I'm thinking about entering Q at Beaverhouse sometime in the first two weeks of August, 2020. I want to keep my paddling down to 5 to 6 hours a day, especially since this will be the first trip for the daughter's future husband, and she wants him to like it and go back every year. Also this would give me a little time to fish in the late afternoons/evenings.

I'm looking at Beaverhouse to Quetico to Jean to Burntside to Bentpine to Trail to Your to Fair to Badwater and back to Quetico and out. Looks like only one long portage and that would be at the very end. I have been through to Jean a few times and I'm pretty familiar with that part of the route. Does this seem reasonable to accomplish in 7 easygoing days, or would I be better off going from Jean to Red Pine to Badwater, or Jean to Your to Fair to Badwater, to make the route a little shorter?

Does anyone have any recent experience with that long portage from Badwater to Quetico and was it dry or swampy? About 7 or 8 years ago, I intended to do this route and the ranger at Beaverhouse told me not to because of the condition of this particular portage at the time. I suppose there is also the option to go from Badwater to Brown to Lynx to Robin to Quetico, but on paper that looks like a whole tough day by itself.

Looking forward to your always knowledgeable assistance.

Chicagored: "Does anyone have any recent experience with that long portage from Badwater to Quetico and was it dry or swampy? I suppose there is also the option to go from Badwater to Brown to Lynx to Robin to Quetico, but on paper that looks like a whole tough day by itself. "

Red, "The Mile Portage" from West Bay of Quetico Lake to Badwater can be dry, it can be wet, or it can be some variation in between. It really depends on the year. I've been on that portage when the water is running downhill into West Bay and I've been on it (years ago) when I had to line my canoe through the two bogs in the middle. Those have all been corduroyed now. There are always muddy stretches, but some years are better than others. The only constant on the portage is the length - it never changes.

It takes 30 minutes to go through the portage one way. If you want to do the leap frog method, there is a high point almost dead center of the portage between the two bogs for dropping the canoe or packs. If you truly double-portage, it will take you 90 minutes. If you leap frog, it will take you 60 minutes. The good news is that you'll hit the portage near the end of your trip with most of your food eaten. There is the potential for single-portaging.

The Badwater portage is legendary for being long and tough. It depends on the group and how wet the portage actually is. At 320 rods, it's definitely a challenge. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other and you'll get it done.

Btw, I would strongly dissuade you from doing the Brown, Lynx, Robin route. Very seldom used and not easy.

Not sure how seriously you're considering going Jean to Your via Boulder but we came through there a couple years ago and it seemed very lightly traveled and lightly maintained. One of the portages was a long knee-deep slog through a drained beaver meadow. Can't really recommend going that way, even if you're trying to shorten the trip.

Howdy, I have made that Quetico to BW portage three times in the last 5 years. Each time it is weather dependant but dry or wet I have always found there are some wet spots and like shared before much trail work has been done with "logs in the bogs" which requires sure footing. If the weather is wet, the portage is almost a creek in the steep parts.

I did it with my son single trip and it took 45 minutes. When solo it is s strong 90 minutes .

I do not want to be too discouraging, but It is a real test , not unbearable, but for a newcomer, it will test his limits. Bugs can be an issue as well since you are so far from the water, not much breeze.

Good luck!

My son-in-law and I did your exact route in September 2017. I was 73 at the time. The BW portage was not as bad that trip as it was in 2010, and the trip was a complete success. We planned and had a layover day on BW. Our trip was 8 days. We camped on Quetico, Jean, Bentpine, Your, Badwater, and Beaverhouse. --Goose

I did that loop a few years ago, although we went from Jean to Burntside to Sturgeon, then up through Snow, Little pine, Your to Badwater. We did this in 6 nights, and we camped near the Beaverhouse portage on Quetico on both our last and first night. We spent two nights on Quetico going in, one on Burntside, one on Sturgeon, one on Your, and the last night on Quetico. That was a rainy trip, too. So the mileage is quite doable.

The stretch between Badwater and Snow had some interesting portages. I remember spending some time looking for portages, and some brushy ones, and some negotiation of beaver ponds. I didn't think the Badwater-Quetico portage was so bad, but that's partly because I was expecting worse. Long, and some wet spots, but I think the boggy parts had been well corderoyed so the footing was solid.

Beware of "Trail Creek". Its not a trail, or a creek.

:)

following...
I've seen all of the southern Quetico and will be moving to points north next year.
Joe

I agree with Kickapoo. Trail "Creek" is not always a creek. We found it without water once in June (2016) and once in September(2014) so it's good idea to check with the park before launching. We made it through but there was a lot of slogging and some cussing. . .both times. I guess we are slow learners but to be fair the first time we dragged through it was in September. The second time it was June and we didn't think it would be a problem, but we were wrong :)


Badwater Portage was long but not difficult.