Going to be traveling from the North end of Kawnipi, south toward Knife lake and am wondering if anyone prefers traveling through Kahshahpiwi over Agnes or vice versa?

Do you like steak or seafood??!! Both are great routes. Agnes is quicker and far less portaging to get back to the border. It is a beautiful lake, especially in the narrows area, and it has Louisa Falls. Well worth a stop. On the other hand it is a very long, uninterrupted paddle. If you camp midway, it breaks up the paddling.

If you don't care about the additional portaging on the Piwi route, I think it is some of the best scenery in the park. I love the run from Kawnipi to the bottom of Piwi. It has portages, but nothing to complain about. Typically fewer people than Agnes, but that is always a crap shoot.

The route from Piwi back to the border involves some work and more portages, but is well worth the effort. My preference would always default to the Piwi route if I have enough time.

Both are beautiful lakes but Kash would be my choice. More nice campsites and great fishing also. Rumor has it though (Banksiana?) that the portage out of Kash to Side Lake was very problematic last year. That leaves either the McNiece or Yum Yum portage out of Kash...a couple of real toughies.

I agree with all of the above. The portages into and out of Kahsh (especially the portages out of the southern end to Side and McNiece) and both very difficult and moderately long. I do much prefer paddling Kahsh over Agnes, though. It's a lot narrower of a lake, so it feels more intimate and is less prone to wind issues. I also think Kahsh has some of the most beautiful water in Quetico. Good fishing for all four species, as well. Kahsh gets my vote.

Sign me up as another person that like Kash more then Agnes, and for all the reasons already stated.


Here is a nice overlook of Kash that I took a couple years ago.

One of my favorite spots——what a view from there. Many a night spent on that cliff having a cigar, some bumps and conversations around the fire.

I like the pictos on Agnes. But would do either happily.

GraniteCliffs: "One of my favorite spots——what a view from there. Many a night spent on that cliff having a cigar, some bumps and conversations around the fire. "

Im impressed if you climbed to the top of that cliff at night for a cigar.

Both routes are very scenic. Agnes route has way fewer portages. There are no easy routes from Kash to Basswood.

Banksiana: "

GraniteCliffs: "One of my favorite spots——what a view from there. Many a night spent on that cliff having a cigar, some bumps and conversations around the fire. "

I'm impressed if you climbed to the top of that cliff at night for a cigar."

Whoops! I looked at the photo quickly and thought it was taken from the actual campsite below it. However, I have been up to the top several times. The first time was when a moose stormed into our campsite and then turned and went up the ridge. We followed a bit later just to see what was there. Found the pond, which surprised us. Found an old fire ring.

On a number of subsequent trips, hiked to the top, once with cigars and booze just to take in the view, but never at night! I think the first time or two was well before the fire came through. I can't remember, but I think the fire was about 15 or 20 years ago, but I'm not sure.

We have always called that campsite the Grand Hotel. It is an okay site in most regards but that view from the fire area...

In 1964 I took a 14-day trip out of the Charles L. Sommers Scout Base on Moose Lake with my Explorer group. We did a loop, up through Knife Lake, across Kawnipi with our ultimate goal of LeMay Lake, then down through Cairn and Sark to Kahshahpiwi. The 12 of us, in 4 canoes, arrived after sunset in the rain at our desired campsite on the NE end of the lake ("12-S" on the Quetico Map site, I think that is the one called the "Grand Hotel") only to find it occupied, and since we were tired and it was dark the Charlie guide led us to a nearby campsite--I remember a grueling climb to the top of a ridge, but there was an old table up there. I have never been able to find that site again--the whole area has burned of course.

Springer-

I think your photo is from the camp that GraniteCliffs mentions that is below the ridge top that Minnesotian took his photo from. Access from the shore is up a steep bank of rock, quite treacherous in the rain. There was also a glorious hidden camp high on the ridge just to the SE of this camp- with access to the small lake above Kahsh. The site had a commanding view of Kahsh, though access was difficult. Unfortunately it was devastated by the fire. The thickness of the regrown vegetation makes access and even recognition of the site near impossible. The site was located on the Kahsh side of the ridge between the two lakes in this photo.

Banksiana: "Springer-
I think your photo is from the camp that GraniteCliffs mentions that is below the ridge top that Minnesotian took his photo from. 0-113434.JPG" align="left" > "

What a glorious photo Banksiana--I love that lake. I remember a very steep climb--there wasn't much of a landing, just a narrow opening in the trees. We had to stash our canoes there, dragging them into the brush. It might have been the ridge above the little lake but that part of the memory is long gone. It seems like we were very high above the main lake. The photo shows a couple apple pies the guide made in a reflector oven. We carried cast iron Dutch ovens and frying pans also, of course.

Thanks, everyone, for the shots from around the 'grand hotel' site (love that name!). Here's an 'in the tent' shot down the lake from that site when we discovered it in 2007. It was late afternoon when we found the landing and thought we were going to spend the night in a 'desperation site'. What a pleasant surprise! Perfect for the two of us. Didn't know about the view from on up the cliff. Yep, we'll paddle Kahsh over Agnes every time. If we're lucky enough to make this year's late-August trip, it's part of our route again.

TZ

Does anyone know when the fire swept thru this area? I was guessing 15-20 years ago but at my age recent events sometimes date back 30 years.

GraniteCliffs: "Does anyone know when the fire swept thru this area? I was guessing 15-20 years ago but at my age recent events sometimes date back 30 years. "

There was a fire there as recent as 2010 or 2011.

Springer2: "In 1964 I took a 14-day trip out of the Charles L. Sommers Scout Base on Moose Lake with my Explorer group. We did a loop, up through Knife Lake, across Kawnipi with our ultimate goal of LeMay Lake, then down through Cairn and Sark to Kahshahpiwi. The 12 of us, in 4 canoes, arrived after sunset in the rain at our desired campsite on the NE end of the lake (12-S on the Quetico Map site I think) only to find it occupied, and since we were tired and it was dark the Charlie guide led us to a nearby campsite--I remember a grueling climb to the top of a ridge, but there was an old table up there. I have never been able to find that site again--the whole area has burned of course. "

Do you remember your guides name, just wondering, have a friend who guided for the scouts a lot than and did the Kash-Agnes area a lot has some good stories to tell. He turned out to be a Great Naturalist and Historian.

I think the more recent fire was on the south end of the lake. Not sure when the fire near the Grand Hotel in the middle of the lake took place. Spent some time looking online with no success. Must have been a while ago as it has grown back a fair amount.

"Do you remember your guides name, just wondering, have a friend who guided for the scouts a lot than and did the Kash-Agnes area a lot has some good stories to tell. He turned out to be a Great Naturalist and Historian."

I don't remember his name. I think he was a student at U. Wisconsin and a track athlete. He called LeMay Lake "Jenny Lake" in honor of his girlfriend.

I think this is the "Grand Hotel" site on Kahshahpiwi.

Springer2: ""

Do you remember your guides name, just wondering, have a friend who guided for the scouts a lot than and did the Kash-Agnes area a lot has some good stories to tell. He turned out to be a Great Naturalist and Historian."


I don't remember his name. I think he was a student at U. Wisconsin and a track athlete. He called LeMay Lake "Jenny Lake" in honor of his girlfriend.


No this guys first name is Ron and he became a Naturalist for the Mn DNR-mainly in Brainerd.
Told me a story of when they were on the North end of Canadian Agnes, one of the scouts got sick and had appendicitis so they(two paddlers plus the sick scout) took off and paddled all night to get him out. Turns out they were lucky they did paddle all night to get him out.

Springer2: "I think this is the "Grand Hotel" site on Kahshahpiwi.








"

I stayed there one spring waiting out a cold spell (and for the lake to unfreeze!). What an awesome site.

GraniteCliffs: "Does anyone know when the fire swept thru this area? I was guessing 15-20 years ago but at my age recent events sometimes date back 30 years. "

I think the north end and over to McNiece was 2006 or 2007

Banksiana: "Springer-


I think your photo is from the camp that GraniteCliffs mentions that is below the ridge top that Minnesotian took his photo from. Access from the shore is up a steep bank of rock, quite treacherous in the rain. There was also a glorious hidden camp high on the ridge just to the SE of this camp- with access to the small lake above Kahsh. The site had a commanding view of Kahsh, though access was difficult. Unfortunately it was devastated by the fire. The thickness of the regrown vegetation makes access and even recognition of the site near impossible. The site was located on the Kahsh side of the ridge between the two lakes in this photo. "

Been there. Didn't know about a campsite in-between the lake and small lake.
Interesting.
Got a short story to share about that camp & cliff/hill... but not at almost 4:00 AM.

cowdoc: "

GraniteCliffs: "Does anyone know when the fire swept thru this area? I was guessing 15-20 years ago but at my age recent events sometimes date back 30 years. "

I think the north end and over to McNiece was 2006 or 2007"

The fire that burned over the McNiece to Kahsh portage was in October 2011. I know this because I did the portage in September of that year and was shocked to see pics and video of that portage a month later. Someone actually portaged through there when it was still smoldering and shot video.

TomT: "

cowdoc: "

GraniteCliffs: "Does anyone know when the fire swept thru this area? I was guessing 15-20 years ago but at my age recent events sometimes date back 30 years. "

I think the north end and over to McNiece was 2006 or 2007"

The fire that burned over the McNiece to Kahsh portage was in October 2011. I know this because I did the portage in September of that year and was shocked to see pics and video of that portage a month later. Someone actually portaged through there when it was still smoldering and shot video.
"

That sounds about right. I was on the McNeice to Kash portage in Aug 2010 prior to the Oct 2011 fire that burned most of the portage and did the Yum Yum to Kash portage in Jul 2011. Not sure if that portage was burned like the McNeice to Kahs portage was. Anyone know?

Yum Yum portage was largely unburned. It is the easier option. McNeice portage suffers from tremendous underbrush on the McNeice side as well as large trees (from the fire) downed causing constant detour and poor trail close to McNeice. The McNeice fire was 2011, I think the fire on Kahsh that was even hotter was 2007.