It says on my sons permit: This entry can be used as a regular Agnes Lake entry OR be used to base camp on North bay, Big and Little Meriam Bays and Ranger Bay of Basswood Lake. Does this mean we can cut through sunday Lake to avoid wind on Bayley Bay or if I am feeling up to it to head into Agnes or go up the 'S' Chain on the same permit? I know this was brought up in a previous thread, but i feel that it needs clarification.

I am assuming your permit says Agnes as an entry, even with the base camping option. If you have Agnes as an entry point and you go there at the start of the trip you are then allowed to go wherever you want to go in the park, including the S-Chain. I think that is what you are asking.

I reread your post re your question about Sunday Lake. You are able to use Sunday to get to Agnes. That is what the overwhelming majority of Agnes permit holders do. Quickest way is normally what I think you alluded to: Inlet to Bayley to Sunday Bay to Sunday and on to Agnes.

I thought you could go to Agnes and then on to wherever you want or you can go to North, Merriam, or Ranger bays but can't go on from there, only back to exit at PP. Another good question for the Canadians at Canoecopia.

With the regular Agnes permit, I know, you must head for Agnes through either Sunday Lake or the 'S' chain. I have done just that dozens of times. This time, not on the regular Agnes permit, but on the Agnes/Basswood base camp category which on the bottom of the list, it says this, 'This entry can be used as a regular Agnes Lake entry OR be used to base camp on North bay, Big and Little Meriam Bays and Ranger Bay of Basswood Lake.' That is completely different from years before.

Just for clarification, not 100% sure but seems to have changed since my last visit thru PP 2012.

butthead

Is the permit for entry point 61 or something else?

61 is the Agnes entry point, but this the Agnes/Basswood basecamp, which exists on the reservation chart a couple of slots below the Agnes entry category.

LDB: "61 is the Agnes entry point, but this the Agnes/Basswood basecamp, which exists on the reservation chart a couple of slots below the Agnes entry category. "

So do you request entry point 61 or is there a different number for basecamps? Sounds like you request 61 and then you can choose to basecamp or not, is that correct?

Sounds like a call to the park HQ. I would be interested in hearing their response. I would hesitate to run into park rangers and rely on "some dude named &^%$@# on BWCA.Com told me I could!!!!"

On my list of questions to ask at Canoecopia. The Ontario Provincial Parks have been very well represented. Much better than USFS and BWCAW.

I just called the park and talked to a ranger. A fun call. Talked to Jordan?, not good at remembering names. It took a bit to get around to the change in the info, but he said that the purpose of the split in destination categories of just Agnes to the A/B was to clarify that they only want a max of four groups coming in a day to base camp. Rather than like before, but a phone call to specify the basecamp should no longer be needed. Also that Bayley Bay is not on the list. When asked if the big bay is not doable and a cut down Sunday Bay and across part of Sunday Lake would be possible, that it would be okay to cut through the North Portage to get back on track when heading to North Bay rather than being stuck either at Green Island or Sunday Island. I was told in the past that the Sunday Lake jog on route to North Bay was not allowed, but since base camping on Bayley Bay or Inlet Bay is not allowed that creates a catch 22. But then he added, that it states right there that it can be used for either a regular Agnes pass or a Basswood basecamp pass. So if my back is up to the job of taking on the Meadows brothers, Bealzabub and Lucifer, to go ahead a do the Agnes trip. I hope that is the case and it remains true.

Thank you. They are great - never but first class customer service from the office or all the rangers.

Did you get a sense that if you did not go to Agnes, you could not go anywhere except North Bay, Big and Little Merriam Bays and Ranger Bay of Basswood Lake? I don't know how they would really know if you spend three days on North Bay and then headed to Kash that you had not gone through Agnes, but wondered if it was prohibited.

No, but I think it was assumed that we had no plans of abusing the system, that is why I wanted the clarification, we do not want to break any rules.