BWCA First Trip Suggestions? Boundary Waters Group Forum: Wabakimi
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03/03/2018 09:13AM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
Hey all. I'm planning to plan a tandem trip to Wabakimi in late August. I'll be hitting canoecopia next weekend to talk to the Wabakimi project and outfitters.

Any suggestions for first-timers?
 
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03/03/2018 09:40AM  
I'm sure the WP folks and others who are far more knowledgeable will weigh in here. My experience has been limited to the western side of the park. Armstrong is your natural entry point. Bruce at Wilderness outfitters is usually at Copia and can provide plenty of advice. My concerns when undertaking my first jaunt up there was to order some topo maps (mytopo). WP sells great map booklets of the park that accurately locate the portages and campsites. Expect some of the portages and campsites to be hard to locate depending on your route. Weather and conditions change rapidly during the season and between seasons. Some sites disappear and some portages will have more obstacles -- again, that is dependent on how heavily traveled those may be. A good foldable handsaw or longer tree-trimming saw is a very good idea.

Planning for backup options is key. A Spot or Delorme Inreach is a good idea for safety reasons. Also, plan for changeable weather. You may have 10 days of sun and light breezes or thunderstorms and rain rolling over you the whole time.

Post up your tentative trip route and time commitment. Others here can give you much more detailed advice.

Enjoy your trip -- it's an experience of a lifetime!
 
03/03/2018 09:57AM  
I would second H&D's recommendation to talk to Wabakimi outfitters and to Wabakimi Project folks (booth in lobby area, usually). Ontario Provincial Parks may also have a booth where you can purchase a map of the park ($15, it was), though you would want more detailed maps for navigation. I have worked with the Project for several years, now, and truly enjoyed the service trips and seeing new country. My experience has mainly been in the east and north parts (including a beautiful stretch of the Albany River at the north end). There are any number of routes out of Mattice Lake (just south of Armstrong) and Project people and/or Bruce Hyer can set you up with connections for flights or road shuttles. Other folks like to do a loop including a dropoff or pickup by train; I have never done that. I do know that Project people can put you onto routes that have just been "reopened" and are bound to be "remote" even when some of them are not far from roads! It is a great area and well worth the extra driving to get up there (in fact, you will probably see some good wildlife along 527 north of Thunder Bay).
 
03/03/2018 11:18AM  
Sue - Just about the only trees up there are black spruce. Those are spindly and the roots are exrtremely shallow. Hammock camping can be iffy.
In 2011, I had to spend 2 nights on the ground because I couldn't find any spot sufficient for hanging. Bring ground dwelling equipment.

Beyond that I will endorse everything said above. I used Wabakimi Wildwaters (Bruce's outfit) in 2011. You can see my trip report here.
 
03/03/2018 12:57PM  
Thanks all for the comments and suggestions! My travel buddy will be at Copia, also. I figured I'd do a little prep before next weekend.

Jim - I wasn't planning to hammock, for the reasons mentioned. I can remember you saying that before about the trees. I went to WCPP last summer and had to be a ground dweller. Other than the bronchitis, it was a great time.
 
03/03/2018 04:39PM  
SWEEEET!!!!
 
03/30/2018 07:20PM  
Thank you all. Have a lot of tentatives at this point. Tenative route. Tentative dates. Etc., etc. Hope to have train confirmed next week. Then there'll be a lot less tentative and a lot more for sure.

Fly in / train out, and have fun in the middle.
 
03/31/2018 07:48AM  
The trip of a lifetime!
 
mpeebles
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04/01/2018 09:07AM  
Nice when things start coming together. Enjoy!

.......Mike
 
04/04/2018 10:47AM  
mpeebles: "Nice when things start coming together. Enjoy!


.......Mike"


Yup.

Have the route set. Have the train reservation. Arranged a fly-in. Pretty much all I can do at this point, except look at maps.

--Sue
 
04/04/2018 11:53AM  
What will your route be?
 
04/04/2018 03:41PM  
Yeah...come on Sue, dish on the route details!
 
04/04/2018 07:25PM  
Fly in to Granite. Going through Brennan, Windfall, Snake, Osprey, Nemo, and out at Redhead. Have a couple down days for rest or rain along the way.
 
04/05/2018 10:22AM  
Taking the train was really cool.
I enjoy Hemingway and catching the train in the woods reminded me of Nick Adams.
Remember...you change from Eastern to Central time after you leave Armstrong.
We didn't know that.
 
04/05/2018 11:42AM  
I recall you mentioning the time change, Jim. It’s a good tip.
 
04/10/2018 04:56PM  
Mark all your items with colored yarn before placing on the train...that way you can ID your stuff when its time to unload.


 
04/10/2018 05:49PM  
That looks like fun James!
 
04/11/2018 02:01PM  
More waiting and train pics...
 
08/31/2018 08:43PM  
Finished today. Route was slightly different than I posted, but started Granite and ended at Redhead. Train was only 3-4 hours late. Not much down time, but a good trip.
 
09/01/2018 09:17AM  
Looking forward to pics and... vids???
 
09/01/2018 09:57AM  
I would be interested as well! Hope the trip went well.
 
09/02/2018 10:31AM  
Few vids...but I did get pics.

Need to work on getting them off camera and all that...along with laundry.

Lots of laundry.
 
Portage99
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10/07/2018 08:28PM  
jcavenagh: "More waiting and train pics...
"



Sigh....makes me wanna cry with great memories. I have to do this again, soon.
 
10/08/2018 07:09PM  
Portage99: "
jcavenagh: "More waiting and train pics...
"




Sigh....makes me wanna cry with great memories. I have to do this again, soon."


I can only echo those sentiments. A trip is on the calendar (again) for next August!
 
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