Missed out on a permit on Mudro (idiot) got a permit for Missing Link (EP51) instead. I am contemplating doing a loop Rib Lake>Frost Lake>Frost River>Mora> Tuscarora but was hoping to get some opinions to who know the area

Is this doable in 3 days for three moderately fit 30 year olds? Normally I wouldn't blink an eye at this distance but I have never gone this late in the year so I am concerned about daylight and low water on the Frost river. The stretch from Frost to Afton concerns me the most as there aren't any established campsites and I know how putzy it can be paddling rivers.

Any other comments/recommendations greatly appreciated.

Three days is really pushing it but doable if the weather cooperates. I'd suggest perhaps starting at Cross Bay if you can switch and taking out at Missing Link. Short walk between parking areas.

Two, years ago, my wife and I did Cross Bay to Frost Day One, Frost Lake to Little Sag Day Two, so you should be able to get to Mora/Crooked/Tuscarora on your second day and out on the third. It's a lot of ground to cover in that time, though.

I agree about entering at #50 Cross Bay. Hopefully someone chimes in with the water level. Call Tuscarora Outfitters and Sawbill Outfitters and see if they have any intel on the water level in Frost River.

I think you must start on Cross Bay. I doubt you will make Frost Lake the first day going through Missing Link to Snipe and then down the Cross River to Long Island.

Much else would depend on your configuration:

One three seater canoe? Tandem and Single? or 3 Singles?
One three seater would give you the most speed and one (or two) less item(s) to portage. Any single will likely slow the group down significantly. However, the three seater (depending on the length of the boat) will present its own issues on the narrow Frost River.

Single portage or double portage?
Can you get the gear and weight enough to be single portaging? This more than anything may be the determining factor for your plans. How organized are you at portage ends? Are you a drop the canoe in the water and load packs and go kind of group or are you a stop and get a snack and chat kind of group?

Weather? - Two or three lakes could give you issues with wind and waves - Long Island and Tuscarora. I have also seen Frost Lake rock and roll in a heavy wind. This, of course, is a crap shoot. Do you have a check down plan in case the weather doesn't cooperate? E.g. Cross Bay to Tuscarora via Copper, Hubbub, and the Howl Swamp? Or Missing Link to Poplar via Long Island, Muskeg, Kiskadinna, Ogema, Henson, Gaskin, Horseshoe, Caribou, and Lizz Lake?

Water level will have some affect, but I think that unless it is severely low, the other factors above will have more of an effect on your chances of success.

It is a long day on the Frost no matter the water level. Continuing on through Afton, Fente, and Whipped to Mora will not be easy. (By the way, in the past, Whipped Lake has had a jigsaw puzzle at the narrows created by a shallow rock garden and a dead fall. It was still there when we went through the Frost a couple years ago.)

Good Luck. Let us know how it turns out!

We abandoned our Frost River loop in mid-August due to low water. We entered at Missing Link and then had a permit to stay in the Harry PMA. We came out of the PMA into Octopus and had planned to turn west to do the Frost River. But we were already a day behind and physically beat up from some really long bushwhacks in the PMA. When we got on the Frost R., we were having trouble paddling between portages due to it being low water, dense water plants and very rocky in places. We went part way and then turned back to Frost Lake and went out through Long Island, Cross Bay and back to Missing Link.

Under normal conditions I think it would be long days, but doable. Frost Lake night 1, Afton Lake night 2, and Tuscarora or exit on night 3.

Thanks for the insights everyone. At this point I am leaning towards picking an alternative route, or at the very least getting to Frost and seeing how the group is feeling. This will be my 10th trip into the BWCA, but the first for the other two guys. Want to make sure they have a good time.

In regards to the Cross Bay put in. I was going to ask a follow-up question on that. We have a permit for entry on EP 51 (Missing Link). It seems like you posters don't have any complaints about us putting in at EP50 instead. It saves us some big portages and we are going that way anyway so I don't see why not. I get they want to limit the number of paddlers in a given area but we are going that way one way or another. I asked a guy over the phone at Tuscarora lodge of which we are renting the canoe from and he said no, but maybe I just couldn't seem him wink over the phone.

RatherbeDuffing: "Thanks for the insights everyone. At this point I am leaning towards picking an alternative route, or at the very least getting to Frost and seeing how the group is feeling. This will be my 10th trip into the BWCA, but the first for the other two guys. Want to make sure they have a good time.


In regards to the Cross Bay put in. I was going to ask a follow-up question on that. We have a permit for entry on EP 51 (Missing Link). It seems like you posters don't have any complaints about us putting in at EP50 instead. It saves us some big portages and we are going that way anyway so I don't see why not. I get they want to limit the number of paddlers in a given area but we are going that way one way or another. I asked a guy over the phone at Tuscarora lodge of which we are renting the canoe from and he said no, but maybe I just couldn't seem him wink over the phone."

In this case, no means no. He is not winking either. They are not trying to be difficult. My guess is that they would likely lose their NFS cooperator's license if they were to start telling clients that they can ignore the entry point rules. There are many places in the BW where you can get to relatively the same place using two nearby entry points. No outfitter would tell you its OK to ignore your permit and start at the entry of your choice. If permits are gone for Cross Bay on that day, you should not be entering there. (Not without risking a whole lot of money in fines.)

Alternate routes:
Check out the permits for either Lizz Lake (entry 47) or Skipper Lake (entry 49). Both start with a portage off Poplar Lake (east of the Tuscarora Lodge along the Gunflint). Have the Tuscarora folks shuttle you to Poplar Lake and work your way back to the Cross Bay entry.
Lizz Lake - Day 1 Poplar, Lizz, Caribou, Horseshoe, Gaskin. Day 2 Gaskin, Henson, Ogema, Kiskadinna, Muskeg Lake, Muskeg Creek, Long Island Lake. Day 3 Long Island Lake, Karl Lake, Lower George, Rib Lake, Cross Bay Lake, Cross Bay River, Ham Lake, Cross Bay River.
Skipper Lake - Poplar Lake, Skipper Lake, Little Rush Lake, Rush Lake, Banadad Lake. Day 2 Banadad Lake, Sebeka Lake, Ross Lake, Cave Lake, Long Island Lake. Day 3 See above.

These are nice routes in the area you are already looking to paddle and are good introductions to the BW for your newbies. Perhaps others have some suggestions for you as well.

I have no problem going through EP50 was genuinely curious since other posters brought it up and I was wondering myself. We will probably just go south through Cross Bay and make a decision at Long Island Lake whether to go west and try the Frost or go east and loop through Davis and Brule.

Definitely change your permit if you're going to go through EP50. I'm sure Tuscarora was not winking through the phone.

Given you have two first timers I probably would seek a different route thank doing the Frost River. It could be very frustrating for the newbies if the water isn't high.

Alternatives...do a loop up to Seagull and get a shuttle back (Tuscarora could do this). Otherwise, you could head to Snipe from Missing Link on your first day, then head to Long Island or Frost on your second day, then camp somewhere between there and Cross Bay on your last night and take out there. No problem taking out there on your Missing Link permit. You'll just need to start at Missing Link unless you change your permit.

If you haven’t left yet, do the frost river. It is awesome. I just came off it two weeks ago. I did cross bay to frost lake, up frost river to Little Saganaga Lake, and through virgin and west fern in three days. Andy at the Tuscarora will help you with water levels.

Fill up with water on chase lake as it is the only decent lake on the river that isn’t muck and lily pads. And be careful on the portage from whipped to Fenton lake. You will need all three of you to get down the cliff face with the canoe.

Have fun

Voodoo4814: "If you haven’t left yet, do the frost river. It is awesome. I just came off it two weeks ago. I did cross bay to frost lake, up frost river to Little Saganaga Lake, and through virgin and west fern in three days. Andy at the Tuscarora will help you with water levels.


Fill up with water on chase lake as it is the only decent lake on the river that isn’t muck and lily pads. And be careful on the portage from whipped to Fenton lake. You will need all three of you to get down the cliff face with the canoe.


Have fun"

Thanks for the advice! Much appreciated