We are looking for suggestions on which EP to return to from our Quetico to BWCA trip. We are starting our trip at Beaverhouse Lake (Quetico) and plan to come down from Kawnipi Lake to maybe Moose Lake? Or what other suggestions would you recommend? We did the Falls Chain a couple of years ago. Is Moose Lake or Cache Lake the two EP's people usually choose? Thanks

Cache bay on Saganaga would be the closest. That is where most groups access Kawnipi from. You’d need to figure out the logistics of pick up or vehicle being up the Gunflint though. Requires going through Falls chain.

Pretty epic but adding more miles would be Man Chain over to an exit at Moose Lake. Depends on mileage you want to cover and amount of days. Requires going through Falls chain.

You have 4 options going from Kawnipi to Agnes. Then exiting through Prairie Portage and Moose Lake. Just depends on how much of Kawnipi you want to paddle. The furthest south one I would guess is a bit more difficult but groups do go through that area. My son did that one a few years ago routing from Agnes, Louisa, over to Kawnipi. We did the most northern route Kawnipi, Keewatin, to Agnes route the year before that. Probably the easiest but you are not on Kawnipi for very long.

Ryan

Of course I would really recommend the Falls Chain to Cache Bay and exit down the Gunflint Trail. I really love the Falls Chain.

If you don't wish to repeat the Falls Chain you can head SW from Kawnipi down Agnes and exit through Prairie Portage and Moose. Your shuttle is probably easier going out the Ely side anyway.

You could also do the Falls Chain to Saganagons and head west of the Man Chain. You would head out to Moose via Carp and Knife Lakes. If you have never done the Man Chain it would be a very scenic option.

Why wouldn’t you make a loop and exit at beaver house?

We did a cross-Quetico trip several years ago and paddled from Beaverhouse to Saganagons via Kawnipi and the Falls Chain, but then paddled down the Man Chain and took out at the Moose Lake landing. It was a great trip.

With that said, you could go down Kahshahpiwi or Agnes to get south, too. All options are good options.

Just curious... how are you handling the vehicle situation? Someone dropping you off, then driving to Ely? Paying an outfitter?

Thanks for the suggestions. Super helpful!

My wife is from Fort Frances so we will stay with her parents the night before we put in. She will drop us (my daughter and me) off at Beaverhouse. We live around Aurora, MN, not far from Ely or the North Shore. She'll pick us up when we arrive.

Better route into Sturgeon is Jean, Burntside. I realize that is obvious. We made the mistake last year due to higher wind predictions of doing Yeh, to Lonely and then into Sturgeon. It’s a burn area now with a ton of trees still falling every year. Was a nightmare of saw work and working around issues. The park I think did that portage maintenance dead last last year.

I assume you are routing through the Poet chain. Since you know you’ll end up on Kawnipi. Poet chain is amazing and if you haven’t been through the area is an absolute gem area of the park. You do have options for Kahsahpiwi(wouldn’t get to Kawnipi then), Agnes in multiple ways from Kawnipi. You really can’t go wrong with whatever you pick. I’d just say take the route you haven’t done before. Then on a different year take the other route you haven’t done.

I could email pictures of my maps with campsites and ratings. I’ve also got that all done on gps if you wanted them by gpx files. Shoot me an email if interested

Ryan