Portage 76

I understand that the Canadians have closed this portage due to COVID19!!

I mean really??

Can you provide a source for that information?

Portage 76 is on the US side, according to this site's map. Did you mean Portage 698?

People have been using it all summer. Same with bottle portage near Iron and others.

Ausable: "Can you provide a source for that information?

Portage 76 is on the US side, according to this site's map. Did you mean Portage 698?"

I was told by the outfitter.
And, yes, I agree...the map indicates that the portage is on the US side. I don't know how to reconcile that.

So, it begs the question. What if a smarmy canadian bureaucrat is staked out waiting to make a point?

After looking at Google Earth, it is clear that the Canadian portage (698) is the one being used. Has anyone bushwhacked the lower one? I have done the upper portage maybe a dozen times...never needed to concern myself about which side of the border I was on.

It’s portage 912 the last portage going into Knife lake that is on the Canadian side. I had a discussion previously about this since my outfitter told me the same thing that it’s supposed to be closed.

In the other message it was discussed that people are still going through that portage. Basically that it doesn’t remove the treaty that allows citizens of both countries access. Through this shared portages which exist on both sides of the border but are in the borders.

Here is the link to the other thread.
https://bwca.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=forum.thread&threadId=1204490&forumID=16&confID=1

Title is Knife Lake Portage. I’ll give it a bump reply to get it back to top page.

I took these portages in the first week of June and saw no evidence of closures. From everything I read, the formal border closure does not affect travel along border routes in the BWCA allowed by the treaty that Gaidin53 mentioned. I would press outfitters for more information. I think they are mistaken.

I just spoke with another source sending crews into the BWCA that they are sending them through Big knife portage based on the treaty and the shared portion of the border.

Only other way to get to Knife would be Ensign to Vera to Knife and those are much longer portages to start a trip out with.

Ryan

Gaidin53: "I just spoke with another source sending crews into the BWCA that they are sending them through Big knife portage based on the treaty and the shared portion of the border.


Only other way to get to Knife would be Ensign to Vera to Knife and those are much longer portages to start a trip out with.


Ryan"

Thanks all. I will print a copy of the treaty and take it with me.
This COVID stuff is trying my patience...flying in through MSP...yet another possible adventure!!

Hundreds and hundreds of paddlers have gone through that portage so far this year, including me twice. Absolutely no sign of Canadians trying to keep US citizens from using it. It would be utterly and completely ridiculous for them to try as it would achieve nothing. They are trying to reduce the infection rates lower I their country, not trying to be vindictive or petty.

Please ask your outfitter if they would kindly supply their source of information. If they know something no one else seems to know, I’d be glad to know.

Jaywalker: "Hundreds and hundreds of paddlers have gone through that portage so far this year, including me twice. Absolutely no sign of Canadians trying to keep US citizens from using it. It would be utterly and completely ridiculous for them to try as it would achieve nothing. They are trying to reduce the infection rates lower I their country, not trying to be vindictive or petty.


Please ask your outfitter if they would kindly supply their source of information. If they know something no one else seems to know, I’d be glad to know.

"

Agreed. The outfitter is one of the very very well known ones. Prolly just doing his job...like, you know, watching the BWCA video. No harm done.

There are a handful of other portages in the same situation (LBF, Bottle, Wheelbarrow, etc) and they're all still open.