Looking at the area north of these entry points. Both have open permits. Which would you rather do? I know they’re both long, just trying to decide between the two.

In my experience the Hegman/Trease portage is more demanding. Especially if it's been wet prior to your trip. The mud hole sucks! Literally and figuratively. :) But, I'd prefer this trail for every other reason. Scenery, colors, diversity etc.


The Angleworm trail is long, but most of the longer climbs are encountered when you're heading out.

If you have not seen the pictographs on North Hegman, then I would take the South Hegman permit. But I still think I'd enter here anyway. It's also nice to start a trip by getting on the water quickly.

I've done the Angleworm EP once with the standard amount of gear (2 people /3 full canoe packs per canoe) . The only reason I would do that route again is if I wanted to get onto Angleworm or Home Lake and EP 77 wasn't available. That first portage at EP 20 is long - around 714 rods, depending on your source. If I was looking at getting onto Gull/Thunder/Beartrap Lakes or into the Sundial PMA I would enter via Mudro (1st choice) or South Hegman (2nd choice). I realize that Mudro isn't an option for you.

Are you looking to do a circle route/loop and return? Or base camp?

Hegmann has sites right off the EP, I take my young kids there and it's beautiful, gearing them up to do portages as they get bigger. You do see a lot of day trippers there. But you could also go to Little Bass and I bet there'd be very few people.

The tease portage is a mud sucking mess. The angleworm is long, very long. If you’re double portaging it takes up a huge amount of time. I’ve done both of these many times, I prefer tease. Beautiful lakes, worth the efforts.

What time of day will you be entering? An open campsite on Angleworm is nearly guaranteed, South Hegman is not. I've never taken the Trease portage but it has the reputation as the toughest one around, and that reputation is the reason I've entered at Angleworm instead of SH. There's nothing especially difficult about the Angleworm trail other than it's length. It would help to know your entire itinerary. If you're just trying to get to the border via the easiest route then Angleworm would get my vote. If you're trying to smell the flowers a bit more or you truly hate your tripping companions I would go for SH.