New Trip Report posted by BecomingMinnesotan

Trip Name: Larch Creek to Gneiss Lake 7/29-8/1.

Entry Point: 80

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Thanks for the report- we've all done something based off of our inexperience in the past, it's often the best way to learn for the future. Attempting to run rapids falls into that category for sure.

Also, please accept my apology for laughing at your comment about 56 being cold. That's pretty normal for up there most of the summer, with many times 40's and even 30's occurring.

Sounds like you all had a good attitude about it though, so next time you'll be ready to enjoy things even more!

naturboy12:
Also, please accept my apology for laughing at your comment about 56 being cold. That's pretty normal for up there most of the summer, with many times 40's and even 30's occurring.


Sounds like you all had a good attitude about it though, so next time you'll be ready to enjoy things even more! "

Looks like it was a fun trip. Loved your pictures! I would not have enjoyed the mud, but the rest of it sounds like a good time. I also chuckled at the 56 degrees comment. On our 21-day trip in 1992, starting in mid-June, we had temps in the 30's almost every night, and on (fittingly) Frost Lake we awoke to find the rain fly frozen to the tent, and the water in our fresh water bucked had a heavy topping of ice!

Moral of this story is: never think you have the weather in the canoe country figured out! ;-)

Thanks for the trip report. Your group's suffering with the temperature is why I always pack extra warm clothes. And I am especially conscious regarding our upcoming trip since we have a friend here from Costa Rica. Anything below 65 degrees feels very cold for him. So we are sending him with the 15 degree sleeping bag.

Sounds like some great lessons were learned and all turned out fine. Adventure stories to tell around the next campfire.

Thanks for the report - glad you enjoyed it despite . . .

As naturboy said, we've all done those things and lived to say . . . "I won't do that again!"

Thanks for your trip report. Glad you had a good time despite the weather and inadequate gear. I've done the same a long time ago and always remember that trip despite being cold one night/morning.

naturboy12: "Thanks for the report- we've all done something based off of our inexperience in the past, it's often the best way to learn for the future. Attempting to run rapids falls into that category for sure.


Also, please accept my apology for laughing at your comment about 56 being cold. That's pretty normal for up there most of the summer, with many times 40's and even 30's occurring.


Sounds like you all had a good attitude about it though, so next time you'll be ready to enjoy things even more! "

No apology needed :). Lesson learned! hahaha...

Spartan2: "

naturboy12:
Also, please accept my apology for laughing at your comment about 56 being cold. That's pretty normal for up there most of the summer, with many times 40's and even 30's occurring.



Sounds like you all had a good attitude about it though, so next time you'll be ready to enjoy things even more! "

Looks like it was a fun trip. Loved your pictures! I would not have enjoyed the mud, but the rest of it sounds like a good time. I also chuckled at the 56 degrees comment. On our 21-day trip in 1992, starting in mid-June, we had temps in the 30's almost every night, and on (fittingly) Frost Lake we awoke to find the rain fly frozen to the tent, and the water in our fresh water bucked had a heavy topping of ice!


Moral of this story is: never think you have the weather in the canoe country figured out! ;-)"

Definitely learned that lesson. This was only my second trip. Going to make sure to pack and underquilt next go around.

hopefully "3rd time's a charm" and my next trip I'll do a better job of prepping :)

My pops and I started at Larch Creek one year. We actually almost switched our route because we couldn't spot Larch Creek from the road. We went back to Seagull Outfitters and Deb told us to give it a chance. Like you said, it is very narrow at certain points, but it's certainly a cool adventure!

When Midwestman & I went a couple years ago, I got stuck in the portage mud in the same location your pic shows. I recognize that stinkin mud hole because I got my boot stuck with a pack & the canoe on my shoulders. I couldn't move and had to roll to one side, drop the canoe & pack to get unstuck. Wrenched my knee and screwed up my finger that I later had to have surgery & a pin added. That was a cold, wet May trip.

Oh wow...so sorry about that!

Little BWCA hack for you on those cold nights for future reference...take your Nalgene bottle, boil water, fill nalgene, put in sleeping bag with you. Heater all night and wake up in AM to warm water. It WORKS!!

I have started trips on Larch creek several times. It is best in the spring when the water in the creek is up. When low, it can be difficult with all the logs and beaver dams to cross. I thought your report was good and second those who suggest not running rapids until you have more experience. Gneiss Lake is not in my opinion a great fishing lake. Clove is better as is Saganaga. My suggestion is that instead of going back the way you came, continue on the Big Sag and take out there. You can camp on numerous islands and the fishing on Big Sag can be very good. You could also get an outfitter to pick you up if you needed. I think this is the way to go with very few portages once you leave Gneiss and those are short. Good luck and keep at it. Learn from you mistakes and stay warm

Thanks for the advice. Headed back up there in about 3 weeks and this time we are going all the way up to Sag Falls. We don't have much time so we decided to have a tow meet us at Sag Falls. I'm hoping fishing is better as you go further past "Devil's Elbow".

Bmuckpaddle: "Little BWCA hack for you on those cold nights for future reference...take your Nalgene bottle, boil water, fill nalgene, put in sleeping bag with you. Heater all night and wake up in AM to warm water. It WORKS!! "

Ha! Great idea! Headed back up there in 3 weeks. This time I have an underquilt so we'll see how things fo this time around.