All,
I'm looking at a trip to Brent Lake this year, going thru North Bay, etc., Sarah and McIntyre to get there, then circling back to PP via Cone, Elk, Hurn, Ted, Milt, Newt, Little Newt and Gardner Bay to get to Crooked. I'd like to see Basswood Falls and come down the border before cutting through Wind Lake in the BW to exit at Moose Lake.

Can anyone share their experience with that route?

I've done a good chunk of that route, but going the opposite direction. That allows you to run down stream on the Basswood River. (I got a tow to Lincoln Island going in and paddled out to PP for a pick-up at the end of the trip.)

When I went that direction, I choose not to do both the Cone/Elk/Hurt AND Little Newt/Newt/Milt routes, choosing the Newt(s) route to get to Ted. I then took the Earl/Fishhook route to Brent.

There is a chance I'll do the Cone/Elk/Hurt route out of Brent this year, so if you are not heading in until after early July, I might be able to provide some resent intel.

Let me know if I can provide any info about the route I took. (Camped on Basswood River, Gardner Bay, Ted, Brent, Suzanette, Burt, Sarah and Isabella that trip (if memory serves.)

dd

I've done part of it too. We went from the outlet bay in Macintyre over to Ted and then down to Gardiner bay via Milt etc.

I know the portage down to Ted a steep, rocky, ankle-buster. You'll want to take your time on that one. There's a nice campsite with a message jar on Ted. I think you need to camp on Ted because I don't think there's much for campsites until Crooked. Ted is the nicest lake in that area.

I recall having a good hunt for the portage from Newt to Little Newt. And then I think the last portage(into Gardiner bay) was one of those that ended sooner than it should have, as we had to negotiate mud and then some shallow muck etc to get to open water. It was low water when we did it. My ankle swelled up from leech bites after that day! Those portages don't get a lot of use.

Gardiner bay was not memorable (I've paddled down it twice). I don't think there's much for campsites. On one trip, we portaged into Bart (and exited via Kett) and stayed on a campsite that hadn't been used in many years. (I hate paying Quetico prices and camping right on the border). Not much for Quetico campsites once you get to Basswood. There is a 3 star site right at the top of the falls, otherwise you have to paddle a ways.

Thanks Wayne. Good stuff. Hadn’t thought about the reverse route.

And thanks Marsonite... good input too. I really want to paddle this area.

I did close to that route with my son in 2009 IIRC. Don't recall if I towed or paddled to PP, but up through Bayley, Burke, North Bay, Isabella, heart attack hill, Side, Sarah, McIntyre, Brent, and into Williams, and then south through Cone and Elk but went into Crooked, took the west no-portage passage onto Basswood River rather than Gardener Bay route, and traveled back to PP, not through wind. Great trip. 8 nights. Most I can recall was the "Hilton" site on Williams and how it drizzled from Williams to the Basswood River. Recall wading and pulling through a long section of blow down. Not many pictures - I don't know why - but I think I was still using a film point and shoot, not digital. Nice route, but then I love the paddle from Moose Lake outfitter to Basswood Falls - either direction.

marsonite: "I don't think there's much for campsites."

Marsonite's description of the route is accurate to my recollection (low water at the Gardiner Bay end of the portage from Little Newt; rock garden portage Milt-to-Ted). However, I did stumble on to an excellent campsite on Gardiner Bay. I'd put as a likely 4* site. E3 doesn't appear to be rated by any source with which I'm familiar, but you'd be hard pressed to find something better in that area. The site could be wrongly judged for not having adequate tent pad space if you don't investigate a short trail south of the main site (with fire ring, landing, etc. space). The "Annex" is not only flat, I think you could get AT LEAST 4 tents on it ... and the space is ringed with trees to give you a degree of privacy/separation from the "gathering" area. The bad news is that its on the eastern side of the lake behind a large island. The north end of that island shows a channel where you could paddle by campsite 572, but alias, the channel was a rock garden when I went through, requiring you to paddle completely around the island when heading north.

BTW: I also took the portage from Crooked/Basswood River into Gardiner Bay rather than paddle around the huge peninsula using the channel to the west. It was a pleasantly easy portage (at least that's what I remember).

dd

I've done that route but over two different trips. I did not like the Horse portage along the Basswood River. Way long.

As others have said, Ted is a gorgeous lake. I've also taken the Kett portages down to Basswood. Very scenic and not a lot of traffic in there. If you're adventurous you can go from Ted and bushwhack along the creek to Robinson.

The rock garden portage is from Earl to Ted. Not long but technical. In high water the creek rushes over the trail on the most difficult part of the portage. Portage from Ted to Milt is fairly steep but not that rocky. Portages between the Newts and from Little Newt to Gardner can be difficult to locate. As noted the Gardner Bay end of the portage is a drag in low water.

A good number of camps in Gardner Bay. As Dentondoc noted portage into Crooked from SE Gardner Bay is straightforward.

I prefer route to Basswood via Robinson and Kett to the Basswood River. The falls are nice but the area is thick with people.

If you're running out of time exiting Ted through Little Ted and the creek Bushwhack (mentioned by Tom) to Robinson is the quickest way to Basswood Falls (I think I traveled it three times last year).

Banksiana: "The rock garden portage is from Earl to Ted. Not long but technical. In high water the creek rushes over the trail on the most difficult part of the portage. "

We experienced that (Ted to Earl portage) on a high-water spring trip--it was hairy--wading fully-loaded, knee-deep in rushing water in a tight canyon, slippery as heck, with no room for error (and black flies in abundance). Nice campsite, trout fishing and privacy on Earl, but only room for a couple tents. We have taken the portages from the south end of Earl (aka "Fishhook") to McIntyre also, and although they are relatively long they are very scenic and seldom used.

Ted Lake sunrise--

Great advice, guys. Thank you! And Mark, that is one fine photo. Love it!

I'm going in the Gardner-Elk-Cone to Brent route as well in May. Good to hear of the campsite on Gardner. The rest of the route should be interesting. There's good fishing on Elk, the no-name and Cone before hitting Brent. I'll report back if it's not too late for your trip Jackfish.

The last day of my Hunter's Island trip started at a site in Moose Bay (just SE of Wednesday Bay) and took me along the border, around United States Point, through Wind Bay, Wind Lake and finally back to Williams and Hall on Moose.

That was a looooong day, and I would not do that again. Not a lot of sites on the Canada side along this stretch, and while I thought about planting myself at a BW site, I did not have a BW permit and did not want to mess with a ranger if I did run into one.

Which brings up a question: If you are taking trip that starts in Quetico and want to legally stay at a BW site at the tail end of said trip, how do you secure a BW permit? Would you just get one for the Moose Lake EP before your entry @ PP and use it at the end of your trip as needed?

Not trying to hijack this thread, but I wondered about this last year.

Funny you should ask. I discussed this and a number of the regulation issues that come up here regularly with USFS at Canoecopia. They will issue the "from Canada" permit as far in advance as you can justify it. One ranger at the office even said they would mail it in advance.

Now on the issue of corridor crossings and restricted permits, still trying to get answers.

Too bad OPP didn't exhibit this year - I had a list of questions for them as well.

PS I found some nice Q sites along English Channel and in Merriam Bay coming from west end of Basswood. A perimeter trip of Basswood is one of those things I'd like to do someday - half CA and US - and take some luxuries.

Thanks, Bill Conner. I, too, was hoping to talk to Quetico folks at Copia. Sounds like their budget was cut, and they will be back next year.

Need to talk to someone from USFS. Does that "from Canada" permit allow for a night at a site? I assume it would. Will look into this-again, thanks!

Its just another entry permit, with all the same rights and restrictions of any bwcaw entry permit. My understanding is that not many areused, and my sense is never all on anyone day.

If you are traveling during the shoulder seasons, you fill out the self-registration at the BWCA kiosk and just list the likely transit days out of BW and then back in from Canada. That's one way if your timing works out that way.

If you enter the Quetico, returning through BWCAW requires an entry permit from Canada. Out of season I guess you can carry a blank and "self issue" at the border.

billconner: "If you enter the Quetico, returning through BWCAW requires an entry permit from Canada. Out of season I guess you can carry a blank and "self issue" at the border. "

I am going to open a new thread on this; sorry Jackfish!!!!

Jackfish, I did a variation of the route you're proposing in June 2017. We had great lake trout fishing along the route. We caught a lake trout nearly every pass in the western part of Cone. We didn't do well fishing in Elk (mostly small smallmouth and one nice 19 incher), but it has a great reputation. We only paddled through Hurn, but it was a nice lake with scenic cliffs on most of the northern shore. We were tired and it was later in the day because we spent a lot of time trolling previously, but I wish we had drug a line through Hurn as well.

Ted is a nice lake and deserves its reputation. It's just in the middle of nowhere and is a nice size - not too big and not too small. Just right.

After that we went through Earl and McIntyre Creek (quite an adventure - don't stay on the portage trail too long, just hop back on the creek as soon as you're able after the beaver dam). Then we stayed on Robinson and passed through Kett on the way out. Robinson and Kett were too of the more esthetically pleasing lakes on the whole trip, and there were a lot of nice ones - Argo, Hurn, Ted, to name a few. It's worth considering these lakes if you're not set on going the border route. You could even drop back down to the border from Kett if you want to see the falls. That would obviously add to your portaging, though.

HighnDry: "I'm going in the Gardner-Elk-Cone to Brent route as well in May. Good to hear of the campsite on Gardner. The rest of the route should be interesting. There's good fishing on Elk, the no-name and Cone before hitting Brent. I'll report back if it's not too late for your trip Jackfish."

I'd love to hear about it, HnD. Thanks.

dentondoc: "I've done a good chunk of that route, but going the opposite direction. That allows you to run down stream on the Basswood River. "

Wayne, what is the water flow like when going against the current? Is it substantial or kind of like the Falls Chain where you barely notice the current?

I’m not Wayne, but the Basswood river can be paddled both ways, either on the starboard or port side of your canoe. You can also go upstream or downstream. Be sure to portage around each of the falls.

Basswood River current is about like Kawishiwi River current, less than Falls Chain IIRC.

old_salt: "Be sure to portage around each of the falls."

LOL... you’re killing me, Smalls! Our group was planning to paddle over every waterfall possible. Now... thanks to your sage advice, we’ll portage around them.

Jackfish: "

old_salt: "Be sure to portage around each of the falls."

LOL... you’re killing me, Smalls! Our group was planning to paddle over every waterfall possible. Now... thanks to your sage advice, we’ll portage around them. "

I'm sure you were planning to portage the falls. I put that statement in as a liability protection. There's always 1 or 2 each year who paddle over the falls, either accidentally or to avoid a portage. Lot's of folks read my sage advice. So, if the shoe fits...

Jackfish: "

HighnDry: "I'm going in the Gardner-Elk-Cone to Brent route as well in May. Good to hear of the campsite on Gardner. The rest of the route should be interesting. There's good fishing on Elk, the no-name and Cone before hitting Brent. I'll report back if it's not too late for your trip Jackfish."

I'd love to hear about it, HnD. Thanks."

I'd be happy to post something in late May. All will depend on when the soft-water paddle season starts.