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       How crowded is it really right now?
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Date/Time: 03/28/2024 06:25PM
How crowded is it really right now?

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Previous Messages:
Author Message Text
LindenTree 10/16/2020 09:30AM
I got back from a 3 day/2 nite trip out of EP 32, South Kawashiwi River. 2 cars in the parking lot when I put in, one was mine, 3 were in the PL when I came out. Only saw one person and it appeared that all the campsites were open on the river up to the first portage. Campsites I visited were clean, Chipmunks and Mice were a little bad, but my dog had fun keeping them at bay.
egknuti 10/15/2020 09:49PM
I did a day trip from Mudro today. One car was in the parking lot when I entered and four when I left in the evening.
prizes14 10/14/2020 08:06PM
Just got back from a 9 day trip from #39 Baker Lake up to Sawbill, Cherokee, Long Island and back. I always take a late fall trip and saw more people in 9 days than I have in the past 8 years combined. Normally I have the place to myself but campsites were full on some of the lakes. A permit system after October 1st is going to be needed if this continues. Unreal the amount of people up there.

Also, the mice were as bad as I've ever seen them. Ruined two zippers even though I had my packs hung in trees. Mice were climbing on my tent all night too.
jeffnson 10/13/2020 03:24PM
My daughter and I went into the numbered lakes EP30 on 10/7 and came out last Sunday. I had always avoided that area but thought this time of year would be a good opportunity to check it out and miss the crowd. First day in we saw 4 groups coming out and saw one family going in ahead of us. We spent two nights on Lake 4 and pretty much had the lake to ourselves except for 2 solos going in and one or two groups heading out. On our way out we saw 2 groups going in. Campsites were readily available.
However,
Talk about crowds; The mice were epic on our Lake 3 campsite. Never saw anything like it anywhere else in the BWCA. We moved to Lake 4 and they were there too but in lesser numbrs. . One chewed into our food pack after we hung it, and we are very careful about packing well and avoiding any smells. Maybe seasonal? This was my latest trip in 20 years
JACK NAPIER 10/10/2020 07:40AM
So....is it still madly busy right now? Or have things summers down finally?
WindChill 09/30/2020 06:22PM
Went in at Moose on 9/25, took a tow up to Ensign and saw the same as Lightfoot, canoes stacked up (though most were going out). About half the sites were taken on Ensign but after that things were open. Went down through Ashigan, Catyman, Jordan to Ima and passed a few groups going the other way.


Fishing was a complete fail and the weather was cool/cloudy/windy/rainy but the campfire and whiskey were warm. Came out at Snowbank on 9/29 - 7 hours of headwind were tough.


Lightfoot 09/30/2020 09:11AM
The photo below is of the Moose Lake end of the portage to Splash Lake on Saturday the 19th. There are 8 canoes and well over 9 people in the photo. As we waited for things to clear out, 3 more canoes came across from Splash Lake. At this point there were 11 canoes so we continued to wait. After about 7-8 minutes, an outfitter tow boat went right by us and dropped off another canoe and 2 more people. We looked for an outfitter's decal on the canoe and tow boat, but didn't see any. We thought it would be nice if at least the outfitters followed the rules. We were finally able to land several minutes later.


When we got to Ensign Lake, we didn't see an open site all the way across from West to East. We portaged out the SE end to Ashigan Lake and were able to claimed a site there.


On Monday, we traveled over to Jordan Lake and again saw several groups between Ashigan and Ima. This was by far the busiest we've ever seen it in September. Hopefully it's only a 1 year deal.



mooseplums 09/29/2020 10:27AM
I went in a Seagull last Monday, and only saw one occupied site on the west end. I paddled up past the palisades, Mile Island to the Alpine portage and all the sites along the way were deserted. I camped near the Alpine portage, and saw a few groups coming and going on Tuesday, but that was pretty much it. I had to paddle out on Wednesday due to a pulled muscle in my leg that kept me from doing my planned trip. I only saw 2 groups on Wednesday, and they were both leaving.
MichiganMan 09/28/2020 07:58PM
Just returned from a 6 day solo trip. Took the tow from Seagull Outfitters to American Point on Saganaga, and then went into the S. Arm of Knife via Ottertrack and Little Knife. Returned via Hanson and Ester Lakes. Only saw numbers of people east of Monument Portage. Had three nights of total isolation with nobody around. Saw at least a canoe or two each day, but the internal area was not crowded at all.

Pastorjsackett was right though. Grand Marais was crazy with people. Driving back down the north shore yesterday was crazy with car accidents, stop/go traffic etc.
Noslen 09/28/2020 02:46PM
Just returned EP23 on 25 Sep. A couple portages in the crowds were small and perhaps normal. Saw no one for two days on Crooked (Friday Bay) and limited all the way back to Fourtown.
AmarilloJim 09/28/2020 01:57PM
Just got back from EP 62 Clearwater. About half the sites were occupied on Clearwater, Mountain and Caribou for the week. Saw a LOT of canoes though for September.
budfox_mn 09/28/2020 11:38AM
Went in Snowbank on the 23rd and exited yesterday the 27th. Crazy busy! We got a site on Disappointment. By Thursday at noon every site was occupied on Disappointment, Parent and even the island sites on Snowbank were occupied. Only site available was the vista site on Ashub that connects to the ski trail. Lots of canoes . Ely was as busy as I have ever seen it coming out in September. I have been taking a fall trip since 2000. Leaves were peak and probably worth the crowds for those not going in to the BWCA. Definitely makes me think harder about our “easy” fall trip for the future. May have to get a bit deeper if this isn’t a COVID effect and people are hooked.
martian 09/28/2020 07:46AM
prizes14: "martian: "Well crap. I was hoping for some peaceful paddling time October 4th to 10th solo.
Entering at Sawbill, dilly dally my way to maybe Grace or beyond. Then return back to Sawbill. Good luck to all of us, it's crazy this year. Enjoy!"




You may see me up there October 4-11. I'll be doing the Sawbill loop starting at Baker Lake and then going to Sawbill, Cherokee and down through the Temperance. I'll be going solo in a Souris River canoe. Say hi if you see me."



It's possible, I'll certainly keep my eyes pealed. Flying Moose could be everywhere.
Have a safe and enjoyable trip. Cheers!!
prizes14 09/27/2020 08:30PM
martian: "Well crap. I was hoping for some peaceful paddling time October 4th to 10th solo.
Entering at Sawbill, dilly dally my way to maybe Grace or beyond. Then return back to Sawbill. Good luck to all of us, it's crazy this year. Enjoy!"



You may see me up there October 4-11. I'll be doing the Sawbill loop starting at Baker Lake and then going to Sawbill, Cherokee and down through the Temperance. I'll be going solo in a Souris River canoe. Say hi if you see me.
schweady 09/27/2020 10:42AM
Ours was a quick 3-night base camp on Clear, coming in from Farm and the Kawishiwi. I'd say that 3-4 out of the 5 sites on Clear were occupied each night. Most of the lake traffic was fishing, a few with packs passing through to the N Kawish. Did not meet a lot of traffic on the route... going in, met one couple from Virginia state ending an 8-day trip; going out, it was a lost couple heading to Clear (hoping that they were, at least), struggling to maintain a course with Saturday's strong wind behind them. They weren't sure if they were in the Kawishiwi or South Farm...
pastorjsackett 09/27/2020 01:26AM
It sounds like the lakes are full. I have not been tripping but I would add this: my daughter and I trekked north to purchase a used canoe from Tuscarora (YAY--huge deal for us!!!) and on the way up and back the traffic was off the charts. We hoped to find a place to stay in the National Forest Campground but all the sites were full....even the spots where people tend to hunker down for the night were full and then some. We did find a sweet little clearing in which to toss up our tents though.


Grand Marais was stuffed with people and a Trump rally on the side of road had cars honking, people yelling.


The North Shore is not the place to be for those seeking solitude!


But again, with the canoe purchase we were pretty darn happy!


PJ
cowdoc 09/26/2020 10:16AM
just got back. Ely was pretty busy but we entered on a Sunday and met a fair number of people exiting. We had Cummings to ourselves for 2 days, a few groups on Crab, nobody seen through the Hassel, Battle, Phantom, Meat loop.
schweady 09/25/2020 06:51PM
Came out last Saturday and came through Ely for a shower and lunch. Never saw it so busy, even compared to trips done in July-Aug.
okinaw55 09/24/2020 08:05PM
We just came off of Brule and only saw people 2 of the 4 days we were there. There were empty campsites at most locations as we day tripped around. In fact, the first two days there we didn't see a single person.
AlexC 09/21/2020 08:48PM
We just came from Lake Cummings on Sunday. It’s a mile portage to start from EP4 On Burntside which combined with the 25 degree weather one night may have held folks back. We saw no one on Saturday and both sites across from us were open that night, but occupied Th/Fri. Coming out we saw two groups coming in. Bugs were almost all gone which was nice.


jwartman59 09/21/2020 03:44PM
The superior hiking trail was incredibly busy this weekend. I usually see a few backpackers, this weekend we would see dozens of separate groups. Like in the bwca this a year I am sure most were responsible outdoors people, one group surprised me as they were carrying a radio, loudly playing death metal. I to say I was astonished is an understatement
mmrocker13 09/19/2020 11:47AM
We put in on Fall, and went thru basswood up to crooked to the area btwn wednesday and thursday bay and saw MAYBE a handful of people/groups. Couple on Basswood, one on Table Rock, and then a solo and another group right as we were turning down the bay to set up camp. (This was a wednesday, so I'd assume there would have been more folks settled in). The area of basswood we went thru was mostly empty. All the sites around LBF were empty. We saw only a couple of occupied sites on a couple of days on the 10 days we were on crooked--it was, basically, business as normal and the reason we go up there.


We were surpised how quiet it was... so much so that we said, hey...let's take a leisurely out and maybe stop and stay a night on Horse, which is always a pretty lake, and is nice to break up the trip out. (We come out thru Mudro, and about half the time we stop on Horse, the other half we just come straight out)


Ha ha ha. No. Again--complete ghost town up until Horse. Then? a zoo. ALL the sites were occupied (even that crappy one on the portage to Tin Can Mike). People were circling like vultures, and it looked like people had/were camping on the beachy area, too. (Digression: GRR.) Tin can mike was also full, with people looking for sites. Not a big deal for us as we single portage and do the crooked to mudro in one morning/afternoon, and staying on Horse is a "fun to do" and not a requirement... but there were a LOT of folks for whom the trip is a big one--and they were, I think, shocked to find themselves coming in with no where to go (or going out and having to keep going out).


Long story short :D The popular entry points are packed, even now in mid-september (or were at the beginning of this week, anyway...)
moray 09/17/2020 07:43PM
We went in on Snowbank on 9/9 hoping to base on Disappointment. All sites were full on Disappointment and Ashub. We ended up going all the way to Ashigan. We basesed there for the week because we were afraid to try and find a site elsewhere. Ensign was pretty much full the days we portaged over to fish and when we came out on the 15th.
okinaw55 09/16/2020 11:54PM
martian: "Well crap. I was hoping for some peaceful paddling time October 4th to 10th solo.
Entering at Sawbill, dilly dally my way to maybe Grace or beyond. Then return back to Sawbill. Good luck to all of us, it's crazy this year. Enjoy!"



Oh man .. I would think by that time you would be alone. I juggled permits this year. 6 dollar cancellation fee, can map out a few routes at least.
martian 09/16/2020 09:04PM
Well crap. I was hoping for some peaceful paddling time October 4th to 10th solo.
Entering at Sawbill, dilly dally my way to maybe Grace or beyond. Then return back to Sawbill. Good luck to all of us, it's crazy this year. Enjoy!
okinaw55 09/16/2020 08:28PM
I just got off the phone with Sawbill and he said it's still pretty busy. Asked about chances of finding a spot on Burnt and he said there might be one available. Question about going in at Brule and up the Cones and he said no problem there. Sounds like a portage or two in at the not so heavily used EP's and we should be fine.
luft 09/16/2020 01:54AM
VaderStrom: "Cricket67: "luft: "Just came out today from the number lakes (Lake One EP Wednesday 9/2 to Monday 9/14).





It was very busy. We entered Lake One at 7:30am. Lake One was was totally full. Lake Two was mostly full..."





Is this level of visitation half way through September precedented? I have avoided the number lakes because I hear they are pretty crowded. "




A couple of my favorite trips have been to the numbered lakes, but they've taken place in April or October and I get to use whatever campsites I want. :) Lots of other popular spots are also great at these times, just make sure you're not falling out of your boat and always keep your PFD on. "



Don't know about the precedence in term of crowds but I will say that Lake One was pretty much wide open as far as campsites when we came out around 11am this past Monday.


The boys and I hit Lake One Friday July 24 for a long weekend and we got the last site open on the lake. It was very busy that weekend with lots of boats passing by towards Lake Two.


I'm headed in Lake One again next week with a group of newbies. I am hoping the crowds will start to thin out as the weather cools. We shall see!!
ssava 09/15/2020 02:55PM
I just came out of EP 37 Kawishiwi Lake for 4 nights yesterday. First 3 nights on Marberg and last night on Polly. Quite busy with Marberg packed when we showed up. Didnt really expect as much. Perfect weather. BUgs are not existant as well as every year in Sept when I go. Sad to see so many people when I value solitude the most but it's a very unusual year to say the least.
Cricket67 09/15/2020 12:14PM
VaderStrom: "just make sure you're not falling out of your boat and always keep your PFD on. "


Sounds like there is a story to be told....
VaderStrom 09/15/2020 09:29AM
Cricket67: "luft: "Just came out today from the number lakes (Lake One EP Wednesday 9/2 to Monday 9/14).




It was very busy. We entered Lake One at 7:30am. Lake One was was totally full. Lake Two was mostly full. We did get the site on the river to the north near the falls. Multiple groups came by our site over the next few days trying to find a campsite.




The portages were complete traffic jams both on the way in and on the way out. Multiple boats pulling in, people not waiting their turn.




The good news is that the freezing overnight temps and the wind really kept the bugs down."




Is this level of visitation half way through September precedented? I have avoided the number lakes because I hear they are pretty crowded. "



A couple of my favorite trips have been to the numbered lakes, but they've taken place in April or October and I get to use whatever campsites I want. :) Lots of other popular spots are also great at these times, just make sure you're not falling out of your boat and always keep your PFD on.
bretthexum 09/15/2020 07:30AM
luft: "Just came out today from the number lakes (Lake One EP Wednesday 9/2 to Monday 9/14).



It was very busy. We entered Lake One at 7:30am. Lake One was was totally full. Lake Two was mostly full. We did get the site on the river to the north near the falls. Multiple groups came by our site over the next few days trying to find a campsite.



The portages were complete traffic jams both on the way in and on the way out. Multiple boats pulling in, people not waiting their turn.



The good news is that the freezing overnight temps and the wind really kept the bugs down."



Thanks, heading here tomorrow AM. Starting first thing in AM to hopefully beat the crowds
Cricket67 09/15/2020 07:15AM
luft: "Just came out today from the number lakes (Lake One EP Wednesday 9/2 to Monday 9/14).



It was very busy. We entered Lake One at 7:30am. Lake One was was totally full. Lake Two was mostly full. We did get the site on the river to the north near the falls. Multiple groups came by our site over the next few days trying to find a campsite.



The portages were complete traffic jams both on the way in and on the way out. Multiple boats pulling in, people not waiting their turn.



The good news is that the freezing overnight temps and the wind really kept the bugs down."



Is this level of visitation half way through September precedented? I have avoided the number lakes because I hear they are pretty crowded.
luft 09/15/2020 02:21AM
Just came out today from the number lakes (Lake One EP Wednesday 9/2 to Monday 9/14).


It was very busy. We entered Lake One at 7:30am. Lake One was was totally full. Lake Two was mostly full. We did get the site on the river to the north near the falls. Multiple groups came by our site over the next few days trying to find a campsite.


The portages were complete traffic jams both on the way in and on the way out. Multiple boats pulling in, people not waiting their turn.


The good news is that the freezing overnight temps and the wind really kept the bugs down.
muddy 09/14/2020 03:31PM
Thanks for the info everyone.
I will be putting in on Moose early morning of 16th.


Quick little save my sanity paddle!


Geocellostrong 09/14/2020 02:07PM
I imagine the no-show theory for last week is real. I was in the LIS north area last week and hardly saw anyone despite the permits being gone for 10 days on either side of us. I also think they aren’t necessarily releasing all of them back into the system because of the cluster this season has been. But, we were happily surprised by the few people we saw and the awesome campsites we had. We were also in an area that takes a bit of work to get to. ‘Twas cold at night, but I was snug as a bug and sleeping like a baby! Paddling/portaging weather was perfect!
BobDobbs 09/14/2020 11:58AM
huge thank you for everyone replying so far - it's very much appreciated!


still planning on 9/20 entry and hoping for the best...although at this point we are likely to take the first available campsite we see after 1PM. Not our preferred method of doing things, but it sure beats sitting at home and watching the world burn on the news!
ockycamper 09/14/2020 09:40AM
We are coming up to Seagull Outfitters this next week. One group is arriving this Saturday, the other two groups on Monday (week from today). Last week of September has worked out well in the past. What does it look like for camp sites on Alpine or Red Rock?
JerryB 09/13/2020 08:37PM
We're going the 2nd week in October, I'm really hoping the crowds die down by then!
Mocha 09/13/2020 04:45PM
Looked at the round lake landing which is used for ep 51 and 52.... 28 cars!
The ep for 50 only had 22.
Poplar public access used for 47, 48 and 49 had 30+.
Seagull blankenburg landing had close to 20, didn’t look in overflow.
Sag public landing only had 8 and some boat trailers.
The one by way of the wilderness and trails end cafe was full to the brim.
There were even 3 cars Parked off the side of the road at the top of the the seagull landing.
Seagull outfitters was packed and overflowing. Debbies says she is closed as of sept 30. Voyager canoe outfitters will be open in October.
dustytrail 09/13/2020 12:54PM
Went in at EP37 on August 30. The parking lot was past full. Other years I have used this entry only 10 -12 vehicles. Only saw one sit on Kiwishi taken. Got to Polly about 1 pm and about half the sites where open. Spent the night there then to Malberg. We only saw one occupied site on Malnerg and all sites on Koma where open. Don't know where all the folks where. Stopped to eat lunch and decided to stay on the most NW site. It had been and contiuned to be very windy so we ended up changing our plans and just base camped there. Saw only a couple parties over the next few days. Got an early start out on Friday of Labor day weekend and Malberg to Polly was still nearly empty. That ended when hit the portages out of Polly. People everywhere. It seems after talking to some of them that the day before was so windy some of those parties stayed on kawisiwi add that to the ones starting that day and it was people ,. people, people. We where going to spend the night close to the entry but decided against that.
Bdubr 09/13/2020 09:45AM
I was just in 9/9-12 via Mudro and per usual, Fourtown was full but so was Boot for several days, with lots of day trippers fishing as well. Very busy IMO for this time of year, especially after Labor Day. We found a sight on Fairy but had a lot of people passing through during the day as well.
Just a heads up for those still planning trips.....
jt11 09/12/2020 04:38PM
Just came out at snowbank the parking lot there is crazy packed. Yesterday we arrived at Jordan in early afternoon hoping to stay there before making it back to the EP this morning. We passed 16 (?) full campsites from Jordan all the way to Disappointment before giving up on finding one and just heading to the EP and sleeping in the cars late last night. This morning as we ate breakfast in the parking lot we saw 4 groups enter in maybe 45 minutes. Sounded like at least 3 of them had base camping trips planned for Parent/Disappointment.


On our way in we went towards Ima via Boot and both campsites up that way where empty and we didn't see anyone, but we thought the chances were better for finding a site when there were 12 options, not 2.
bottomtothetap 09/12/2020 03:01PM
Entered at Sawbill on Sept 4th. I had not launched there before so can't compare to previous seasons but there was a TON of vehicles and people. Had to wait in line to launch and upon return, needed to load up ASAP and get out of other's way that were coming and going. Once we saw all of those people we revised our travel plan to just grab a site as soon as we could and base-camp. That happened on the northern end of Sawbill. We pulled into a site just as others were leaving. Any other sites we had seen were occupied. Still had a lot of fun!
tumblehome 09/12/2020 01:38PM
plander: "


Ensign was completely full when we arrived on Saturday,


Overall, I would say this was the most crowded I’ve seen the BWCA in my 15+ years of visiting. That said, I’ve never entered this area before and likely will not do so in the future. With 26 or 27 OP daily permits I’m sure it’s one of the busiest EPs, if not the busiest, i "



When I was a teenager I worked for an outfitter on Moose Lake and motored people up to Ensign every day. It was like a freeway with people coming and going to and from Ensign. I knew back then I never wanted to visit that lake, and 35+ years later I haven't.


There are plenty of people that enjoy a quasi-wilderness experience on Ensign but for many seeking true solitude, Ensign ain't it. I bet there are more lures and fishing line at the bottom of ensign than there is at a Cabelas store.


Tom
plander 09/12/2020 11:15AM
Entered EP 25 on Sept 2 and headed to Knife Lake for three nights (Robbins Island) then spent 2 nights on Ensign Lake. It was quite windy during that time and there was some precipitation during our trip.


In terms of crowds, the western end of Knife wasn’t terribly crowded, however, most of the sites were taken. And it was noisy at night and saw multiple parties each day. Even saw a group of two people that appeared to have set up camp on the eastern end of the Isles of Pines (no official campsite on that island).


Ensign was completely full when we arrived on Saturday, Sept 5 around noon time via the Vera portage. We ended up talking to a group that offered their site to us as they were headed out shortly. By the following late morning many of the sites on Ensign had been vacated. That said there was still a ton of canoe traffic on Sept 5-7. On Monday Sept 7 the exit out of Ensign (Splash to Newfound) was back logged. It was Labor Day weekend and all but still it seemed quite crowded to me, with 5-6 parties, including us, either leaving or entering around 11 AM.


Overall, I would say this was the most crowded I’ve seen the BWCA in my 15+ years of visiting. That said, I’ve never entered this area before and likely will not do so in the future. With 26 or 27 OP daily permits I’m sure it’s one of the busiest EPs, if not the busiest, in the entire BWCA. For comparison, I was fishing on the western half of Lac La Croix (used EP 14) Aug 8-13 this year and we saw very few people the entire trip, perhaps 3 or 4 parties total...and only heard a motor boat (Canadian side) once.


Hopefully, Canada will open the border early next year and Quetico will be an option once again in the Spring.
tumblehome 09/12/2020 08:48AM
Due to Quetico being closed, I did the lady chain over Labor day weekend. This is putting in at Sawbill and exiting kawishiwi.


The chain of lakes between Sawbill and Polly were nearly empty. Saw just a few groups. It felt like wilderness to me. Once we got to Polly, all ten sites were full, we got the last one and we arrived at 2pm. The lake was full of base campers.


Leaving from Polly to the Kawishiwi exit the next day was very busy with canoes.


Bottom line, as stated, get off entry lakes for solitude. And with that now that the summer season is over, it should be fairly quiet up there except a few weekwends when the leaves peak, just get off the entry lake(s) for a good time.
Tom
timatkn 09/12/2020 08:46AM
If you are going to go in at Snowbank and head to Dissappointment For example, doesn’t matter the year...it has been tough to get a camp forever. It is 1 easy portage and attracts base campers and also is the last stop for people leaving...Although I just plan on pushing on another hour and leaving early and getting a camp is just lucky if it happens.


When I did my trip in August and all permits were taken, I was anxious about finding sites. We had no issues. I would guess even easier now...except Snowbank/Disappointment.


T
billconner 09/12/2020 05:10AM
Most years Moose permits are available and being a last minute trip planner, I've entered at Moose and ended using this route back to parking lot. Even left gear at Snowbank entry to single portage and driven back.
Cricket67 09/11/2020 07:47PM
billconner: "Not to the topic but I don't think going to Snowbank via Flash, which is outside the Wilderness, on a Moose permit is permitted. You really should go via Ensign and Boot to stay within the regulations."


Excellent point. I missed this but you are correct. The Moose Entry point is technically about a half mile North of the portage to Flash. There is a reason Snowbank has it's own entry point. To avoid potential fines I agree that going through Ensign is what should happen here.
billconner 09/11/2020 07:13PM
Not to the topic but I don't think going to Snowbank via Flash, which is outside the Wilderness, on a Moose permit is permitted. You really should go via Ensign and Boot to stay within the regulations.
inspector13 09/11/2020 01:36PM

The bugs are definitely on their way out now. They were even before the freezes. Some may show up again with increased temperatures. They’re hardy that way. A lot hide in tree bark cracks and leaf litter, so they aren’t affected by the temporarily cold temperatures.

I’m not sure about the yellow jackets. They seem to be able to regulate nest temperatures to some extent, and the kind I associate with the name yellow jacket nest under ground where the frost can’t touch them. When the new queens leave the colony at some point in the fall, the rest of the colony dies anyway.

BobDobbs 09/11/2020 01:06PM
inspector13: "
I don’t know if that information will be too useful for you. I bet there were a lot of no shows the past week with the sub freezing night time temperatures. In the coming weeks it will be back to or above normal in that respect. People will be back in a camping mood.


"



did it get cold enough to kill off the bugs?


especially those D@mn yellow jackets!
Cricket67 09/11/2020 09:51AM
Based on what we saw on our trip and in reading trip reports it seems like the EP Lakes or the ones one or two easy portages in have been fairly busy, but if you do even a relatively modest amount of traveling inward the crowds thin out considerably.


However, now we are post Labor Day the types of people that are heading me most likely has shifted to a little more experienced trekkers. My guess is there will be a little less crowding towards the entry points but a few more people on the more interior Lakes.
inspector13 09/11/2020 09:03AM

I don’t know if that information will be too useful for you. I bet there were a lot of no shows the past week with the sub freezing night time temperatures. In the coming weeks it will be back to or above normal in that respect. People will be back in a camping mood.

BobDobbs 09/11/2020 08:33AM
We plan on going in Moose lake on 9/20 and immediately heading toward Snowbank area via flash lake.

I was SHOCKED at the lack of available permits (snowbank was our first choice) so late in the season, but as is so often the case the reality may be very different considering all the chaos with Covid/Riots/Wildfires.

If anyone who has come out recently would give an update as to what they actually experienced over the past week or so, it would be greatly appreciated!