Looking for a 50-60 mile loop out of Sawbill, and was thinking the Frost River would be a bad idea in two weeks, due to low river levels? What about the Phoebe River? We own our canoe, so I don't want to beat it up if we don't have to. My wife has never been to Frost or Little Sags so I'd like to include those. We travel extremely light; don't fish and use ultralight backpacking gear so bushwhacking is okay. Thanks.

Including Frost and Little Saganaga in a loop out of Sawbill is tough with including river travel. You are probably correct to be concerned about low water.

My suggestion for a fast paced, very scenic loop would be generally through these lakes.
I am not including all the little ones.
Sawbill, Cherokee, Long Island, Muskeg, Kisskadina, Omega, Winchell, Brule, South Temperance, Kelly, Smoke, back to Sawbill.

A ton of portages, but some wonderful lakes with big cliffs and bogs. Both old forest and regenerating burns. I did much of this loop, but starting from Round Lake, this summer. I enjoyed it a lot. I even like the worst of the portages!

How about the Louse River? The Louse usually has more water than the Frost.

Option 1 Looping back north after the Louse River will get you to Little Sag! However, this is physically tough route. The Louse River route is taxing. There are portages that are boulder fields. The route finding is sometimes difficult and can eat up time. Going north also means that you will be doing the 1.5 mi. Lujenida to Zenith portage twice. The Fente to Hub Lake 300 rd portage goes straight up the first quarter mile off Fente Lake. But I would do it all, if it means that I can be on Little Sag!

Option 2. After the Frost River this will be much easier route. The Phoebe River has some beaver dams and low water areas you may have to walk your canoe through. The portages are much easier (and flatter). It is a beatiful route though and maximizes your river paddling. If you want a nicer last campsite, continue to Beth instead of stopping at Grace your last night.

Day 1 - Sawbill, Kelso River, Kelso Lake, Kelso River, Lujenida Lake, Zenith Lake, Frederich Lake, Wine Lake

Day 2, Wine, Poe, Louse Lakes, Louse River, Bug Lake, Louse River, Trail Lake.

Day 3 Trail Lake, Louse River, Boze Lake, Frond Lake, Louse River, Malberg Lake.

Option 1 - North
Day 4 - Malberg Lake, Kivaniva Lake, Anit Lake, Pan Lake, Panhandle Lake, Pond, Makwa Lake, Elton Lake, Beaver ponds, Little Sag.

Day 5
Little Sag, Mora Lake, Whipped Lake, Fente Lake, Hub Lake, Mesaba Lake

Day 6
Mesaba Lake, Hug Lake, Duck Lake, Zenith Lake, Lujenida Lake, Kelso River, Kelso Lake, Kelso River, Sawbill Lake

Option 2 - South

Day 4 -
Malberg Lake, Koma Lake, Lake Polly, Phoebe River, Hazel Lake

Day 5 - Hazel Lake , Phoebe River, Kight Lake, Pheobe River, Phoebe Lake, Phoebe River, Grace Lake

Day 6
Grace Lake, Beth Lake, Alton Lake, Sawbill Lake

Sawbill outfitters has suggested routes based on the number of days you have. I suggest you take a look at their website. Choose the number of days you want to be out for and decide on a route. Since you are travelling during shorter Fall daylight I would adhere to their suggestions.

Routes

I think we might avoid the Frost and Louse Rivers altogether and go east instead. I think the rocky river portages might be too frustrating. Not sure I want to do a type II fun trip. Little Sags will have to wait until another trip.

We might still go into Frost, leave some of our gear at Gordon and backtrack a bit.

Day one Sawbill, cherokee, frost, night on Long Island.
Night two on brule or south temperance, going through winchell.
Day three out via temperance, weird, jack, kelly, burnt.
45 miles, about 20 hours traveling time total.

This would give us options to shorten if bad weather or we weren't feeling good, or if it's windy when we have to paddle Brule, which my wife would not like.

sedges: "Including Frost and Little Saganaga in a loop out of Sawbill is tough with including river travel. You are probably correct to be concerned about low water.


My suggestion for a fast paced, very scenic loop would be generally through these lakes.
I am not including all the little ones.
Sawbill, Cherokee, Long Island, Muskeg, Kisskadina, Omega, Winchell, Brule, South Temperance, Kelly, Smoke, back to Sawbill.


A ton of portages, but some wonderful lakes with big cliffs and bogs. Both old forest and regenerating burns. I did much of this loop, but starting from Round Lake, this summer. I enjoyed it a lot. I even like the worst of the portages!"

Yeah, I like this idea.

I thought from your subject line that you had 4 days. It would be a lot more pleasant with four IMHO. You can't go through Winchell and then skip Brule. Brule from the Cones to the west end is not that bad unless you have a powerful west wind. Winchell can be just as bad, but I have never let that mess with my desire to go that way.

The route has so much diversity in habitat and scenery just on the travel line. You really would not miss having lay-over time to explore.

SevenofNine: "Sawbill outfitters has suggested routes based on the number of days you have. I suggest you take a look at their website. Choose the number of days you want to be out for and decide on a route. Since you are travelling during shorter Fall daylight I would adhere to their suggestions.


Routes "

I did the little Sag East loop last spring and by roughing it out on google maps with double portages, it was closer to 100 miles than it was 60.

Thanks for the input Hooky. I noticed Sawbill likes to put in a layover day on some trips that I read so a person can recover from a tough day of travel.

This year my trip was focused on going to Little Sag. We entered on Round through Brant to Gillis the first night. Little Sag on the 2nd and 3rd nights. The plan was Tuscarora on the 4th, but weather held us back to Crooked then out on Missing Link. It was a great trip and a good option for visiting Little Sag without going through Sawbill.

The Cherokee route seems like a great option to me for this year. I've been to Sawbill and the Temperances but not to Cherokee. I have seen pictures though and it is a beautiful lake. Do that route this year and head to Little Sag next year.

I think we'll plan on going through Cherokee, Long Island, the Cones, Brule and Temperances and doing this route. Will let you know how it turns out in a couple weeks. We have three full days and maybe half of another day if we need it.