I'm hoping to make it up for a 4 day solo trip at the start of May before fishing opener. I went the same time last year for a Morgan to Lizz trip and loved that time of year. 4 moose, 2 wolves, 1 bear, and only 2 people seen over 4 days in a normally busy area. I need this time away as I was head coach for both daughters' traveling basketball teams this winter and will help with both of their soccer teams this spring/summer. Also, April is nuts at school (work) with MCA testing going on.

Most of my trips have been to the Sawbill and Gunflint areas because it's easier to get permits over there on late notice. So, I'm looking at these 3 entry points for an early May solo trip since they will be quiet then and are usually very busy.

Fishing doesn't matter as it is before opener...... but I may bring my ulralight rod with if I'm going to be where bluegills or crappies can be found.

Which of these 3 EPs would you use? I'm a big fan of small water especially solo, moving each day unless weather or even my mood in the moment make me change to a basecamp, and I like spending the last night within a couple hours of the EP for a morning exit on the last day. Right now my order of what I think I want to do is Mudro, LIS N, Moose River N.

I had thought of doing LIS 14 to Moose River 16 but do not want to spend the money on a shuttle when I'm already renting a canoe and don't want to do the bike stash as I'll have a dog along.

Some of my favorite areas that I've been to are Lizz, Baker, Kawishiwi Lake, and Kawishiwi River Triangle.

The Mudro-horse-Crooked-Friday bay-fourtown loop is fantastic- and that would be a great time of year to get some solitude on an otherwise busy route.

Otherwise, an out-n-back from Moose river up to oyster/geebee stays on mostly smaller waters through old forest. You'd have to be prepared for beaver dams on the moose and oyster rivers, though. I've only been through here in late summer/fall but I imagine the spring could hold a bunch of new beaver obstacles.

Both would make a great 4-day traveling trip.

ducks,

it's been quite a few years, but I've done all three of those entries. MRN was my first trip, LISN was my 2nd (1st solo), and later I did Mudro. Any of them would make a nice trip for you.

Although the LISN trip was one of my all-time favorites, it might be the least ideal of the entries for a 3 1/2-day trip if you wanted to do a loop. I did the loop north and east through the small lakes south of LLC, then down through Gebe and out at MRN, which leaves you a 9-mile jog back your car :). That loop would, I think, be a little longer than you might want to do, but you'd have to check the distances yourself. Your other options would be a short loop across Shell, etc. or going north and then back out LISN. You could probably figure a small lollipop loop at the top of the latter if you look at the options.

MRN was my first trip and we went north through Agnes to see the pictos and Warrior Hill, then south from Pocket to Oyster and back out MRN. That was a 4 1/2-day trip, but we did not travel very hard some days, although others we covered some good distance.

Mudro you could do muddyfeet's option or go through Fourtown, Boot, Fairy, Moosecamp, River (high water probably easier over the dams), and back out for a slightly shorter loop.

I'm going LIS N on May 17, but I'm doing the full loop back to LIS N in 7 or 8 days

Hopefully the ice is off by early May. If it is, I just might run into you at one of those locations. :)

I try to take a solo before fishing opener each year, and depending on your goals, it can be kind of nice to travel near places where there are hiking trails. I'm very cautious in a solo canoe when the water is that cold, and a hiking trail nearby can give me something to do in camp if it's too windy for me to be safely paddling. Just a thought...I get a little squirrely when I'm stuck in camp all day, so being able to head out for a hike makes it a little easier. Just my .02.

Hopefully the ice is off by early May. If it is, I just might run into you at one of those locations. :)

I try to take a solo before fishing opener each year, and depending on your goals, it can be kind of nice to travel near places where there are hiking trails. I'm very cautious in a solo canoe when the water is that cold, and a hiking trail nearby can give me something to do in camp if it's too windy for me to be safely paddling. Just a thought...I get a little squirrely when I'm stuck in camp all day, so being able to head out for a hike makes it a little easier. Just my .02.

I haven't been into Mudro, but I've been in LIS N and Moose River N. If you want to move camps, I'd definitely suggest LIS.

You'll be on relatively small water, however even the river is somewhat open so you'd still have to deal with wind to some extent. Lower or Upper Pauness fits your bill for a last night location.

You could head into Heritage/Lynx/Shell/Little Shell for a few nights. I have camped on Lynx and thought all four sites were pretty nice. I didn't get to look at the southern site which is supposed to be the nicest. That one and the one on the west shore may be most exposed to wind. The site in the middle of the lake on the east shore would get a west or south wind but you can also find places to get away from it on the site.

I also wasn't on it, but the site furthest east on Shell near the portage to little shell is somewhat protected in a bay and also has access to the Sioux Hustler trail so you'd have hiking options as well.

One great benefit of a pre-fishing trip is fewer crowds. With that in mind, perhaps it would make sense to grab the entry that is ordinarily the most difficult to get into, which I am thinking is Mudro? Don't those permits for the year go super fast?

Thanks for the input. Something I like about Mudro is I could go in and out different ways, therefor using the same e.p. for entry/exit but not doing a backtrack. I'm thinking maybe a figure eight up to Horse through Tin Can, across Fourtown and up through Boot, Gun, etc. to Moosecamp, and then south through Fourtown and straight down to Mudro. Because of my planning style I don't see myself ever being able to get a Mudro permit in the summer.

I've done LIS and MRN a couple of times with variations. Never done Mudro because it seems kinda busy. I'm saving it for a late fall or early spring adventure. I don't think you can go wrong with any of the 3. Lot's of classic sights and history on MRN......to a lesser degree on LIS. Mudro is a classic also and I look forward to a Moosecamp river paddle someday. Put them in a hat and have a duckling draw one out for ya. But, like Jaywalker says (and my thinking too), the Mudro choice may be best way early in the season before the crowds.

Mudro always fills up fast, so before opener is probably a good time to do it. Fourtown is a pretty lake and I liked Moosecamp. Many people talk about Fairy being special, but it just seemed non-descript to me - I liked Boot much better. The portaging between Mudro and Fourtown is a little annoying, but not nearly as bad as some people make it seem, although it does have some challenges.

My 2 personal days from school were approved yesterday and I have the Northwind Solo reserved at Piragis. Now I have 2 weeks to decide where I'm going ;)

Each of those E.P.s only has a total of 4 permits pulled over the 4 days that I'll be in. Just what I'm looking for....... quiet in a normally busy area.
I think I'm going to enter at Mudro because of how busy it normally is (starting 2 days after I exit it's pretty much booked until Sept) and there are some campsites close to the e.p. (Mudro and Tin Can) if weather/wind isn't cooperating.

If I enter at Mudro I think I'll do a figure 8 loop up to Horse, across Fourtown, through Boot, Fairy, Gun, to Moosecamp and down the river to Fourtown and out. I may bring my ultra light rod as it sounds like there are some places to find bluegills.

You will like the Mudro area-especially sans crowd! Glad to hear you got the days off approved; from one teacher to another, that is not always that easy.

I agree with Frenchy19. Have fun!

Have a great trip.

Thanks guys. Packed and ready to go. The next few days are going to drag on FOREVER!!!

Made it home last night. Great trip! Great weather! New favorite lake and river found! Went 18 miles before seeing another person. Found something really odd at my 2nd campsite. More info and pics to come in a few days. Busy back to work and away soccer games the next 2 nights.

Come on ducks, let's get this report done! Enough of the teasers - I can't wait to hear all about it.You don't need to sleep now - you can sleep forever after you die :).

Glad you had a good trip.

quote boonie: "Come on ducks, let's get this report done! Enough of the teasers - I can't wait to hear all about it.You don't need to sleep now - you can sleep forever after you die :).


Glad you had a good trip.


"

+1

I finally put my pics on the computer and posted some on here in my Photo Album. I'll post some more info in a mini report in the Listening Point Board so more people see it. Moosecamp is my new favorite lake and campsite. Moosecamp River is my new favorite 1 hour and 45 minute paddle. And this bearpaw? is what I found in my Sandpit campsite and thought was odd. bearpaw? Moosecamp Lake Moosecamp River

Enjoyed the pictures, ducks. I liked Moosecamp, too. I stayed at the site south of the portage - it's nice. I'm guessing yours was north of there.

I'm betting beaver paw . . .?

boonie.......I think you may be on to something......... beaver didn't even cross my mind because it was jet black but looking at online pictures there are some that are black. The campsite had tons of small trees taken down by beavers, but I didn't see 1 beaver while I was there.

I will also say that staying at that campsite on Sandpit is the first time I've had a creepy feeling in the bwca. I definitely had that "I'm being watched" feeling and Echo stayed closer than normal to me and didn't do any exploring. He even would whine a little once in a while.

I looked at the site just south of the portage when I got to Moosecamp and it looked nice. I went over to the one on the east side of the lake off by itself near the start of the Moosecamp River and stayed there. It had tons of old artifacts.