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Chrispy22
  
01/08/2020 08:18PM  
Hello all!
This is my first post on this site but far from my first time in the BWCA!
I'm currently planning a trip with 2 people ,so far, for 3 day 4 nights starting out of Mudro and am looking for some suggestions and opinions. Were mainly going for fishing, and would rather set up a basecamp and do some day trips. I was hoping to go see some of the pictographs and or the falls but I can't recall how far they would be away. We would like to be as close to Mudro as possible on the last night because we will have to drive back to ND the next morning!
 
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cyclones30
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01/08/2020 10:41PM  
If you're experienced as you say, you should be able to reach the falls on day 1 if you get a decent start time. Basecamp somewhere along the border for however many nights you want. Good fishing, good day trips, pictos are right there. Then head back to Horse or its neighbors for the last night.
01/08/2020 11:26PM  
cyclones30: "If you're experienced as you say, you should be able to reach the falls on day 1 if you get a decent start time. Basecamp somewhere along the border for however many nights you want. Good fishing, good day trips, pictos are right there. Then head back to Horse or its neighbors for the last night. "


Or paddle from the falls out to Basswood and down Jackfish Bay, then out through Mudro.
01/09/2020 01:10PM  
Enter, go as far as Horse and set up camp. The falls & pictos are a 3ish hour trip down the Horse River depending on conditions and it's an easy day trip. It'll take you probably 3-4 hours to get to Horse depending on your tripping/portage style.

You *could* consider going back to Mudro or maybe Tin Can Mike the night before your exit but all things the same I'd rather stay on Horse.

As an alternative daytrip, you could go over to Fourtown and then up to Gun via Boot and do the Moosecamp River back down to Fourtown.

Easy peasy! Have a great trip!
scramble4a5
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01/09/2020 08:28PM  
Head to Gun or Fairy. Very little traffic and some decent bass fishing. Plenty of day trip options.
02/09/2020 10:32PM  
We did Mudro as our entry this past summer. We had 2 canoes and three kids with us age 10,11 and 12. We put in at Mudro, and paddled up to the hieroglyphics unable to find a camp site. We ended up back tracking and set camp on the mouth of the portage at basswood all on the first day. Next day we paddled back to horse and over to fourtown...wasnt terribly difficult and fourtown didnt seem to far from mudro..point is if the kids could do it, its doable for anyone. They where in their own canoe with all there own gear, we only portaged there canoe for them.
Knuckles624
member (22)member
  
02/10/2020 10:42AM  
scramble4a5: "Head to Gun or Fairy. Very little traffic and some decent bass fishing. Plenty of day trip options."


I second this. The lakes west of Fourtown get significantly less traffic than Horse and LBF. If you're able to snag a spot on Fourtown, you could base camp and day trip to the falls and pictographs one day and do Boot, Fairy, Gun on another. This is an amazing area, you'll have a good time!
luft
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02/11/2020 02:00AM  
Did a trip to Horse last spring. We base camped on Horse and day tripped down the Horse River to see the Pictographs

We stayed on Sandpit both on the way in (as my trip partner was ill which prevented us from advancing that day) and on the way out (in order to be fresh for that bugger Mudro portage).

I wouldn't recommend that Sandpit site as it was quite small. You could possibly set up 2 small tents together in the little hollow on the left side but we opted to just sleep in one while at that site.

If I was to do it again I would just stay on Horse or possibly stay on Tin Can Mike on the way in and out.
TuscaroraBorealis
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02/11/2020 07:26AM  
Welcome to bwca.com!
02/12/2020 07:22PM  
Agree that the lakes to the west of Fourtown seem to be less traveled than the Horse/LBF route. You could easily get to Fairy, Gun or Gull on your first day. Fairy is a really cool little lake with two sites on it, but I doubt they are often both taken. You have a good chance of having this cool little place to yourselves. The southern site is really nice. Walleyes, bass and sunfish.

Gun is a super clear lake, very pretty with some nice campsites. Good fishing potential. Gull is also a good walleye lake and there is a really nice peninsula site literally surrounded by water on three sides not too far from the portage. Great swimming and fishing right from shore. Not a bad trip out to Mudro from there but if you want to be closer head back to Fourtown for your last night but I would start early, it is a busy place. A beautiful lake and good fishing for eyes and smallies too.

Great area.
buzz17
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02/16/2020 12:32PM  
If fishing is your priority, I would recommend base camping on Horse the entire time and day tripping from there. I have camped on Horse on 4 separate trips, Boot on 2 other trips and on up to Crooked on another. I disagree with less traffic on the route up to Gun, although it does tend to thin out the further you travel. The majority of the traffic on Horse is on the the way down river.
As far as travel home on out day, I have packed up on Horse paddled out and driven straight home to Indianapolis on 3 different occasions. It only takes a few hours to get out from Horse so you should be good.
Enjoy your trip!
RetiredDave
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02/16/2020 06:14PM  
I agree with others that the lakes on the west side of Fourtown are really nice. If you decide to go that way, consider trying for the lone campsite on Beartrap. It's wonderful! If it's occupied, the portage back to Gull is almost a lift-over and worth the minimal effort just to see.




Any way you do it, you'll love the area!

Dave
VoyageurNorth
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02/17/2020 02:55PM  
Crispy, did you get your Mudro permit already? If you did (& I sure hope so), did you get a #23 Mudro permit or a #22 Restricted Mudro permit?

#22 restricted means you are not allowed to camp on Horse Lake, so if you have that one, plan accordingly.

How early do you need to leave to go home that last day? If not till noon or so, do you think you could be 2 hours "in" the BWCA and get to Ely by noon?
 
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