Boundary Waters, Trip Reports, BWCA, Stories

Mudro, Beartrap River, Horse lake loop
by bobbwca

Trip Type: Paddling Canoe
Entry Date: 06/13/2009
Entry & Exit Point: Mudro Lake (EP 23)
Number of Days: 7
Group Size: 3
Trip Introduction:
This is my 18th trip through the BWCAW in the last 14 years, and I wanted to try a longer trip, and as always see places I havent been to yet! Most of my trips througout the years we reach our destination, stay most of the week fishing, maybe take a few day trips etc, then head back out. This year I wanted to see what it would be like doing more traveling, with a few days rest in between. Originally we were planning on 6 of us going but with the economy being what it is, only 3 of us were able to make this trip. My daughter Kayla, who ive been toting around the wilderness since she was 2, now 16 she can hold her own pretty good now, and my stepson Eric, who's 20, and on his first trip ever of this type. Hopefully you'll enjoy my account of this trip as much as we had doing it.
Day 1 of 7
Saturday, June 13, 2009

We wake around 4 am. from our hotel at Canoe Country Outfitters in Ely. We have a quick breakfast, showers etc. and are out the door by 5:30 am. and headed for the Mudro Lake entry point. We drive right by the entry point off the Echo trail, and many miles more decided to check the map, knowing that we obviously missed the turnoff road we turn around and finally make it there by 6:30. The water was to low to start at the bridge so we do the 30 rod portage and are on our way by 7 am. It rained last night, but so far today everything is looking good. We do the three portages into Fourtown Lake, and see a small jet looking aircraft buzzing just a few hundred feet over us. Never seen anything like this in all the years of traveling the BWCAW. I'm guessing it was something to do with border patrol, but didnt care for it much. The weather is great, mostly sunny, hardly any wind, a great day for canoeing! We portage into Boot Lake, crossed next portage to Fairy lake, and finally made it the North end of Gun Lake and stopped for lunch at the Northern most campsite by the portage into Gull Lake. Having two young travelers along has been great for the portages! Ive carried the canoe, a 17ft Alumacraft ultralight or the heavy #4 Duluth pack on each portage so far, and sent them back for the last pack, and whatever we didnt carry the first time across. We finished lunch of tunafish sandwiches and a granols bar and are back on our way by 12:30 pm. We get into Gull Lake and it looks like every campsite is full of people, we havent seen very many people until this point. We make it to the portage to Mudhole Lake, hop across that lake and our on our way to Trapper Lake, now there are no more people around. We do the short portage into Beartrap Lake and stop for the day at the only campsite there. We have camp set up by 4:30 pm. We eat supper, and I went to fish off shore and caught 1 small Walleye. Most of the portages so far werent too bad, some mud, but not that bad.