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      Trip Report - Tiger Bay, Agnes, and we suck at portages
 
  Last Visit: 03/28/2024 09:15AM

Entry Point 16 - Moose/Portage River (North of Echo Trail)

Moose/Portage River (north) entry point allows overnight paddle only. This entry point is supported by La Croix Ranger Station near the city of Ely, MN. The distance from ranger station to entry point is 27 miles. Access is a 160-rod portage heading North from the Echo Trail.

Number of Permits per Day: 5
Elevation: 1348 feet
Latitude: 48.1230
Longitude: -92.0991
Author Message Text
scotttimm
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08/04/2020 04:52PM
 
New Trip Report posted by scotttimm

Trip Name: Tiger Bay, Agnes, and we suck at portages.

Entry Point: 16

Click Here to View Trip Report
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cyclones30
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08/04/2020 05:20PM
 
Nice report! Glad you guys did as well as you did....Tiger Bay on Day 1 with some young first-timers is a trek!


So on Agnes you had a neighbor with bear issues? I assume they weren't your pots and pans.


Interesting you met someone will looking @ the pictos. Glad they weren't upset


Oh...and I consider myself an above average portager....but put that aluminum canoe on my shoulders and things change in a hurry.
straighthairedcurly
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08/04/2020 10:14PM
 
Loved your report. What a delightful sounding base camp trip. With 6 kids along, you now qualify to become a camp counselor :) I love your pic of the kids all engrossed in stuff on the beach and the pic of the 3 kids on the rock is super cute! Congrats on introducing more young ones to the joys of the BWCA.
Aldy1
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08/05/2020 12:46AM
 
Great report! Gotta love when the good days just blend together.


How were the water levels to begin the trip? And how busy was Tiger Bay throughout the trip?
scotttimm
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08/05/2020 09:56AM
 
cyclones30: "Nice report! Glad you guys did as well as you did....Tiger Bay on Day 1 with some young first-timers is a trek!



So on Agnes you had a neighbor with bear issues? I assume they weren't your pots and pans.



Interesting you met someone will looking @ the pictos. Glad they weren't upset



Oh...and I consider myself an above average portager....but put that aluminum canoe on my shoulders and things change in a hurry. "

I assume the banging was from a few sites away, as it was a very quiet and still morning. It had the side effect of encouraging all the kids to help us pack up and leave quickly.


Our aluminum is a Quetico Ultra Lite, around 62 lbs; and that MN3 I think is pushing 55. My weight to bear. On our last portage the two teenage boys announced they were going to carry all the canoes so I didn't have to. I still had to. It's the thought that counts.
scotttimm
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08/05/2020 09:59AM
 
straighthairedcurly: "Loved your report. What a delightful sounding base camp trip. With 6 kids along, you now qualify to become a camp counselor :) I love your pic of the kids all engrossed in stuff on the beach and the pic of the 3 kids on the rock is super cute! Congrats on introducing more young ones to the joys of the BWCA."
Thanks! Back in the 1900's, I was indeed a camp counselor. I ran the Adventure Camp portion of a Girl Scout camp in WI. Best...job...ever. We love taking our kids in, and it looks like now we'll be bringing friends of theirs for the foreseeable future...
scotttimm
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08/05/2020 10:01AM
 
Aldy1: "Great report! Gotta love when the good days just blend together.



How were the water levels to begin the trip? And how busy was Tiger Bay throughout the trip?"

My son and I entered EP 16 last year in June and exited at Crooked - the water levels were way way down from last year. The portage into Boulder Bay had a sandy beach to it, where last year it was high water with an awkward loading area. Barely any water trickling from that spot that last year was a beautiful waterfall. Amazing how much things can change season to season.


We entered on a Sunday, on purpose, and it seemed like a lot of people were clearing out of campsites and headed home. The first spot on Boulder (the bay site, not the island with two sites) was taken, the first island spot was taken as you get up to Tiger - but the 7 shaped island, the multi-tiered further south in the bay and the one to the north where we stayed were all open. We did see occasional canoes float by, but I wouldn't say it was crowded at all.
Aldy1
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08/05/2020 10:11AM
 
scotttimm: "Aldy1: "Great report! Gotta love when the good days just blend together.




How were the water levels to begin the trip? And how busy was Tiger Bay throughout the trip?"

My son and I entered EP 16 last year in June and exited at Crooked - the water levels were way way down from last year. The portage into Boulder Bay had a sandy beach to it, where last year it was high water with an awkward loading area. Barely any water trickling from that spot that last year was a beautiful waterfall. Amazing how much things can change season to season.



We entered on a Sunday, on purpose, and it seemed like a lot of people were clearing out of campsites and headed home. The first spot on Boulder (the bay site, not the island with two sites) was taken, the first island spot was taken as you get up to Tiger - but the 7 shaped island, the multi-tiered further south in the bay and the one to the north where we stayed were all open. We did see occasional canoes float by, but I wouldn't say it was crowded at all."



Great, thanks for the report. I will be heading up in a few weeks. Love that area and route.
OMGitsKa
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08/05/2020 08:17PM
 
Sounds like a blast! Planning on heading to this area in September. This has encouraged me to probably just push for LLC over Agnes. Where are the picto's located ?
cyclones30
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08/05/2020 09:29PM
 
OMGitsKa: "Sounds like a blast! Planning on heading to this area in September. This has encouraged me to probably just push for LLC over Agnes. Where are the picto's located ? "


Large cliff on the Canadian shore
Soledad
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08/06/2020 09:40AM
 
We just got back yesterday. I wanted that campsite, but every site was full on LLC when we arrived on Friday.


Anyway, next day we had the site on with the rocky point close to the cliff site that you stayed at.


On the way out from Tiger Bay, a beaver had blocked the river on the other side of Nina Moose lake. The river had dropped dramatically below the dam and flooded it above the dam. Crazy how fast those little rascals can change things up. A few more sticks and people will be walking that river.
scotttimm
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08/06/2020 10:05AM
 
OMGitsKa: "Sounds like a blast! Planning on heading to this area in September. This has encouraged me to probably just push for LLC over Agnes. Where are the picto's located ? "
It'll be marked on maps - but if you follow the Canadian shore heading north from Warrior Hill, they are just past a largish bay. You cannot miss them.
scotttimm
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08/06/2020 10:07AM
 
Soledad: "We just got back yesterday. I wanted that campsite, but every site was full on LLC when we arrived on Friday.



Anyway, next day we had the site on with the rocky point close to the cliff site that you stayed at.



On the way out from Tiger Bay, a beaver had blocked the river on the other side of Nina Moose lake. The river had dropped dramatically below the dam and flooded it above the dam. Crazy how fast those little rascals can change things up. A few more sticks and people will be walking that river."



Sorry we missed you, we left that site last Thursday! On our way in through EP16, we didn't have to drag over any dams. On our way out, there were lots of new sticks and branches and we had to pull through a number of times. They are remarkable pains in the butt.
bottomtothetap
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08/15/2020 10:59AM
 
Love that final photo with the canoe in the lower right!
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