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 Boundary Waters Quetico Forum Trip Planning Forum Do I dare Bother? Reply
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| Previous Messages: | |
| Author | Message Text |
| jhb8426 |
08/21/2020 07:44PM Haven't been to Smoke or Burnt. The sites on Kelso are not all that good and the water in Kelso is a bit brackish. If the weather (wind) is good I'd opt for a site on Alton. |
| martian |
08/21/2020 05:53PM Thank you all for the advice. This is by far the most friendly & informative site I'm on. Never been to Sawbill so that's where I'm heading out from. Site 28 booked for the 4th - Looks awesome! Flipping a coin on Smoke, Burnt or Kelso. Any open site will suffice. I'm easy that way. |
| billconner |
08/21/2020 05:50AM Avoid Minnesota Education Weekend if possible. This year Oct 15 -18. Always lots of campers. |
| jwartman59 |
08/21/2020 01:00AM yes bother. Leafers will be out. Definitely not crowded as the weather can suck. I’d stick to areas that had been logged years ago. Little Indian Sioux is nice ay this time of year. The forest north of devils cascade has always been a favorite of mine |
| brux |
08/21/2020 12:00AM Go! If you paddle a few portages in you’ll have plenty of solitude. Early October is one of my favorite times to go. |
| jhb8426 |
08/20/2020 11:59PM By the time you're planning it should be fairly quiet. Even hardcore people let up a bit by then. After Sep 30 no permits, other than self issued, are required. "Self Issued permits are required for non-motorized day use visitors year-round and for all overnight visitors entering the BWCAW from October 1 – April 30. Self Issued permits are available from kiosks at BWCAW entry points and Forest Service offices (no reservation required and no recreation fees)." |
| minnmike |
08/20/2020 10:24PM The only bad thing about fishing in October is lake trout season is over. Also plan for any kind of weather and pray it's not like October 2018. Have a great trip. |
| martian |
08/20/2020 09:30PM Wow! That's a bunch of options. Very encouraging news. Thank you for the trip ideas. The plan looks like run up Sunday, camp someplace and enter on Monday. Typically we've base camped after getting a few portages in. I'll fish (unsuccessfully) and day trip sight see. Love winter camping so pretty exciting just thinking about it. |
| cowdoc |
08/20/2020 08:52PM Late sept and Oct its mostly weekenders. People within close driving distance watch the weather forecast for weekend. If nice, they snag a permit Thursday and drive up Friday after work.....go in one or 2 lakes and spend the weekend. If you're doing a week long trip, don't get discouraged by a crowded parking lot and a bunch of canoes on your entry lake. One or 2 Portages later and you'll have the crowds behind you and it should get quiet. |
| Cricket67 |
08/20/2020 07:57PM I agree with others, by October the numbers should be down quite a bit. That is not to say you won't see anyone but it would be shocking if campsites were full or if there will be traffic jams on the portages. With 5 days you would have a lot of options. Might help to know what you are looking for - do you want to travel each day and cover a lot of territory? Base camp and fish/take day trips? Some combination. Here are a couple of suggestions- EP14 LIS. I have not been here but it is where I am planning my 5 day solo for next spring. My plan is to set out early the first day to get away from any the closer lakes. They up to LLC and around, back through GoBe, down to Oyster, then either back out to EP14 or down to EP16. Figure I can adjust the route to either smaller lakes or Loon/LLC depending on the wind. If you want to take it easier you can stick to the more southern lakes like Shell/Lynx/Oyster/Agnes which people speak highly of. EP26 Wood. Nice route through some good (no pun intended) fishing Lakes. Lots of fond memories of Wind Lake from my youth. I would think about exiting at EP25 Moose. EP28 Snowbank. Again, there are shorter and longer options here. It has been awhile since I was in the area but there are some nice fishing options and some nice loops that will get you back to your starting point. EP38 Sawbill. If you are up for a 440 Rod Portage you can get to an area where in October you would likely not see anyone. Just go North through the Kelso river and up to Zenith Lake. Spend a couple of days checking out nearby lakes or doing a loop out to Dent Lake and back. Also a nice option to do a loop from Sawbill up to Cherokee, Temperance, Jack, Burnt, and back to Seagull. Note that Sawbill lake itself would likely have some people on it. EP47 Lizz. Several options here. Base Camping at Vista which everyone raves about, short loop to Gaskin and back through Meeds, Longer loop down to Winchell and back, or even longer loop going west to Long Island lake and then back through Skipper. You would be starting and stopping on Poplar lake where Rockwood Outfitter is located in case you are renting anything, want to crash in a bunkhouse the night before, or have a hot shower waiting for you on your exit day. EP 50 Cross Bay. If you want to do a longer loop you can go south through Long Island, down to Frost, follow the Frost River west and come up to Mora, then back through Gillis or Tuscarora and back to your starting point (which is actually Round Lake) . Here again there is a very good outfitter named Tuscarora Lodge that could provide a bunkhouse, any rental equip, and a post trip shower. Another option that I really want to do sometime is to start from EP 50 and do a route through Long Island leading to Poplar Lake. I'd stay at Rockwood lodge and have them drop me off at EP50. EP55 Saganaga. Here I would get a tow from either Voyageurs or Seagull Outfitters to American Point then paddle to Ottertrack and down to Easter or Hanson. From there you can explore the area around SAK (South Arm Knife) and move down to Ogish before making your way back East through Jasper, Alpine, and then to Sea Gull and back to whichever outfitter you used. Both have bunkhouses/showers/ect. |
| 4keys |
08/20/2020 07:36PM Any BW trip is better than no trip. Do it while you can, and be sure to have a flask along to deal with any craziness there. |
| cowdoc |
08/20/2020 07:20PMNigal: "The noobs will be gone by then. Wishing I would have pushed mine back now. Going the week before Labor Day? Wth was I thinking? " I've done the week before labor day. Its usually pretty quiet. I know this year has been different but I still think schools starting....even virtual....will change peoples priorities and schedules and many places start before labor day. Watch out on that Friday night before though. You do not want to be traveling. |
| deerfoot |
08/20/2020 06:46PM Go in during the week. Even in October the weekends seem to become much more busy. This is what we experienced a couple of years ago off the Sawbill Trail. |
| Nigal |
08/20/2020 06:22PM The noobs will be gone by then. Wishing I would have pushed mine back now. Going the week before Labor Day? Wth was I thinking? |
| Blatz |
08/20/2020 06:06PM I'm planning a trip then. I'm figuring it will be settled down by then |
| martian |
08/20/2020 05:16PM Coming up for a solo October 5th through the 9th? Or will it be stupid busy. Where would you advise entering at? It's either this or a section of the Ozark Trail as I need to get outside badly. Thanks martian |
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