I'm looking at hitting a section of the border route, starting at Sag heading East and ending at Gunflint, (Maybe Rose...we'll see). Curious about a few things...

1.How's the fishing? I see lake trout and walleye on several lakes. I imagine fishing pressure has been limited since the Ham Lake fire. I like my lakers...

2. With the fire, what's left for hammock trees at sites?

3. Any points of interest, historical sites, or spots to bushwack or hike to?

Thanks!

You're going upstream on the river. Supposed to be good fishing in that stretch. Any reason you're going that way and not reverse?

cyclones30: "You're going upstream on the river. Supposed to be good fishing in that stretch. Any reason you're going that way and not reverse? "

More permits from Sag? I'm not set on the direction.

The direction you're going (upstream) will be a problem in a few areas. For the most part, the Granite and Pine Rivers are lazy and slow. However, the rivers narrow in a number of places creating a current, eddys, etc. Devils Elbow comes to mind...in a high water year it will be a solid push to get through the narrows, and there is no portage around it. Consider EP 57.

Mike

MikeinMpls: "The direction you're going (upstream) will be a problem in a few areas. For the most part, the Granite and Pine Rivers are lazy and slow. However, the rivers narrow in a number of places creating a current, eddys, etc. Devils Elbow comes to mind...in a high water year it will be a solid push to get through the narrows, and there is no portage around it. Consider EP 57.

Mike"

What Mike said. I have gone through the narrows in high water three days after the blow down. I don’t believe you would able to go through there in high water.

OK. So let's say I'm going downstream.

1.How's the fishing? I see lake trout and walleye on several lakes. I imagine fishing pressure has been limited since the Ham Lake fire. I like my lakers...

2. With the fire, what's left for hammock trees at sites?

3. Any points of interest, historical sites, or spots to bushwack or hike to?

Thanks!

Done that route a couple times, fishing was OK, not phenomenal but decent. Best spot we had for walleye was around the islands in Maraboeuf just south of Devil's Elbow.

Also caught a few decent pike in a very short period of time near the bottom of Sag Falls while we were waiting for our pick-up from the outfitters.

Sag falls would be a good place to stop and fish a while.

johndku: "Done that route a couple times, fishing was OK, not phenomenal but decent. Best spot we had for walleye was around the islands in Maraboeuf just south of Devil's Elbow.


Also caught a few decent pike in a very short period of time near the bottom of Sag Falls while we were waiting for our pick-up from the outfitters."

Very good! Thank you!

Clove and that area has walleyes

How is that portage just west of Devil's Elbow (portage 691) these days? Reports and photos on this site from over a dozen years back show a trail difficult to find, much less negotiate.

On google maps you can see the landing on the upstream (south) side and trail in the woods for little ways. But then it looks like it goes onto that boulder field that's in the pictures the rest of the way to the other side. Not fun

I assume if you're going downstream you don't portage and if you're going upstream...good luck? (on portage or getting up the narrows)

I can't comment on item 1 for fishing.

2) As for hammock camping in the burn area. The fire definitely changed the landscape through that area from a view standpoint. But the campsites tend to be islands of green that can support some hammocks. I wouldn't count on having 4-6 good hammock spots, but you can typically depend on a couple.

3) If you do get all the way to Rose Lake I understand there is a beautiful vista to visit on the south side of the lake which can be accessed from the portage to Duncan. There is also the Height of Land portage between North and South Lakes. To the south the waters travel to Lake Superior, to the North they go to Hudson Bay. I've been through the area, but wasn't aware of the Rose Lake overlook at the time. It is a place that I'd like to visit in the future.

Having paddled upstream on your planned route for the last four years, I can say it's certainly doable. There are some spots that are easier going downstream.
The portage that comes out in the boulder field is the worst one. It's not marked on most maps, or planning sites because people run it when going with the current. The trail peters out near the end and then there's the boulder field.

I traveled through there last September with another solo paddler. We elected to paddle up as far as we could and then line it; a royal pain. We camped the same night last year, with another regular Kruger challenger, who told us that portage was cleaned up and came out beyond the boulder field. This portage is directly east of the upper 1/4 of Tepee Lake.

Voyager: "Having paddled upstream on your planned route for the last four years, I can say it's certainly doable. There are some spots that are easier going downstream.
The portage that comes out in the boulder field is the worst one. It's not marked on most maps, or planning sites because people run it when going with the current. The trail peters out near the end and then there's the boulder field.

I traveled through there last September with another solo paddler. We elected to paddle up as far as we could and then line it; a royal pain. We camped the same night last year, with another regular Kruger challenger, who told us that portage was cleaned up and came out beyond the boulder field. This portage is directly east of the upper 1/4 of Tepee Lake."

Excellent info Voyager! Thank you everyone. I'm considering doing it upstream, for the challenge and I know if I do a border route trip (bucketlist) that's the way I'll go.

I probably should add that the portage out of Clove Lake has been dried up at the other end for the last few years. If it stays low you'll have some extra walking to do on the end of this one, and the beginning of the next one.