New Trip Report posted by Kelso

Trip Name: Border Route - Grand Portage to Lake of the Woods.

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Entry Point: 70

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Ambitious trip! Thanks for the report. Cool to see the map of your route, even tho that seems to have been one of the challenges on this trip.

I can't understand why you would have had so much difficulty with your gps, although as perfectly reliable my Garmin 62st and 64st models have been on trips, I would still never venture out without multiple McKenzie maps and good compasses.

Good on ya for the adventure.

schweady: "Ambitious trip! Thanks for the report. Cool to see the map of your route, even tho that seems to have been one of the challenges on this trip.


I can't understand why you would have had so much difficulty with your gps, although as perfectly reliable my Garmin 62st and 64st models have been on trips, I would still never venture out without multiple McKenzie maps and good compasses.


Good on ya for the adventure.
"

Thank you! (this is the Matt mentioned in the post)
Yes we have owned two 76csx GPS and both of them died similar deaths. Dunno, they were always very reliable until they decided to crap out.
Unfortunately, the border route crosses so many McKenzie maps that an overview map is more practical (which we did also not bring ?????). It is not a hard route to navigate. As long as you know the correct bay or lake corner of the portage location, they are all well used and easy to find. Not including the pigeon river to South fowl portage. That one is still a mystery to us as to what the "official" and best version of that portage is. The atv trail off of stump creek worked quite well. However, it was a bit longer than should be nessecary.

Thanks, enjoyed your report of an entirely different kind of trip.

Nice report!

Congrats on completing a great route!

"Matt used the one remaining good graphite paddle up front, paddling 80 strokes per minute for hours on end" I think I would like to have Matt in my boat;)

FYI- The South Fowl Portage location: If you had paddled just a little bit further upstream, you would have found it on the Canadian side. Looking at your map, you would have found it at the next bend in the river where the river bends 90 degrees to the left as traveling upstream. Not sure which route is easier but I suspect the Canadian portage, based on length, would be. I have done this one 4 times but never the one you guys did.

BeaV: "I think I would like to have Matt in my boat:)"

Ha! You can't have him. He's my secret weapon and only hope against you in the Kruger Challenge!

Thanks for the tip on the South Fowl Portage! This was our second time through there without a good idea of where to portage. In 2013 we tried to run the rapids and destroyed an aluminum canoe. That time we didn't even realize that there was a waterfall just ahead. We were glad to get out of there unhurt! We heard about a Canadian portage but we thought it must be very overgrown and disused. Is it actually usable? Does it come out on that bay just around the point east of the South Fowl Dam?

:

We heard about a Canadian portage but we thought it must be very overgrown and disused. Is it actually usable? Does it come out on that bay just around the point east of the South Fowl Dam?"

Yep- if my memory is correct there is small sand beach at the start if your going from S.Fowl to the Pigeon. The portage starts up a rather steep hill but nothing like the "hills" to the West on the MN side. Portage is rather tight in areas and suffered from a blow down some years ago but most of that has been cleared.

Congrats on your trip!!! Going up the GP takes some serious oats and just the thought of paddling LOTW is impressive. Rainy is big enough!!!

Pic is the end of a Very Fowl portage at the Pigeon.

Nice. Great trip. We've done that Wheelers to Angle Inlet crossing in motor boats along the eastern side in Canadian waters; do that next time.
That sound so fun. As the kids say, "epic."