The axe gets used either to drive a wedge or chop a pinched saw out of the tree. I would never bring the saw without wedges and axe.
The saw...

quote PortageKeeper: "

quote Zulu: "Yes thanks very much! Where do you stay on these trips? Do you bring canoes and camp at regular campsites? Does the group work closely or are you spread out? Is the axe used for stumps? I got one of those Irwin rough cut saws at your suggestion years ago and I use it all the time.



Thanks again! I really admire that you guys get out and do that."

We paddle in and camp as normal. Everyone brings their own gear, canoes, food etc. I usually supply all the tools. We spread out for the brush nipping which is the lions share of the work. On trees, we team up. The axe gets used either to drive a wedge or chop a pinched saw out of the tree. I would never bring the saw without wedges and axe.
The saw...
"

That looks like cool tool.

quote PortageKeeper: "

quote Zulu: "Yes thanks very much! Where do you stay on these trips? Do you bring canoes and camp at regular campsites? Does the group work closely or are you spread out? Is the axe used for stumps? I got one of those Irwin rough cut saws at your suggestion years ago and I use it all the time.



Thanks again! I really admire that you guys get out and do that."

We paddle in and camp as normal. Everyone brings their own gear, canoes, food etc. I usually supply all the tools. We spread out for the brush nipping which is the lions share of the work. On trees, we team up. The axe gets used either to drive a wedge or chop a pinched saw out of the tree. I would never bring the saw without wedges and axe.
The saw...
"

Thanks for your volunteer work!! When I started working for the Calif. Dept. of Forestry (CDF) we didn't have chain saws on the engines yet. We used a saw similar to the one you have. The crews called it a misery whip. Its hanging on my wood shed now.

quote MHS67: "

quote PortageKeeper: "

quote Zulu: "Yes thanks very much! Where do you stay on these trips? Do you bring canoes and camp at regular campsites? Does the group work closely or are you spread out? Is the axe used for stumps? I got one of those Irwin rough cut saws at your suggestion years ago and I use it all the time.



Thanks again! I really admire that you guys get out and do that."

We paddle in and camp as normal. Everyone brings their own gear, canoes, food etc. I usually supply all the tools. We spread out for the brush nipping which is the lions share of the work. On trees, we team up. The axe gets used either to drive a wedge or chop a pinched saw out of the tree. I would never bring the saw without wedges and axe.
The saw...
"

Thanks for your volunteer work!! When I started working for the Calif. Dept. of Forestry (CDF) we didn't have chain saws on the engines yet. We used a saw similar to the one you have. The crews called it a misery whip. Its hanging on my wood shed now. "

I have several of that type as well. Nice truck!

Thanks for organizing and seeing this through, Joel!

I wished I lived closer. I'd love to do this.

thanks for all the portages your crew has cleared over the years

Thanks to all those who helped.
Our entry this year IS ep14.
We'll be going to loon, heritage, and shell so we'll get to see your handy work.

quote Mocha: "thanks for all the portages your crew has cleared over the years
"

Yes

I'm surprised that volunteers cleared the portages. I thought it would be the state of Minnesota or US Forestry Service or something. Are all portages maintained by volunteers? Or is it a mix?

And thank you!

Most portage clearing work is done by volunteers with the FS doing what they can to fill in the gaps. The FS does take care of the hazardous tree snags, latrine relocations, fire grate replacements, trail drain repair, walkway repairs etc. This is not counting the huge amounts of work done after a fire has gone through.

This would be a fun thing to do someday. Do you get any sort of certification with the Forest Service or do you just go up and start clearing trails?

quote PortageKeeper: "Most portage clearing work is done by volunteers with the FS doing what they can to fill in the gaps. The FS does take care of the hazardous tree snags, latrine relocations, fire grate replacements, trail drain repair, walkway repairs etc. This is not counting the huge amounts of work done after a fire has gone through."

Thanks for that. Is the longer Pauness-Shell portage still interrupted by the pond? Seems like this has become a permanent "feature."

quote SaganagaJoe: "This would be a fun thing to do someday. Do you get any sort of certification with the Forest Service or do you just go up and start clearing trails? "

I have to get re-certification to use a crosscut saw in the BW. There is a class each spring in the Ham Lake area north of the TC's. If you do not bring a big saw then I don't believe you need any training but they need to know that you are going in to do that and will likely want to give you some instruction. If you do not bring a big saw then they have to go in anyway to get those trees so I figure the big saw is necessary. Their concern is about people getting hurt doing this so most of the class is about cutting trees safely. They also have a concern of people over-doing it and cutting things that shouldn't be cut.

quote schweady: "

quote PortageKeeper: "Most portage clearing work is done by volunteers with the FS doing what they can to fill in the gaps. The FS does take care of the hazardous tree snags, latrine relocations, fire grate replacements, trail drain repair, walkway repairs etc. This is not counting the huge amounts of work done after a fire has gone through."

Thanks for that. Is the longer Pauness-Shell portage still interrupted by the pond? Seems like this has become a permanent "feature."
"

Yes, the pond is still there. Usually they wait a while to see if the pond remains active, then decide if they should re-route around the damn. Building a walkway over the pond just invites the beaver to build against the walkway so that seldom happens because the walkway just disappears into the damn. We likely would have just walked through if it were summer but being ice cold ruled that out so we re-loaded and floated across.

Since I'm going in to this area day after tomorrow (eeeeeek) I'm very very thankful for the handwork that you guys did!

Thanks!

So, I can personally thank you folks. I was right behind you! Which of you was the gentleman with the chocolate lab? (That is what he appeared to be) i think I spoke with him! We moved to the site on the north side of Con island right after you left. Turned out to be a bit of a mistake. With that big wind coming from the north. Toughed it out and came out Sunday.

Hey PK, check with your guys and find out if anyone left some kind of pruner. Might be fiskars as it has a black and orange handle.Not much bigger than an ordinary pliers. Pete

The owner of the lab was a new fellow named Jeff from Rochester.
Mike from Iowa had a hand pruner with him.

If Mike from Iowa can email me I will ship it back to him. Pete

Thanks
I just sent Mike a note to see what he wants to do.

now that is what makes America great!

Kudos to Joe and crew. Contrary to popular belief, public service can be FUN!

Yes! Thank you! The portages were very well maintained on our trip in!

I had a great time on this portage clearing trip, thanks for allowing me to take part

Found this cooler floating in shell lake, looks like a bear got into it. this is the view from the campsite on the devil's cascade portage