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      Trip Report - Border Route - Grand Portage to Lake of the Woods
 
  Last Visit: 03/28/2024 01:55PM

Entry Point 69 - John Lake

John 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 69 miles. Access from Little John Lake. This area was affected by blowdown in 1999.

Number of Permits per Day: 1
Elevation: 1217 feet
Latitude: 48.0547
Longitude: -90.0569
Author Message Text
Kelso
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05/31/2018 12:07PM
 
New Trip Report posted by Kelso

Trip Name: Border Route - Grand Portage to Lake of the Woods.

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Entry Point: 70

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schweady
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05/31/2018 12:28PM
 
Ambitious trip! Thanks for the report. Cool to see the map of your route, even tho that seems to have been one of the challenges on this trip.


I can't understand why you would have had so much difficulty with your gps, although as perfectly reliable my Garmin 62st and 64st models have been on trips, I would still never venture out without multiple McKenzie maps and good compasses.


Good on ya for the adventure.


"You can observe a lot just by watching." -- Yogi Berra
Trappermat
new member
 
05/31/2018 01:34PM
 
schweady: "Ambitious trip! Thanks for the report. Cool to see the map of your route, even tho that seems to have been one of the challenges on this trip.



I can't understand why you would have had so much difficulty with your gps, although as perfectly reliable my Garmin 62st and 64st models have been on trips, I would still never venture out without multiple McKenzie maps and good compasses.



Good on ya for the adventure.
"

Thank you! (this is the Matt mentioned in the post)
Yes we have owned two 76csx GPS and both of them died similar deaths. Dunno, they were always very reliable until they decided to crap out.
Unfortunately, the border route crosses so many McKenzie maps that an overview map is more practical (which we did also not bring ?????). It is not a hard route to navigate. As long as you know the correct bay or lake corner of the portage location, they are all well used and easy to find. Not including the pigeon river to South fowl portage. That one is still a mystery to us as to what the "official" and best version of that portage is. The atv trail off of stump creek worked quite well. However, it was a bit longer than should be nessecary.
boonie
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05/31/2018 02:52PM
 
Thanks, enjoyed your report of an entirely different kind of trip.
yellowhorse
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06/01/2018 04:23AM
 
Nice report!

Don't work forever.
BeaV
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06/01/2018 12:21PM
 
Congrats on completing a great route!


"Matt used the one remaining good graphite paddle up front, paddling 80 strokes per minute for hours on end" I think I would like to have Matt in my boat;)


FYI- The South Fowl Portage location: If you had paddled just a little bit further upstream, you would have found it on the Canadian side. Looking at your map, you would have found it at the next bend in the river where the river bends 90 degrees to the left as traveling upstream. Not sure which route is easier but I suspect the Canadian portage, based on length, would be. I have done this one 4 times but never the one you guys did.
Guest Paddler
 
06/01/2018 10:05PM
 
BeaV: "I think I would like to have Matt in my boat:)"


Ha! You can't have him. He's my secret weapon and only hope against you in the Kruger Challenge!


Thanks for the tip on the South Fowl Portage! This was our second time through there without a good idea of where to portage. In 2013 we tried to run the rapids and destroyed an aluminum canoe. That time we didn't even realize that there was a waterfall just ahead. We were glad to get out of there unhurt! We heard about a Canadian portage but we thought it must be very overgrown and disused. Is it actually usable? Does it come out on that bay just around the point east of the South Fowl Dam?
WhiteWolf
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06/02/2018 02:00AM
 
:


We heard about a Canadian portage but we thought it must be very overgrown and disused. Is it actually usable? Does it come out on that bay just around the point east of the South Fowl Dam?"



Yep- if my memory is correct there is small sand beach at the start if your going from S.Fowl to the Pigeon. The portage starts up a rather steep hill but nothing like the "hills" to the West on the MN side. Portage is rather tight in areas and suffered from a blow down some years ago but most of that has been cleared.


Congrats on your trip!!! Going up the GP takes some serious oats and just the thought of paddling LOTW is impressive. Rainy is big enough!!!


Pic is the end of a Very Fowl portage at the Pigeon.





The two loudest sounds known to man: a gun that goes bang when it is supposed to go click and a gun that goes click when it is supposed to go bang.
lundojam
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06/03/2018 10:01PM
 
Nice. Great trip. We've done that Wheelers to Angle Inlet crossing in motor boats along the eastern side in Canadian waters; do that next time.
That sound so fun. As the kids say, "epic."

"Life is not a beauty contest. It is a fishing contest." --me
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