Gunflint (Magnetic Lake) Cross River Loop
by mmagwest
Trip Type:
Paddling Canoe
Entry Date:
07/17/2018
Entry Point:
Magnetic Lake (EP 57)
Exit Point:
Cross Bay Lake (EP 50)
Number of Days:
7
Group Size:
3
Discuss Trip:
View Discussion Thread (3 messages)
Day 6 of 7
Sunday, July 22, 2018 The goal for day six was to go up the Frost River to Frost Lake and camp there. The weather looked great. Five days - no rain - and day six was the same. I had done this entire route 25 years ago in a Coleman RamX with my wife, sister and nephew. So I knew what to expect. The water level was above normal. We came across numerous beaver dams. Some we paddle up, some we pulled the canoe over, and two we had to unload the canoe. We lost track of portages. Some seemed no longer needed like the 15 podder just before the Frost Lake portage. And some were hidden or not used. Canoers traveling down stream could bypass more portages. Most of the portages were rocky and difficult. The river was narrow ( less than 20' wide at times) with tight turns and it wore me out trying to steer. At other places the river / lakes were covered in lily pads. I expected moose. Perhaps it was too warm. At Frost Lake we saw moose tracks in the sand, and we heard one walk into our camp while we were sleeping. We had Frost Lake to ourselves. We took one of the two campsites on the east shore. There were lots of tent pads. Both sites had large cedar and hugh hemlock trees.