Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Trip Planning Forum :: Mid-September 2018 Trip
|
Author | Message Text | ||
cowdoc |
Kawishiwi Lake can be packed on Fall weekends, as can Polly......on the other end, Beth, Alton and Sawbill. Plan ahead. The portages into Polly are easy to find, fairly level, good paths. The 97 out of Polly to the Phoebe river is a beautiful portage. After that, the portages along the Lady Chain get a little more challenging. I prefer the 2 portage route out of Grace instead of the 280, but the 151 to Ella is a rock pit. The landing is a rocky challenge and the path is rocky half way up, and it gains good elevation, but Ella is beautiful. Make sure to talk to Sawbill oufitters about finding the "channel" through the rocky section of the Phoebe River between Hazel and Knight. Depending on water levels, it may or may not be easy to see and if you don't find it, it can be a slippery rock slog to get through there. Beautiful area....enjoy |
||
Bumstead |
|
||
pswith5 |
|
||
BuckFlicks |
Anyway, the pictographs are a must-see if you're in the area, and the paddle from Mallberg to Fishdance is very enjoyable. Agree with the idea expressed by Cowdoc. If your exit day is Friday-Monday, don't count on nabbing a campsite close to Sawbill. You may find one, but chances are you will see one occupied site after another and then be forced to either paddle all the way out to Sawbill, or backtrack to a previous lake that wasn't so full. If you're exiting T/W/T you might have better luck. Mid-September is a great time to experience the BWCA. No bugs and thin crowds. Weather is very unpredictable, though. Be ready for anything from 90 degrees with no clouds to snow, and everything in between. Maybe all of it in the span of 3 days. I'm sure you don't need to know that as an experienced camper, but it's the way of things... the weather could do anything that time of year. |
||
boonie |
If there's a universal lesson first-timers learn on the first trip it's: "we took too much stuff!" Portaging is a lot easier with less stuff. For Sept the weather can vary considerably, although it is generally very pleasant. Check the record highs and lows as well as the averages and be prepared. Also check the sunrise/sunset times. Wind can sometimes be a problem; the best plan is to paddle early and find a site before too late. You have plenty of time to do that route. Steve and I did a week-long Sept Kawishiwi to Sawbill trip in 2014 (see trip reports). Your route was our short option, but things looked good and we opted to take the longer route through Little Saganaga, where we spent two nights. One day was a very short one and none were real long. IIRC, Your route was around 35 miles +/-, which includes the extra two walks across each portage since I also "double portage". It's 9 miles (including the extra double portage distance) to the north end of Polly. It takes me around 4 hours. Keep asking questions if things aren't clear. |
||
KjerJoy |
My fiance and I are headed to BWCA for the first time this September for 8 days and 7 nights. We are entering at EP37 and plan to head up to Polly for the first night. We might spend a couple nights at Polly before heading down toward the Lady Chain. We're using Sawbill Outfitters, so we plan to exit out Sawbill. We both have experience canoeing and camping, but very little experience portaging. We don't have our route set in stone yet, other then EP and Exit Lake. Are there any "must see" locations/lakes in that area? What are the portages typically like? We've read a few trip reports from previous seasons, and have some idea of what to expect, but any tips or tricks for portaging would be appreciated! Basically, at this point, we're open to any advice, tips, and suggestions. We just want to have a safe, enjoyable and fun first trip to BWCA. Thanks in advance! |
||
AmarilloJim |
|
||
ChazzTheGnome |
Once you have a good system, it goes pretty quick. Like mentioned before loose items = equals lost items and/or time and frustration. The only loose items we like to have are fishing poles and paddles. |
||
SevenofNine |
The outfitter told us to take the single portage from Grace to Beth lake. We chose to do the two portages and go through Ella. I'm glad we did as I enjoyed seeing that small lake. Taking time to paddle the lake you make home is worth the effort often it's the small things (a pretty boulder, a sunken logging dock, or a cliff face) that bring joy on a lake. Honestly if it looks worth investigating and you have the time you should explore. |
||
bhouse46 |
I also like to use the search engine and trip reports for areas I plan to visit. They also have photos and comments that help know what to expect. And a strong support for practice. I presume if you have your own canoe you have portage pads. If not they are well worth the price. Pack with no loose items with the intent you will carry these packs and canoe over a trail. How will you split the load and also have a good distribution for trim in your canoe when on the water? Proper packing can make a big difference when you are carrying it and on the water, as you well know. A final tip...take time to enjoy and plan on returning. Many of us consider the BWCA an addiction. |