Hi all,

My Fisher map shows a 32 rod portage from Iron Lake to Portage Lake.

This portage doesn't appear on the map on this site. So, there are no reviews.

Can you share any information on this portage? Are there any tricky landings?

Thanks,
rdg

I just spent 10 minutes tracking down a thread discussing this area from earlier this year... only to find out it was yours! I'm sorry no one has answered your questions about this portage yet. I would call Rockwood, great folks, always helpful, they will have firsthand knowledge.

This old trip report has a little info

Portage lake trip report

ducks: "This old trip report has a little info


Portage lake trip report "

Thanks. I will check it out.

I've taken this trip twice in the past four years, starting out from the Iron Lake campground and going to Banadad with my son once and then to Rush with my wife the following year. I don't have any notes about the short portage from Iron to Portage but it does exist. I can remember the landing on the Portage side as being fairly flat, possibly a bit of a rock ledge. My wife couldn't remember anything of note about that portage either.

Perhaps it's because the next two portages were quite memorable. The portage to One Island Lake is A LOT of uphill (going south) until you cross the ski trail and is fairly lengthy. We also had an encounter with a very protective mama grouse on that trail. A small boulder field awaits near One Island Lake as you approach it too. The portage from One Island to Rush has a marshy/muddy start on One Island, climbs pretty dramatically in the first several rods, then follows the hill (cliff at some spots) skirting the swamp/stream on the right (west side). That portage had significant growth along it so the canoe maneuvering was interesting. Plus, you are right on the very edge of a 10-12' drop in some places.

On both trips it was very quiet on the lakes. Very few others even passed by. The first campsite on Rush is up on a hill with GREAT VIEWS. If you like elevated campsites, I highly recommend it. Son and I stayed at the first site (from Rush) on Banadad. We enjoyed it. Only one good tent pad though and on a sloping rock (might be slippery when wet). Banadad is a narrow lake and the rock wall directly across made for some great echoes with only normal talking on a very still night.

So not much about the short portage but be ready for the next two. But those are the memories that make great trips!

Thanks to those that replied.

This portage had reasonable landings on both sides and was a short up and over.

Before the trip, I was concerned about any moving water on either side of the portage. When I crossed it on May 26th, the moving water was not an issue. The water was flowing out of Portage Lake.

We even caught a couple of splake on Portage Lake.