It’s been a long time since I have been to Lake One. Is it camp-able after the fires? If not, does anyone have any recommendations for an easy trip - 3 nights from the Ely area? We have an injured paddler that can’t portage much.

Thanks all!

When we took a trip 2 weeks after I broke my ankle, we got a Trout Lake entry. The portage from Vermillion to Trout was wide and easy footing (there is also an option to do it as a truck portage). We then took the southern most portage into Pine Lake and base camped. We took a day trip along Pine Creek to the north.
Slowly walking portages without much weight on my back was better than any physical therapy I could have done at home.

No campsites were impacted by the Pagami Fire on Lake One. Only the southern shore burned, so very campable. Just busy.

There is one or two closed sites on the south end of Lake 3 but otherwise everything open. It can be busy and campsites at a premium depending on when you go.

Haaha, don't go there!! Leave more open sites for me. This is my favorite base camp route since my disabilities keep me close to entry points. The post-fire growth is going well, birch trees growing nicely - about a foot a year. Camp sites got water drops during the fire so they are fine but getting pretty "over-used".

Ensign is another entry lake, no motors and easy access, but very heavily used.
Plenty of firewood in the burn area on Lakes 2-4 but limited on Ensign.

Grandma L: "Haaha, don't go there!! Leave more open sites for me. This is my favorite base camp route since my disabilities keep me close to entry points. The post-fire growth is going well, birch trees growing nicely - about a foot a year. Camp sites got water drops during the fire so they are fine but getting pretty "over-used"."

LOL. One of my favorite basecamp lakes for shorter length trips. You can bring everything but the kitchen sink as there are no portages. Plenty of area on the lake to explore and an easy hop over to Lake 2 and 3 to fish the narrows or the river...or just to explore.

The only downside to this area is it is busy so sometimes hard to find open campsites on the weekends and frequently populated with loud "Wahoooo" type groups. Likely Grandma L and her gang :-)