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Date/Time: 03/28/2024 02:05PM
Longest Loop

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Previous Messages:
Author Message Text
bobbernumber3 05/31/2020 01:48PM
joewildlife: "... If the border is open in the fall, I'll return to Quetico and we are going to do the Hunters Island Loop, that's an easy one to plan out!
Joe
"

Group trip or solo? How many days?
mmarksnp 05/31/2020 11:22AM
What a trip! And solo. Awesome.
Voyager 05/31/2020 09:05AM
Longest loop was solo approx. 16 yrs. ago. Started and ended at Snowbank. Disappointment, Ashub, Adventure, Jordan, Ima, Thomas, Fraser, Shepo, Sagus,Roe, Cap, Vee, Fee, Hoe, Makwa, Elton, Little Sag., Mora, Tarry, Crooked, Owl, Tuscarora, Howl, Hubbub, Copper4, Snipe, Crossbay, Rib, Lower George, Karl, Long Is. Cave, Ross,Sebaka, Banadad, Rush, Little Rush, Skipper, Poplar, got out at Trail Center and walked the road to Hungry Jack, ( I met Ranger Rick 2 days earlier. He said technically I should stop at an outfitter on Poplar and get another permit to re-enter after Trail Center, but he'd let it go since it was after Labor day, and I told him I'd blow right through there.) Flour,( could have gone east here but didn't) Aspen, E. Bearskin, Alder, Canoe, Pine, McFarland, Little John, John, Royal, N. Fowl, Proceeded to take the border rte. back. Turned off into Vera, Ensign, Boot, and Snowbank. Took the trouble to list most of the lakes because this was a very nice 16 day trip. I had a fast canoe and did all portages in 1 trip. I was mulling over the idea recently of starting at Crane L., doing the border rte. to N. Fowl, and going back by a more southerly rte. to Crane. It would have to be next year at the earliest, I have a border trip tentatively planned for this year. I'd have to plan on a month, and maybe take my wife along. H.m.m sounds good.
joewildlife 05/31/2020 04:06AM
I had an easy 14 day loop planned from Lake 1 headed counterclockwise from Lake 1 getting as far east as Little Sag, trying to stay away from the other EPs. That fell through. But I'll echo the comments about most loops being more like lollipops.


If the border is open in the fall, I'll return to Quetico and we are going to do the Hunters Island Loop, that's an easy one to plan out!


Joe
PineKnot 05/30/2020 02:34PM
I have been going to Quetico exclusively each year since 2008. But, this year I'll be returning to the BWCA. Since I'm getting up there (turned 60 this year), I figure I better do some longer trips now than wait till I can't. So, starting next week, I'll be doing my longest solo BWCA loop of about 85 miles, 45+ portages starting and ending at Seagull Outfitters. Plan to stay multiple nights in South Arm Knife area, Kekekabic/Boulder/Adams/Malberg, then Little Saganaga/Jasper/Seagull. Several daytrips depending on weather and wind. Total of 16 nights. Should be fun.
mmarksnp 05/29/2020 08:07PM
I have done 3 100+ mile loop trips in the BWCA and everyone one was everything you can ask for spiritually, physically, and mentally. The best one though was something we named the 3 river slam. It had 68 named lakes and 104 portages (not counting many beaver dams) and 3 rivers. Total distance 126 miles.
Day 1: We started from Somers Boy Scout Base on Moose but we portaged out to Snowbank entry, Disappointment (well named but that's another story), Ahsub, Jitterbug , Adventure, Cattyman and Cattyman Falls, Jordan, Ima,
Day 2: Ima, Hatchet, Thomas, Fraser, Gerund, Ahmaklose, Wisini, Strup, Kekakabic, and Pickle. There is a little used site on the NW shore of Pickle with an extraordinary abundance of berries.
Day 3: Early start form Pickle, Spoon, Bonnie, South Arm Knife, around Thunder Point to breakfast on the North Arm at campsite 1449. I would definitely camp there. Then back around to climb Thunder Point, South Arm again, Eddy Falls, Eddy Lake, Jenny, Annie, Ogishkemunchi and got an island site #2018 in the middle of Ogish.
Day 4: Ogish, Meuller, Agamok, Gabimichigami, Peter, French, Gillis, Crooked, Owl, to Tuscarora to campsite 516-a penisula on the west end offering a spectacular sunrise ouver Tuscarora. We saw no one else this day.
Day 5. Sunrise paddle east across Tuscarora, Howl Swamp Portage, Hubbub, Copper, Snipe, Cross Bay Lake, Rib Lake, Lower George Lake, Long Island Lake, Long Island River (really short we didn't count this as an official river) Gordon Lake, and turned west from Gordon to Unload Lake to Frost Lake. 2nd day in a row without seeing anyone else. Campsite 878 on the west shore was nice.
Day 6: Dawn start. Frost River Day baby. Frost Lake to Frost River which goes through Octopus, Chase, Pencil, Afton, Fente, to finish day the 300 rod uphill Fente to Hub. No great sites on Hub and the SW site was the best and after that day, it doesn't really matter. 3rd day in a row of not seeing any one else.
Day 7: Louse River Day. Hub, Mesaba, Chaser, Dent. Saw a bull moose in the shallows entering Dent, to Bug, following the Louse River through, Trail, Boze, Frond to campsite 1056 where the Louse joins Marlberg and the Kawishiwi River. 3rd river of the 3 River Slam. 4th day in a row without seeing another soul.
Day 8: Down the Kawishiwi making side trip to Fishdance to view the pictoglyphs there, then back to the Kawishiwi, crossing Alice then back on the river to Insula for night to Campsite 2325. 5 stars with great sunset view. Finally saw other canoes on Alice for first time in almost 5 days.
Day 9: Casual day. Insula, Kiana, Thomas, Hatchet, Ima, Jordan, Cattyman, Gibson Ashigan, Ensign. Campsite 1214. Gets poor reviews. Don't know why, multiple tent sites, great sun rise view. Nice swimming and fishing.
Day 10: Ensign, Splash, Newfound, to Moose and exited at the Boy Scout Base entry 25.
marsonite 05/29/2020 07:38PM
Longest I ever did was from Snowbank up to SAK, down Ogish Gabi Little Sag, to Makwa then back through Fraser, Thomas, Ima. It was a while ago, so the details are a tad fuzzy.


Done lots of longer loops in Quetico, WC, Wabikimi.
woodsandwater 05/29/2020 04:38PM
Circumnavigating the BW from West to East, south, then West again. 13 days. Dawn to dusk. Longest day 28 miles. It was great! And I was a bit younger!
mmarksnp 05/29/2020 02:31PM
Did the Frost and the Louse 2 summers ago. You are going to love it. The Frost has many, many beaver dams. That 300 rod portage at the end of the day doing the Frost up to Hub from Fente is all up hill and the first 100 rods is really up hill. if you plan on Hub for your over night we found the most southwest camp site to be the best.
boonie 05/29/2020 12:57PM
I have covered most of the loop Michwall2 listed, minus some, plus some, on a couple of different trips. A lot of nice country there, some lightly traveled.
GopherAdventure 05/29/2020 12:07PM
Last year I did a 4 day solo and 60 mile loop. Entered at Lake One and went down through the number chain to Insula, Alice, Fishdance, down the Kawishiwi River To Kibaniva, Pan Makwa and back west through the 3 letter chain (Hoe, Fee, Vee etc.) and into Fraser, Thomas, Ima, Disappointment and exited at Snowbank. Loved that route. It was challenging, had lots of solitude, good fishing and plenty of cool places to see. I will be doing that route again sooner than later. It would be perfect for a 6-7 day trip because then you could explore and fish a little more or build in a layover day.


Tony
cyclones30 05/29/2020 12:02PM
The longest possible "loop" fully within the BWCA would be something crazy (if I get the corridor crossing rules right) like Little Indian Sioux River (south) down towards Trout and Cummings and back up Moose River south, cross Echo Trail, Moose River north, Agnes, Stuart, Beartrap, Horse, southern Basswood, Wind, Moose, Ensign, Snowbank, Insula, Alice, Malberg, Lady Chain, Brule, Winchell, (Can you cross the gunflint?) loop around the Vento Unit, Up into Sag via Granite River, and take border back west all the way to LIS North. You'd never see the same spot twice.


To make it even longer, after Sag you could come back south through a zillion other options and hit frost river, Ogish, etc. I'd think this would be in the hundreds of miles.
TrailZen 05/29/2020 11:39AM
Can't help you with BWCA loops, but our Quetico trips have usually been 10-day trips in the 100-125 mile range. My trip reports (I've only filed reports of three of our long trips) map the route for each day--check them out.
TZ
Blatz 05/29/2020 09:55AM
I did the Long River Loop. It's route 36-2 in Beymers BWCA Eastern Region book. 82 miles. Starts at Hog Creek and ends on Kawishiwi. So either portage the 3 miles back to Hog Creek or stash a bike to ride back to retrieve your car. Go go through Lake 1- Alice- tho Kawishiwi. It great route with 52 portages, but none of them are monsters.
Michwall2 05/29/2020 09:29AM
This "loop" doesn't close itself by tripping, but I consider it a loop because we ended at the lake the shuttle started on.


Day 1 - Shuttle from Sawbill Lake to (Entry 37) Kawishiwi Lake, Square Lake, Kawasachong Lake, Townline Lake, Lake Polly, pond, Koma Lake (11.7 mi.)


Day 2 - Koma Lake, Malberg Lake, River Lake, Fishdance Lake, River Lake, Alice Lake, (12.1 mi.)


Day 3 - Alice Lake, Cacabic Lake, Thomas Lake, Fraser Lake, Gerund Lake, Ahmakose Lake, Wisini Lake, Strip Lake, Kekakabic Lake, (12.7 mi)


Day 4 - Kek Lake, Pickle Lake, Spoon Lake, Bonnie Lake, South Arm of Knife Lake, Eddy Lake, Jennie Lake, Annie Lake, Ogishkemuncie Lake, Mueller Lake. (14.7 mi.)


Day 5 - Mueller Lake, Agamok Lake, Gabimichigami Lake, Rattle Lake, Little Saganaga Lake (8.2 mi.)


Day 6 - Little Sag, Mora Lake, Whipped Lake, Fente Lake, Hub Lake, Mesaba Lake (9.1 mi)


Day 7 - Layover


Day 8 - Mesaba Lake, Hug Lake, Duck Lake, Zenith Lake, Lujenida Lake, Kelso River, Kelso Lake, Kelso River, Sawbill Lake. (13.2 mi)


Total miles = 81.7.


Not a crazy long loop, but respectable and covered lots of new territory for us.
Mocha 05/29/2020 09:08AM
straighthairedcurly: "Lately I haven't been doing very long trips so our loops haven't been very many miles. In the past I did a 2 week loop in the area southwest of the Gunflint Trail, but I was young and don't remember the details. I just know we traveled on a LOT of lakes.



This summer we are planning a 73 mile loop starting at Cross Bay Lake then dropping south through Long Island Lake, west through the Frost River, then south and west to the Louse River, turn north on the Kawishiwi River heading through Little Sag, Gillis, etc. and come out at Brant Lake entry point. I consider this a loop because the parking area for EPs 50, 51, and 52 is the same/close.



You could certainly do a significantly longer loop off of this EP by heading farther east first and then swinging even farther west later in the trip."



my paddle partner and i did this exact loop back in 2009, late september. i remember getting to the T on the portage after Boulder lake. we needed to decide if we were heading back to the gunflint side or heading to ely and calling for a ride. we opted for gunflint and exited through tuscarora to missing link and round. one of my favorite trips. we did a side trip down to fishdance to see the pictos and hike up to the top of the cliff, and also a side trip into amber.


the louse river was probably my favorite part of the trip but i really loved the entire route. have a great time!
ponddigger 05/29/2020 08:53AM
This sounds like an interesting topic! I am headed out in 2 weeks to do a 40-45 mile loop from Brant to Kekekabic, possibly SAK, then back through Little Sag and Tusc. But a significant part of the loop goes back on itself.
straighthairedcurly 05/29/2020 08:46AM
Lately I haven't been doing very long trips so our loops haven't been very many miles. In the past I did a 2 week loop in the area southwest of the Gunflint Trail, but I was young and don't remember the details. I just know we traveled on a LOT of lakes.


This summer we are planning a 73 mile loop starting at Cross Bay Lake then dropping south through Long Island Lake, west through the Frost River, then south and west to the Louse River, turn north on the Kawishiwi River heading through Little Sag, Gillis, etc. and come out at Brant Lake entry point. I consider this a loop because the parking area for EPs 50, 51, and 52 is the same/close.


You could certainly do a significantly longer loop off of this EP by heading farther east first and then swinging even farther west later in the trip.
cyclones30 05/29/2020 07:36AM
I confused at the not intersect itself part. Most loops have at least a bit of overlap since you're going back to the same place you started. Most entry points make you go a lake or two or river paddle in before your route options open up.


You can make a nice loop from entries 22/23, 14, 16, 37, 25, etc etc but they would be more like a lollipop loop with the very beginning and end on the same travel route.


We've done some 30 to 50+ mile loops but technically they're a lollipop loop
tmccann 05/29/2020 06:47AM
What is the longest BWCAW loop that you have taken? A loop would not intersect itself. Please give a general description with approximate miles, any parts of the loop off regular routes, etc.