BWCA Mugwump Lake -- PMA #8 Boundary Waters Group Forum: PMA Paradise
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02/12/2011 01:54PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
This is the PMA we are scheduled to tackle this summer (late June '11). Check back after that & heavycanoe & I should have lots more info for you.

We picked this one because it was a challenge. The first challenge is that there is no good way to get there quickly. It officially falls to the Ely ranger station and Snowbank is the expected EP. That said, it is 18 miles of paddle/portage from the west but only 12 from the east so that is the route we are taking. We are leaving from EP 52 Brandt Lake. That route will take you through both the Hamm Lake and Cavity Lake fire areas but it is 6 miles shorter and the way we see it...it is more about the time in the PMA and less about the trip there.

The PMA itself is free of the fire areas but it is smack dab in the middle of the Blowdown. The only recent posts about entering this PMA from the east mention turning back due to the Blowdown. From the west it seems like the old route into Raven (where there is still an old campsite) is still open.

Travois Lake is described as beautiful and haunting. That is where we intend to make our first base camp.

This PMA is very close to the Humpback PMA (Humpback is just south of Mugwump) so if you are in the mood to keep moving camp you could probably knock out both in one trip.

Here are the standard pictures plus a snapshot from the Voyager 6 map.

Entry points are list as 27, 29, & 30 = Snowbank or Lake One. As mentioned above we are entering through 52 from the east. The only challenge to coming from the east is coordinating the PMA permit.

Ranger Stations: Ely from the west or Grand Marais from the East.
 
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02/12/2011 02:12PM  
Here is a link to the other Mugwump thread here: Another PMA Paradise Mugwump link and the other Mugwump link found here:
Raven & Van Link
 
02/12/2011 04:50PM  
SOMEDAY I will attempt that PMA. But I think that it would take me 2 weeks to visit all of the lakes in there. There's a LOT! And, with the blowdown aspect of it, travelling will be even slower.
 
02/17/2011 12:11AM  
quote Amok: "SOMEDAY I will attempt that PMA. But I think that it would take me 2 weeks to visit all of the lakes in there. There's a LOT! And, with the blowdown aspect of it, travelling will be even slower."


The "There's a LOT" of lakes is what first drew 2 PMA newbies to look at this PMA further.
 
heavycanoe
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02/17/2011 01:19PM  
After all of your research would you still pick this PMA as your first PMA destination? If not what would your choice be now that we are locked in?
 
02/17/2011 06:25PM  
quote heavycanoe: "After all of your research would you still pick this PMA as your first PMA destination? If not what would your choice be now that we are locked in?
"


Great question and I think I would say...no. The main reason is that I think we should have picked something a little closer to an EP. It sure would be nice to be able to hit the PMA before noon.

Next, I would like to stay out of the burn areas. I know a young wilderness is as valuable as an old growth forest but I simply prefer big trees.

Then there is the whole blowdown thing. I think it is going to add a lot of adventure to our trip but I think that tackling a PMA is adventure enough for the first time.

So which would I pick first...

I have been eyeing up #10 = Hairy Lake. A couple of big portages will still keep the traffic down but once those are out of the way we are almost in the PMA. Getting around in the PMA looks easier given how close many of the lakes are. Once you leave Round Lake you are out of the burn areas. I think it would still provide the seclusion you want in a PMA without having to be a lumberjack to get in.

So...are we really too late to change plans???
 
02/18/2011 02:08PM  
I've been to Travois and Pouch, and plan on going to 3-5 more lakes in this PMA this year. Look forward to reading your trip report and good luck.
 
heavycanoe
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02/23/2011 08:54AM  
quote Rob Johnson:

So...are we really too late to change plans???"


Remember I have been dreaming of this pma since we started talking about it in October so we would not be just changing the trip I would have to change the dream as well.

Having said that I am open to suggestions if you want to try something else. I will email later.
 
03/06/2011 08:46PM  
 
03/07/2011 01:23AM  
quote jwartman59: " "


THANKS J!!! I had no idea that there used to be portages in Mugwump (other than the one to Raven). I think we will definetly look for these. Even if they are overgrown it still beats creating a brand new trail.
 
heavycanoe
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03/10/2011 10:01AM  
I wonder with the blowdown if we will even be able to recognize that a trail once exsisted? I think we are planning a day trip based on this map so we will let you know in July.
 
06/22/2011 03:45PM  
bump
 
06/23/2011 06:57PM  
MUGWUMP HERE WE COME!!! Heading out tomorrow for a Sunday launch date. Details a week later!!!
 
06/23/2011 11:30PM  
Have fun.
 
06/24/2011 06:16AM  
Enjoy!
 
07/07/2011 03:29PM  
Rob and heavycanoe,are ya back yet cause we all can't wait to hear about your adventure.
 
07/09/2011 12:42PM  
We are out! Trip report to follow in the coming weeks. We wanted a challenge...we got one. Here are some of the high (and low) lights:

-the canoe only made it a mile up the Kek trail = never touched water in the PMA
-made it to Travois and camped there 2 nights
-our Travois camp was on Skull "Island"
-didn't make it to the other lakes in the PMA. We got within a 1/3rd of a mile of Marble but couldn't find a sane way to push through
-feet in such bad shape that we had to duct tape them
-if there are fish in Travois we couldn't find them (reminder that we were fishing from shore and the lake is only known for trout)
-lots of beavers on this trip
-revised the last days of our itinerary to make it a more typical BWCA trip
-no starry nights
-saw the worst campsite and the best campsite in the whole BWCA
-the Tuscarora to Missing Link portage really wasn't that bad after what we had been through but by "normal" portage standards it is still a tough one

I did some journalling. I'll turn that into a trip report and add some photos.

Final Note: most BWCA trips leave us wanting more...not this time. It was long enough and hard enough that we are OK waiting until next year.
 
07/09/2011 01:28PM  
Can't wait to read the report. Exciting stuff!
 
07/10/2011 02:42AM  
sounds eerily familiar.....
 
07/10/2011 09:27PM  
quote bumabu: "sounds eerily familiar....."


Intersting quote...we saw signs that at least one other person had attempted most of what we did even though it was probably insane to even attempt it...was that person you bumabu?
 
07/11/2011 02:35PM  
Can't wait for trip report, can ya toss us a bone and show us a few pictures of your trip.
 
07/11/2011 02:47PM  
quote snakecharmer: "Enjoy!
"


This looks like Raven lake, is it?
 
07/11/2011 08:48PM  
quote Chilly: "
quote snakecharmer: "Enjoy!
"



This looks like Raven lake, is it?"


It is! We headed in there a few years ago.
 
07/14/2011 11:49PM  
quote Chilly: "Can't wait for trip report, can ya toss us a bone and show us a few pictures of your trip. "


Trip report is done...

Robs Mugwump Trip Report
 
07/15/2011 06:04AM  
quote Rob Johnson: "
quote bumabu: "sounds eerily familiar....."



Intersting quote...we saw signs that at least one other person had attempted most of what we did even though it was probably insane to even attempt it...was that person you bumabu?"


no, just relating to the PMA character building experience....
 
09/14/2012 11:37AM  
Hello, Just figured out how to join this group, though I have enjoyed reading posts for a good while. Did a jaunt through Mugwump with my old canoe buddy, Tom, in July (we are both in our 50's and have done a good number of 'bdub' trips). Traveled up creek at sw end of Gabi to Pouch/Marble (rough); camped; then to Sprig (not bad, and Sprig is beautiful); camped; then west to My Lake and brushcrash south over saddle into Van (medium tough); camped; then south through Bewon to Ledge (s. of Bewon is marsh, not lake; medium tough). Then west (outside of PMA)to Roe and back into PMA at Raven. No luck on fish in Marble, Sprig, and Van, though perhaps only an hour of effort in each. Raven, as usual (our second visit, there), produced. As per comments of others, July didn't give us the best of water levels on the creek connections, but our work schedules prevent early-season trips. There are notable islands in both Marble and Sprig that are not shown on my Voyageur map. Used map and compass, only. I think I may look at doing a trip report, as I've never done one, and we have pics (and even some short digital video) and it looks like fun. Again, thanks to all contributors at this site.
 
09/15/2012 08:53PM  
Fished Van from shore years ago and caught no fish,we were camped on Raven(I think before Raven got popular. Curious once you got out onto Van did you think it had decent depth. Walked over to Elk lake and found only a puddle.
Between Elk lake and Raven there was lot of fire hose left over from fighting fires pre-1990's just laying on the ground.
 
09/17/2012 09:49AM  
Yes, Van seemed to have OK depth (we didn't have a depthfinder but did troll down to 14 feet or so without much snagging). Voyageur Map (#6) shows holes to 40 feet plus in Van. Saw "feeder fish" (minnows, etc.) on Sprig but can't recall if I saw them on Van (I need to keep better notes). I suspect both Sprig and Van should contain gamefish; we just didn't try hard enough. I can find no fish info on either lake on the Lakefinder site. Both are pretty for camping on and have some granite on lakeside. I had read of old fly-ins on Van but saw no obvious evidence. The middle north bay of Van, where we brushcrashed in from My Lake, did have some trail down to shore, but might have been game trail (no obvious old blazes). Some beautiful old white pine around there, too. Didn't see much sign of recent fire except small burn (prescribed?) around old campsite on Raven. Cavity Lake fire (2006) boundary is to ne of the PMA. With respect to Marble (which is supposed to have walleye), Sprig, and Van, my canoe buddy, Tom, says PMA means fish Pretty Much Absent. But probably we are just spoiled by some easy catching on other lakes. Did not see any old fire hoses or other evidence of people in the area we went through. If it was slow on fishing it was certainly great on solitude (but then, slogging through thickets and marshes is an aquired taste ... or is it a rare character defect? I dunno).
 
09/17/2012 02:10PM  
Fire was on the west side of Raven and up the hill-that where the hoses were present.
Van lake I don't ever think it was fish surveyed by the DNR. That's OK it nice to have some mystery lakes The map I see does have nice depth tho.
 
10/19/2012 01:44PM  
I just posted a trip report (Two guys and a dog to Sprig Lake) that includes travel and camping in the Mugwump. http://www.bwca.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=forum.thread&threadId=546877&forumID=19&confID=1 Had some short videos, too, but not real savy about how to put those in. Went from sw end of Gabi to Pouch, Marble, etc. From the same area, could have gone to Leg, Rapture, Image, Horsefish, Amimi... a route for which old portages might show in places. Would like to go back and check that, sometime. RT
 
10/21/2012 08:20PM  
quote rtallent: "I just posted a trip report (Two guys and a dog to Sprig Lake) that includes travel and camping in the Mugwump. http://www.bwca.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=forum.thread&threadId=546877&forumID=19&confID=1 Had some short videos, too, but not real savy about how to put those in. Went from sw end of Gabi to Pouch, Marble, etc. From the same area, could have gone to Leg, Rapture, Image, Horsefish, Amimi... a route for which old portages might show in places. Would like to go back and check that, sometime. RT "


We wondered if that route was possible! We tried to get to Marble via Travois from the north...it didn't work. We had heard that the bushwhack from Gabi to Pouch was all Blow Down = almost impenetrable...but you proved that wrong. I AM IMPRESSED!
 
10/22/2012 11:19AM  
I think you guys took the tougher way, carrying canoe over all those contours on the Kek trail; not that coming from Gabi is easy, but it is doable. We had brush and marsh to deal with, but I don't think down trees were more than the usual. We didn't push on to Travois, but now I wish we had (if more time), as you remarked it is very pretty and it sure does have contours up against it. I remember that you explored by foot to the east from Travois; I think the route from Marble to Travois is pretty straightforward, though don't remember how much water showed in the creek (it is a weedy, low area on the Marble side). Ray T.
 
10/22/2012 11:27AM  
As an afterthought, we mainly kept to near creeks when we had to carry. Often, this was the part of the marsh right up near the shrubs and trees (where also are often game trails of a sort), when it was hummocky and/or too soft closer to the creek. Maybe there are a good deal of blowdowns, if you try to carry always on the high ground?
 
10/22/2012 10:58PM  
Keep it up people. I love those explorer type people.
 
10/09/2013 11:26AM  
I am a real amateur at taking video and posting, but, for what it's worth, here is some video of Sprig Lake in the Mugwump: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AI2UYSS30VA
 
10/09/2013 04:06PM  
 
10/11/2013 04:01PM  
Ray that was a nice video, nothing beats a nice secluded lake like that, very pretty
 
10/11/2013 04:06PM  
Wonder how much use it gets per year now?
Use to go there regularly in the 90's and hardly nobody went there. Now on this board and other places it seems to be getting used much more than the past?
 
10/12/2013 11:30AM  
Pinetree, Do you mean Sprig Lake, or the Mugwump area more generally? Coming in to Sprig from the east and going out on the west, we saw almost no sign of human trail. On the lake, we saw no sign of campsites; so I bet Sprig sees one party or less a year? There may be more sign of a southern entrance, up through Siren, but we did not check that out. Wish we had spent a bit more time at fishing on Marble, Sprig, and Van... I just bet there are some fish in there and we weren't working the right spots/depths/lures and didn't give it enough time. Some other parts of Mugwump, like Raven Lake, are mentioned more in this website, and that might make it seem like it is being visited more than in the past, but I don't know if that is really true or not... but I'm pretty sure Raven gets visited more than Sprig, just cause it's a bit closer to regular portage routes and has it's own magic. Funny thing, wanting to talk about these places, but also not wanting too many people in there...
 
10/12/2013 12:37PM  
quote rtallent: "Pinetree, Do you mean Sprig Lake, or the Mugwump area more generally? Coming in to Sprig from the east and going out on the west, we saw almost no sign of human trail. On the lake, we saw no sign of campsites; so I bet Sprig sees one party or less a year? There may be more sign of a southern entrance, up through Siren, but we did not check that out. Wish we had spent a bit more time at fishing on Marble, Sprig, and Van... I just bet there are some fish in there and we weren't working the right spots/depths/lures and didn't give it enough time. Some other parts of Mugwump, like Raven Lake, are mentioned more in this website, and that might make it seem like it is being visited more than in the past, but I don't know if that is really true or not... but I'm pretty sure Raven gets visited more than Sprig, just cause it's a bit closer to regular portage routes and has it's own magic. Funny thing, wanting to talk about these places, but also not wanting too many people in there..."


I meant Raven. I have seen a few outdoor writers also talking about there visit there. Years ago nobody,or hardly anybody mentioned that area.
Yes your comment is correct it is kind of a catch 22,I agree fully.
 
10/14/2013 10:39AM  
Yep, I thought maybe that was it. Maybe we should put out word that it is all burned over and there are no fish in there...
 
PaddleAway
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10/19/2013 12:13AM  
What a fantastic video, thanks for posting it. Sprig just bumped to the top of my list of PMA lakes to visit.
 
01/10/2014 09:25PM  
Yep the portages into Raven are nicer then many of marked ones I've been on. It appears many people go there now.
 
missmolly
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01/11/2014 07:21AM  
quote PaddleAway: "What a fantastic video, thanks for posting it. Sprig just bumped to the top of my list of PMA lakes to visit. "


Cool video. Your campsite looks like a Crown Land campsite, all brushy and bushy.
 
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