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       Unofficial Fat-Slim Portage
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Date/Time: 03/28/2024 02:35PM
Unofficial Fat-Slim Portage

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Previous Messages:
Author Message Text
AmarilloJim 10/02/2023 03:30PM
The wasp nest was down and destroyed when we went through last week.
naturboy12 08/29/2023 04:13PM
Got through this no issue- it’s long and there are a couple tricky spots but overall the trail is very easy to follow. The wasp nest is rebuilt, and the inhabitants no longer appreciate guests. It’s at about 4 minutes into the hike from the Fat Lake end on the right side of the trail, head height. Good luck if you bump it…


Look for these rocks on top of a slab that slopes to the waters edge to find the Fat Lake end of the portage.


The trail follows this route and clocked in at 0.9 miles.



I forgot to take a photo of the Slim Lake end of the trail, but it is hidden by a log fallen along the shore. There is a newer path along the shore for 40-50 feet to get to the portage trail. It is pretty well hidden though, but if you search along the shore you’ll find it just fine.
airmorse 08/18/2023 09:37PM
naturboy12: "Easy enough- thanks for the update. We’ll be going the easier direction too so that helps even more. "


Have a good trip!
naturboy12 08/17/2023 08:24PM
Easy enough- thanks for the update. We’ll be going the easier direction too so that helps even more.
Deeznuts 08/17/2023 03:30PM
Initially very rough hill climb and two large downed birches. Stay to the RIGHT at the fork. The left side just Peter's out. Easy portage in my opinion, very well worn. We did encounter a bee hive about 3/4 of the way towards fat lake. All three of us got stung 1 time, but the hive was already knocked down so I would imagine with the bad storms it will be pretty much gone by the time you go through. We triple portaged; walked it once, packs the second time, canoes the third. Just take your time, it's a long portage. Overall way less strenuous than I imagined.
naturboy12 08/14/2023 11:03PM
Thanks for that update, gives me some confidence in our plan for the week.
thistlekicker 08/13/2023 02:23PM
Came through here last week, overall the portage is not bad but a little tough in spots with deadfalls and tight turns. For the most part the trail is clear and easy to follow. We were going from Fat to Slim so the elevation change was in our favor. There was a large wasp nest hanging over the trail at head height not far from the landing on Fat.
naturboy12 08/02/2023 09:49PM
Perfect, appreciate it!
Deeznuts 08/02/2023 04:51PM
We are in the on the 11th and exiting the 18th. I'll make sure I post before we start the long trip home!
campnfish 08/02/2023 09:48AM
When i took this portage, I remember thinking because of the time and effort it took me i would just paddle up and around next time, unless I wanted to stay on fat.


My 2 cents.
naturboy12 08/02/2023 08:49AM
Deeznuts: "I will be taking that portage in 2 weeks so I will report back. I had posted earlier this summer about this portage and the feedback I got was that there a few downed trees initially but it was easily navigated. Google earth has a 3D feature that gives you a stellar view of the trail. The advice I got about navigating these areas was to take photos along of the satellite images for points of reference like clearings or distinct rock piles that a traditional map won't show"


Good to know, although we may already be in by the time you come out. We enter the 19th and will be in the Loon Lake area for a couple days before we loop up to Snow Bay and back through the interior lakes. It will just be my 15 yo son and I in a blue-green Mad River Explorer. If you see us, feel free to stop and say hello!
Deeznuts 08/01/2023 06:57PM
I will be taking that portage in 2 weeks so I will report back. I had posted earlier this summer about this portage and the feedback I got was that there a few downed trees initially but it was easily navigated. Google earth has a 3D feature that gives you a stellar view of the trail. The advice I got about navigating these areas was to take photos along of the satellite images for points of reference like clearings or distinct rock piles that a traditional map won't show
naturboy12 07/31/2023 08:58AM
Finalizing our route for a few weeks from now and looks like this portage could be part of our plans. I have bushwacked several areas of the BW, both with and without a canoe, so this shouldn't be an issue to tackle. I also have the GPS track of the trail from a thread from many years ago.


What I'm wondering is how overgrown does this trail get by late August? Will I still be able to see a trail to follow? Some trails that are able to be followed in May/June completely disappear in later summer, so I just want to be prepared for what we'll encounter if we take it. Thanks for any info you can provide.
Mapmaker 05/30/2022 01:14PM

Yep, that was probably me; I initially got to the portage around 1:30, scouted and started maybe 15 minutes later, then back for the canoe 2:30 or so? I was using a double paddle with orange blades. Didn't even look toward the second campsite or I would have given a wave!
Ho Ho 05/29/2022 07:30PM
Mapmaker: "I did the portage a few days after Ho-Ho I'm reckoning. (I went Slim to Fat on Sunday 5/22.) Thanks for clearing it a bit! Agree it was OK to follow, although a couple times it certainly wound around a bit and I backed up to reset once or twice. Ended up doing a double portage on this path, took me about 25 minutes with load and under 20 minutes without. Lots of moose droppings on the Fat side.


After the vegetation pops this could be a bit tougher to follow!"



Mapmaker, were you a solo paddler with a double blade? I think we saw you paddle in when we were camped at the high site on Slim. You made good time on the portage especially going uphill. Agree it would be harder after complete green-up.


Deeznuts: "Following! Planning on give this portage a go from the fat side-slim since I've been reading that it's steeper coming the other way. Little apprehensive about taking the risk so definitely report back!"


Deeznuts, let me know if you want any more info. I made a gps track on my phone app. Most useful for finding the beginning of the portage on the Fat end is that as you head for the outlet creek, you see two rocky outcrops on the left/south side of lake before the creek. The portage begins at the second rock outcrop, the one further from the creek. It is somewhat noticeably barer from use and there is a visible (though not super conspicuous) sawcut older downed tree on it.
Mapmaker 05/28/2022 10:42AM
I did the portage a few days after Ho-Ho I'm reckoning. (I went Slim to Fat on Sunday 5/22.) Thanks for clearing it a bit! Agree it was OK to follow, although a couple times it certainly wound around a bit and I backed up to reset once or twice. Ended up doing a double portage on this path, took me about 25 minutes with load and under 20 minutes without. Lots of moose droppings on the Fat side.


After the vegetation pops this could be a bit tougher to follow!
Deeznuts 05/27/2022 08:43PM
Following! Planning on give this portage a go from the fat side-slim since I've been reading that it's steeper coming the other way. Little apprehensive about taking the risk so definitely report back!
Ho Ho 05/27/2022 11:20AM
flaxman: "Glad that you had a good trip Bill. Are you going to drop one of your awesome trip reports on us?"


I'm afraid my trip report days are over. We've stopped taking a camera along, though I did take a few pictures and videos with my iPhone which I brought for that purpose but was mostly packed away.


I think the picture links in my old trip reports are all broken now. I may go through some of them at some point and try to fix that when I need a project during long winter nights.
flaxman 05/26/2022 07:11PM
Glad that you had a good trip Bill. Are you going to drop one of your awesome trip reports on us?
Jaywalker 05/25/2022 08:37PM
nctry: "Funny how that portage has kept the unofficial status all these years. I’ll bet it’s the most used unofficial portage about anywhere. Haha! First time was late seventies... last time was 2012... it seemed very similar in difficulty every time. Sometimes more trees down then others.


Congratulations on completing it in 2022..."

So very true. It’s like that secret club that everyone goes to.
cyclones30 05/25/2022 05:07PM
nctry: "Funny how that portage has kept the unofficial status all these years. I’ll bet it’s the most used unofficial portage about anywhere. Haha! First time was late seventies... last time was 2012... it seemed very similar in difficulty every time. Sometimes more trees down then others.



Congratulations on completing it in 2022..."



Is the shortcut between Snow Bay and the rest of LLC an official or unofficial portage? Trying to think of others...
nctry 05/25/2022 04:57PM
Funny how that portage has kept the unofficial status all these years. I’ll bet it’s the most used unofficial portage about anywhere. Haha! First time was late seventies... last time was 2012... it seemed very similar in difficulty every time. Sometimes more trees down then others.


Congratulations on completing it in 2022...
Ho Ho 05/25/2022 02:21PM
We did end up using the unofficial portage from Fat to Slim on our trip. Thanks to everyone who responded to my post before the trip, it gave me reassurance that we could feel comfortable committing to that route. We had to clear small obstructions on all portages, official and unofficial, north of Devils Cascade, they had not received much if any usage this year. The Fat-Slim portage was not bad for 300 rods with the pack - lots of fallen trees to step over (few if any from this winter, generally older) but that was okay. It was a bear with the Champlain though because of getting hung up on all the heavy growth higher up.


It would definitely be a lot harder going in the other direction because of some of the uphill ledges in the steep climb out of Slim.


Bill
sns 05/17/2022 08:25AM
Good luck!


It's easy to find the trail on the Fat side. Without the summer's leaves following the path is not a problem.
Ho Ho 05/16/2022 10:41PM
Thanks for info folks. If we did this it probably would be Fat to Slim, and the plan for the whole trip is to take packs including saws across the first trip on every portage. There are plenty of downed trees from the winter here in the north woods and there hasn't been a lot of time for portage crews to go anywhere. (Normally I carry the canoe first crossing so this will be a switch.)


Ho Ho 05/16/2022 10:41PM
flaxman: "Have a great trip!"


Hey flaxman!
flaxman 05/16/2022 09:16PM
Have a great trip!
egknuti 05/16/2022 07:15PM
If you’re coming from Slim, you’ve got a steep climb with a spot you may have unload and pull your gear up a short but steep incline. Beyond that you should be fine-unless there’s any falls on the trail. It took me about 25 minutes one way. It’s not the easiest portage, but what would you expect?
cyclones30 05/16/2022 06:36PM
You might be the very first person to cross it this year so expect down trees in spots. You'd be best to take a pack and have your saw handy on the first trip.


But there are PLENTY of conversations about it if you use the search function on this site.
Wayouttroy 05/16/2022 04:44PM
Bill, used the Slim to Fat portage June 2021, the path was well used, plenty of downed trees, scope the shore line where it looks like the beginning of the portage, awful rocky, go a little further to the north , towards creek, it’s more sandy, may have to go over a downed smaller tree but if your solo makes it easier not dealing with a rocky landing. There’s a rock about the half way point , looks like a marker good place to rest. I would suggest you take packs through first then canoe. On the Slim side it appears that the portage goes slightly to the left or straight, don’t go that way, stay to the right, did that with canoe, was a challenge backing up 50’, no place to turn around with canoe.The Fat side is beautiful, lost a map and case going to Fat camp site, you may find.



Jaywalker 05/16/2022 04:43PM
It’s pretty steep on the Slim side, but I recall most of the portage being on pretty high ground. I doubt high water will be too much of an issue - no more than other portages. I remember a few other portages in that area being rather muddy.
AmarilloJim 05/16/2022 02:34PM
Shouldn't be a problem. It is 50-100 yards south of the creek.
Ho Ho 05/16/2022 01:54PM
I'd be interested in first-hand information anyone has about the reputed unofficial portage that I believe is by the creek between Fat and Slim Lakes (south of the west end of Lac la Croix).

We are headed out with a Little Indian Sioux North permit tomorrow morning, so I'm especially interested if someone has been there very early in the season or during high water. I see marsh symbols on the map along the waterway and am wondering whether wet conditions are bad for that route.

Or any other information you think it's worth knowing.

Thanks!
Bill "Ho Ho"