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Date/Time: 03/28/2024 05:40AM
Moose River north

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Previous Messages:
Author Message Text
Freeleo1 05/23/2021 10:16PM
We've found Boulder river campsites can be tough to get, especially you get there late in the day and LLC can be pretty rough late in the day when the wind is coming from the west. We ended up at the 2nd island site across from Bottle portage before finding a site, and we had started looking at the top part of Agnes. We enjoyed the trip up the Oyster river on the way in on another trip. There were some beaver dams that made it a little harder, and we had to scout for the flowing water through the reeds, but it was an adventure. The hardest part was finding the beginning. I'd fallen on the previous portage and badly bruised my shin so avoiding the portage seemed like the better option. Oyster was nice, and we stayed there on the way in and again on the way out. There were moose hanging out by the latrine when we weren't there. We had Ge-be-on-equet mostly all to ourselves for 3 days . We caught several walleye from camp in the evening at the NW most campsite. Several trees came down on the tent pad area a few days after we left in the 2016 storm though, so watch out if there are high winds.
SunrisePaddler 05/05/2021 11:16AM
Just posted this video trip report of my fall group's Sept 2020 trip doing this loop. A fun route with a little of everything. Happy planning!


Link to Trip Report (bwca.com)


Direct link to YouTube video
ThreeRivers 05/05/2021 09:42AM
In addition to everything here in looking at the purple line on your map it crosses land on the long strip of land on the north side of Oyster, this is in fact a large campsite, as you likely know from the maps, and will almost certainly be taken as it is a prime one. You will have to paddle around that strip, unless you find the site empty! Enjoy!
BMBJungle 05/04/2021 05:32PM
Thank you! Listening now! This will be my first self guided trip as well :) Normally I'm just a tag along
cyclones30 05/04/2021 12:26PM
You've got plenty of time to do that route. That's the EP where I did my first "self guided" trip...nice area.


You don't HAVE to reverse your route, but if you do go your original way take the portage from Agnes to Oyster. Either way will work as far as loop direction. The pictos have already been mentioned on Rocky and LLC. The "chairs" on Gebe are something to see.


If you listen to podcasts...the Tumblehome podcast guys did this loop almost exactly I believe last spring around your timeframe. Lots of info from them while they're doing the trip. Looks like episodes 101, 102, and 103 are that trip. (they're a supporter of this site too)
Blatz 05/04/2021 11:47AM
The pictographs on LLC are on the Canadian side. They're spectacular. I checked them out last year. Technically you're not supposed to be there. Let your conscious be your guide. If you wonder over there having your fishing gear stowed would be wise. The pictographs are marked on the map. It's kind of obvious where the big cliff is. There's a cool campsite across from there on the US side. Someone made a table out of a big flat rock. Mind the weather on LLC
BMBJungle 05/04/2021 10:50AM
Speckled: "Agree on Reversing the loop. When are you going and do you have a permit secured?



I'd plan on Day to Boulder Bay LLC or just outside of Boulder Bay.



Day 2 layover, fishing, sightseeing.



Day 3 further up LLC near Lady Boot / pocket creek



Day 4 Layover



Day 5 - either move to Gebe or Oyster depending on time of trip. Oyster if in May to chase lakers.



Day 6 layover



Day 7 paddle out.



Another option would be



Day 1 to Boulder Bay LLC



Day 2 & 3 Layover



Day 4 to Gebe



Day 5 & 6 Layover



Day 7 - Paddle out.




"



Thank you all so much, I truly appreciate the info and tips! I had assumed the oyster river might beat the portage so truly thank you for the advice. I will reverse the loop and spend more time on LLC and Ge-be.


Are there any other suggestions you have for this route? Things that you have seen and would consider must see's, or places you really enjoyed? We will be fishing but its not the focal point of our trip per say. Also would love to see as much wildlife as possible obviously.


Out of curiosity, when people say the pictos/falls are clearly mapped - what maps are you referring to? I ordered the corresponding maps from McKenzie maps and waiting for them to arrive but not sure whats on them other than the areas the encompass. Hoping they will be on there but I mostly posted here to get my head on straight for the route before calling the outfitters. Permit secured and all good to go there! Going early June
egknuti 05/04/2021 09:59AM
Already some good advice here. If you do go to Oyster on your first day, take the Agnes portage rather than the Oyster River. Going down the Oyster River can be a challenge, so I can't imagine going up. If you reverse the route plan on about 7 hours from Oyster to the parking lot(assuming you're double-portaging).
Speckled 05/04/2021 09:11AM
Agree on Reversing the loop. When are you going and do you have a permit secured?


I'd plan on Day to Boulder Bay LLC or just outside of Boulder Bay.


Day 2 layover, fishing, sightseeing.


Day 3 further up LLC near Lady Boot / pocket creek


Day 4 Layover


Day 5 - either move to Gebe or Oyster depending on time of trip. Oyster if in May to chase lakers.


Day 6 layover


Day 7 paddle out.


Another option would be


Day 1 to Boulder Bay LLC


Day 2 & 3 Layover


Day 4 to Gebe


Day 5 & 6 Layover


Day 7 - Paddle out.



Blatz 05/04/2021 08:44AM
I went counter clockwise and skipped the most of the Oyster River by doing the 160r portage into Agnes. Some say that portage sucks, but I didn't find it bad at all. It had been dry.Nice little sand beach at the end of the portage. I went from Gebeonequet to EP16 on my last day. Crappy southern headwind all day
soundguy0918 05/04/2021 07:47AM
As iwegean states, many people have commented that navigating the Oyster from the south is difficult. I agree with the suggestion to reverse the loop - or just use the portage from Agnes. You can easily make Oyster Lake or LLC on Day 1 if you portage efficiently. The pictos on LLC are not to be missed and are clearly labeled on most maps. If you end up on LLC with a day to spare, a day trip across Iron to visit Curtain Falls is a worthwhile destination.


With only two people, you don't need a big meal kit (one pot and a couple of plastic bowls, maybe a fry pan for fish?) and you can make a lot of one pot meals. Freeze your meats and wrap them in newspaper and you can have them on Day 1 and Day 2. You can easily outfit your own meals from foil pouch chicken / summer sausage / bacon and grocery store staples like Rice-a-Roni, etc.
iwegean 05/04/2021 07:23AM
The number of days you have will give plenty of time for this route. Time of year will determine a lot. Your first day is pretty ambitious under ideal conditions. Trying to navigate the Oyster River from the south will be challenging under ideal conditions. I would consider reversing your route. By the end of the trip you will be lighter (less food) and conditioned to portaging/paddling.
Enjoy your trip
Blatz 05/04/2021 07:14AM
Last May I did that route in 3 days with a strong southern headwind .It was originally going to be a 4 day trip, but the black flies sucked. I don't fish so no time spent doing that.It's a nice trip. Don't bother with a cooler for your brats on day one. Bring them in frozen and they'll defrost on the way in
boonie 05/04/2021 06:26AM
I hope you already have your permit . . . if not, you may be searching for an alternate entry. Yes, that loop would be very manageable in 7 days - it could be done in half the time. There are pictos on Rocky and pictos on LLC that the outfitter can mark for you. The pictos on Rocky are different - symbols rather than pictures. They are on a cliff on the W side.


I've always done my own food. I'm sure their meals and cook kits are more elaborate than mine. I've heard there portions are large. I'd talk to the specific outfitter you plan to use about the menu and kit - I believe you have some choices. Being more efficient would probably be a matter of replacing some items and leaving others.


The main keys to efficient portaging are to have manageable loads and be organized with few loose items to fiddle around with at the portages. It's a nice loop, hope the trip goes well.
BMBJungle 05/03/2021 11:26PM


EP16 - Oyster -> Ge-be-on-e-quet -> Lac la croix -> Lake Agnes -> EP16
I am open to any suggestions and ideas as this is my first time as the planner and not just following someone elses plan. I wanted to ask here before I speak to the outfitters as we still have some time and I want to come as prepared as possible.

Does this loop look manageable in 7 days with room for fishing and sight seeing for a semi experienced pair of paddlers each in a solo canoe? We are both a little green as far as these length of portages but not nervous of the idea or number of them we have in this route. Camping where we find spots but aiming for Oyster night one - and then on to Ge-be-on-e-quet for 2 or 3 nights. One night on Lac La croix when we get tired of exploring- and then finish the trip off on Agnes before the final trek back to EP16.

I'm waiting for my maps to show up in the mail but whipped this up in the meantime to wrap my head around the idea. Hard for me to tell if this is too ambitious or not. I also wanted to ask if there are any notable pictographs etc or where I can find locations of them more clearly to make sure we see as many on this route or even off the route but nearby that we can.

I also wanted to ask what outfitters meals/cook kits are like and if people suggest bringing anything of our own to be more efficient? We have already talked about bringing a small collapsible cooler for brats or something for night 1 but I'm more talking about like a pocket stove or something you found was less than desirable in the general cook kits from outfitters. We will be renting just the canoes, meal packs, and barrels from the outfitters and bringing our own sleeping/camp materials.