BWCA Entry Point, Route, and Trip Report Blog
April 19 2024
Entry Point 23 - Mudro Lake
Number of Permits per Day: 5
Elevation: 1166 feet
Latitude: 48.0356
Longitude: -91.8301
On the Water- Monday July 20th-
On the water late considering how far we need to go today. Up the Horse river to the falls by 6pm. Started raining and NO campsites available. Mudrow-Alruss-Tin can Mike-Horse Lake-Horse River-Basswood. 13 miles by water. (not counting portages)
Tuesday July 21st-
Rain all night, all morning and all day. Went north by petroglyphs, table rock and the the Crocked Lake Narrows across Thursday bay to campsite. Basswood-Crooked Lake-Wednesday Bay-Thursday Bay. 11 miles in the rain.
Wednesday July 22nd-
Up early and calm winds to take advantage of, considering the big water we have to cross. Found beaver dam to lift over and did a portage from hell between Pandos lake and Chippewa Lake. VERY steep and slippery after rain. Many mud holes. Then the mile portage after Wagosh Lake to Gun Lake. Never saw another soul in a canoe or campsite the entire day! Thursday bay-Friday Bay-Pandos Lake-Chippewa Lake-Wagosh lake-Gun Lake. 11 miles by water.
Thursday July 23rd-
Finally had a dry night. got everything dry!!! A few portages today to Fourtown Lake campsite. Easy day by comparison. Gun Lake-Fairy Lake-Boot Lake-Fourtown Lake. 6 miles. Put the long miles at the first of the week for a buffer for contingencies!
Friday July 24th-
Last day. Stormed last night bad. A few portages today with one bad one between Fourtown Lake and Mudrow lake. To entry point by 1pm. Ready for a hot shower! 4 miles
Total-
45 miles by water
13 miles by portage (3 trips each)
58 miles total.
18 lakes in a week
Entry Date:
July 28, 2012
Entry Point:
Fall Lake
Exit Point:
Moose Lake (25)
Number of Days:
7
Group Size:
6
First nite super: Salmon hobo burgers, red potatoes, onion, carrots in foil wrap inserted into hot coals.
We returned to camp for a quick chicken salad wrap lunch. Leaving the women at camp, three of us set out to explore the four mile portage on foot. It went from being as wide as a road to a foot path in brush to a flooded track through marsh, at times knee deep. At one point it actually disappears and we had to set up out of water and take to higher ground. While not impossible to travel, I cannot imagine portaging gear through here. On the way back we ventured west to dip our toes in Muskeg Lake.
Our hopes of spotting the sunken steam engine from the end of the four mile portage in Hoist Bay was a disappointment on this day... Due to whitecaps on Hoist Bay..to be rewarded from a water- paddling view a few days later.
Dinner: pork loin smoked over an open fire served with Stove Top stuffing and cheesy potato soup.
From Ella to Fall Lake to Newton, Newton to Pipestone Bay....our goal was to reach Back Bay. Underestimating the toll of four portages and the windy weather, we did not make Back Bay but opted for a campsite northeast of New York Island. This site was a great choice.
Dinner: rehydrated beef and noodles.
Trying to make up ground our group decided to head for Basswood Lake for the night. Breaking camp, heading out of Pipestone Bay to Back Bay, to Hoist Bay...we paused to explore this side of the four mile portage.
We were able to find the sunken steam engine as clear as day a few generous inches above the waters surface located on the east side of the creek coming out of Gook Lake.
From Hoist Bay we headed to Basswood Lake and stopped for lunch at Norway Island. This site on the east side of the island was open and sunny, full of Mosquitos and a bit rocky. While it may work in a pinch, we opted to continue for a better site. Across the way was a beautiful campsite site 11 on the Fisher map. This campsite was georgous and would accommodate three tents easily. A bit secluded and buggy, we opted to move down to the end of Wind Bay in hopes for yet a better site.
This choice paid off. Wind Bay offered a nice campsite for three tents, easy access, less Mosquitos and positioned us for a nice day trip the following day.
Dinner: spaghetti-pepperoni-chicken with rehydrated sauce.
Leaving camp at 10 am we headed through the bog to Indiana Lake. This was the clearest and most beautiful lake of the trip. Two campsites in this lake... Less Mosquitos and a great breeze... A must visit if you are lucky enough to get a site.
From Indiana Lake over a 100 rod portage to Good Lake., 150 rods into Hula, 40 rods without canoes for a toe dip into Wood Lake.
Reversing the trip back to camp we stopped on Hula Lake island for a bean burrito-chicken-rice lunch and a hula dance or two.
We returned to camp around 5 pm to a nice swim and rehydrated baked ziti dinner.
Later in the evening, just before dark, we fixed dinner for a few new friends in search of a late campsite.
Once camp was set up we paddled to Washte Lake and took the unmarked portage to Withness Lake. Watch out for the leeches in these smaller lakes.
Dinner: lentil soup as a starter. Calzones for dinner (Italian flat bread-pepperoni-chicken-pizza sauce-onion-bacon bites-Parmesan cheese)... One even had tuna.
This night brought our first still water...and the sunset mirrored on the water. What a beautiful last night.
Breaking camp we left Wind lake taking the 175 rod portage to Moose Lake, paddling straight up to the outfitters dock.