We were on Granite Lake at the bottom heading towards Van Ness, Cache and Onamakawash Lakes. We took a look at the Granite end of Ballast Creek. It was August and the water levels were very low. The first 1/2 km was negotiating boulder fields, then the water got shallow, as in 6-8" with some pools for the next km or so. Not fun, not even negotiable. It would involve a lot of dragging over gravel and rocks up to 10". No portages were visible, no old blazes on trees. Not a route from Granite Lake south. Our crew the next week went from Granite to Van Ness, down through Cache to Onamakawash to the tracks. Here's a picture 1/2 km upstream from Granite Lake where the shallow km or so started.