Boundary Waters, Trip Reports, BWCA, Stories

Poplar Lake Loop 2013
by enreil

Trip Type: Paddling Canoe
Entry Date: 06/14/2013
Entry & Exit Point: Lizz and Swamp Lakes (EP 47)
Number of Days: 4
Group Size: 5
Trip Introduction:
This was my second foray into the BWCA and my first time going in off the Gunflint.
Day 1 of 4
Friday, June 14, 2013: Poplar Lake, Lizz Lake, Caribou Lake, Horseshoe Lake, Allen Lake, Jump Lake, Gaskin Lake, Winchell Lake

We drove up to the Nor'wester Lodge the night before from the Cities and camped there for easy entry into the BWCA the next day via the Lizz Lake entry point. A swarm of mosquitoes greeted us right when we got out of the car, and plans for no fire quickly changed in order to keep those bugs away! We stood around the fire for awhile after setting up camp until the bugs and a desire to get an early start drove us to our tents.

On Friday we packed up, ate a decidedly unhealthy but very delicious breakfast of doughnuts, and picked up our permits and canoes. Since we were going to travel each day, we went with Kevlar canoes, and I can't imagine going on a portage again with anything else. We put in at Poplar, and spent the day paddling our way to Winchell Lake. The weather was beautiful, with a slight wind from the West. This wind of course picked up as soon as we got onto Winchell. We decided to forego lunch in favor of getting to our campsite, which took a long time in that wind! We were pointed to the campsite across from the Cliff Lake portage by some kayakers we met on the lake, and were glad for their recommendation as that was a nice site. We could tell it was a popular one as dry firewood was hard to find. Dinner was steak and potatoes over the fire - doesn't get much better than that!