Anyone gone up the Wawiag past Greenstone/Clay to portage into top of Mackenzie via Belaire? Couple of portages there. 185 rodder and then a 325. Just looking for whether it's feasible and if so what to expect besides logjams, beaver lift overs, lots of bugs, ....you name it! any info would be helpful. Entry would be 12th/13th so coming up soon.
Thanks!

Somebody has a trip report for this route, I read it but can't remember who it was now.

I have done the portage form Belaire to McKenzie. It was not hard but did get a little long. Many trees down which I removed most. On the Mckenzie end there was a washout which could put you in the mud for the last 50 Ft.. I went to the Wawiag but I was exploring a bushwhack rout.

quote MagicPaddler: "I have done the portage form Belaire to McKenzie. It was not hard but did get a little long. Many trees down which I removed most. On the Mckenzie end there was a washout which could put you in the mud for the last 50 Ft.. I went to the Wawiag but I was exploring a bushwhack rout. "

MP- Is that marker, I believe a ribbon around a stump, still there to mark the take out from the Wawiag to Belaire portage?

quote Bushwacker: "

quote MagicPaddler: "I have done the portage form Belaire to McKenzie. It was not hard but did get a little long. Many trees down which I removed most. On the Mckenzie end there was a washout which could put you in the mud for the last 50 Ft.. I went to the Wawiag but I was exploring a bushwhack rout. "

MP- Is that marker, I believe a ribbon around a stump, still there to mark the take out from the Wawiag to Belaire portage?"

I did not cross the portage to the Wawiag. I bushwhacked to the river at the park boundary so I do not know.

quote Bushwacker: "

quote MagicPaddler: "I have done the portage form Belaire to McKenzie. It was not hard but did get a little long. Many trees down which I removed most. On the Mckenzie end there was a washout which could put you in the mud for the last 50 Ft.. I went to the Wawiag but I was exploring a bushwhack rout. "

MP- Is that marker, I believe a ribbon around a stump, still there to mark the take out from the Wawiag to Belaire portage?"

MP & Bushwacker, Thanks! The market gives a clue as to where that is :) The Mckenzie maps are better but it's tough locate via google earth or G4maps...which is probably always the case. At least it sounds as though it's do-able. If you could camp on Cullen for example, could you expect, within reason to reach McKenzie by end of the day? Or is that overly optimistic, i.e. unrealistic?

My brother and I camped on Sagagons one night and Mack the next so you are in the ball park for distance travel in one day. There is only one camp site on Belaire. The island sight is destroyed by wind. The site I used is on the North side of the lake. If it is late in the day when on Mack you should stay on Mack.

I'd shoot for Mack. Awesome fishing lake and worth stopping early. It's an up stream paddle from mack. Then you have to locate the take out. Then It's a high stepping hike to a possible swamp before you hit Belaire. I heard there was a real trail running from Belaire to the river, around the swamp, but it was never finished. It's all very doable but you don't want to sweating bullets as the sun sets because you didn't make it. I'm looking forward to your report. I may have a GPS track for the river to belaire portage, I'll look around.

Also, try Bing maps instead if you want to look at satellite images. Bing's resolution is much much better.

Tom

Follow this link for the approximate portage location from Wawiag to Belaire. Here Click on interactive map and zoom in to the area. You can see the swamp/bog you'll have to cross 3/4 way through. Sometimes it's fairly dry sometimes not depending on the season. The take out used to be marked by a stump with a smiley faced carved on it and a cord tied around the stump.

Here's what Pineknot told me of the unfinished portage running from Belaire to the Wawiag. It's old intel and I have no idea if it was ever finished or been consumed by the forest by now. Magic Paddler is the intel guru for that part of the Q and if he doesn't know about it, it probably doesn't exist anymore.

"During the summer of 2000 my wife, Diane, and I paddled from McKenzie, to Belaire and then out to the Wawiag. We camped on a small island on the south end of Belaire. Very small. Prior to this trip I had spoken with a Quetico Ranger who gave me her map to use for the trip. She told me of a portage that they were working on from Belaire to the Wawiag. She said it was partially done and showed me where it was. It started in the south east corner of the lake. We found the portage easily enough. There was some flagging along the way. We followed he flagging a fair distance and then it just ended. I climbed up on a ridge and casted about both east and west along the ridge, but could never find any sign of a portage or additional flagging. We traced our way back to Belaire and comtemplated going back to McKenzie. This ranger friend had given me a map that is very similar to the map put out by Chrismar, which shows all of Quetico and all of the portages.
It showed an older portage leaving Belaire from the southwest corner.
Well...we found that portge as well and though...ok we can take this to the Wawiag. Well, all went well until we came to a beaver flowage which was quite large and confusing. We ended up paddling west and just kept on hitting beaver dam after beaver dam. We decided to give up and head back the way we came. On the way back, I glanced to the south and saw a red piece of flagging. We paddled over and sure enough, there was the portage heading south. The portage was in excellent condition and we eventually hit the Wawiag. The only thing we saw at the river to identify the portage was a small piece of flagging tied to a stump. The portage would be very difficult to locate, it was not readily visible from the river. I wish that I had had a gps with me and could have locked in on the location. I know this does not help you with your request. I also do not know if the Park ever finished the other portage that they started. Good Luck. Next time I go down the Wawiag...I will have a gps."

I have not been to that location on the Wawiag so I do not know if the tape is still there. The park did clearing of log jams and do portage work in that area I think in 2011. I have seen red flagging tape used to mark the start of some hard to find portages. I think portage crews mark then.

quote MagicPaddler: "I have not been to that location on the Wawiag so I do not know if the tape is still there. The park did clearing of log jams and do portage work in that area I think in 2011. I have seen red flagging tape used to mark the start of some hard to find portages. I think portage crews mark then. "

Thanks All! Great info. I will definitely be taking my GPS with me! Sounds like flexibility with an early start will be key... as well as keen eyes. I'll check in with the rangers at Cache on this to see if they have any info but I'm guessing it will be up to me when I get up that way. A portage Db mentions the route running down what sounds like a logging road on a ridge or elevated run of land 'but then to watch where it ends in brush straight ahead, because the turn to continue is to the left (north coming out of Wawiag heading to Belaire). The nice thing that I like about this whole route is there are bail out options such as Kawa bay or out Munroe to Kenny if I'm just not in the mood for it :_) Fishing on Mack also wouldn't be a bad way to spend a trip! I'll plan to get early starts and just be flexible and realistic on this one....and most importantly....enjoy the ride. Any one have any info the portages out to Kenny -- in case I bail in that direction? By the way, the MN canoe site is great and I really appreciate the campsite recommendations too.

I do not know of a logging road between Belaire and the Wawiag. That sounds like the portage between Belaire and McKanzie.

quote MagicPaddler: "I do not know of a logging road between Belaire and the Wawiag. That sounds like the portage between Belaire and McKanzie."

I checked back where I read this. It's Belaire - McKenzie and is described as --First few hundred yards are steeply up, then connecting to an old logging road bed. Walk along the road bed for half mile or so until meeting the turnoff to McKenzie (the turnoff is marked by a pile of woody debris blocking further movement down the road bed.) The road bed is more like one track of a two-track trail...the other grown over with small trees.The trail down to McKenzie is alternately rocky and swampy.

I think this is what I'm calling Wawiag to Belaire (but labeled where I found it as Maligne to Belaire -- could that be right? Hmm. anyway)

Take out is hard to find: look for tree stump with smiley face carved in it. Trail is extremely faint. Rocky with downfalls to step over...high-stepping every step of the way. Up and down for about 100 rods until you get to the creek. The creek winds through an open area that, depending upon the moisture level, may be very swampy. Once across the swamp there is a steep climb then a descent to Belaire Lake.

--sounds pretty close to the intel already posted....and what fun it will be!

HighnDry
The person to ask is Stumpy about how to find the portage and its condition. You can get an email address from the members directory.

http://www.bwca.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=forum.thread&threadId=78737&forumID=17&confID=1

quote MagicPaddler: "HighnDry
The person to ask is Stumpy about how to find the portage and its condition. You can get an email address from the members directory.

http://www.bwca.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=forum.thread&threadId=78737&forumID=17&confID=1 "

Thanks MP! I've been following his bushwack jamboree planning so I'll get in touch with him via a PM on that site and see if he has any wisdom to share! Let everyone know here what I find out.

quote MagicPaddler: "HighnDry
The person to ask is Stumpy about how to find the portage and its condition. You can get an email address from the members directory.

http://www.bwca.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=forum.thread&threadId=78737&forumID=17&confID=1 "

MP, Thanks for this link. Just checked it out. The photo of the swamp is worth a 1000 words at least. Wondering if I should bring along some flagging tape in case I have to backtrack. In any event, would the rangers at cache bay have up-to-date info on this when I get there at the end of this week? I'm guessing that it's worth a try. The Bing site helps too to locate the take-out. Should be interesting.

quote Bushwacker: "I'd shoot for Mack. Awesome fishing lake and worth stopping early. It's an up stream paddle from mack. Then you have to locate the take out. Then It's a high stepping hike to a possible swamp before you hit Belaire. I heard there was a real trail running from Belaire to the river, around the swamp, but it was never finished. It's all very doable but you don't want to sweating bullets as the sun sets because you didn't make it. I'm looking forward to your report. I may have a GPS track for the river to belaire portage, I'll look around."

Ever come across the GPS track and do you have any campsite recommendations for Mack? Just curious what to head for if I have the energy.

quote HighnDry: "

quote Bushwacker: "I'd shoot for Mack. Awesome fishing lake and worth stopping early. It's an up stream paddle from mack. Then you have to locate the take out. Then It's a high stepping hike to a possible swamp before you hit Belaire. I heard there was a real trail running from Belaire to the river, around the swamp, but it was never finished. It's all very doable but you don't want to sweating bullets as the sun sets because you didn't make it. I'm looking forward to your report. I may have a GPS track for the river to belaire portage, I'll look around."

Ever come across the GPS track and do you have any campsite recommendations for Mack? Just curious what to head for if I have the energy."

See this link below. Site 227 is pretty decent. Coordinates are included. Site 517 is supposed to be ok, centrally located and good fishing. None of the sites are great. The fishing tho is another story. It's a small mouth factory with big pike and walleye mixed in. Mack

Report?

Report?

quote Bushwacker: "Report?"

Sorry. Just got back from WCPP and am way behind on work and also my trip reports! Never made the Belaire portage though because the weather was awful (rain, wind, cold temps, high water levels etc) Ended up backtracking from Cullen to Silver Falls/Cache Bay, paddling out a day earlier (sunny day, calm winds :) because the next day was going back to rain & 10 -15mph winds with gusts up to 20mph. Others in my party had to detour around Falls Chain and opted to go Wawiag/Mack route as well instead of coming out FCs again. Need to get a report up eventually for all my trips though.

I'd be curious to hear if you took the creek from Cullen down to Kenny.

quote DancesWithTrees: "I'd be curious to hear if you took the creek from Cullen down to Kenny.
"
No. The short version is that I was soloing in a long boat and I didn't feel comfortable with the currents/water level to do any of the FCs on that trip. It was a definite possibility and it's still a route that I would like to do --- just may have to wait to do it in a tandem vs. a solo next time. Fishing was good though :)