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      Trip Report - 9 Day Loop out of Sawbill
 
  Last Visit: 06/18/2026 12:25AM

Entry Point 37 - Kawishiwi Lake


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Kawishiwi Lake entry point allows overnight paddle only. This entry point is supported by Tofte Ranger Station near the city of Isabella; Tofte, MN. The distance from ranger station to entry point is 33 miles. Access is a boat landing at Kawishiwi Lake.

Number of Permits per Day: 7
Elevation: 1653 feet
Latitude: 47.8390
Longitude: -91.1036
Author Message Text
danbogey
senior membersenior membersenior member
 
05/21/2021 12:45PM
  
New Trip Report posted by danbogey

Trip Name: 9 Day Loop out of Sawbill.

Entry Point: 38

Click Here to View Trip Report
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x2jmorris
distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
 
05/21/2021 01:22PM
  
Awesome trip. Remember it is never too cold to swim though. Just a little brisk sometimes.

“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
danbogey
senior membersenior membersenior member
 
05/21/2021 01:42PM
  
x2jmorris: "Awesome trip. Remember it is never too cold to swim though. Just a little brisk sometimes."


It was a serious thought on Frost Lake :)
sns
distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
 
05/21/2021 02:05PM
  
Well done; good read.


Son plays Ultimate, or is the disc there for other reasons?

"I don't care what you believe. I care what you can prove." -Philosopher & Mathematician JJJ
boonie
distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
 
05/21/2021 02:33PM
  
Thanks for the report, Dan. I'm glad you had a nice trip with your son.
danbogey
senior membersenior membersenior member
 
05/21/2021 03:27PM
  
sns: "Well done; good read.



Son plays Ultimate, or is the disc there for other reasons?" We take the frisbee everywhere. Kills time and it's a great Bellow for fires. We had a hard time getting some of them lit even with all the birch bark we found laying around. Forest was just damp! I was amazed at how dense the pine logs are in the BWCA. The only place that had "great" wood in abundance was Hub Lake. As I mentioned in my post, you better bring a good heavy-duty ax if you want to split logs.
danbogey
senior membersenior membersenior member
 
05/21/2021 03:32PM
  
boonie: "Thanks for the report, Dan. I'm glad you had a nice trip with your son. " That was the most time we've spent together in 11 years (family reasons). He was a little hesitant but came out a champ and wants to go back.


Short story - I took him to Algonquin two years ago and we did a 50K loop with an 80lb canoe and paddles that didn't really fit us. Being prior military I have that odd attitude that you can do anything if you try. I really never paddled a canoe before that trip and didn't even know how to steer one (had no clue what a j-stroke, goon stroke, pry, or draw stroke was). I kept telling him that we had a defective canoe that wouldn't go straight. We kept watching people on the lakes we passed and were amazed at how straight they went.


It was only after we got back that I started looking up "how to steer a canoe". I watched a lot of Kevin Callan and Bill Mason videos amongst others after that trip. Did I feel dumb when I told Nick that I was doing it all wrong in that the stern paddler steers (most of the time)? Our canoe and gear were always wet in Algonquin since both of us were switching paddling sides every 3 or 4 strokes. This trip I never switched from my dominant side (left) and Nick paddled right side the whole trip. I've since mastered those strokes and we now stay dry :) What's the saying "you learn from your mistakes"?
gotwins
distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
 
05/25/2021 04:08PM
  
Nice photos and nice report. It's not illegal to take antler sheds out of the BWCA, it's National Forest Wilderness Area, not a "park" (national, state, or otherwise). The MN DNR rules apply here, and thus, antler shed collecting is just as legal as eating blueberries in July.
djwillco
distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
 
05/25/2021 04:46PM
  
Nice report and pics! Glad you guys had a good time. Great to see father and son getting out there together!
pcallies
distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
 
06/27/2021 04:17PM
  
danbogey: "As I mentioned in my post, you better bring a good heavy-duty ax if you want to split logs. "


I'll offer a couple log-splitting tips (assuming you've found some pretty dry wood) that don't require carrying an axe.
1) Saw about halfway through a longish log. Pick log up by an end with the cut side down and slam the opposite end on a a rock or another log or something. It usually doesn't break perfectly cleanly so then you bang the remnant sticking off the end and it splits the log.
2) Find a "sharp" rock that looks like an anvil, hoist a log over head and smash it down on the rock. Continue until you've got fireplace lengths.


Never a bad idea to wear glasses or close your eyes at the moment of impact. Also requires work gloves. Those safety messages in mind, this is way better than hauling an axe around -- and probably no more dangerous.
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