New Trip Report posted by BigOarDeal

Trip Name: Mission Angleworm: A PMA Adventure.

Entry Point: 20

Click Here to View Trip Report

Nice report and trip. Thanks for sharing. I love Sunday Lake.

We took a similar route a couple years ago, except we took a "shortcut" down Spring Creek. It was very slow and tedious, but we made it to Sunday on the first day. The water was higher and we didn't have to portage the first part of the rapids before Sunday. There is a nicer campsite on the east side of the lake.

Glad you guys had a good time.

Porkeater: "Nice report and trip. Thanks for sharing. I love Sunday Lake.


We took a similar route a couple years ago, except we took a "shortcut" down Spring Creek. It was very slow and tedious, but we made it to Sunday on the first day. The water was higher and we didn't have to portage the first part of the rapids before Sunday. There is a nicer campsite on the east side of the lake.


Glad you guys had a good time. "

Thanks for reading! Yes, to be honest we probably didn't give Sunday a fair review just because of the circumstances (getting in late and leaving early the next day). And I definitely read your trip report prior to ours and considered the Spring Creek route--I can't believe you achieved that in one day! When we crossed the boardwalk over Spring Creek, it was very low, so I don't think it would have worked in 2020 anyhow.

I'm really kicking myself over the fact that there was a different campsite. I somehow missed that fact. I guess it means we'll just have to return sometime!

Excellent trip report. Great photos and map illustrations too. Well done.

Just a great trip report with great pics. I got my Fisher Map book out and followed along. I noticed on my old map that there was a campsite at the narrows of Sunday Lake. I guess that is gone now?

Also, I'm pretty sure PMA stands for "Primitive Management Area", but no matter - a PMA by any other name is still cool.

Thanks for taking us along.

Great report! Thanks for sharing. Love seeing the clones represented too! What a great year to be a cyclone!.....for football anyway

Cool report!

Question - the second portage along the Beartrap River, after the Spring Creek intersection, en route to Sunday: I did not find a single, long portage, as indicated by the map. I did three short ones that were all right along the bank of the river, with short paddles in-between...found the first one in the last pool before the rapids when heading north.

So did you find a longer, continuous portage in that section? Did it get up high on the side of the hill? I recall thinking that if there were a single trail, it would have to be well above the river, at least in sections, as there was a lot of blowdown in areas that made it look impenetrable up above me...

If you did find a single long portage, more detail please...your TR mentions one 'pothole puddle'. I wonder which route is better, as I am going back through there this spring.

OneMatch: "I noticed on my old map that there was a campsite at the narrows of Sunday Lake. I guess that is gone now?"

I had an old Fisher too and we did stay at the campsite in the northwest corner of the lake near the portage. We didn't do any other exploring on the lake, sadly.

OneMatch: "Also, I'm pretty sure PMA stands for "Primitive Management Area", but no matter - a PMA by any other name is still cool.
"

Funny you should mention that. I thought it was too. But when the Forest Service sent me the permit last year, the permit said Pristine Management Area!

sns: "Cool report!

Question - the second portage along the Beartrap River, after the Spring Creek intersection, en route to Sunday: I did not find a single, long portage, as indicated by the map. I did three short ones that were all right along the bank of the river, with short paddles in-between...found the first one in the last pool before the rapids when heading north.

So did you find a longer, continuous portage in that section? Did it get up high on the side of the hill? I recall thinking that if there were a single trail, it would have to be well above the river, at least in sections, as there was a lot of blowdown in areas that made it look impenetrable up above me...

If you did find a single long portage, more detail please...your TR mentions one 'pothole puddle'. I wonder which route is better, as I am going back through there this spring."

Fun question!

So, I'm not completely sure. But I think the portage we took was longer than the ones you took. The reason I'm not sure is that on the paddle planner website, the portage is shown as 185 rods, but what we walked couldn't have been more than 100. And we did still have to line the canoe through some rapids a little further down.

When we got to the first pool that you are referencing, we found a very short trail leading just past the first rapids then back into river. Since I had thought it was a longer portage, we spent more time looking. Backtracking to the pool just before the last one, there was the trail to the longer portage. No, it didn't go up the hill really and I remember thinking there was a pretty steep hill to the left of me the entire time.

The trail itself is not too bad, except for the pothole I mentioned and a lot of prickly bushes intruding on the trail. I'll attach a picture to help describe better.

The Sunday campsite you stayed at is the only viable one on the lake. It is small.

There is one other site that could be really solid, on the eastern shore. But the amount of deadfall that needs to be cleared is daunting. A crew of saw-happy trippers with big saws that can cut 20" logs would be at it all day. Maybe two days.

Nice trip! Thanks for writing it up.

I thought the pizza biters were to be placed directly on the forest service grill? :-)

rdgbwca: "Nice trip! Thanks for writing it up.


I thought the pizza biters were to be placed directly on the forest service grill? :-)"

So, I think I did try it first but then had some casualties! I wasn't taking any chances!

Loved your report. I would love to do this one someday.

Wonderful trip report - really enjoyed the trip and the pictures (as others have mentioned). I have been on Stuart and checked out all the campsites, but have not been to Angleworm, although it does appear to be interesting - would like to do a trip and maybe Hike the angleworm trail as part of the canoeing. Thanks again for taking the time to share!

Great trip report! We did the same trip (though not through Angelworm, that's insane!) years ago. There was only one cairn we saw coming out of Bibon/Nibon towards Stuart, & the old portage was a challenge to find back then. We even stayed on the same site on Stuart coming out, really enjoyed it.

Loved all the pictures, brought me back to being there. Minus all the scratches & bites & back soreness, of course.

What a great trip report! Really well documented so other people can glean info about an area less traveled.

30Smoke: "I have been on Stuart and checked out all the campsites, but have not been to Angleworm, although it does appear to be interesting - would like to do a trip and maybe Hike the angleworm trail as part of the canoeing. "

I definitely want to go back to Angleworm and hike the trail. Really cool area, you should do it!

PaddleAway: "Great trip report! We did the same trip (though not through Angelworm, that's insane!) years ago. There was only one cairn we saw coming out of Bibon/Nibon towards Stuart, & the old portage was a challenge to find back then. We even stayed on the same site on Stuart coming out, really enjoyed it.


Loved all the pictures, brought me back to being there. Minus all the scratches & bites & back soreness, of course. "

I absolutely am indebted to you for your report as well, since I studied it prior to our trip to try to get all the info I could! Thanks for reading!

BigOarDeal: "And we did still have to line the canoe through some rapids a little further down.

When we got to the first pool that you are referencing, we found a very short trail leading just past the first rapids then back into river. Since I had thought it was a longer portage, we spent more time looking. Backtracking to the pool just before the last one, there was the trail to the longer portage. No, it didn't go up the hill really and I remember thinking there was a pretty steep hill to the left of me the entire time.

The trail itself is not too bad, except for the pothole I mentioned and a lot of prickly bushes intruding on the trail. I'll attach a picture to help describe better.

"

Sorry - missed your reply!

My memory may be faulty...but what I recall doing was likely that short portage you have drawn in blue, then paddle less than 100m, and then portage a couple hundred meters (the rest of your red line, most likely). Then paddle maybe 300m to the spot where you lined...I lined the first part but then portaged a very short distance to that last pool. Water was pretty low.

Again, will be going through there this season so will have to see about your longer port. Probably a time-saver.

Thanks for the detail!

Cheers.