New Trip Report posted by TreeBear

Trip Name: A Week In January - Annual Winter Trip.

Entry Point: 38

Click Here to View Trip Report

Awesome trip, and nice detailed report!

I'm curious, in hindsight, do you think your bushwhack northward through the Kelso River cleft (if I understood your description correctly) was better than staying on the portage trail? (Which I assume would have been hillier, but maybe less bruising.) Sometimes I look at spots like that on Google Earth and think "I bet I could get through there in the winter", but it's hard to tell how tough it might be.

brulu: "Awesome trip, and nice detailed report!


I'm curious, in hindsight, do you think your bushwhack northward through the Kelso River cleft (if I understood your description correctly) was better than staying on the portage trail? (Which I assume would have been hillier, but maybe less bruising.) Sometimes I look at spots like that on Google Earth and think "I bet I could get through there in the winter", but it's hard to tell how tough it might be."

And conditions play a huge role in what is and isn't easy!

For us, heading up the valley instead of the trail was definitely worthwhile. The portage from the Lujenida landing to the creek crossing was so much small up and downs along with tight turns that we were making no progress. In retrospect, we could have blazed the trail and gotten through the portage fine, but the brushy valley ended up being easier for us with heavy sleds. We didn't jump on the creek right away because there was open water near the Lujenida end. It was better by the pond. And then yes, we followed the Kelso River from the pond to the portage crossing, staying to the east side of the island (you can see it on the air photo, maybe some maps.) We did question if we should have tried Steak Creek instead since much of that is open marsh, but there are bushwhack sections there too and it's no telling what's going to be bad just looking at the airphoto.

Thanks, that helps me calibrate my eye when looking at aerial photos. Based on the photos I don't think I would have been inclined to try to go up the Kelso river, but now I know it can be done. Sometimes just the direction of the light in the photo makes it look thicker than it is. I'm sure it was plenty tough though!

Quite the adventure! Thanks for taking the time to put the story together & share.

It seems unjust that we the readers of this adventurous tale are so effortlessly transported to Wine lake in a few all too short paragraphs when considering the massive amounts of 'sweat equity' it actually took to get there. Still I thoroughly enjoyed your story telling, and always appreciate your perspective.

You didn't mention how you felt about it in the report but, was wondering how you felt having a helicopter 'crash your party' after working so hard to get deep into the wilderness? Obviously nothing you could do about it, but would seem to be something of a downer.

TuscaroraBorealis: "Quite the adventure! Thanks for taking the time to put the story together & share.


It seems unjust that we the readers of this adventurous tale are so effortlessly transported to Wine lake in a few all too short paragraphs when considering the massive amounts of 'sweat equity' it actually took to get there. Still I thoroughly enjoyed your story telling, and always appreciate your perspective.


You didn't mention how you felt about it in the report but, was wondering how you felt having a helicopter 'crash your party' after working so hard to get deep into the wilderness? Obviously nothing you could do about it, but would seem to be something of a downer."

Thanks. You always offer such great perspectives also.

The heli was kind of a downer, but we couldn't decide why it was there. If it was there as a search and rescue of some kind, who were we to be upset about it being there? As a moose survey, it was kind of a downer because we had overcome a lot to get to that spot. That said, it's sort of the same feeling as a satellite zipping through the northern lights view or a plane flying through the sunset. They are all rude reminders that despite our perception of being in a wild place, the BWCA is just a sliver of wild in a very human-filled world. I can be upset about it (and I usually am), but I try to embrace the beauty for what it is. At least I am in the BWCA annoyed by the helicopter than in an office wishing I was!

Well said.