Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Trip Planning Forum :: Sawbill this Sept.
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ducks |
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Jaywalker |
quote MikeFF: " Any of the medium to larger sized lakes can be problematic when the winds get strong, like sustained 15-20 mph or more. And so yes, a north wind (or south wind) on Alton would be potentially more trouble than from the E or W. Of course, it depends too which way you are trying to go! Most of the time winds will calm down significantly at night, making early morning a great time to travel. If a high or low pressure system brings sustained (overnight) winds it will be more of a problem, but the forecasts for these are usually pretty good. I use this wind prediction website for a lot of activities. You can check in the days before your trip and always make changes as needed. |
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MikeFF |
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MikeFF |
How often is the wind bad on Alton? Is it worst with a north wind? I will definitely not have a strong bow paddler when I go next year with a 6 year old, and my wife has some canoeing experience, but not a lot. |
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MikeFF |
I'm definitely don't want to just camp on Sawbill. I have plenty of canoe experience, but my wife has less and I really want her to get a real boundary waters experience with at least a few portages. I'm also taking my son to Glendalough state park this summer to their canoe in sites and he's been canoing with me at our lake cabin since he was a todler so I'm expecting him to do well. |
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Jaywalker |
When you go in September, there's no reason you and your wife could not scout out both the Lady and Fire lakes to see which you like best. Spend a day or two on one, then head to the other. In September there will be fewer people so getting a site you like will be a bit easier, but remember when you come back in the summer it will be busier and you may not get to the site you hope for. Summer competition for sites 3-5 hours from an entry point can be a bit tough, so start and end your paddling days early and be flexible. Good luck, and welcome to the forum. And if you go to the main forum page at the bottom, you'll find a special interest group with lots of info about paddling with kids. |
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MikeFF |
Now, I'm planning to do this sometime next summer, and since my wife seemed concerned about the whole trip, I jokingly suggested that I better go there this year so I'm more familiar with the area. Turns out she was up for doing a trip just us without the kids. I'm still making plans with my parents to watch the kids, but we will be going some time middle to end of September. My main question then is about the route. I see Sawbill to Alton should be very easy. Any other lakes in the area we should try for? Any suggestions for fishing in the area. I've been to the Boundary Waters twice before, both EP 16 up to Lac La Croix. This will be the first trip for my wife. |
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Northwoodsman |
Welcome to BWCA.com. I grew up in the city you live in. I still get back there once a year or so. Most of my family is still in the area. EP#38 to Alton is a 20 - 25 minute easy paddle. The portage is super easy, flat, short and wide. Alton is a dangerous lake however. Because of the way that it is oriented, it can be a wind tunnel. Unless you have a very strong bow paddler, I would hit it while it is calm, early in the morning. Alton has a nice spot on the far north end of the lake that is elevated up on a hill with a nice little beach and a beautiful view. The sites directly across from the portage are nice also. If you portage into Beth (moderately long but easy portage) that is a nice lake also. Sawbill has an outfitter at the EP and a very nice USFS campground. It has a couple of nice areas on the water for your son to play. Your wife may enjoy having a store right there and vault toilets (privacy). The campground is rustic; it has water spigots and toilets within 100 yards of most campsites. The sites also have picnic tables. The sites on the lake are really nice. Not much of a lake view but you can hike down to the water. Sawbill Outfitters are as good as you can find anywhere. You can issue yourself a daily permit at the dock. You could do the Sawbill to Kelso to Alton back to Sawbill Loop easily in a few hours. That would give you 3 lakes and a river to paddle. You could also head over to Burnt or Smoke from Sawbill and camp or make a day trip out of it. Another good option would be EP#37 Kawishiwi Lake. You could paddle the lake and the river. Going past Kawishiwi would be 4 long but relatively easy portages to Polly. Between Kawishiwi and Polly is a burned area, I don't think that you would want to camp in that section. You can camp right at the EP if you are lucky enough to get one of those spots, or their are a few more around the lake. #39 Baker Lake is also nearby. That would give you some nice small lake and river paddling without any major portages. At the end of one of the portages is an old mine that you son may find cool. EP38 is my favorite EP. |
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CharChar |
I am also a fairly newbie going in Sawbill with kids. If I am going to take the time to plan and go to the BWCA, I am going all in. We will just prep properly by taking a few canoe/portage trips prior and pack light, very light. We are taking the portages north to Cherokee. Our motto is to go slow and steady and constantly encourage each other with the reward of seeing a beautiful lake with lots of islands to explore. I am planning a 3 day route and giving us 7 days. Lots of room for rest, error, bad weather and a campsite we just don't want to leave. |
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jhb8426 |
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Northwoodsman |
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kajsa |
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mjmkjun |
Route: Sawbill->Smoke->Flame->Burnt. Get the feel of BWCA but never far from Entry point #38/Sawbill Lake. |