BWCA Entry Point, Route, and Trip Report Blog
September 28 2025
Entry Point 50 - Cross Bay Lake
Cross Bay Lake entry point allows overnight paddle only. This entry point is supported by Gunflint Ranger Station near the city of Grand Marais, MN. The distance from ranger station to entry point is 45 miles. Access is thru the Cross River with two portages to Ham Lake and a 24-rod portage to Cross Bay Lake. This area was affected by blowdown in 1999.
Number of Permits per Day: 3
Elevation: 1670 feet
Latitude: 48.0760
Longitude: -90.8222
Cross Bay Lake - 50
Number of Permits per Day: 3
Elevation: 1670 feet
Latitude: 48.0760
Longitude: -90.8222
Cross Bay Lake - 50
Missing Link to Poplar for solo number 2
by Cricket67
Trip Report
Entry Date:
September 14, 2025
Entry Point:
Missing Link Lake
Exit Point:
Meeds Lake (48)
Number of Days:
4
Group Size:
1
Trip Introduction:
This will be my second solo trip. Last year I went in on Crab (EP4) and had a great experience. For my trip this year I will be putting in at Missing Link and coming out on Poplar. I have been to both EPs previously but have never explored the area in between. I like to keep going to new areas when I can.
On Friday after working a half day I drove to Grand Marais where my friends J A graciously offered me a place to stay for a couple of nights and to spend time with me in and around Grand Marais. They also were kind enough to follow me up to the Missing Link EP and drop off my car at Poplar on Sunday morning.
The trip up wasnt as uneventful as I would have hoped, as I came across a storm cell in Pine City. Cross winds were bad enough that my Prism on top of the car started shifting. I ended up pulling off on the next exit to wait out the storm things. Then again just past Silver Bay the sky let loose and I had a steady downpour all the way into Grand Marais.
Once in Grand Marais I enjoyed my time with my friends who I had not seen in quite a while. Was great to catch up. Enjoyed a nice supper with a couple of cold ones at Voyageurs Brewing, a walk to see the Brule River and Devils Kettle, wandering around town, and just some quality time with quality people. 
Day 1 of 4
Sunday, September 14, 2025 I had a fairly long day planned as I hoped to get to Long Island Lake (LIL) early afternoon. Was up and on the way up the trail before first light. I really enjoyed watching the day start while driving, thinking about the adventure ahead. J+A helped unload the canoe and haul my gear down to the landing and wished me a great trip as I set off just after 7am. It was a warm, damp morning after the over 2” of rain the area received the previous day. I set off across Round Lake to light SE winds. I knew I would be facing moderate but increasing headwinds on the way down to LIL. [paragraph break]As I had expected, portages were very muddy with plenty of water to splash through. I wear my shore diving scuba boots, and they proved to be up to the challenge. On the first of my seven portages I passed two groups on their way out. They confirmed that it had been a long day of rain and I think were glad to be on their way to dry clothes and hot showers. I knew the first two portages were going to be the longest two of the day, but both were well maintained with not a lot of elevation. [paragraph break]I was surprised at how busy the area was, which in retrospect I should have expected with how few permits were available. Made it through Missing Link, Snipe and Cross Bay without incident. By the time I made it to Rib Lake I had crossed paths with 8 different groups. As I approached the campsite on Rib and saw it was open I decided to stop for a quick lunch. [paragraph break]My go to lunch has become Sunkist tuna or chicken creations squeezed onto a tortilla with some cheese. On the first day or two of a trip I’ll also add some fresh lettuce or spinach. I think I found my new favorite flavor with the Smart Bowls Rice and Beans Spicy Pepper. While there I checked out the site a bit…not bad but not the best. Could do for a larger group but to closed in for my taste. [paragraph break]After the brief break I was back on the water and quickly made my way through Little George and Karl before taking my last portage of the day into LIL. My hope was to get one of the campsites in the Northwest part of the lake. However, the first 3 sites were all taken and I didn’t find the 4th (#569) which I have since figured out was marked in the wrong location on my (apparently out of date) 2015 Fischer map. I did a quick check ‘around the corner’ to site #570 and found that one also occupied. In the end I settled at the site near the Long Island River (#566) Not a great site but certainly worked for me as a solo. [paragraph break]The site did have a nice little sandy beach/landing and thankfully was situated just right to get the SE breeze coming in, as it had become quite a warm day. I opted on a hammock spot as close to the water as I could find to take advantage of the breeze and got busy setting up camp. I found a decent spot to hang my small food bag and spent some time in my chair on the beach with my feet soaking in the cool water watching the 4 canoes fishing in front of the site.
[paragraph break]Dinner was a freeze dried chili mac that was ok. On this trip I went very basic with food – Oatmeal with Power Up Omega trail mix for breakfast, tortilla with cheese and a Starkist tuna or chicken pouch for lunch and then a freeze dried meal for supper. For snacking I had jerky and some dehydrated fruit. I also made a coffee/hot chocolate mix with a bit of cinnamon for a breakfast drink. I really liked how all this turned out. The only dishes I had to wash/rinse off were my collapsible cup for oatmeal and coffee and a homemade spoon which I had to craft when I realized I failed to pack my normal one. Also made for a very light food bag to hang each night. [paragraph break]After dinner I paddled out to try a little fishing but no luck. For what was remaining of daylight I again sit down by the lake so the breeze can keep the mosquitos to a minimum. I’m looking East, so instead of a sunset I watch the sky go through every shade of purple until I start seeing the first stars. It’s been a long day and decide to make my way up to the hammock. [paragraph break]Even with the nice steady breeze all night I struggled I was too warm and did not sleep well. With similar temps expected for most of the trip I realized that a late dip in the lake might be a required part of my nighttime routine. ~Round Lake, Missing Link Lake, Snipe Lake, Cross Bay Lake, Rib Lake, Lower George Lake, Karl Lake, Long Island Lake 
Day 2 of 4
Monday, September 15, 2025 [paragraph break]My original plan had been to spend two nights on LIL with a day trip down to Frost since I have never been there, but with the so-so campsite I made the call to either find a better site further East on LIL, or push onto either Kiskadinna or Omega today. With the relatively short distance I took my time waking up and enjoyed the nice view from my hammock in the relative cool of the morning. 
[paragraph break]I Packed up camp and was on the water around 9:00am. Once again I was paddling into a light headwind which was welcome considering how quickly it was warming up under a near cloudless sky. 
[paragraph break]It was scenic paddle and after about an hour I was eyeballing the island campsite #585. Seemed like a good site, but thinking about it I knew if I stopped there I would be ruling out a layover day, so made the choice to move on to the Muskeg portage. [paragraph break]Based on what I had read, I was prepared for a couple of tough portages before I got to Kiskadinna, and I can confirm those reports were not incorrect. Upon finding the rocky landing to the first portage I start down what I think is the trail with my canoe but after about 100 feat I realize I am walking down the actual creek instead of the portage. I look over to my left (North) and through the trees see the actual trail. I put the canoe down and bushwack through to the trail and decide since it is a short 24 rod portage I might as well check out the other end. I follow the trail and find myself staring at 5’ tall beaver dam. I figure there must be a landing but there is a shear rock face on one side and just dense vegetation on the other…so the beaver dam IS the landing. I head back and this time I see that the actual portage trails ran straight North for 20 feet from the LIL landing before turn East. I extract the Canoe from where I left it and get everything to the base of the beaver dam. I climb the dam with the canoe and packs and carefully balance everything and load up the canoe before scooting it off and paddling away. 
[paragraph break]After that it’s a neat little waterway all the way to muskeg. Seems like a very Moose-y area and I keep my eye out, but probably too late in the morning for them to be out and about. I see most maps show another short portage before getting to Muskeg proper, but I was able to paddle right to the lake. Wondering if the busy beavers added some height to their engineering marvel and as a result what previously required a portage was now deep enough to paddle. From here I quickly make my way to the next portage landing. [paragraph break]The multiple topo lines on the map did not lie. There were 4 or 5 sets of ‘staircases’ on the way up and another steep decent on the 178 rod portage to get to Kiskadinna. At several points I need to stop and catch my breath. Easily the hardest portage of my trip. The 80 degrees with high dewpoint certainly didn’t help make it any easier. Once I complete the double portage with my large pack I take off my shirt and boots and into the cool waters of Kiskadinna I go. Aaaaahhhhhh. I let myself just sit there and feel my core temp drop down to a comfortable level before climbing out. While drying off a couple of otters poked their heads up to check me out before swimming away. [paragraph break]After a bit I drank the rest of my water, loaded up, and set out down the long narrow Kiskadinna Lake. Knowing at a minimum I would need to filter some more water I planned on stopping at the next open campsite to do break out my Platypus gravity filter and have lunch, and potential stop for the day. I reach the campsite at the midway point of the lake, find the nice landing, and pull my canoe up to take a look. It seems like a good campsite with a nice open area. I prepared more water and had my lunch. By the time I finish the decision has been made that this will be my home for at least one night. [paragraph break]I proceeded to set up camp, toke a couple of swims, and just relaxed. I also tried a bit of fishing in front of the site with no bites before starting the Stryker stove to boil water for supper. Tonight I had what turned out to be my favorite meal – Mountain House Teriyaki chicken and rice. After dinner I set my chair out on the rock overlooking the lake and enjoyed a nice evening with just a light wind to chase away the bugs. [paragraph break]After dinner I was doing some reading before I lost daylight and was surprised to see a couple coming from the west. It was probably a half hour before sunset and they turned out to be still looking for a campsite. Seems like they were already running fairly late when they got to the aforementioned tough portages and had a rough go of it. I could see they were hoping for my site. I let them know that if the other site on the lake was full I had room because I don’t think they would have been able to make it to Omega before dark. They paddled off and after about 30 more minutes when I didn’t see them I assumed they had found the other site on the lake empty (which I confirmed the next day) [paragraph break]It was another clear night, but unlike my previous site, this one was open enough to really stargaze. I had started a small fire out of habit, but it really didn’t appeal all that much to me so I let it burn out before adding any larger fuel. Slept much better as I had made sure to cool off repeatedly in the lake and had the hammock tarp set up for maximum airflow. 
~Long Island Lake, Muskeg Lake, Kiskadinna Lake
[paragraph break]I Packed up camp and was on the water around 9:00am. Once again I was paddling into a light headwind which was welcome considering how quickly it was warming up under a near cloudless sky. [paragraph break]It was scenic paddle and after about an hour I was eyeballing the island campsite #585. Seemed like a good site, but thinking about it I knew if I stopped there I would be ruling out a layover day, so made the choice to move on to the Muskeg portage. [paragraph break]Based on what I had read, I was prepared for a couple of tough portages before I got to Kiskadinna, and I can confirm those reports were not incorrect. Upon finding the rocky landing to the first portage I start down what I think is the trail with my canoe but after about 100 feat I realize I am walking down the actual creek instead of the portage. I look over to my left (North) and through the trees see the actual trail. I put the canoe down and bushwack through to the trail and decide since it is a short 24 rod portage I might as well check out the other end. I follow the trail and find myself staring at 5’ tall beaver dam. I figure there must be a landing but there is a shear rock face on one side and just dense vegetation on the other…so the beaver dam IS the landing. I head back and this time I see that the actual portage trails ran straight North for 20 feet from the LIL landing before turn East. I extract the Canoe from where I left it and get everything to the base of the beaver dam. I climb the dam with the canoe and packs and carefully balance everything and load up the canoe before scooting it off and paddling away. [paragraph break]After that it’s a neat little waterway all the way to muskeg. Seems like a very Moose-y area and I keep my eye out, but probably too late in the morning for them to be out and about. I see most maps show another short portage before getting to Muskeg proper, but I was able to paddle right to the lake. Wondering if the busy beavers added some height to their engineering marvel and as a result what previously required a portage was now deep enough to paddle. From here I quickly make my way to the next portage landing. [paragraph break]The multiple topo lines on the map did not lie. There were 4 or 5 sets of ‘staircases’ on the way up and another steep decent on the 178 rod portage to get to Kiskadinna. At several points I need to stop and catch my breath. Easily the hardest portage of my trip. The 80 degrees with high dewpoint certainly didn’t help make it any easier. Once I complete the double portage with my large pack I take off my shirt and boots and into the cool waters of Kiskadinna I go. Aaaaahhhhhh. I let myself just sit there and feel my core temp drop down to a comfortable level before climbing out. While drying off a couple of otters poked their heads up to check me out before swimming away. [paragraph break]After a bit I drank the rest of my water, loaded up, and set out down the long narrow Kiskadinna Lake. Knowing at a minimum I would need to filter some more water I planned on stopping at the next open campsite to do break out my Platypus gravity filter and have lunch, and potential stop for the day. I reach the campsite at the midway point of the lake, find the nice landing, and pull my canoe up to take a look. It seems like a good campsite with a nice open area. I prepared more water and had my lunch. By the time I finish the decision has been made that this will be my home for at least one night. [paragraph break]I proceeded to set up camp, toke a couple of swims, and just relaxed. I also tried a bit of fishing in front of the site with no bites before starting the Stryker stove to boil water for supper. Tonight I had what turned out to be my favorite meal – Mountain House Teriyaki chicken and rice. After dinner I set my chair out on the rock overlooking the lake and enjoyed a nice evening with just a light wind to chase away the bugs. [paragraph break]After dinner I was doing some reading before I lost daylight and was surprised to see a couple coming from the west. It was probably a half hour before sunset and they turned out to be still looking for a campsite. Seems like they were already running fairly late when they got to the aforementioned tough portages and had a rough go of it. I could see they were hoping for my site. I let them know that if the other site on the lake was full I had room because I don’t think they would have been able to make it to Omega before dark. They paddled off and after about 30 more minutes when I didn’t see them I assumed they had found the other site on the lake empty (which I confirmed the next day) [paragraph break]It was another clear night, but unlike my previous site, this one was open enough to really stargaze. I had started a small fire out of habit, but it really didn’t appeal all that much to me so I let it burn out before adding any larger fuel. Slept much better as I had made sure to cool off repeatedly in the lake and had the hammock tarp set up for maximum airflow. ~Long Island Lake, Muskeg Lake, Kiskadinna Lake
Day 3 of 4
Tuesday, September 16, 2025 I was unsure whether I wanted to move on the next day or just stay a day at this site. I delayed the decision until I got the newest weather forecast from my Garmin Inreach. When I updated the forecast and learned it was going to be another 80+ degree day with the following day a bit cooler with lighter winds I decided I’d spend another night at this site and paddle to Meeds the following day. [paragraph break]My main activity for the day was exploring the lake while dragging a Rapala to see if anything would bite. No luck with any fish but really enjoyed the lake. I also scouted out the portage to Omega so I wouldn’t have to spend time looking for it the next day and to give me an idea what I would be dealing with the next day. I saw that the couple from the night before was set up on the other Kiskadinna site. They reported it wasn’t great but they were quite glad to have found it available when they paddled up the previous night. [paragraph break]Other than that, I spent the day just relaxing, swimming, and in general just trying to stay cool. I Again was surprised at the amount of traffic going both ways down the lake. Having a day to just relax was great to really decompress from everything that has been going on in my life. While eating lunch, I had a friendly Spruce Grouse saunter up to say hi. I had saw him first thing in the morning and I’m guessing he roosts very close to camp. 
[paragraph break]Around sunset I noticed some impressive clouds building in the west. A quick weather update came back with some modest rain predicted. I buttoned up the camp, dropped the corners of my hammock tarp, and then went back to just watching the clouds build and move in. 
[paragraph break]As soon as the first sprinkles started, I made my way to my hammock. The rain came and went over the next hour or so. I don’t think it was any more than maybe a tenth of an inch and afterwards the skies cleared and the dewpoint seemed to have dropped a bit. With the clear skies I was back on the rock watching the night sky. Saw a few satellites and a falling star. I stayed up until I was feeling tired enough to fall asleep quickly. ~Kiskadinna Lake
[paragraph break]Around sunset I noticed some impressive clouds building in the west. A quick weather update came back with some modest rain predicted. I buttoned up the camp, dropped the corners of my hammock tarp, and then went back to just watching the clouds build and move in. [paragraph break]As soon as the first sprinkles started, I made my way to my hammock. The rain came and went over the next hour or so. I don’t think it was any more than maybe a tenth of an inch and afterwards the skies cleared and the dewpoint seemed to have dropped a bit. With the clear skies I was back on the rock watching the night sky. Saw a few satellites and a falling star. I stayed up until I was feeling tired enough to fall asleep quickly. ~Kiskadinna Lake
Day 4 of 4
Wednesday, September 17, 2025 I got up pretty early after a pretty good sleep. In general, I haven’t slept very well on this trip and I’m not sure why, but I think a big part of that is how warm it was. I feel like I have dialed in my sleep system with my Warbonnet Blackbird hammock setup, but maybe I have some more tweaking to do for 60+ degree nights. [paragraph break]I woke up and got moving early. For breakfast I just have a cereal bar before breaking camp. I left the tarp for last as it was still pretty wet from the storm last night and still end up packing it while it is still pretty damp. Awhile ago I swapped out the stuff sack it came with for a small drybag for just this reason – I can pack it up wet and it won’t get other things wet. [paragraph break]My plan for the day was to get to Meeds and then assess the situation based on the time, weather, open campsites, etc. I’m looking at a day similar to my first with 6 portages but a fair bit more paddling including a fairly long stretch on Kiskadinna to start the day, followed up by the lengths of Omega and Henson after that. [paragraph break]I pull out and start tracking on my Inreach right at 8:00am. I paddle on nearly flat water for the mile or so to the portage landing to Omega and tackling the short but step uphill to start my day. Turns out that it would be the last of the really steep climbs or descents of my trip. I navigate my way through some islands on Omega and make my way down the East arm to the Hensen Portage. I am briefly joined by a group of 4 that had just pulled out of the campsite on the south side before they turn to make the trek to Winchell Lake. [paragraph break]On Henson Lake I pass a couple of guys in a campsite that turn out to be the last people I will see until I get to Meeds. The rest of the morning is mostly uneventful. Only minor hiccup is a little difficulty in finding the Portage from Pillsbery to Swallow, which was, as I was warned, further East than my map showed. [paragraph break]Meeds Lake was quiet except for a couple of guys out fishing who were staying at the middle campsite, which turns out is the only campsite occupied. Around 1:30 I get to the campsite closest to the Poplar portage and thankfully find it empty. I unload the canoe and take out what I need to lunch and get the water filter going as well as setting up my chair. [paragraph break]While I have my lunch I update the weather forecast as I prepare to make a decision on staying or making my way to poplar and back to civilization. The forecast of overnight and morning rain and continued high dewpoints reinforce what I was already thinking, and my plan is now to spend a few lazy hours at this campsite before moving on in time to paddle up to the Poplar public access around sunset. [paragraph break]I strung up my tarp so it will dry a bit and explore around this site a bit. It is a pretty good site that obviously gets a lot of use. I find a bushcraft bow and scatter a fire ring someone has set up right in the middle of one of the tent pads (why would someone do this?). Considering the long portage and paddle I have left, I figure leaving at 4:00 will get me to the landing with a bit of daylight to spare and I proceed to soak in my last couple of disconnected hours. [paragraph break]At 4:00 I pack everything up including my now dry tarp and set out for the short paddle to the portage. It’s long but well used and fairly flat except for the descent on the Poplar side. Double portage takes me 90 minutes before I am dipping my paddle in the waters of Poplar Lake. I find the late afternoon paddle is a great way to wrap up the trip. At the landing I take a quick dip in the lake to cool off and change into the clean clothes I had waiting for me in my car. The canoe and gear get loading up and I start my enjoyable dusk drive down the Gunflint trail to Grand Marais. I reflect on the symmetry between the morning drive to start my trip and the sunset drive ending it. [paragraph break]Once in town I stop for some gas and text J+A to let them know I will be taking them up on the offer of crashing for another night. I also give them a heads up that I will be heading to the gunflint tavern for a post trip Bloody Mary and burger in case they want to join me. To give them time to respond I make my checking call home. My wife knew I’d be calling as she keeps track of me using the inreach tracker and was aware I made it to the Poplar Landing. [paragraph break]I hadn’t heard back from J+A by the time I walk into the Tavern, but it turns out they were already there, having decided to go out to eat after doing remodeling on their house all day…so happy coincidence. We have a good meal and I tell them about my trip. [paragraph break]Getting back to their place I take a shower before enjoying a good night's sleep in a real bed. The next morning I have some breakfast and stop at the Java Moose for some coffee before heading on down Highway 61. On the way home I think about how glad I am that I made the decision to come out when I did and to be driving much more well rested than I would have been. [paragraph break] Final thoughts - Overall, it was a great trip. I would have preferred cooler weather but really can’t complain too much as the only rain I had was overnight and there were no strong winds. Now after 2 solo trips I am happy with my routines, food, etc. One thing different on this trip was coming out late in the day and driving back the next day. In all my previous trips I have exited in the morning and drove back the same day. When I think about it, I think coming out late in the day makes more sense for me and will do so on future trips whenever possible. [paragraph break]Seems like there is always something to learn no matter how many trips you have done. Looking forward to whatever I will figure out next time! ~Kiskadinna Lake, Omega Lake, Henson Lake, Pillsbery Lake, Swallow Lake, Meeds Lake, Poplar Lake
Lakes Traveled:
Kiskadinna Lake,
Omega Lake,
Henson Lake,
Pillsbery Lake,
Swallow Lake,
Meeds Lake,
Poplar Lake,
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