BWCA Mudro to Fourtown - paddle vs. portage Boundary Waters Trip Planning Forum
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JC007
member (23)member
  
05/22/2023 03:29PM  
This is my first foray into this region and I've seen only a couple people talk about paddling in to Fourtown vs. taking the portages up and along the "cliffs" so to speak.

Anyone done this? Is it possible? Is it even worth trying, or is it a fools game?

Thanks for any advice / experience notes - my plan is to make Beartrap on day 1 so saving time and energy is top on my mind.

 
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05/22/2023 06:31PM  
I just went through this area last week. I don't think you could paddle through to Fourtown. The portages are there for a reason. There are rapids with rocks and a canoe would not make it. Maybe I misunderstood the question though.

The portages are kind of a bear. Very rocky. Poor landings on most ends. But you should still be able to make it to Beartrap on Day 1 no problem. All the portages after Fourtown are easy.
JC007
member (23)member
  
05/22/2023 06:58PM  
Thanks for the reply. You understood correctly - I was asking if it was possible to canoe into Fourtown. I was skeptical about it since I had only seen a couple say anything about it, but it was very limited details.

I expected to do the portages, really.

What was the water level like? Any issues with the Mudro EP?
RetiredDave
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05/22/2023 07:22PM  
Are you going solo? That might make a difference in whether or not you can make it all the way to Beartrap in one day. I went that route when I was 68 and solo, and I triple portaged. The portages into Fourtown did take me quite a long time. After that the wind picked up and I decided to spend my first night on Boot. I made Beartrap on the second day in the early afternoon. As was mentioned, the portages after Mudro aren't so bad, but there are a number of them.

The Beartrap site is so worth it! If you find it occupied you can backtrack and find multiple campsites without to much effort.

Good luck, and I hope you get that great campsite on Beartrap, it's a beauty! Say 'hi' to that cheeky food-stealing chipmunk.

Dave
05/22/2023 07:25PM  
Water levels were good. A few rocks to avoid along the way. Just keep your eyes open. One small beaver dam to run that was only difficult on the way back upstream. Otherwise, a fine paddle. Enjoy the area! We stayed on Gull and barely saw anyone out there. Beartrap should offer plenty of solitude.
Tomcat
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05/22/2023 07:38PM  
JC007
member (23)member
  
05/22/2023 07:40PM  
I'm going in with my brother, but will be solo later on in Sep. This will be a good scouting trip for me so I have a good idea of what to expect.

Happy to hear the Beartrap site is worth the effort - the reviews say as much, but first-hand testimonial is priceless.

I'll keep an eye out for the cheeky bugger - I enjoy making new friends on these adventures - especially solo!
05/22/2023 08:50PM  
I've been that way many times. Never was able to paddle into Fourteen from Mudro. I don't think it's possible to avoid those portages.
Lawnchair107
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05/22/2023 08:50PM  
JC007: "I'm going in with my brother, but will be solo later on in Sep. This will be a good scouting trip for me so I have a good idea of what to expect.



Whens your put-in and expected date out? I might reach out regarding water levels in acouple weeks.
Finnboy
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05/23/2023 07:10AM  
I don’t think you could paddle. The river is really rocky and usually has a log jam or two.

The longer portage is pretty scenic in my opinion.
HayRiverDrifter
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05/23/2023 10:12AM  
One couple on a trip we did several years ago paddled/dragged a heavy plastic canoe down the creek. I don't believe is was very pleasant. They portaged on the way out. I sort of have a rule, if there is a portage, take it unless it's short and you can see that the water is high enough to line it or just float it.
05/24/2023 11:17AM  
I thought about taking the Fourtown to Mudro portages this July on our way out.

I have been through the Billy Goat portages enough and I don't find them to be fun anymore.
I figured it's at least a change of scenery on the way out.

We plan on heading up towards the Beartrap lake area.
We may stay on Boot the first night as I have always wanted to fish it. It looks very fishy!

Second night would be Gull, Beartrap or Thunder. I haven't been to any of these.
I did walk the portage from Gun lake a few years back just to eyeball Gull Lake.

I've been all over the area a few times. I didn't really want this EP again but I was a few minutes late on permit day and 23 restricted was all that was left for my timeframe.

If I had more days I would head to Crooked again. My favorite loop is out to Jackfish Bay and into the Basswood River and all the way around Crooked and out Friday bay.
JC007
member (23)member
  
05/25/2023 09:14AM  
Lawnchair107: "
JC007: "I'm going in with my brother, but will be solo later on in Sep. This will be a good scouting trip for me so I have a good idea of what to expect.





Whens your put-in and expected date out? I might reach out regarding water levels in acouple weeks."


We put in on May 31st out on Jun 7th.
05/25/2023 01:35PM  
My son and I did the "Crooked Lake Loop" last year and had an amazing trip. Entered at Mudro the first morning making it to Lower Basswood Falls in about 6 hours. We spent three nights on Crooked. Coming down thru Friday Bay our goal was Beartrap Lake. We arrived later in the day and ended up staying at the site on Thunder next to the portage to Beartrap. That way we had easy access to both lakes. The site on Beartrap is nice and offers lots of solitude. It would be an awesome spot to spend 3 or 4 nights in a row. Fishing is good on both lakes but ironically we did best on Thunder for walleyes.

On the way out we stopped at Fourtown the night before exiting at Mudro. Everyone is right those portages are tougher than most. I would stack them up against any of the "toughest 3 portages in a row" in the entire BWCA. However, when done with them the last day I felt like I definitely accomplished something!!

If you got after it early and are fortunate to not have heavy winds then Beartrap is realistic the first day. None of the portages after Fourtown are brutal by any means.
05/26/2023 11:05AM  
walleyejunky: "My son and I did the "Crooked Lake Loop" last year and had an amazing trip. Entered at Mudro the first morning making it to Lower Basswood Falls in about 6 hours. We spent three nights on Crooked. Coming down thru Friday Bay our goal was Beartrap Lake. We arrived later in the day and ended up staying at the site on Thunder next to the portage to Beartrap. That way we had easy access to both lakes. The site on Beartrap is nice and offers lots of solitude. It would be an awesome spot to spend 3 or 4 nights in a row. Fishing is good on both lakes but ironically we did best on Thunder for walleyes.

On the way out we stopped at Fourtown the night before exiting at Mudro. Everyone is right those portages are tougher than most. I would stack them up against any of the "toughest 3 portages in a row" in the entire BWCA. However, when done with them the last day I felt like I definitely accomplished something!!

If you got after it early and are fortunate to not have heavy winds then Beartrap is realistic the first day. None of the portages after Fourtown are brutal by any means. "


What time of year did you go?
I was really thinking hard on a few nights on Thunder. I'm not sure how busy it will be. I really dislike that ominous feeling of pushing hard and not being sure if you can find a campsite.
05/26/2023 05:30PM  
Bushman: "
walleyejunky: "My son and I did the "Crooked Lake Loop" last year and had an amazing trip. Entered at Mudro the first morning making it to Lower Basswood Falls in about 6 hours. We spent three nights on Crooked. Coming down thru Friday Bay our goal was Beartrap Lake. We arrived later in the day and ended up staying at the site on Thunder next to the portage to Beartrap. That way we had easy access to both lakes. The site on Beartrap is nice and offers lots of solitude. It would be an awesome spot to spend 3 or 4 nights in a row. Fishing is good on both lakes but ironically we did best on Thunder for walleyes.


On the way out we stopped at Fourtown the night before exiting at Mudro. Everyone is right those portages are tougher than most. I would stack them up against any of the "toughest 3 portages in a row" in the entire BWCA. However, when done with them the last day I felt like I definitely accomplished something!!


If you got after it early and are fortunate to not have heavy winds then Beartrap is realistic the first day. None of the portages after Fourtown are brutal by any means. "



What time of year did you go?
I was really thinking hard on a few nights on Thunder. I'm not sure how busy it will be. I really dislike that ominous feeling of pushing hard and not being sure if you can find a campsite."

We went last year (2022) June 8th to the 16th. There are four sites on Thunder but only two are decent. The first one next to the portage would do in a pinch. The second (#1884) and third (#1885) are both nice. My first choice would be #1884 but the convenience of #1885 next to the portage to Beartrap is nice with super easy access to both lakes for fishing.

We spent 4 nights on Thunder and we only saw one other group camped on the lake. No one was on Beartrap all 4 days we were there. We hardly saw anyone traveling thru Thunder...maybe a group or two. It's kind of the end of the road.
MikeinMpls
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05/30/2023 04:15PM  
I've done the Mudro to Fourtown paddle a couple of times. The last time was when I was a solo. It was light raining/misting and the rocks were very slippery. I fell four times on portages between Mudro and Fourtown. Be careful.

Mike
05/30/2023 04:48PM  
We went through there last August 19th on a through route to Iron and back through Crooked. No one ever mentioned the possibility of taking the creek.
We left the entry point around 9:30. We did 2.5 portage trips on each portage. It was moist as it had rained the day before and a LOT of work. On the last portage into Fourtown there is a false end/landing that is difficult to use. Walk another 50 yards up the trail and it is MUCH easier. Didn't get to Fourtown until 11:30.. Then we fought a headwind to the Boot portage. Another hour. Ate some lunch and waited another hour and 15 for a lighting hold in place. And then the "showers" hit while going up boot. So we stopped there at campsite 1093 (aka. the first site that was open) around 3.
Left the next morning around 9 and got to Beartrap campsite around 2:30.
Once again 2.5 portaging and some wind on Gun and Gull. Then the interesting peat bog that you had to find a pathway to the water on the end of the Gull / Mudhole portage
Thunder had one site occupied and one more group came in around sunset.
We only spent the night and headed down the Beartrap river the next day.
Nice site but the one on Iron two days later was just as good.
On the loop back, we decided to go back down the Fourtown portage because it was the end of the trip, we had a day of rest at Fourtown, and all the food was gone. It was sure to be better.
WRONG. we got the added factor of rain falling. Now it was just a hard cliff slippery portage. No actual fear of falling off but did I mention slippery?
Either way it was NOT fun. Not to mention the need to unload and load twice in the middle.
Tomcat
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05/31/2023 07:18AM  
Hammertime
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06/02/2023 11:53PM  
I have been through there multiple times and if you ask me skipping the portages is impossible no matter the water levels.

The put ins can be “fun” but you’ll manage.

I hope you get the beartrap site, it’s an absolute gem.

Have fun!!!!
Lawnchair107
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06/07/2023 03:06PM  
We put in on May 31st out on Jun 7th."


How’d the trip go?
JC007
member (23)member
  
06/22/2023 10:26AM  
Lawnchair107: "
We put in on May 31st out on Jun 7th."



How’d the trip go?"


Sorry for the delay - It was awesome, thanks for asking. Like it was stated before, there is NO WAY to avoid the Mudro to Fourtown portages no matter the water - unless it was biblical flooding, which would make it deadly anyhow.

Portages remain true to form - rocky, steep and occasionally slippery. Expect to be tired and double portage.

Day 1 we made it to Beartrap and got the site. Absolutely awesome, except the kitchen is exposed a bit, but two large flanking pines make it possible to get a tarp cover, but evening sun is tough to defeat.

The weather was great on the way in - fair skies and mostly favorable winds. The “fun” began early evening when the heat turned into rain, then thunderstorms. I set my tent down by the water in a nice bed of pine needles and flat terrain - so I thought - until the rain hit. After some serious pouring, I found myself in about 3 inches of water and had to jump out of my tent in the rain to reset my tent to higher ground. Luckily I quickly found a spot behind the kitchen in a nice soft clay type spot. High and dry from there on.

Beartrap fishing was disappointing - it only gave up a few fish at a time - enough to eat - but the catch to cast ratio was ridiculous. Perhaps a winter kill? Hence the phrase, “That’s why they call it fishing…”

We fished Thunder most often and got good, consistent action and results. We ate walleye every night and caught some fun fighting northern - 24” minimums.

We moved down to Boot a couple days before exit and got the 4 star rated site next to the 3 star on the eastern side. Nice site overall, but kitchen is exposed. One nice thing was a tall tree stump that made for a perfect table to clean fish and cook while standing up. No more hunching over and getting a sore back stuff!

Boot fishing was like Beartrap - very slow, but gave a few good fights. My best was a 27” 4 lb 11 oz pike. My brother caught several about 22-24” along with some small perch, a couple small bass, bluegill and the occasional walleye.

Last day out was headwind all the way which made Fourtown brutal. Even after just a week, the water was lower than entry and we had to pull through some low spots back to Mudro portage.

Mosquitos were thick as thieves, and the house and biting flies were bad when the mosquitos weren’t - seldom relief at camp from bugs.

Thanks for the replies and info - here are a few pics.
JC007
member (23)member
  
06/22/2023 10:50AM  
Photo description:

1. Cooking stump at Boot Lake campsite 1093
2. Lake view of Beartrap campsite
3. Low spot at Beartrap where my tent nearly flooded!
4. Pano of Beartrap kitchen area
5. Sunset at Beartrap
6. Exposed Boot Lake kitchen at campsite 1093
7. Pike from Boot
8. Walleye from Thunder
Lawnchair107
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06/22/2023 11:36AM  
JC007: "
Lawnchair107: "
We put in on May 31st out on Jun 7th."


How’d the trip go?"


Sorry for the delay - It was awesome, thanks for asking. Like it was stated before, there is NO WAY to avoid the Mudro to Fourtown portages no matter the water - unless it was biblical flooding, which would make it deadly anyhow.

The weather was great on the way in - fair skies and mostly favorable winds. The “fun” began early evening when the heat turned into rain, then thunderstorms. I set my tent down by the water in a nice bed of pine needles and flat terrain - so I thought - until the rain hit. After some serious pouring, I found myself in about 3 inches of water and had to jump out of my tent in the rain to reset my tent to higher ground. Luckily I quickly found a spot behind the kitchen in a nice soft clay type spot. High and dry from there on.

Beartrap fishing was disappointing - it only gave up a few fish at a time - enough to eat - but the catch to cast ratio was ridiculous. Perhaps a winter kill? Hence the phrase, “That’s why they call it fishing…”.



Nice!! We had the same results. We fished Beartrap hard for 3 days, with everything we had. Minnows, cranks, tails. Not much to speak of besides some Pike. Much better results on Thunder.
 
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