Have an upcoming trip and looking for any information regarding this area. Will be a 6 day 5 night trip. Looking at doing Trout-Cummings lakes loop and wanted to know or hear any advice on it or other information about the area. We will be entering and leaving through entry point 9. Curious on the river section of LIS between otter and trout lake also. Let me know any thoughts. Thanks in advance!

I did this entry point in 2020. The rivers in this area can be challenging and I suggest calling the ranger for this area to find out about the water levels on LIS going south into Bootleg. The year we went the water was low and there were a few spots we were pushing the canoe through mud, but nothing more than a few feet at a time.

We stayed on the north site on Bootleg. This is a beautiful site, and the most secluded I've felt in the BWCA. I doubt it gets much use. The fire grate was completely rusted over.

We then paddled the river down to Otter. This was very challenging, and was a very full day to get to Cummings. The river winds its way through the area with very few straightaways longer than a canoe. It was hard to build any speed and you will constantly switch your paddle from side to side. I highly recommend a GPS app on your phone, as there were sections on the river that we paddled through grasses well over our head. It is easy to mistakenly head south to Chad. The several small portages in the area are easy, but they start to add up during a long day. Some were not well traveled and can be difficult to find, GPS helped.

Getting through Cummings was an easy paddle and we were treated with a beautiful sunset from the South central site high on a bluff.

We then finished the trip taking the long portage (flat, straight, and actually not that bad if you're prepared) to Big Moose. We had a very windy day on Big Moose with white caps on the lake. We made it to the Southeast site and couldn't make it any further. We left early, ~6AM, the next morning so as not to get wind bound.

We then took the north portage into the river system to get out to EP8. The rivers from Big Moose are similar as coming out of Bootleg, but it was only about a 2 hr paddle.

Overall, the rivers in the area are a challenge, but in my opinion the prize is Bootleg lake. Still one of my favorite lakes in the BWCA.

mudhen: "Have an upcoming trip and looking for any information regarding this area. Will be a 6 day 5 night trip. Looking at doing Trout-Cummings lakes loop and wanted to know or hear any advice on it or other information about the area. We will be entering and leaving through entry point 9. Curious on the river section of LIS between otter and trout lake also. Let me know any thoughts. Thanks in advance!"