BWCA Crab to Cummings Boundary Waters Trip Planning Forum
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09/05/2018 10:07PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
Just got back from a trip through Crab Lake to Cummings. We did the southern portage from Korb to Cummings, then fished our way to mid lake. It was mid afternoon, and as Cummings was just a day trip, we had to return to Crab. Our choice was to return the way we had come, or continue and use the portage on the north end of Korb lake.

We decided to return the way we came because we weren't sure if the creek on the north end of Korb lake was passable or not, and if it wasn't we didn't know if we had time to backtrack and use the southern portage.

Has anyone used the portage and creek on the north end of Korb recently?
 
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09/06/2018 10:25AM  
I ski this area during the winter. I loop from Coxey Pond to Cummings and then to Silica. There is a short portage from the creek to Cummings Lake and seems to be in good shape. The creek from Cummings to the Silica portage is navigable. I have not skied to Korb, but the creek definitely looks passable.
aholmgren
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09/06/2018 12:07PM  
vintage 1956 USGS map of the area of mention for your interest/for sale - email if interested. I have dozens of other vintage USGS maps of BWCA lakes for sale if anyone is interested, please email me.
09/06/2018 12:54PM  
We were in that area in 2014. We entered Cummings the same as you using the southern portage. On our way out, we took the northern route back to Korb Lake and it was wide open, no problem at all. If I remember right, we didn't even have to portage out of Cummings to the Korb River. It was just a rocky shallow area that we walked the canoes through and then clear sailing the rest of the way.

This is a shot of the river north of Korb Lake.

09/06/2018 01:55PM  
Guess we should have tried the northern portage/ River. The river looks wide and clear in your picture. We did have to walk the canoe through a small section on the southern route, and if the water was any lower we would have also had to walk 2 other sections. It's always a guessing game, predicting wind, daylight, distance, and an unknown route. Maybe next year.
09/06/2018 04:45PM  
I'm headed into that area in about 10 days to do a loop through Cummings/Buck/Battle/Lunetta, so I'll let you know how the northern portage is! How was the fishing on Cummings for you guys?
09/06/2018 10:03PM  
We had pretty good fishing in the morning, not so much in the late afternoon. We only fished the southern half of the lake.
09/07/2018 09:48AM  
I think the 35 rod portage from Cummings to Korb creek is unavoidable. The creek is fairly jammed with logs, trees, rocks etc between the lake and the creek. Once over the portage though it's a still, boggy creek that is an easy paddle.
HowardSprague
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09/07/2018 12:10PM  
^ yep!
 
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