BWCA May Solo Suggestions Boundary Waters Group Forum: Solo Tripping
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jeepgirl
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12/20/2017 07:13AM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
I am looking to do a solo around Memorial Day. 7 to 10 days in length. I would like to move every other day. I double portage. I don't fish but I like to take photos. Cross Bay Lake is out because I am doing that with a friend in September. Something easy but maybe a bit challenging. I don't like to travel more than 6 hours on travel days. Right now I am thinking on heading up to Curtain Falls but I was just in the area this past August. Maybe a loop.
 
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12/20/2017 10:35PM  
I might have some ideas for you, but it depends on what's easy/a bit challenging and what's way too much. If you traveled 5 hours, how many miles would that be including the extra mileage for double portaging? Do you try to avoid too much portaging? How much is too much? Is a point-to-point route requiring a shuttle an option? Is an out-and-back trip OK as well as a loop?
 
jeepgirl
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12/21/2017 07:13AM  
Kawishiwi lake to Polly was a good travel day. Kawishiwi to Malberg was about as long as I want to travel in one day. Out and back is fine, point to point is fine and a loop is fine too. I don't like a lot of portaging. About 5 to 6 portages per travel day is all I want to do. Rest days are spent exploring the lake that I am camped on.
 
12/21/2017 01:13PM  
I don't know where you've been or not been, but Little Sag and Adams Lake are both beautiful and would be reachable in a couple of solid travel days. Little Sag would be closer than Adams, but maybe tougher portaging entering through Missing Link.

Adams is probably about 8-9 miles from Malberg, but not too tough after that. You could get to Beaver easily in 2 days and day trip to Adams from there, but you'd probably like it better being on Adams.

Little Sag is also nice, as is Tuscarora on the way, although getting from Missing Link (Round Lake) to Tusc is some portaging. You could go to Snipe and loop through Copper and Howl Swamp (not really a swamp), but not really easier than doing the Missing Link to Tusc portage. Or you could do that coming out. You could also exit (or enter) to Round through Brant.

Another option, although I haven't done it (it's on my list) is the Lady Chain. Get a shuttle to Kawishiwi and exit at Sawbill, which is only about 32 miles total, IIRC.
 
12/23/2017 08:38AM  
A somewhat less ambitious trip would be to enter at Lizz and go out to Omega. You could return the way you came, or go south to Winchell, or north through Meeds.
 
02/04/2018 03:32PM  
I agree with Boonie - Adams was beautiful. I looked on planner and it looks like about 10 1/2 hours to Adams, so you would have options to stop on Polly / Koma / or Malberg depending on choice and then have a manageable trip to Adams. From Adams there are options to go up and over to Sagus/Fraser/or Thomas! I have only made it to Adams - daytrip from Malberg "Malberg Basecamp" trip report. We did a loop on the Kawishiwi river and Malberg Lake, another trip to Bose on the Louse river, and other options to daytrip to the pictographs on fishdance.
Once on Adams - it looks like 5 1/2 hours to Fraser, but the portage out of Boulder to Sagus I've heard can be rough!
From Fraser back to Malberg would be about 6 hours.

I want to go back to Adams, but I've only got 5 trips under my belt, so I want to explore some other areas this summer.

I'm planning on going through Ensign, Knife, Kekekabic, Sagus (Raven), Thomas and out to Snowbank.

So in full disclosure, I've only been to Adams - but do plan on hitting the second side this fall.

Good luck on choosing, I've spent all winter trying to figure it out, and have decided on 3 short trips (3 night) and two long ones - while I can!
 
02/04/2018 03:43PM  
There are a couple moderately difficult portages on the Moose-Knife-Kekekabic-Thomas-Ima-Moose loop. I did it with my son a few years ago in four days but we moved every day. Some nice scenery with variation with stops at Dorothy's island and the ribbon rock, the bluffs along Knife and Kekekabic, a nice stream, some pictos if you can find them, Cattyman falls and other sites. Heading back into the Raven area from Frasier is a nice quiet day trip with some great photo ops.
 
jeepgirl
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02/06/2018 12:43PM  
Thanks for the suggestions. I am going from Moose River North to Fall Lake. A friend is going so it will no longer be a solo. We are planning on 9 days for the route.
 
campnfish
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02/06/2018 02:42PM  
bhouse46: " Some nice scenery with variation with stops at Dorothy's island and the ribbon rock "


Is the ribbon rock the one that was dropped of for Dorothy as a birthday gift? A friend we traveled with through knife last year who knew knife lake Pete really well, called this the bacon rock. I guess Dorothy was not happy about it because they damaged her boat getting the rock to her island.
 
mapsguy1955
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02/22/2018 12:11PM  
I guess all of us September 4 people like to solo! have you done anywhere in the Q?
 
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