Hello! Today starts the official planning for my 2024 McIntyre Trip. Last year, we had this same trip planned, but an illness to my outdoors buddy caused us to postpone it. The illness still limits his energy, so we have the entire route planned but have a few contingencies built in. If weather and energy are with us, we plan to get a tow to Prairie Portage then Isabella -> Sarah -> McIntyre. On the way back we hope to head South out of McIntyre to Cecil -> Tuck -> Sarah -> Isabella. More commentary on that in the next post, but that's the large plan.

A few years ago, a larger group attempted the route we plan to do. You can read that Adventure? Who Said Anything About THAT?.

I will be going back and reading my original Trip Planning thread, which you fine folks participated in and gave me some great advice. That thread is : WMs Get Ready Journal.

I re-read my Trip Report, and you can tell I slammed that thing out quickly after my trip. Grammar? Who needs it? Coherent sentences? Not needed, for we are outdoorsmen, not literary professors! I think I threw rocks at the keyboard instead of typing properly.

Below is our full trip plan. I use Paddle Planner, as do some of you. Though the app fights you, and you may punch the screen a time or two, it is still very helpful, and I appreciate the updates they make to it somewhat regularly. It always takes me a bit to get back into what PP wants me to do in order to use it well, but once I do, things are smoother. For what I am asking it to do, I always pay for an Expedition Leader subscription.

The below route image starts at the mouth of Lost Bay and ends back there. Tow to Prarie Portage, then through Burke Lake, Mouth of Lost Bay, McIntyre, and then back to Mouth of Lost Bay. As I mentioned in my first post, if the weather or lingering effects of my buddy's illness dictates, we have a few options to prune off some stops and just take it easy and not press very hard. As long as we move when we want, stop when we want, and make it back to Prairie Portage for our tow home, that's all that counts.

Three people are going on this trip. Myself, my outdoors buddy and his son. All are compatible people and we have gone on backpacking trips, etc. before. No issues of wondering who can or can't handle what.

We are adding fishing into our trip. I have many things I need from fly-in trips past and will have to make sure our line is fresh, and we have the appropriate lures for the lakes and fish we will be on. I don't care for trips where hours and hours are spent in the boat fishing, but I DO like trips where I fish along a route or get in the boat and do an hour here and there. I suppose the type of trip and fishing we plan to do is exactly what I like. It's not a fishing trip, but fishing for meals while on a trip, I suppose. I'll probably take a normal-sized rod for my primary, then a real short one I have for my kayak as a backup.

I'm changing my pack liner this year. At our hunt lease, we use drum liners from Rural King as trash bags. I'm going to get one and see how it works for a pack liner. I do like them "big enough" and tall enough to fold over to do a decent job of sealing, but "too big" is a pain. However, I will take some that size for various things that come up, such as putting the entire pack inside when in the canoe if we are expecting a deluge of rain. A pack liner (maybe two) and then inside these large bags will keep things dry and floatable. I'll take that bag and see how much "too big" it is then get a version of it that makes me happy. 4 mil, I would think, is the minimum I'd want.

I normally do loaded carries as part of my workout program. I tore a forearm flexor in Dec 2023 and I'm still healing. Because of that I have to be careful on what I pick up, how I pick it up, etc. Because of this, I was happy to see my gym get a yoke carry. The kind of thing you put across your shoulders and the weights are low, and you carry it around. Sometimes I'll use that as a finisher and sometimes I'll come in, warm up real good, and make that the entire workout in both heavy and short distance, moderate, or just grueling long distance. Because of my forearm, I may not have the upper body strength I'd normally like, but as long as I get my paddling strength/endurance and carrying up to par, I'll be ok.

WonderMonkey: "
"

Good to see you've included the 2021 burn overlay in your planning map and know that some of the areas you're visiting will still have lots of standing tree remains. Also, I've used drum liners (4 mil) as pack liners with good results IF it's not a black drum liner. Pretty frustrating to dig to the bottom of a black hole looking for small items. Hope it's a great trip--you've earned one!

TZ

Hey WonderMonkey,

That's great you are planning another trip similar to recreate a route from several years ago. Good luck healing from the injury - that will be key. I also couldn't help but smile a little bit at the photo of the cracked canoe from the beaver dam step-over - "flexible rib system" was on the side of the canoe right where it cracked!

All the best for your planning!

I plan on asking out outfitter about the burned area and see if they have real world experience on what the situation is.

TrailZen: "

WonderMonkey: "
"

Good to see you've included the 2021 burn overlay in your planning map and know that some of the areas you're visiting will still have lots of standing tree remains. Also, I've used drum liners (4 mil) as pack liners with good results IF it's not a black drum liner. Pretty frustrating to dig to the bottom of a black hole looking for small items. Hope it's a great trip--you've earned one!


TZ"

I camped on the island campsite on the north end of McIntyre last year, and the site has had NO burn. You can see some from the site, but very little. North of there, on the portage from McIntyre to the no name lake before Brent, things are burned to the ground. I fished the little no name lake, but didn't go into Brent. Great fishing in McIntyre all week last year.

Portage (s) between McIntyre and Sarah have been burned, especially on the McIntyre side. There are two choices the portage to the south is longer but with more gradual change in elevation. Northern portage is considerably shorter but with a fairly radical climb into McIntyre. The portages go directly from a bay on Sarah to a bay on McIntyre- there is no intervening no-name lake (in response to an assertion on another post). I did the northern portage last August. It was cleared and marked since the fire- a little rough footing near the McIntyre end where soil has been completely consumed by the fire (and there is that radical hill to climb) but completely doable.

The McIntyre shoreline shows a variety of burn intensity. Lake still looks good but some well-used camps have been burned.

goblu79: "I camped on the island campsite on the north end of McIntyre last year, and the site has had NO burn. You can see some from the site, but very little. North of there, on the portage from McIntyre to the no name lake before Brent, things are burned to the ground. I fished the little no name lake, but didn't go into Brent. Great fishing in McIntyre all week last year. "

Thanks for the info, and I see information about the portage from Sarah is in the above post.

Banksiana: "Portage (s) between McIntyre and Sarah have been burned, especially on the McIntyre side. There are two choices the portage to the south is longer but with more gradual change in elevation. Northern portage is considerably shorter but with a fairly radical climb into McIntyre. The portages go directly from a bay on Sarah to a bay on McIntyre- there is no intervening no-name lake (in response to an assertion on another post). I did the northern portage last August. It was cleared and marked since the fire- a little rough footing near the McIntyre end where soil has been completely consumed by the fire (and there is that radical hill to climb) but completely doable.


The McIntyre shoreline shows a variety of burn intensity. Lake still looks good but some well-used camps have been burned."

I appreciate the input. I'll find those portages and show my group but the Northern version seems the way to go. I'll let my group know to get input.

Ah yes I wasn't zoomed in for that phantom no-name lake between Sarah and McIntyre. When I did zoom in I noticed it was how you mentioned.

Banksiana: "Portage (s) between McIntyre and Sarah have been burned, especially on the McIntyre side. There are two choices the portage to the south is longer but with more gradual change in elevation. Northern portage is considerably shorter but with a fairly radical climb into McIntyre. The portages go directly from a bay on Sarah to a bay on McIntyre- there is no intervening no-name lake (in response to an assertion on another post). I did the northern portage last August. It was cleared and marked since the fire- a little rough footing near the McIntyre end where soil has been completely consumed by the fire (and there is that radical hill to climb) but completely doable.


The McIntyre shoreline shows a variety of burn intensity. Lake still looks good but some well-used camps have been burned."

If you're going to Tuck, you also have the option of going to Kett. The portages to Basswood are a little long but actually pretty easy. Once on Basswood you can head for Wind and then Moose. Maybe a few more portages but it eliminates back tracking. Just a thought.

marsonite: "If you're going to Tuck, you also have the option of going to Kett. The portages to Basswood are a little long but actually pretty easy. Once on Basswood you can head for Wind and then Moose. Maybe a few more portages but it eliminates back tracking. Just a thought. "

We have been looking at ways to not backtrack and I'll look at the route you suggested. I appreciate it.

marsonite: "If you're going to Tuck, you also have the option of going to Kett. The portages to Basswood are a little long but actually pretty easy. Once on Basswood you can head for Wind and then Moose. Maybe a few more portages but it eliminates back tracking. Just a thought. "

Looks like that would eliminate a bunch of portages. I'll study it up and then show my canoe buddy. Great suggestion!

The Tuck/Kett route is quite pretty. The portages from Kett to Ranger Bay are long but quite beautiful in parts- long walks on bedrock and some mucking about on the edge of swamps. The Basswood paddle is long but if you break it up with a camp a decent exit plan.

Banksiana: "The Tuck/Kett route is quite pretty. The portages from Kett to Ranger Bay are long but quite beautiful in parts- long walks on bedrock and some mucking about on the edge of swamps. The Basswood paddle is long but if you break it up with a camp a decent exit plan."

The thought would be to push to get to McIntyre then meander back to Prairie Portage. That leaves us time to break up the Basswood portion. Being on the border between the US and Canada, do you find that the campsites are busier?

Not sure if you are speaking of my post, but I never asserted there was a no name lake between Sarah and McIntyre...I said McIntyre and Brent...where there is a no name lake.

WonderMonkey: "

Banksiana: "The Tuck/Kett route is quite pretty. The portages from Kett to Ranger Bay are long but quite beautiful in parts- long walks on bedrock and some mucking about on the edge of swamps. The Basswood paddle is long but if you break it up with a camp a decent exit plan."

The thought would be to push to get to McIntyre then meander back to Prairie Portage. That leaves us time to break up the Basswood portion. Being on the border between the US and Canada, do you find that the campsites are busier?"

If you go through Kett there is no need to head back to Prairie Portage- the simpler exit is to paddle south and exit through Wind to Moose. Sites in the Canadian portion of Basswood towards Wind are not heavily used. Sites close to Prairie Portage and Inlet Bay are more heavily used especially if weather causes travel delays. If you are heading from Kett to Prairie Portage there is a nice camp on the no-name lake in the middle of the peninsula separating Ranger Bay and North Bay. Numerous decent sites on Burke as well.

Imaginary no-name lake was mentioned on ill-fated post of Wonder Monkey that included mention of a web site that shall not be named because naming of said site infuriates the powers that be moderating this site.

Banksiana: "If you go through Kett there is no need to head back to Prairie Portage- the simpler exit is to paddle south and exit through Wind to Moose. Sites in the Canadian portion of Basswood towards Wind are not heavily used. Sites close to Prairie Portage and Inlet Bay are more heavily used especially if weather causes travel delays. If you are heading from Kett to Prairie Portage there is a nice camp on the no-name lake in the middle of the peninsula separating Ranger Bay and North Bay. Numerous decent sites on Burke as well.


Imaginary no-name lake was mentioned on ill-fated post of Wonder Monkey that included mention of a web site that shall not be named because naming of said site infuriates the powers that be moderating this site."

I SEE! I had Prairie Portage in my head so much that I wasn't hearing what you were typing. I see the portage you are referring to. I assume a 1 day BWCA permit is needed? I only say that as I see references to it. The portage into Moose would put us just North of Williams & Hall, which we are using for a canoe rental and a tow. I think what all of this does is give options to a trip. I'll cover with my canoe buddy and will end up mapping all of this out in detail and then as the trip progresses, we will make decisions.

And as far as the web-site-not-to-be-mentioned, yes that seems to be what has happened. I'm sure there is a back story to all of that, but as an outsider looking in, I don't get it. However, many things aren't really my business so I will just accept the information you gave to me and move on. Thank you for all of the above.

No need for a 1-night BWCA permit--you're returning from Quetico via day use of Wind to Moose instead of returning via PP, Sucker, and Newfound to Moose.

TZ

TrailZen: "No need for a 1-night BWCA permit--you're returning from Quetico via day use of Wind to Moose instead of returning via PP, Sucker, and Newfound to Moose.
TZ"

Thanks for that info.

I assume a 1 day BWCA permit is needed? I only say that as I see references to it. "

For clarity - you are correct WM, a DAY use permit is required to pass through the BWCA on that portion of the trip - and those are free/no advance reservation required. Since you are outfitting with W&H, they will have those and if you tell them your route, they will likely ask you if you have one already. (Didn't see that you said anything about an overnight permit.)

pd