Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Trip Planning Forum :: Frost or Louse River Loop
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YardstickAngler |
cowdoc: "More chance to break the trip up on the Louse...more campsites. With either route....go west. Decent solitude on either." I am pondering this exact question with permit day approaching for my May solo. I initially planned on Frost River, but am leaning toward Louse because there are more campsites along the way that appear to offer seclusion. Is there decent fishing for Northern along the Louse? |
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SpiritsofAdventure |
Thanks in advance for the help! -Spirits |
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cowdoc |
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JCizzler |
We didn't run into anyone except on our first and last days. Very nice area if you are willing to put in the work. |
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UncleMoose |
It's probably easiest to open the large view of the map into a separate window so you can follow along with the numbers on the photos. |
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SpiritsofAdventure |
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nctry |
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UncleMoose |
Sawbill is a much more popular entry point and also has a first class outfitter right at the EP. Sawbill takes you through larger lakes, and Cherokee is particularly nice to pass through or stay on. As you've anticipated, it's more a personal preference between smaller, intimate water vs. a more travelled route with more open water. You won't go wrong either way. |
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UncleMoose |
Long Island is an excellent lake with a few fire scars on the east side from some years back. My understanding is that it's a good fishing lake. Frost is a wonderful, clear lake that I particularly like to stay on. A couple of the Frost campsites (north and west) even have beaches. Keep your eyes peeled for moose, especially over on the north and west sides. The only campsite between Frost and Afton is on Bologna Lake, just a short portage off the main river route about midway through. The site itself is nothing special and a bit overgrown from lack of use, but it's very secluded and convenient if you want to take your time enjoying your trip along the river. My wife and I share a special memory from that site of listening one night to two groups of wolves howling back and forth from points on ether side of us. Afton is a pretty little lake, and if I recall correctly, the water is quite tannin stained. The one campsite there is nothing fancy, but it's more than adequate for a small group. It's up on a little ridge which can help with getting a breeze. |
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SpiritsofAdventure |
-Spirits |
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arctic |
The Frost River offers some of the best solitude in the BWCA and a good chance to see moose. I would check water levels before paddling it though, as you could be in for some dragging/walking. Neither route is all that difficult, there isn't much in the way of old-growth pines, and the fishing isn't spectacular, but the scenery and solitude make up for it. |
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Michwall2 |
YardstickAngler: "cowdoc: "More chance to break the trip up on the Louse...more campsites. With either route....go west. Decent solitude on either." There is a picture from 2004 on the Sawbill Outfitter Blog of a good sized northern taken on Trail Lake. Trail Lake Northern |
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lilcowdoc |
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Corsair |
quote SpiritsofAdventure: "I've noticed that many people start and end the frost river route via sawbill entry. I was planning on entering via cross bay or missing link. Is the sawbill EP quicker or more scenic than the former? I've seen both, so Im sure preference is a big issue. I actually started my trip up at round lake and worked my way down to frost Lake for the first night stay. Good thing, we started the frost river first thing in the morning, and it took us 7 hours to go 3 miles to afton Lake. After staying Afton, worked our way up to Little Sag, then over to Brandt and back out at Round. |