Hi all! Just looking for a little bit of insight here.

I'm heading up to Lower Basswood in May. Myself and a group of college buddies have been going up every May for almost 15 years. What usually happens is I will go up a day early to secure a campsite (and because I enjoy a little solo adventure and some peaceful time to myself), and the the rest of the group comes up the next day and I already have our site secured and ready for action. This year however, permits for Mudro, our usual EP, sold out in a matter of seconds, and I could only secure one permit for the larger group on the day they are supposed to enter. Therefore, I have to find another way up the day before. I could pay copious amounts of money and get a tow through Moose up to Back Bay or Washington Island, or, the more logical and less expensive route would be to put in at Fall Lake and make the longer trek up to LBF.

I've never taken this route before and just mapping it out it is several miles longer than Mudro to LBF. Has anyone paddled this way before, and if so, can I do it in a reasonable day? I am a very proficient paddler and will be in a solo canoe, likely getting started around 6am. Ideally I would have liked to split this trek into two days, but once again, Fall Lake EP permits are sold out two days prior, so wondering if I can make it one.

Any help or advice is appreciated!

Fall Lake to UBF is a relatively easy journey. The Newton and Pipestone portages are practically sidewalks. If you put in EP24 at sunrise and really keep moving, you can reach the No Motor Zone by lunch.

Once you get to UBF, though, it gets hard. The Horse Portage is a mile+ and then you have portages around a couple small rapids plus Wheelbarrow Falls. Pushing through all of that would be a challenge in one day. You certainly wouldn't arrive at the time of day where you would want to be just starting to scout for campsites.

Not sure why you want to travel separately anyways since you won't arrive ahead of the Mudro group?

soundguy0918: "Fall Lake to UBF is a relatively easy journey. The Newton and Pipestone portages are practically sidewalks. If you put in EP24 at sunrise and really keep moving, you can reach the No Motor Zone by lunch.


Once you get to UBF, though, it gets hard. The Horse Portage is a mile+ and then you have portages around a couple small rapids plus Wheelbarrow Falls. Pushing through all of that would be a challenge in one day. You certainly wouldn't arrive at the time of day where you would want to be just starting to scout for campsites.


Not sure why you want to travel separately anyways since you won't arrive ahead of the Mudro group?"

My apologies for the confusion. I would be heading up on a Saturday to LBF and the rest of the group comes up on Sunday so I'm trying to get up there before them and secure a campsite. I've done the Horse Portage before and yes the mile long portage is daunting, but doable. I'd be singling it as I'd only have a solo canoe and one pack and I could probably knock it out in 30-45 minutes, and navigating the rapids and falls (safely) is more fun than difficult, but yes I do concur that I wouldn't be arriving at LBF area at an hour where I would have my pick of campsites. Thank you for the advice and insight here!

Yes - doable. I've done it. We paddled from Fall Lake and camped the first night near LBF. (4 of us all in solo's) Second night - we moved to mid crooked lake area. We base camped there and when we left - we paddled straight out from Friday Bay to Fall Lake...that was a long day, but getting up to LBF...got a little long by the end. Completely fine. Get an early start so you're not running out of daylight.

Well at least you won't need a full load of food etc. for the week so you certainly can travel light.

Even if you don't arrive until late Saturday afternoon, you could scout for a better site late Sunday morning.

How big is the group meeting up with you? If I'm recommendeing a campsite to target, it's about 1 to1-1/2 hours short of the actual falls but if you are going in at Fall Lake, I'd consider campsite #1562 (if available when you come by). It is a beautiful, large site--a former resort, before the BWCA existed--that can easily accomodate a large group, is well within reach of the falls for side trips and, distance wise, is probably closer to the distance you are used to traveling the first day in solo from the entry point.