We're headed up on June 1 to do a 10 day loop starting at Beaverhouse. Quetico, Jean, Burntside, Bentpine, Your, Badwater, & back to BH. With the flood conditions I'm wondering what you all think about us doing the Badwater portage on day 10 (a bear of a last day) as opposed to our alternate route (out of Bentpine) through Sturgeon, Rouge, Jean, etc. back north to Quetico then out. If I'm not mistaken, the winds are typically out of the West and can get pretty bad on Quetico. Is paddling into the wind on a white-capped lake a bad plan for our final day when we have no choice but to move?

We will have our permit in hand but plan to stop by the ranger station anyway to ask about the condition of the Badwater portage. Just curious what the community thinks. Anything else we need to think about considering the high water?

Thx,

P

P,

Not use if you've done this route before, but here's my thoughts.

I share your concern about Quetico Lake East to West on last day. We've done this trip (BH - Quetico - Conk - Jean - back same way) at least 8 times. We have always given ourselves an extra day coming out in case of being windbound. We've been fortunate (knock on wood) that we've never been windbound going out. Going in - once. With that extra day on the back end, we sometimes come out early. Other times we've stayed on the western side of Quetico, close to Eden Island. Quick out the next morning.

I can't speak about Badwater portage - never done it.

High water concerns - I have 2:

BH to Quetico Lake - Water will be ripping through the rapids. Just stay as far right as you can as you approach the portage. We might even jump out early and grab our painter ropes and pull the canoe along shore if bad.

Quetico to Conk - The uphill portage will be a waterfall. If water levels are high, water runs down the portage, making it really slick. We've slipped on the rocks more than once.

We'll be in the area 5/31-6/11. Red SR Quetico canoe. Just 2 guys. Basecamping on Burntside most of the trip. Say hi if you see us.

Intel from Friday visit with the Atikokan Ranger station... on Beaverhouse the water level may be so high (about 1.5 meters above normal) that the rapids near the Quetico Lake portage may be insignificant, just current to contend with. That said, my group of two solos enters on Thursday, and we will be hugging the right shoreline as HawkinCT suggested.

With other high water considerations later in our adventure (avoiding fast water, especially through pinch points) we are massaging our exit plan to potentially go out through Cirrus. We are wondering if, due to the parallel nature of the two lakes, the wind tunnel is as severe on Cirrus as it is on Quetico? Historically my group has always camped on the west end of Quetico to limit the impact of wind. However, we tend to pack up early ahead of any breezes on the last day. On this trip we may take a north eastern route and return via Cirrus.

HawkInCT: "P

Not use if you've done this route before, but here's my thoughts.

I share your concern about Quetico Lake East to West on last day. We've done this trip (BH - Quetico - Conk - Jean - back same way) at least 8 times. We have always given ourselves an extra day coming out in case of being windbound. We've been fortunate (knock on wood) that we've never been windbound going out. Going in - once. With that extra day on the back end, we sometimes come out early. Other times we've stayed on the western side of Quetico, close to Eden Island. Quick out the next morning.

I can't speak about Badwater portage - never done it.

High water concerns - I have 2:

BH to Quetico Lake - Water will be ripping through the rapids. Just stay as far right as you can as you approach the portage. We might even jump out early and grab our painter ropes and pull the canoe along shore if bad.

Quetico to Conk - The uphill portage will be a waterfall. If water levels are high, water runs down the portage, making it really slick. We've slipped on the rocks more than once.

We'll be in the area 5/31-6/11. Red SR Quetico canoe. Just 2 guys. Basecamping on Burntside most of the trip. Say hi if you see us."

Thanks for the advice. We'll keep an eye out for you on Burntside. We will have one SR tandem (rental from Branch's Seine River) and a tandem Northwind, also. We hope to camp out on the west bay of Burnside 6/5 & 6/6. We are 1 tent and 3 hammocks.

Please give updates when you return. We're going in 6/17 Beaverhouse to Burntside, all new to us. We always have gone in via Cache bay and stayed on Kawnipi.

I must not be reading your trip route correctly. The badwater portage is no longer the awful mess it was in the 90’s. Now it’s just a 1 mile portage with occasional mud.

I always travel west to east when I can and would stick with that plan. For the badwater portage, just take your time and plan occasional stops. It might still be a muddy mess but all the portages right now are trrrible.

There are still bouts of rain every couple of days up north so nothing has dried out yet.

In your post you said you have no choice but to move. You have to factor in a wind day on your trip. I’ve been wind-bound on the northern Q lakes before where you simply cannot move. Add a day just in case. Let family and work know.
Tom

Thanks Tom. I have read varying things about the Badwater portage. Somewhere I read that if you are heading into Badwater from Quetico the way to find the landing is to look for the river coming down the hill, that's your trail. I assume that was somewhat facetious, yet in light of all the rain and flooding I was thinking maybe the Badwater portage wouldn't just be ankle deep mud, but rather a swamp. I much prefer to come out that way as opposed to planning in an extra day for wind.

And, in light of your post, it sounds like that's what we will do. We also are looking forward to the trip through Badwater so we can visit some of the smaller lakes between it and Bentpine.

P

General rule of planning is to plan on 1 day in 5 of being wind bound. Definitely a good idea to plan on last night where you’ll be so you can make it out. Sounds like you have a plan of staying 2 nights in one spot though so technically you have a wind bound day built in. You just might not get to spend it where you planned on doing it. Key is having a buffer and hopefully the weather behaves.

On my 14 day trip I planned for 3 windbound days. Which gave me an idea of mileage needed per travel day and helps me have an idea where we should be around certain time frames on trip. If we’re behind we can make up some distance. If we’re ahead of schedule maybe we can add some optional side trips on.


Ryan

Thanks Ryan. Yeah, we have several layover days worked in and can change our plan at any time based on weather conditions. I believe we've settled on doing the Badwater portage on our last day to avoid any really big water. We hope to make it to Badwater on day 8 so we can hang out there for a full day before doing that messy portage.

Thanks for all the input everyone.
P

A comment about the Badwater portage:

I agree that it's "not quite" what it was for brutal back in the '80s, '90s, etc., but mainly because of the work the portage crews did on the two swampy bogs. Back then, it wasn't uncommon to walk on submerged logs as you tried to get across the bogs. There was a time when we lined our canoes through the bogs because of high water, but it was quite a number of years ago.

The Quetico portage crews have since corduroyed the bogs making them easier to cross. A slip or misstep will still get you crotch-deep in muck, but the likelihood of that happening is less now.

There is a rock "hump" located on the portage trail between the two bogs. If you want to do the leapfrog method of portaging, this is the middle point.

Assuming that your plan is to double portage (which takes about 90 minutes - 30 minutes in each direction), doing the leapfrog method on this mile-long portage will save you about 30 minutes of portaging, getting the portage done in an hour. Of course, if you're single portaging, it's about 30 minutes.

In case this is confusing, here's how it works:

Two people (packed efficiently is the key)
Person #1 takes the canoe
Person #2 takes a pack & some peripheral items
#1 goes the entire distance
#2 drops pack at halfway point and returns to the beginning
#1 drops canoe at the end, then goes back to the halfway point and picks up pack & peripherals that #2 dropped and heads to the end
In the meantime, #2 went back to the beginning and grabbed the 2nd pack and remaining peripherals and portages to the other end.
Instead of both portaging three miles, each of you portaged two miles.

Note: The trail is very rocky on both ends. The West Bay end has a gradual climb and there can be water running over the rocks, although I've seen it dry as a bone in years I expected it to be wet. Kind of luck of the draw, I guess. The Badwater end of the portage is rocky, too. There might be some standing water puddles, but you just have to watch your step the last hundred yards or so. Otherwise, the trail itself isn't horrible - just long.

There are several ankle-deep mud holes to trudge through on the trail. Don't expect to keep your feet dry.

Depending on how you packed and if most of your food is gone, single portaging the Mile Portage as you head out on your last day is a strong possibility.

Great explanation. We always "Leap Frog" (we call it "1 & a half" portaging) on long and even medium portages. We travel with 4 guys and 2 tandem canoes. 4 portage packs and 4 smaller "personal packs". 1st 2 guys take a portage pack (on their backs) and their personal pack (on their front) and go the whole way. Next 2 guys take their personal packs and a canoe (containing paddles, rods, etc.) and go 1/2 way then go back for the remaining 2 portage packs.

I'll never understand why anyone would do it any other way, except to maybe do the length of the entire portage without a load on their backs. Hikes without gear can be refreshing, yet... we always opt for efficiency.

That last day our food pack will be depleted. We'll usually spread out the other packs a bit and make everyone's haul a bit lighter.

Thanks again for all the great feedback and advice.

BassmasterP: "Thanks Tom. I have read varying things about the Badwater portage. Somewhere I read that if you are heading into Badwater from Quetico the way to find the landing is to look for the river coming down the hill, that's your trail..

P"

He He. I know I have written almost those exact words. “Look for the river coming out to the woods, that’s your portage.”

On a trip many years ago we were hit with a heavy storm as we were paddling towards the Badwater portage from Quetico lake. It rained and hailed while we were in the canoes and we used seat cushions (acceptable PFD’s back then) to protect us from the hail. After the storm let up we reached our portage and there was a stream coming out of the woods where the portage trail was. Back then, the portage was the worst one I had ever done. The females in our group refused to go back over after their first trip and another guy and I did the portage round trip three times that day.

I went back to that portage about five years ago and either my memory is not that good or more likely, the portage was much improved and just a long walk with occasional obstacles. It’s a portage that every Quetico aficionado must conquer at some point in their life to carry the badge of honor of Badwater.
Tom

tumblehome: "

BassmasterP: "Thanks Tom. I have read varying things about the Badwater portage. Somewhere I read that if you are heading into Badwater from Quetico the way to find the landing is to look for the river coming down the hill, that's your trail..

P"

He He. I know I have written almost those exact words. “Look for the river coming out to the woods, that’s your portage.”

On a trip many years ago we were hit with a heavy storm as we were paddling towards the Badwater portage from Quetico lake. It rained and hailed while we were in the canoes and we used seat cushions (acceptable PFD’s back then) to protect us from the hail. After the storm let up we reached our portage and there was a stream coming out of the woods where the portage trail was. Back then, the portage was the worst one I had ever done. The females in our group refused to go back over after their first trip and another guy and I did the portage round trip three times that day.

I went back to that portage about five years ago and either my memory is not that good or more likely, the portage was much improved and just a long walk with occasional obstacles. It’s a portage that every Quetico aficionado must conquer at some point in their life to carry the badge of honor of Badwater.
Tom"

Thanks Tom. Sounds like its nothing compared to the Gratton Death March or the Little Darky to Brent monster we tackle each year. Good to hear. We'll be doing it on day 10 for sure.

P