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 Boundary Waters Quetico Forum Trip Planning Forum Information on navigable rivers/waterways Reply
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| Previous Messages: | |
| Author | Message Text |
| Spartan2 |
02/23/2020 04:57PM I talked my husband into following one of those thin blue lines many years ago and it didn't end well. Lots of bushwhacking and lost time, lots of effort. After that I was willing to follow the "usual" pathways. I will say, however, that it was memorable. :-( |
| MidwestFirecraft |
02/23/2020 07:06AM The blue line running into the Bear Trap River that is Spring Creek. It is the same size as the river on the map. This is what it looked like in May 2019 right after snow melt.  Went about 1/4 mile in 2 hours or so. Totally unnavigable even though it was Spring and others had confirmed they had done it. A thin blue line can be a ragging river one moment, and an unnavigable stream chocked with dead fall the next. Spring Creek |
| nooneuno |
02/23/2020 06:57AM So much of the bwca I s all about the beaver activity ... |
| boonie |
02/23/2020 05:16AM Some are also choked with trees from blowdown and fire . . . |
| TreeBear |
02/22/2020 09:42PM And one can't overstate the importance of timing. Just because you can get through in June doesn't mean you can get through in August. And just because you could get through 20 years ago doesn't always mean you can get through now (fire, wind, beavers, or just time can do a lot.) |
| cowdoc |
02/21/2020 08:32AMBlatz: "Often the thin blue line on your map is stuff like this. Like others have said, if it's going into a lake with campsites. Then you should be good to go Not all thin blue lines are created equal. If along well traveled routes and no portage.....then probably navigable, pending water levels. If off the beaten path (PMA's for example), then you better do some research. I had aerial photos for travel through a PMA once. Things looked very different in person. Elevation changes are usually the big clue. |
| Blatz |
02/21/2020 07:43AM Often the thin blue line on your map is stuff like this. Like others have said, if it's going into a lake with campsites. Then you should be good to go 
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| cyclones30 |
02/20/2020 10:11PM Where are your looking specifically? I'm guessing we can do a better job than a website if you know where |
| rule of thumb |
02/20/2020 09:56PM One rule of thumb i try to remember is that they didn't put portages in to be skipped. They put them there because the water route is what you want to be skipping. It is fun to try and bushwhack if you have the time and energy. |
| geotramper |
02/20/2020 09:20PM I have had good success searching for said waterways here on the forum. If the river is named on the map search for something along the lines of "is X navigable". You can also try "river between lake A and B". In many cases someone has already tried it and reported on it. |
| TuscaroraBorealis |
02/20/2020 08:28PM Generally speaking.... Usually it's pretty obvious. If said river leads to a dead end route, (a lake with no campsites or outlet) then it's probably not one you'll want to tackle. |
| Cricket67 |
02/20/2020 08:15PM I've been looking a various route options and see many places where it would appear you can get from one lake to another through a river (no portage marked, two lakes are close together) Other rivers will have some portages here and there that are there to avoid rapids, shallow spots, etc. Is there somewhere that list which rivers are easily paddled? Obvious for many it may depend on the time of year or general water levels. Maybe somewhere there are reviews like the BWCA.com map has for portages? Just curious. |
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