BWCA Entry Point, Route, and Trip Report Blog
May 17 2024
Entry Point 30 - Lake One
Number of Permits per Day: 13
Elevation: 1230 feet
Latitude: 47.9391
Longitude: -91.4792
My son Remy and I, and my friend Keith and his son Charlie put our canoes into Lake one at 9:30 Monday morning after dropping off a car at the Snowbank Lake landing. Lake One can be tricky to navigate. On our way to Lake Two we turned East too early and ended up paddling about a mile out of our way into a dead-end bay before we realized our mistake. We blamed the fact that Lake One was split between Fisher Maps #10 and #4 for our error. If the entire lake had been visible at once on a single map, we would not have made the wrong turn. Once we got back on course we portaged the 30 rods into a pond and then portaged the 40 rods into Lake Two. The weather was nice, and there was a bit of a tail wind out of the West. We stopped for lunch on the shore of Lake Two. After lunch we canoed through the North end of Lake Three and into Lake Four. We stopped for the night at a campsite on the West shore of Lake Four, just North of the channel heading toward Hudson Lake. We had to battle swarms of mosquitoes as we set up the tents. We then had a nice refreshing swim. Because we had brought steaks along for the first night, we didn't go fishing.
On Tuesday morning we had a bacon and eggs breakfast then packed up camp and headed out in our canoes. As we canoed past our campsite, we realized that Remy & I had left our hammocks pitched between trees. We landed again and quickly packed them up. Once again we had beautiful weather. We paddled East and completed 3 short portages before entering Hudson Lake. The 105 rod portage into Lake Insula was exhausting! Lake Insula is a large gorgeous lake broken up by multiple islands and penninsulas. We had lunch at a campsite on a large island just East of Hudson Lake. It felt like we had a tail wind as we were heading East, and then as we turned North it seemed like the wind shifted and was at our backs once again. We navigated Lake Insula flawlessly and camped for the night on the island just West of Williamson Island. After setting up the tents and a refreshing swim, Remy & I got back into the canoe and tried to catch some fish. We had no luck! At 9PM that night, just as we were going to bed, a thunderstorm rolled through. That night I was awakened several times by the loud croaking of bullfrogs from the shallows around our island. What noisy neighbors!
By Wednesday morning the weather had cleared, but the wind was now coming from the Northwest, pretty much in our faces. We paddled to the North end of Lake Insula and tackled the largest portage of our trip. The 180 rod walk to Kiana Lake actually seemed easier than the 105 rod carry into Lake Insula. We headed onward into Thomas Lake where we really started feeling the headwind. We finally made it to the campsite just Northeast of the portage into Thomas Pond in time for lunch. After lunch we proceeded across Thomas Pond and into Thomas Creek after hiking across the famous Kekekabic Trail. We managed to easily run the rapids in Thomas Creek and avoid the 2 short portages. We camped for the night on Hatchet Lake at the northern campsite. It was cool and windy, so we didn't swim. There was lots of threatening weather going by to the North of us, but we stayed dry. After supper we canoed back to Thomas Creek to fish and look for moose. No luck on either count, but we did see a beaver swimmming.
The weather was nice again Thursday morning, but the wind was out of the West which was the direction we were heading. We portaged into Ima Lake and canoed across it. Before portaging into Jordan Lake, we watched a bald eagle sitting in a tree get harrassed repeatedly by a seagull. The narrow channel leading into Jordan Lake is quite beautiful. It is narrow like a river with big rock outcroppings. We paddled across Jordan, Cattyman, Adventure, and Jitterbug Lakes. We found the Eastern campsite on Ahsub Lake taken, so we camped at the Western campsite which had a great place for swimming in front of it. There was a very brave loon in front of the campsite who didn't seem to mind if we got close to it. We tried our luck at fishing, but only caught 1 smallmouth which was too small to eat. Between 5:00 and 7:30 that evening we saw a number of canoes heading across Ahsub Lake from Disappointment Lake to Jitterbug Lake. We weren't sure where they were planning to camp, but it was getting late.
On Friday we awoke again to good weather. We paddled the length of Disappointment Lake and portaged into to Parent Lake and then on to Snowbank Lake. It was July 4th, and as we entered Snowbank Lake the sounfd of firecrackers reminded us we weren't in the wilderness anaymore. After a brief splash war on our way across Snowbank, we made it to the landing and our car was still there. What a great trip!
Meeting Up on Slim
Entry Date:
June 15, 2011
Entry Point:
Slim Lake
Exit Point:
Slim Lake (6)
Number of Days:
5
Group Size:
4
Friend Scott and I left the cities at about 430pm… make it to Ely easily by 9pm. Is 1st time in Ely; that main street has canoes everywhere! Neat. Pick up our entry permit, new map and the key to the upstairs bunkhouse at the outfitters (VNO)… then drive down the street for frozen custard (Little Red Cabin… it rocks).
Light rain is predicted to end soon, so we didn’t move in hurried fashion. Have breakfast in town, then stop by TGO for leeches and advice. Rain stops. We’re at Slim Lake entry point around 10am. Portage canoe 1st half, then return to parking lot. The other group entering today are here… 2 dads with young daughters. They ask where we plan to go, and I respond with “maybe Slim… maybe further”… which is true. What we have in mind is to camp beyond Slim for a night, but if we pass a beautiful and empty site on Slim... we might just stay there. There are 2 cars in parking lot, 2 permits per day, and 3 campsites on Slim … so it occurs to me that there may very well be 1 open site on Slim and it’s either us or them.
As we enter Slim ahead of the other group, we choose to head straight north; if the south campsite it open, we’re leaving it for the dads-n-daughters.
Overcast and with barely any drizzle… the paddling is great.
Both of the north campsites on Slim are occupied. I’m guessing dads-n-daughters are on the south site. We look for portage to Rice… but can’t find it; we find it; it’s hard to see from the water, with no typical wear pattern/scar to see.
Rice campsite is occupied; yep… 2 cars in parking lot, but 3 groups already inside. Yes, Rice is shallow and has rice emerging. We portage to Hook.
Hook campsite is sweet, with a big rock face; Scott states that it is the prettiest approach to a campsite that he has seen. I agree. We set up camp… fish a bit… eat supper (Gnocchi). Hook is a pretty, serpentine, narrow lake; it suits me.
We portage to Kenau just to see it. Water is somewhat low, which makes portage longer than stated; it is a rocky one too. Kenau is pretty… fairly small… with rocky shores. The (empty) campsite is on a big slope; unusual and cool.
We portage back to Hook and settle down for the night. No critter problems, no weather problems… just campfire and a very good night sleep.
I realize that my REI mattress has a slow leak; I wake up with a half-full mattress. Oh, well. Scott and I plan to join up with friend Rich and his daughter Elise at the Slim entry point in the late evening. We want to move our camp to Slim… but will an empty site be there? We know the south site (dads-n-daughters) will stay occupied. What’s the chance that 1 of the 2 parties that we know are camped on north Slim will leave today… on a Friday? We figure empty site on Slim not likely, and so we’ll scout Slim for an empty site but will keep maintain camp at the Hook site.
After breakfast (hash browns and Spam), we portage to Rice… then on to Slim. The northernmost site on Slim is empty! We occupy it with hammocks and some other gear, then have lunch. No one passes by, so we know no one is yet wishing for our site at Hook; still, not wanting to occupy 2 sites for long, we portage back to Rice and then to Hook.
We pack up camp… then portage gear to Rice and then to Slim, passing a group heading in (likely to campsite on Hook, which we’re pleased to have vacated before anyone desired it). We have now portaged 11 times on 4 lakes; I’m seeing a flaw to this plan. :)
The campsite on Slim is real nice. Enough room for multiple tents and the campfire area is out on a subtle peninsula where it catches plenty breeze. I’ll give it a B+ (Hook was A+). Finding down wood to burn is easy.
Slim is neat; big hills/cliffs… lots of rock… and no one in sight.
It is suppertime (red beans and rice with chicken, followed by pudding). We nap, then fish… then at 8pm we paddle down to the entry point to meet up with Rich/Elise; we notice that the middle campsite is also vacant… on a Friday. We have fingers crossed that all plans run on time; Rich/Elise need to leave Aitkin after work, get permit in Ely, then get to Slim in time to paddle before darkness; things could go wrong.
Fishing outside the entry point is beautiful; really… these big boulders and cliffs are wonderful to paddle by. Only small Smallies bite. Rich and Elise soon arrive… and we paddle north to our campsite as dusk settles. The lake is calm and the paddling is wonderful; this is a nice way to enter the BW.
The 4 of us have a great campfire that night. Today’s weather was beautiful all day. I am happy, because our complicated plan worked.
It is dry in the afternoon. We paddle to north end of Slim, where it ends in a big ol’ bog. OK… I really like Slim. Hook is the perfect size for me, but Slim has nothing to complain about. We gently paddle into the bog, between the pitcher plants… just to sit quiet for a while.
We paddle all the shoreline real slowly, admiring the views as we go. Richie catches a large walleye; large by our standards anyway. Sweet.
Supper is fresh fish, mashed potatos, stuffing + pudding.
We have a nice campfire, douse it, and sleep well.
Breakfast is Bacon Smash (mashed potatoes and bacon bits in a cup)… and we slowly break camp. It’s always easier packing to leave than packing to start :) We paddle out of Slim under the threat of rain, but no actual rain. We stop by the vacant middle site to compare it to the north site; it’s fine, but doesn’t make us regret staying on the north site. Both are very good.
As we exit Slim we look back and judge that this might be the prettiest entry point we’ve been to. I say Slim is a really nice lake; no need to continue farther than it… but if you go to Hook/Kenau you’ll be rewarded for your (minimal) effort.
** I still need to do a real voyageur-type trip thru the BW, but seriously… I’d come back to Slim for a couple of nights… and I’d definitely recommend it as a get-started trip. **