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      Trip Report - 40th Birthday 1st PMA Stuart River - Sterling - Iron - Stuart Lollipop Loop Mid Aug
 
  Last Visit: 05/19/2025 10:29PM

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
EasyFisher
membermember
 
09/05/2024 02:19PM
 
New Trip Report posted by EasyFisher

Trip Name: 40th Birthday 1st PMA Stuart River - Sterling - Iron - Stuart Lollipop Loop Mid Aug.

Entry Point: 19

Click Here to View Trip Report
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TreeBear
distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
 
09/05/2024 02:41PM
 
Very nice PMA route. I've been to the island on Sterling coming up from Beartrap Lake. It was neat hearing and seeing the other pieces of the route. Thanks for sharing.

"Once you have heard the music of the Boundary Waters, you will yearn for it until you can yearn no more." - Miron Heinselman
Dee
Guest Paddler
 
09/06/2024 04:52AM
 
Great report! Heading that way next year so your intel is extremely useful, especially the part about not taking the river at the end of the stuart portage. I actually had in my notes from previous research that it was doable and may save some time but its good to know that it would have wasted valuable time for us. Thanks for sharing!
SaganagaJoe
distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
 
09/06/2024 09:57AM
 
Really enjoyed this report. Thank you for sharing.

aka HermitThrush "Such sights as this are reserved for those who will suffer to behold them." -Eric Sevareid
GopherAdventure
distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
 
09/08/2024 09:12AM
 
Ah, we call that campsite on Iron “Turtle Island”. Stay there in June and the turtles will be laying eggs everywhere! Love that site. Sounds like you guys had a great trip, thanks for sharing. Regarding the leeches, I think anyone who fishes the BWCA has at least one story of losing the leeches in a very similar way to yours. I’ve had otters pop the lid off mine, I’ve had the screw top lid on my Leech King mysteriously come loose and I’ve had snapping turtles try to steal my leeches. Like you said in the report, “it happens”. No sense in feeling bad about it, it just means it’s time to get creative and you guys certainly did that! I went up the Beartrap to Iron last fall and the water levels once I got to Iron were insanely low…lower than I’ve ever seen them and I’ve been to Iron 8 times. I had to pole, standing up, a big chunk of the way through Peterson Bay to the turtle island campsite. It took forever. I estimated water levels to be about 5 feet below normal last fall. So, it seems like this wet summer had helped the lake recover nicely. Cheers to a great trip, way to go on the PMA exploration!


Tony

Tony
SlowTroller
senior membersenior membersenior member
 
09/26/2024 03:07PM
 
Great trip report. I wish I would have seen this before I left on 9/7. All the reports I found were quite old and here you are doing the stretch a couple weeks before me! I came in from Beartrap Lake, Stayed on Sunday Lake and then on into Sterling Creek and into sterling lake. I think coming in from Stuart is the much smarter choice for this route. Finding Sterling creek from the Beartrap River was difficult and then finding that portage beginning from Nibin to Stuart was a real Fiasco! I thought I was screwed for a bit. I just ended up bushwacking and cris crossing with my GPS and finally found the trail. Found an awesome moose shed in the process as well. Anyway. Once I got through the first 1/4 mile or so and onto height of land it was pretty straight forward. Definitely more obvious coming from Stuart as you know. Way to go for it and happy birthday! @soloschmitty
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