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      Trip Report - Solo Trek into Quetico - No Country for Old Men
 
  Last Visit: 05/16/2024 04:37PM

Entry Point 27 - Snowbank Lake

Snowbank Lake entry point allows overnight paddle or motor (25 HP max). This entry point is supported by Kawishiwi Ranger Station near the city of Ely, MN. The distance from ranger station to entry point is 24 miles. Access is a boat landing or canoe launch at Snowbank Lake. Many trip options for paddlers. This area was affected by blowdown in 1999.

Number of Permits per Day: 8
Elevation: 1191 feet
Latitude: 47.9716
Longitude: -91.4326
Author Message Text
Beemer01
Moderator
 
07/07/2010 02:53PM
 
New Trip Report posted by Beemer01

Trip Name: Solo Trek into Quetico - No Country for Old Men.

Entry Point: 25

Click Here to View Trip Report

"You're not serious about wearing sandals on this portage.... are you?"
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bojibob
distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
 
07/07/2010 05:02PM
 
Bryan,


Outstanding report! Congratulations on another successful solo and getting thru all of the Wilderness Challenges you had to overcome. I'm sure they added to thrill of the adventure.


You're a great asset to BWCA.com and this report is an example of an outstanding report filled with details, emotions and visual art. I loved the integration of the videos and some of the photos are simply stunning.




"One inch on the map ~ is not one inch on the ground"
TomT
distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
 
07/07/2010 05:55PM
 
Most excellent! Loved the pics and vids too. I did this route solo in 2001 only I went up through McIntyre then down to Robinson. It brought back many memories.


We have similar systems too - hammock, CCS pioneer pack, kondos (BWJ) guide pack. I am gonna use kitty litter buckets for my food. Tell me more about your olive jar. What's it made of and where do you get them?


Thanks for the report!

"Life is not about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself." --- George Bernard Shaw
fishguts
distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
 
07/07/2010 06:29PM
 
Nice report! Great pictures, we camped at the same site on Isabella, nice views. Thanks!

fishguts
Beemer01
Moderator
 
07/07/2010 06:29PM
 
Olive jars - well I got mine through a friend of a friend. Delis seem to have them - made from plastic they have a water (and olive oil) tight seal. Certainly not bear proof, but they'll float and no odors escape. I think I paid $8 for it.




"You're not serious about wearing sandals on this portage.... are you?"
OTH
Guest Paddler
 
07/07/2010 08:37PM
 
Very nice report! Thanks.
Ho Ho
distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
 
07/07/2010 09:25PM
 
Thanks, beemer, most enjoyable! I think we heading that way in late August/early September. I'm especially looking forward to the Tuck River.
uigreyjay
distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
 
07/07/2010 09:31PM
 
congrats on that awesome solo. it was nice to see the tuck river again. i cooled off in those falls a few years ago. way to go!
Itchy Menace
distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
 
07/07/2010 09:39PM
 
Great report and pics. A very enjoyable read.
h20man
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07/07/2010 10:03PM
 
Great report. I really enjoyed reading it. Nice pics.


Thanks
h20man
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07/07/2010 10:04PM
 
Banksiana
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07/07/2010 11:00PM
 
Great report, nice country to go through.

Nobody exists on purpose, nobody belongs anywhere, everybody’s going to die.
bumabu
distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
 
07/08/2010 03:23AM
 
What model canoe did you build beemer, I like it, good work.


Who I am precedes what I do, not the other way around.
Beemer01
Moderator
 
07/08/2010 04:39AM
 
This is the Kootenai design. There are at least four of them I'm aware of in the Midwest. Nice lines, good glide and tracks well if trimmed out properly.


Mine weighs about 42 pounds.

"You're not serious about wearing sandals on this portage.... are you?"
alpine525
distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
 
07/08/2010 08:07AM
 
Excellent report - and outstanding photography. I really enjoyed your trip report - thanks for sharing!

Do not let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace. Dalai Lama
Boppa
distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
 
07/08/2010 09:25AM
 
Beemer01,
Terrific report. You have a captivating manner in catching the moment at hand. I also enjoyed following your route as the Q holds great interest for us. Your pictures were a big highlight as you had some real beauties to offer.


Thanks for sharing another enjoyable report.
Boppa

"Yesterday is the past, Tomorrow is the future, Today is a GIFT, that is why it is called the present".
wawasee
distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
 
07/08/2010 12:07PM
 
Excellent trip report! I really enjoyed the videos.
Cedarboy
distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
 
07/08/2010 06:51PM
 
Nice report.....liked the intro about being very careful, and that the smallest thing can turn on you when you are solo. I noticed the extra PFD(green ribbed) shoved in the bow of the canoe in one of the pictures. Would not have thought to bring an extra PFD.
CB
Beemer01
Moderator
 
07/08/2010 07:08PM
 
Is it yours? Found it floating in a lake, couldn't see leaving it behind.

"You're not serious about wearing sandals on this portage.... are you?"
GSP
distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
 
07/08/2010 08:12PM
 
Nice report and pictures. Thanks

German Shorthair Pointers Rule Serenity is found in your mind, not somewhere you seek.
Cedarboy
distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
 
07/08/2010 09:42PM
 
Just razzing you B, thought you werent wearing one. Now you do have an extra?
CB
Beemer01
Moderator
 
07/09/2010 05:54AM
 
One can never have too many PFDs.

"You're not serious about wearing sandals on this portage.... are you?"
SevenofNine
distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
 
07/17/2010 07:29PM
 
Nice trip report. Thanks for the comments and keep them coming. Nice pictures.

The best part of this journey here is further knowing yourself - Alan Kay
lars54
distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
 
07/18/2010 07:57AM
 
sounds like you had a awesome trip, and thanks for
the excellent report
tremolo
distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
 
07/18/2010 10:19AM
 
Maybe "no country for old men", but you are clearly a man who knows the country. A wonderful trip report and very inspiring.
Beemer01
Moderator
 
07/18/2010 04:31PM
 
If I knew the country that well I'd have had more success fishing! Ah well, the lifetime quest for more fish!

"You're not serious about wearing sandals on this portage.... are you?"
tremolo
distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
 
07/19/2010 06:49AM
 
To be honest, Beemer, I sort of glaze over any fishing stuff people include in their TR's. So good luck with the life long quest, but it's the way you approach the challenges and revel in the joys that I really picked up on:)
jb in the wild
distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
 
07/20/2010 08:03AM
 
What a great report. Love the pictures, got to look into that camera.
Thanks JB

You can't explain the obvious to the ignorant.
beaglefur
membermember
 
07/20/2010 09:31AM
 
Nice report and photos, and great to see you putting that pretty little solo to good use!
timatkn
distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
 
07/20/2010 10:41AM
 
Nice report.


My wife is now upset at you for putting me on the quest to find the "Secret Bay" ;)


Thanks for posting.


T
dalet
distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
 
07/20/2010 02:47PM
 
As always a great trip report
campcrafter
distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
 
07/20/2010 03:23PM
 
Nice report and pics -


thanks


cc

The river calmly flows, Through shining banks, through lonely glen, Where the owl shrieks, though ne'er the cheer of men Has stirred its mute repose, Still if you should walk there, you would go there again.
dicecupmaker
distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
 
07/22/2010 03:02AM
 
Very enjoyable read on a quiet night @ work.

Joy is a great teacher, but so is dispair. Wonder is a great teacher, but so is confusion. Hope is a great teacher, but so is disillusionment. And life is a great teacher, but so is death. To deny yourself any of those in any aspect is not experiencing life totally.
ChazzTheGnome
distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
 
07/26/2010 03:27PM
 
Great trip report. Loved the detail and the pics. Nice canoe. Sounds you had a very fulfilling trip, hope my upcoming solo proves as satisfying. Reading this really makes me want to be in that secret bay instead of where I am at (my cubicle at work…)

"Every day on this side of the dirt is a good day." ~ My Grandpa
rr
distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
 
11/22/2010 11:56PM
 
This is the second trip report of your's I've read, and I'm struck by how different your writing was from the trip where there were other people and the solo trip. Your style here is very contemplative, and, to my taste, better.


At any rate, I've never been to the area you described, but I was captivated by your descriptions, especially the first days of wind. Isn't the wind the great non-ponderable of all our trips? And, don't we anquish over whether to stay on the lake or pull over?


Your comment about the various species of fish brought back an intersting memory. I haven't had much luck fishing for trout, except in the winter, but once on a lake I will not say the name, I drift trolled along a shore in a bay, and it was like a fish market. The first 30 yards were walleyes, the next were Norhterns (I know Northerns don't usually school, but here they did), and the next 30 yards were small-mouth bass.


Your pictures are wonderful. What a pleasure it is to see these vistas. Thank you!


strom2127
distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
 
11/23/2010 03:56AM
 
Hands down my favorite trip report to this point. I too really enjoyed your style of writing, and the photos were phenomenal. In five to seven years, or when I determine my son is equal to the task, I would really like to follow your route. Thanks for posting.

"Once more unto the breach dear friends, once more."
Beemer01
Moderator
 
11/23/2010 09:06AM
 
Thanks folks - I write these after the trip, but keep daily notes in a small pocket notebook - these notes and the date log on my Olympus allow me to reassemble the trip in these reports.


I'm happy you like my writing style!

"You're not serious about wearing sandals on this portage.... are you?"
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