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       Trip Report - i think its getting lighter out. (WCPP, may/june, 2010
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Date/Time: 03/28/2024 09:53AM
Trip Report - i think its getting lighter out. (WCPP, may/june, 2010

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Previous Messages:
Author Message Text
nctry 08/14/2010 09:59PM
Just did this trip only went west out of Mex Hat to Wrist. Did you visit the cave in Aegean? Outside of a couple storms we had good weather... Kind of hot. From Paull we went to Elephant Head to BootJack back to Bunny and out. I assume you did the same. My take is some of the portages had challenges different from the BW. The one into Mex Hat was one and one west of Mex Hat was another with unbelievable boot sucking mud. I did the trip with my son and it turned out to be a great time. We were at awe the whole time. I'll be back. I can't believe you made it back there with a trailer... I'd hug and kiss it too.


Ben


bentshaft 07/17/2010 01:10AM
great report Kanoes. I have not had much time to be on the site recently and missed this report. We did almost the same trip in 2007(?) but went straight west from Mexican Hat and back out the same way you did. Awesome campsite at the base of the falls! Mexican Hat had great fishing and that awesome campsite, but my favorite lake was Aegean. Not sure why, fishing was good and our campsite OK, but there was just a feel about that lake. Hope this trip is as good as the last one for us. Obviously I am posting at 1:00 in the morning, a little jacked up and not able to sleep. Heading out at 2:30, a little over an hour to go before we are officially off.


Disclaimer: author not responible for content as is under the influence of pretrip excitement


Off to see the WIZARD
mc2mens 06/30/2010 12:22PM
Nice trip report! Looks like you guys had a blast.
kanoes 06/16/2010 09:32AM
quote ChazzTheGnome: "great report, now i will be putting wcpp on my list as well. everything you described are the best parts of the bw (for me), the small water, the solitude, the 'real' wilderness feeling, i am the navigator on our trips so the map skills needed also get me going.



it sounds like you guys all had all your own gear (no need to rent anyting) what would you estimate the cost of this trip was compared to a bw trip? is it just extra gas and time for the drive?"



the two big differences...


-camping fees were $14/person/night.(cheaper than quetico though)
-alot more gas $$$.


thanks for all the kind comments. it was one fantastic trip to say the least.
bojibob 06/16/2010 08:47AM
Excellent Job Team! I know this was important trip in your evolutions as modern voyageurs. I can't wait to hear about the next step.


My guess is Lake One will never look the same :-)
ChazzTheGnome 06/16/2010 07:53AM
great report, now i will be putting wcpp on my list as well. everything you described are the best parts of the bw (for me), the small water, the solitude, the 'real' wilderness feeling, i am the navigator on our trips so the map skills needed also get me going.


it sounds like you guys all had all your own gear (no need to rent anyting) what would you estimate the cost of this trip was compared to a bw trip? is it just extra gas and time for the drive?
ktoivola 06/12/2010 08:09PM
Nice report Jan, dont give up on fishing just yet.
Basspro69 06/10/2010 10:05PM
Incredible photos, that place is Beautiful.
OldGreyGoose 06/09/2010 08:12PM
Kanoes, Nice report. I really loved this: "a pair of mergansers show up and begin fishing the falls...i never tire of watching mergansers fish. they are so graceful and fast, otters with feathers and wings." As a former duck hunter, it was great to finally hear something good about them. =) Wish I was there right now, rain or shine. Thanks for sharing! --Goose
jamotrade 06/09/2010 10:53AM
That looks awesome! Can't wait to get up there...
Trix 06/08/2010 05:07PM
Awesome Report & Pictures!!!! A Trip Of A Lifetime Indeed!
kanoes 06/08/2010 04:51PM
quote Pb52: ""this trip has really cemented it for me...ill never take fishing gear again, fishing just isnt important to me anymore"



Would love to hear the evolution of your thinking / feeling on this. If you have explained this before, sorry for asking.



Nice report and fine looking trip.



Thanks"

i always used to fish on tandem trips. once the solo thing started, i didnt have the desire to fish anymore. now to the group solo thing...the solo mentality carried over i guess. even though those guys were catching fish like crazy at times, i still couldnt muster the motovation to fish more than 5 minutes. im ok with that. ill cut 4-5 lbs of gear now. :)
shr2807 06/08/2010 02:12PM
Nice report, sounds like you all had a great time.
Pb52 06/08/2010 12:06PM
"this trip has really cemented it for me...ill never take fishing gear again, fishing just isnt important to me anymore"


Would love to hear the evolution of your thinking / feeling on this. If you have explained this before, sorry for asking.


Nice report and fine looking trip.


Thanks
Bannock 06/07/2010 06:19PM
Nice report Jan. Thanks.
kanoes 06/07/2010 02:01PM
no, it was all flatwater paddling...besides the falls and rapids.
BWPaddler 06/07/2010 05:47AM
quote kanoes: "mostly narrow, intimate areas when traveling...not much big water to be concerned about (wind)."
Was the water significantly fast? (aside from the now-famous "chute")
Mongo65 06/06/2010 09:20PM
Nice report and pics. Sounds like a great trip!
campnscrap 06/06/2010 09:03PM
Well my friend, a great report written - nice and to the point. I love all the photos - but didn't see very many of you :) Perhaps the other guys will have more? hee hee.


I'm with you on the fishing - I'd be content to let the others fish and catch/eat/share (if they choose). I'd much rather sit and soak in the entire experience.


Some day I'll go there.......some day :)


Well done!


CaptChad 06/06/2010 08:52PM
Niiiiiice! Thanks for sharing, I really enjoyed it!
homerun23 06/06/2010 07:25PM
Great report! The pic of the water drop on the the leaf is awesome. Hope you don't mind but I saved it.
sterngirl 06/06/2010 03:59PM
Sounds like a great trip. What an adventure!
gbusk 06/06/2010 03:02PM
quote kanoes: "thanks everyone!



WC is a very special place for sure. it should be on everyones to do list.



about our loop...



easy portages, not very rocky at all, pretty much level. although some of the flooded ones made for tricky walking.



many portage landings were tiny, only one canoe at a time could be loaded/unloaded.



mostly narrow, intimate areas when traveling...not much big water to be concerned about (wind).



good navigation skills are a must. you need to know where you are on the map at all times...and you cant really rely on landmarks like campsites or high hills to help you. (sometimes the campsites are difficult to see, all the land is pretty much the same elevation)



on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the most physically difficult trip possible, id give this one a 2.5 (if the some of the landings were easier, i would have given it a 2)



you must go!





"



I would agree with this synposis.
kanoes 06/06/2010 11:14AM
thanks everyone!


WC is a very special place for sure. it should be on everyones to do list.


about our loop...


easy portages, not very rocky at all, pretty much level. although some of the flooded ones made for tricky walking.


many portage landings were tiny, only one canoe at a time could be loaded/unloaded.


mostly narrow, intimate areas when traveling...not much big water to be concerned about (wind).


good navigation skills are a must. you need to know where you are on the map at all times...and you cant really rely on landmarks like campsites or high hills to help you. (sometimes the campsites are difficult to see, all the land is pretty much the same elevation)


on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the most physically difficult trip possible, id give this one a 2.5 (if the some of the landings were easier, i would have given it a 2)


you must go!




Ho Ho 06/06/2010 09:17AM
Excellent! Can't wait to get up to that area in the next few years. The portages looked more maintained than I thought they would be. Too bad some of that rain wasn't diverted down to Ely. Very enjoyable, thanks!


Banksiana 06/05/2010 10:58PM
Great trip. excellent report. I am envious, oh so envious.
Camp Cook 06/05/2010 10:47PM
Well done boys; sounds like a great trip and a fun group of folks.
tremolo 06/05/2010 10:22PM
Amazing photos and great tr. Thanks.
ducks 06/05/2010 10:05PM
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! thanks for sharing.
nojobro 06/05/2010 06:32PM
Jan, thanks for the great report and pictures. Very nice! Loved the bandana. ;-) I really like your close up pictures of plants, esp. the water droplet one. And that one with the canoe in the mist toward the end...really great. Thanks so much for sharing this.
mooseplums 06/05/2010 05:34PM
fun report! Definitely on the bucket list!
dicecupmaker 06/05/2010 04:40PM
Glad for you guys! Just what I needed to read while I'm packing and unpacking for tommorrow morning.
kanoes 06/05/2010 02:23PM
quote drnatus: "quote Kiporby: "Nicely done partner! Can't wait for our next adventure.




The report seems to be missing one detail about running some rapids and the result of that.... Haha.... Seems a bit foggy. Perhaps I imagined floating down the river..."




Great report kanoes! Thanks. But, there seems to more to tell! Waiting for those beans to be fully spilt!"

ok...so we were in route to our next camp and we came across this small chute. kyle, being the river rat he is, scoped it out and said that it was clear at the bottom, no boulders to worry about. so, we all decide to give it a shot, with loaded canoes at that.


kyles first...made it thru bone dry.


then greg...same results.


me...made it thru semi dry, took a couple of gallons over the bow.


dan...made it thru semi dry, took a couple of gallons over the bow. (he also paddles a magic)


dan then "met" an overhanging tree, grabbed it, leaned upstream and the rest is history. btw, his packs DO float. :)
drnatus 06/05/2010 02:07PM
quote Kiporby: "Nicely done partner! Can't wait for our next adventure.



The report seems to be missing one detail about running some rapids and the result of that.... Haha.... Seems a bit foggy. Perhaps I imagined floating down the river..."



Great report kanoes! Thanks. But, there seems to more to tell! Waiting for those beans to be fully spilt!
thlipsis29 06/05/2010 11:51AM
Now I want to go. Glad to know you weren't disappointed, even with all the rain. Also glad to know the bears left you alone.
kanoes 06/05/2010 11:45AM
well, i didnt want to be the one to spill those beans. :)
Kiporby 06/05/2010 11:40AM
Nicely done partner! Can't wait for our next adventure.


The report seems to be missing one detail about running some rapids and the result of that.... Haha.... Seems a bit foggy. Perhaps I imagined floating down the river...
airmorse 06/05/2010 11:08AM
That's how our trip was last year. Rain every day ALL day and night. Wind too.


Glad you guys had a good time despite the weather.


Any wildlife to speak of?
snakecharmer 06/05/2010 10:45AM
Awesome! Sounds like you guys had a great time. WCPP is on my list.
lars54 06/05/2010 10:36AM
nice report and pictures, after reading your report I must now add
WC Park to my list of must do trips
otter1 06/05/2010 10:22AM
Wow kanoes, all I can say is AWESOME!
TomT 06/05/2010 10:15AM
Nicely done Kanoes. Enjoyed the pics. But no group shots?? And where's the obigatory self portrait?


And Jan, I find it strange that you would decide to give up fishing in the midst of the others having great luck... I would think the opposite would happen.


I'm also curious if you each brought stoves. Some really sharp looking canoes you guys have too. I take it the bugs were not bad. Overall, a very enjoyable read as usual.
BWPaddler 06/05/2010 08:30AM
Nice pics! Glad you guys were so compatible in real life. How was the water? No swimming (except in the rain)? Were the rivers easy to paddle or were you ever nervous about them? Thanks for the report!
bumabu 06/05/2010 02:54AM
My enthusiasm in WC park has finally been sparked. Those were the best pictures of the park I have seen yet, and much more inviting than other landscapes I've seen there in the past. Good job!
CaptnDan 06/05/2010 02:09AM
Very nice! Thanks for sharing.
sloughman 06/05/2010 01:20AM
Great report. Sounds like a great trip. Thanks for sharing.
Kendra 06/04/2010 10:51PM
Kanoes,
Making memories is what life is about and the four of you did just that. What a great experience! Thank you for sharing. Great photos!
fishguts 06/04/2010 10:20PM
Thanks from the inspiring report, I love all the pictures, took me a long time to read cause I had to go back and re-check the pictures....nice Thanks again. Guts
kanoes 06/04/2010 09:50PM
i do. :)
gbusk 06/04/2010 09:44PM
quote Boppa: "kanoes,
The tone, style and emphasis of your trip report speaks volumes of how much you guys enjoyed this canoe trip. What a terrific trip you all have experienced.



Your photo's are superb - there are some truly amazing shots that I find when I take the time to return to them, as I have. As time passes I will be interested in your equipment evaluations, how you guys chose the route that you did and the always asked question "What might you choose to do differently?" Other than remembering your PFD that is.



Thanks for sharing so quickly. Very enjoyable read.
Boppa"



In response to what we may choose to differently, we discussed the lack of need in redundancy for certain gear items in a group solo. There doesn't really seem to be any practicality in bringing four hatchets and four separate water purification systems. Also. I don't really see a need for eight paddles either.
Boppa 06/04/2010 08:54PM
kanoes,
The tone, style and emphasis of your trip report speaks volumes of how much you guys enjoyed this canoe trip. What a terrific trip you all have experienced.


Your photo's are superb - there are some truly amazing shots that I find when I take the time to return to them, as I have. As time passes I will be interested in your equipment evaluations, how you guys chose the route that you did and the always asked question "What might you choose to do differently?" Other than remembering your PFD that is.


Thanks for sharing so quickly. Very enjoyable read.
Boppa
SunCatcher 06/04/2010 08:53PM
Good Job Boyz, Proud of you fella's thanks for the report.
SunCatcher
UncleMoose 06/04/2010 08:28PM
Wow! One of the funnest reports I can remember. Great photos too!


I sent away for the WCPP info and maps earlier this year with the hope of maybe going in August. That unfortunately got pushed out of the schedule. Your report has caused me to rethink this, as it should definitely be a higher priority. It looks absolutely beautiful.


Thanks for the glimpse into WCPP.
gbusk 06/04/2010 08:14PM
Wow, that did not take you long!


Nice report and great photos, now if we could just remember where we caught those fish. Oh yeah that's right, pretty much everywhere, even after a thunderstorm.
kanoes 06/04/2010 08:08PM
New Trip Report posted by kanoes

Trip Name: i think its getting lighter out. (WCPP, may/june, 2010.

Entry Point: Other

Click Here to View Trip Report