Here's a short trip report from our recent Wabakimi paddle. I'll put something together in more detail over the next few weeks.

Route Description: Vista Road Put In south of Flindt Landing- Flindt River through Heathcote, Heafer, Wilkie, and Tew lakes- Wabakimi- Lower Wabakimi-McWade-Granite-Brennan-Jeep-Change-Dagger-Eagle-Beaver-Snake-Windfall-Allanwater-Stump-Gault-Flindt-Flet- then retraced our route back though Heafer, Heathcote to Vista Road.

Paddling miles-160

Portages- 65 total- 80-90% needed general maintenance but were easily passable by stepping over or walking around obstacles-10% needed major work (multiple down trees above knee level, some large trees at waist to chest level, blown in areas, some bushwhacking required.) In our opinion, the portage landings were the most challenging part of the travel with the need to load/unload in a combination of mud, slippery rocks, boulders and/or near moving water. In fact, there were so few "good landings" that we started to note those instead of the challenging ones. . .

Weather-Mixed, lots of head wind once we hit Wabakimi Lake and turned W/SW. Spent one day rained in and one day winded in with cloudless skies. 

Wildlife- 3 moose, 3 woodland caribou, 1 bear, 1 lynx, 2 swans, several otters, lots of eagles, loons, ducks, grouse 
Blueberries-Bazillions

Saw motorized boats on Heathcote (6), Heafer (1), Wilkie (1), Wabakimi(4), Lower Wabakimi(2), Granite(2), Brennan(3), Flindt (1) -All the lakes with outposts

Saw canoeists on Granite (party of 10 paddling from Allenwater Bridge to Whitewater), Brennan (soloist), Windfall (party of two near the outpost), Flet Lake Portage (party of 2).

Overall a great, challenging trip. We loved the solitude, wildlife, and of course the walleye fishing :) Planning next year's adventure.

Awesome! Did you leave your car on Vista Road? How long was your trip?

Yes, we left our car on Vista Road in the small parking area. 18 days.

Great trip! Brennan and Wilkie have fishing outposts on them as I'm sure your group noted. I looked at the route through Jeep at one point but I figured the portages might be too much to do given the time I had allotted. If you put a longer trip report, let us know -- I'd love to read it. Thanks for the quick report -- was that a lynx? Great picture!

wyopaddler: "Yes, we left our car on Vista Road in the small parking area. 18 days."

Could you post coordinates for that small parking area?
I have thought there was something down that way, but never drove in to explore.

jcavenagh: "

wyopaddler: "Yes, we left our car on Vista Road in the small parking area. 18 days."

Could you post coordinates for that small parking area?
I have thought there was something down that way, but never drove in to explore."

50.183098, -90.504306



Vista Lake/Rusty Myers Road near Savant Lake. The parking area is located at the second bridge past the airfield.There is an easy portage on the west side of the river around a swift from the road to the put in (about 200m) . The Flindt River between the put in and Flindt Landing has 2 swifts and a log pullover that need to be navigated (lining/wading). The narrow portion of the river in that section is very interesting. We saw a moose, a pair of swans, and the usual duckie birds.
If you choose to fly in or out with Rusty Myers they will shuttle your car. 

wyopaddler, thank you for your excellent posts in this thread. They are full of the exact kind of information helpful for planning purposes. Nice work.

Thanks for confirming what I had suspected back a few years ago.
I will amend the Drive Up thread with this info.

Nice! I'm jealous of your numerous wildlife sightings. I did a small portion of your route on my solo this summer (see long solo thread) and was planning on doing more (jeep, change, dagger), but I took a shortcut across brennan.

Looking forward to whatever other info you put out there.
Cheers,

-tom

HighnDry: "was that a bobcat? Great picture!"

That was a lynx. Very rare to see one out in the open like that

Long Trip Report can be viewed here if anyone is interested.


Wabakimi Southwest Loop Trip Report

You were indeed fortunate to see the wildlife you did, especially the caribou. In 23 weeks of trips over 12 years I have seen one caribou in 2016, my tenth year of traveling there.