BWCA Trip Report - Mechanic Chain Solo Boundary Waters Trip Reports
Chat Rooms (0 Chatting)  |  Search  |   Login/Join
* For the benefit of the community, commercial posting is not allowed.
Boundary Waters Quetico Forum
   Trip Reports
      Trip Report - Mechanic Chain Solo     

Author

Text

landoftheskytintedwater
distinguished member(937)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
10/02/2019 07:51PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
New Trip Report posted by landoftheskytintedwater

Trip Name: Mechanic Chain Solo.

Entry Point: 39

Click Here to View Trip Report
 
Reply    Reply with Quote    Print Top Bottom Previous Next
bwcasolo
distinguished member(1921)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
10/03/2019 06:41AM  
nice report and area, how did you like the prism, sawbill set-up?
Driftless
distinguished member (361)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
10/03/2019 10:57AM  
Awesome report, thanks!
landoftheskytintedwater
distinguished member(937)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
10/03/2019 08:54PM  
bwcasolo: "nice report and area, how did you like the prism, sawbill set-up?"


First few strokes it seemed bizarre and then I settled in. Only problem being I singled portaged so I only had the one pack which needed to be way up front standing up which was a problem with gusty winds. Overall it was fine, just not ideal. I did enjoy not putting the yoke on.
Ajoutdoors
senior member (58)senior membersenior member
  
10/03/2019 11:00PM  
Great report. I think we were the guys you passed on day 1. You made the right call going out on Wednesday. The wind didn't let up at all.
SevenofNine
distinguished member(2472)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
10/04/2019 08:18AM  
Nice report thank you for sharing. Great pictures too!
landoftheskytintedwater
distinguished member(937)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
10/05/2019 11:58AM  
Ajoutdoors: "Great report. I think we were the guys you passed on day 1. You made the right call going out on Wednesday. The wind didn't let up at all."


Small world, funny. Where did you end up your first day? I was disappointed two of the better South Temperance sites were taken when I went through.
Ajoutdoors
senior member (58)senior membersenior member
  
10/05/2019 07:03PM  


Small world, funny. Where did you end up your first day? I was disappointed two of the better South Temperance sites were taken when I went through. "


We ended up almost staying on Weird around 2 pm. But we decided to push on and take the southern site on S Temperance (which was occupied). So we ended up on the southern site on N. Temp. It was a nice site but very windy. We stayed there for two nights.
There were two sites of thought of staying on before this trip started, the lone campsite on Flame and the southern site on S Temp were both occupied. Lol.



jillpine
distinguished member(919)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
10/05/2019 09:26PM  
Loved the trip - thanks for posting!
I went in wed when you were leaving. It got pretty raw.


10/07/2019 03:15AM  
Thanks for sharing your trip - that route is on my bucket list. Would you do it again? were those small lakes worth the effort to go through. It sounds like Gasket & Vesper are in a big valley! Thanks for sharing!
landoftheskytintedwater
distinguished member(937)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
10/07/2019 08:44PM  
I would do it again. I think you also have to catch the conditions right. I don't think I'd do it if it were really wet or raining steadily.

I debated in my head that it might be easier to day trip in from Brule. You'd still need the canoe and I think Gasket is definitely worth seeing, but then you'd be doing those two portages twice, so perhaps better to just suck it up and do them all.

I will say, the worst part is the Vesper landing on the Vesper-Town portage. If you take it slow it's manageable. I wanted to see that stretch in the fall and I don't regret it at all.
Ajoutdoors
senior member (58)senior membersenior member
  
10/08/2019 08:25AM  
landoftheskytintedwater: "I would do it again. I think you also have to catch the conditions right. I don't think I'd do it if it were really wet or raining steadily.


I debated in my head that it might be easier to day trip in from Brule. You'd still need the canoe and I think Gasket is definitely worth seeing, but then you'd be doing those two portages twice, so perhaps better to just suck it up and do them all.


I will say, the worst part is the Vesper landing on the Vesper-Town portage. If you take it slow it's manageable. I wanted to see that stretch in the fall and I don't regret it at all."


I did those portages 10 years ago on my first solo. It was the most difficult stretch of portages I have encountered. Right away I sunk up to my thigh (coming from Town). Another section I remember as just being a boulder field.
It was raining and my pack was way too heavy so that added to the difficulty. Then, adding to the frustration that day was the fact I passed 9 occupied campsites that I would have stopped at. It was early June and it ended up being a very long day.
12/30/2019 02:25PM  
I'm planning on taking a group around this stretch next summer. I was wondering for your solo trip the bag you brought? I have wanted to try my first solo and did not know what size bag would suffice for a 5-7 day trip. Was looking at Granite Gear bags, great report!
landoftheskytintedwater
distinguished member(937)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
12/30/2019 10:00PM  
I used a Granite Gear #4, however it was probably 2/3rds full. I can fit my stuff into a Granite Gear #3.5 but I like the load being slightly wider and lower in the #4 while single portaging. I use two liners. I close the inside liner over all my gear/clothes and then put my food in its own stuff sack and close the outside liner over that.
12/30/2019 11:39PM  
Enjoyed your trip report. I went in at Baker in Sept. and looped through Cherokee to Sawbill and across the "fire" lakes to exit, but decided not to do the Cam/Gasket/Vesper loop.
landoftheskytintedwater
distinguished member(937)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
12/31/2019 08:27PM  
Thanks Boonie! I always enjoy your reports.
 
Reply    Reply with Quote    Print Top Bottom Previous Next