BWCA Thought and questions on this loop out of Batchewaung Boundary Waters Quetico Forum
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bapazian1
senior member (70)senior membersenior member
  
05/14/2017 08:30PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
Hello,

So I wanted to ask a few questions about the route I have been planning here.







My thought was this. Paddle towards the eastern end of sturgeon. Then head east through the chain of falls (ie chatterton) until we reach that long strip of water, I guess the Kahshahpiwi creek/lakes chain?. Then we will swing east ne towards Agnes linking into Kawnipi via the middle of 3 passages to Kawnipi. From Kawnipi to the Cache River, all the way to cache lake then north to French. Finally the long stretch across pickerel and back up to VWP.

Some more specific questions about this route.

1. Clockwise or counterclockwise?
Not picky as which direction to go. I assumed the Cache River flows North so I made this trip in a counter clockwise fashion. My one worry with this idea is if the winds pick up out of the west when travelling across pickerel. We could be very well windbound in this situation.

2. Considering counterclockwise questions are as follows:
a. Out of Bachewaung heading to Sturgeon is it better to go east via pickerel narrows, dore, dieux rivieries? Or as the route shows go due south maria, jesse, Elizabeth, Halliday

b. out of Agnes heading to Kawnipi go via Keewatin or Murdoch or the channel further to the south

c. Any particularly scenic bays on Kawnipi?

d. Planning to take Cache River any special concerns with this route choice? Does it flow north as I suspect?

e. If not the cache river how bad is taking mckenzie and the 2 long portages instead?

f. Otherwise Head back to the west and loop around differently?

g. Assuming we take the cache river or long portage route- through pickerel any preferable route? Through narrows back to Bachewaung? Through nym river? Through gillnet?

Thanks for any input you all have!
 
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old_salt
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05/15/2017 03:08PM  
Huh?? Go for it.
bapazian1
senior member (70)senior membersenior member
  
05/15/2017 06:40PM  
quote old_salt: "Huh?? Go for it."


Sorry are the questions vague? I'm just looking for feedback on the route. I'm wondering if there are any pros and cons for the route I am looking to do. We are flexible as there are many sections where there are a number of options with similar distances. I am mainly interested in seeing Kawnipi, Cache River, and the Kahshahpiwi creek so this route is linking those various objectives.
old_salt
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05/15/2017 08:22PM  
How many days? That's an ambitious route. It's all a matter of preference. Do you just want to paddle through lakes? or stay and experience the lakes? Depends on groups goals.
Eyedocron
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05/15/2017 09:28PM  
Quite a route. I have done all of it except Trousers in different trips, though never in one circle. The Cache River flows southwest, but little current, so no problem. I count 9 days of reasonable travel, plus layover days or weather rain days.. I can offer specifics on the lakes and Portages if you decide to do this.
bapazian1
senior member (70)senior membersenior member
  
05/16/2017 05:01AM  
My wife and I are up in the Quetico from 5/20-5/31. This will be my first Quetico trip after many BWCA trips. This fashion of trip is how I have done many BWCA trips in the past. The focus is on travel and we will pick a few destination lakes to thoroughly explore along the way. Trips like this often spawn more detailed trips in the future where we explore the lakes further. The first time I went through Crooked I paddled the whole stretch in a day (from Basswood Falls to Rebecca Falls). My last trip through I spent multiple nights on the lake and explored many back bays of the lake. Both trips were super fun for sure.
05/18/2017 05:48AM  
That's a very adventurous route. 2 weeks time is what I would do. And going west on Pickerel is a big gamble. Carry a weather radio to get the lowdown on wind for the day. You could always be on the water at first light or with headlamps to beat the winds. I would go clockwise though.

Have fun with this and please keep a journal and do a write up for us.

05/19/2017 02:33PM  
I've done most of this loop albeit the French to Cache River part and the Sturgeon to Jesse part.

Would certainly do this loop clockwise and end it paddling east on Pickerel. You'd be loaded heavy early in the trip for that long portage into Cache Lake, but I'd take the downhill paddle on the Cache River, K Chain and Poet Chain in exchange. I'd consider skipping the Elizabeth and Jesse stuff in exchange for the B Chain to shorten the loop to get back to the Pickerel, but that's up to you.
MagicPaddler
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05/21/2017 06:51AM  
The clockwise /counter clockwise question. CCW you go up stream on Baptism Creek and many/most people miss Baptism Creek and continue up the French River. CCW also has your food bag full when hitting the Cache Lake portage. The current is faster on Baptism Creek than it is on Cache River. One days travel from French Lake last year put me about 1/3 the way across the Trousers/Cache portage. I hang so that is where I spent the night. Take lots of water to start this portage the river in the middle is not fit to filter. On Cache there are several camp sites. The better ones are the biggest island in the lake and the point NW of that island. Going down the cache river takes me more than one days travel. Take lots of water the river is too bad to filter and you don’t want to get water in the long narrow part of Kawnipi leading up to the river outlet. People have camped at most of the portages but none have more than 1 star camp sites. The river is very much a drop and pool river with light current. In the upper sections the river is shallow and you can see the current and grass will drag on the bottom of the canoe sometimes. Lower sections are deeper and the current in less noticeable. ALL RAPIDS have portages around them. Some will argue this but there are portages around all of them but most people will line through some of the lesser rapids. Most people miss the portage that is next to the one that goes to Kawinipi. If coming from Kawinipi after do the first portage onto the river which is on the north side of the river the next portage is on the South side starting about 100Yds up stream. It is an easy portage with bad landings on both ends.
 
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