Hi All,

I'm considering two options for solo trips this season. One trip will be in mid-May and the other in mid-September. Both will be about 10 days in length.

I'd like to go to EP 14 LISN and EP 37 Kawishiwi Lake. The LISN trip would be to do the loop around the Weeny Lake PMA. On the Kawishiwi trip, I'd like to loop around the Humpback Lake PMA.

On my solo trips, I enjoy traveling at a leisurely pace, staying two nights in spots and day-tripping to see places, some fishing most days, and a little bit of very amateur photography.

It would be great to hear your advice on which route I should do in the spring and which one in the fall. Thoughts?

If you loop Weeny, you might like to dip into the PMA & visit Contentment. There is a trail from Thumb.

And while I have not been into Humpback I've done the loop and it is great. Really like the remoteness of Ledge/Vee/Fee/Hoe; Boulder, Adams Beaver and Makwa were notably cool lakes.

First, I have done most of both loops but on different trips. Both were in Sept.

EP #14 was a long time ago (2006) and I exited at #16 Moose River North. At that time no one was really talking about going through Fat and I went north through Slim, South, North, and Steep. I remember that as a nice area, especially Slim and Steep. Unless you have some compelling reason to see Fat or need to cut mileage/time to complete, you may want to consider it. I saw a moose at the narrows on Eugene, which you would miss going through Fat. The section frm there to Pocket was scenic and enjoyable. I stayed on the small island site on Finger. There are "pictos" on Rocky - more like symbols than the normal pictos - that are interesting to view. This was a solo trip and it was my second time going from Pocket to EP #16.

In 2014 we went from #37 north through Malberg to Little Saganaga and south through Hub and Zenith to exit at Sawbill. We enjoyed this loop.

In 2016 I went solo to Malberg, then Fishdance and Alice, north to Fraser to Cap, back through Boulder and Adams to Malberg and out #37.

Both were really nice trips. the portage from the Cap-Ledge portage down to Boulder has a steep drop near the end that was awkward solo. I would not want to solo it the other direction. You may want to consider going CCW unless there is a more compelling reason to go the other direction on the Hoe-Ledge section.

I don't know of any particular reason to do one or the other at either time of year.

sns: "If you loop Weeny, you might like to dip into the PMA & visit Contentment. There is a trail from Thumb.


And while I have not been into Humpback I've done the loop and it is great. Really like the remoteness of Ledge/Vee/Fee/Hoe; Boulder, Adams Beaver and Makwa were notably cool lakes."

Thanks, SNS, good points. I do want to see Contentment...that's great news there is a trail, I thought I'd have to wade the small stream and hop beaver dams.

Any pros or cons as to the time of year for either visit?

boonie: "First, I have done most of both loops but on different trips. Both were in Sept.


EP #14 was a long time ago (2006) and I exited at #16 Moose River North. At that time no one was really talking about going through Fat and I went north through Slim, South, North, and Steep. I remember that as a nice area, especially Slim and Steep. Unless you have some compelling reason to see Fat or need to cut mileage/time to complete, you may want to consider it. I saw a moose at the narrows on Eugene, which you would miss going through Fat. The section frm there to Pocket was scenic and enjoyable. I stayed on the small island site on Finger. There are "pictos" on Rocky - more like symbols than the normal pictos - that are interesting to view. This was a solo trip and it was my second time going from Pocket to EP #16.


In 2014 we went from #37 north through Malberg to Little Saganaga and south through Hub and Zenith to exit at Sawbill. We enjoyed this loop.


In 2016 I went solo to Malberg, then Fishdance and Alice, north to Fraser to Cap, back through Boulder and Adams to Malberg and out #37.


Both were really nice trips. the portage from the Cap-Ledge portage down to Boulder has a steep drop near the end that was awkward solo. I would not want to solo it the other direction. You may want to consider going CCW unless there is a more compelling reason to go the other direction on the Hoe-Ledge section.


I don't know of any particular reason to do one or the other at either time of year.


"

Thank you, Boonie. Very helpful. I didn't know there were pictos at Rocky and will be a definite stop. I'm curious...how many days did you take for those trips? Simply getting an idea on timing and pace.

As for timing of the trips, what were river conditions like early/late in the year? I realize a lot depends on ice out, rain levels, etc. Just wondering if that might be a consideration but it doesn't sound like it.

Don't miss the pictos on Fishdance either if you haven't seen them.

There are trip reports on the 2014 and 2016 trips that may provide some additional information for you.

I double portage on trips, usually plan 8 to 10-mile days (+/- a couple, including the extra portage distance) and have a couple of extra days planned in them.

The first trip (#14, 2006) was a one-week trip, but could have been finished in a shorter travel frame. I was inexperienced (1st solo, 2nd trip) and some extenuating circumstances of wind, illness slowed me considerably. I believe this trip was in the 50-mile range and not much more to complete the loop.

The 2014 trip was also a 1-week trip of about the same distance. We spent 2 nights on Little Sag and had a couple of short travel days. We spent the last night on Sawbill, so could have been finished then.

I had 12 days allotted to the 2016 solo, which was about a 65-mile loop, but exited a day earlier (see trip report). I could have completed it a couple of days earlier if necessary.

I wouldn't worry too much about the water levels on these trips. Water levels were not a major factor on any of them, although some had their moments. Partially flooded portages in 2014 and 2016. All my trips have been Sept. trips and I've had low, normal, high water levels. Whatever it has been can change just as quickly at the last moment when weather changes. Weather is highly variable after mid-Sept. and wind can be an issue.

River water levels are also affected just as much by beaver activity. In the areas you are going, high water will give you one set of issues to deal with, low water another, and beaver dams will change things some - landings will change, portage trail conditions will vary, number of portages or beaver dam pullovers/bushwhacks will increase/decrease. If you pack light and have a shallow draft, you'll have fewer problems with low water.

One example: for the last few years it has been possible to skip the river portages on Kawishiwi up to Polly due to the massive dam at Kawasachong, which necessitates a bushwhack around it, plus an additional couple of pullovers on the river. If/when the Kawasachong dam blows out . . . ?

Get the most recent info you can before entry and be prepared to deal with current conditions. Go with the flow ;). Always a good idea to read more recent trip reports from an EP. Do you know the easy way to access them? Click on Maps & Entry Points at the top, click on the EP, and there will be a list. Sometimes reports from other EP's might access portions of the route. And of course, outfitters usually have very current info from debriefing customers.

The important thing is you will enjoy both of these trips and should be able to complete them in 10 days without rushing. And you'll come back with stories to tell. Some may not even require embellishment! ;)

YetiJedi: "Any pros or cons as to the time of year for either visit?"

Only thing I can think of is the portage between Boulder and Adams can be rough if water levels are low. Might be rough regardless, however!

sns: "

YetiJedi: "Any pros or cons as to the time of year for either visit?"

Only thing I can think of is the portage between Boulder and Adams can be rough if water levels are low. Might be rough regardless, however!"

It's funny you should say that - and lots of people say the same - but I didn't find anything difficult at all on the trip between Boulder and Adams! I considered it a highlight of my trip.

I pretty much did a circumnavigation outside of the Humpback PMA this past summer. I recommend doing that one when the water is higher in the spring. Although rainy days make a lot of those portages much tougher due to being overgrown (rain makes the plants droop even further over the paths). That is some of my favorite parts of the BWCA for sure. We didn't see anyone for 5 days at one point. I haven't done LISN so can't comment.