This is written for those who desire to discover new places rather than return to the same old paddling destination year after year.

My personal quest to deny Ontario a solution to their extreme debt problem leads me to Manitoba this year. It is interesting how one state (Minnesota) and two provinces (Ontario & Manitoba) can take the same land and manage them so differently, yet you can have for the most part, the same experience. Although I am sure some will argue to the death there is a world of difference between the BWCA, Wabakimi, Woodland Caribou, Quetico, and Nopiming, my personal experience says otherwise.

There are two ways to Nopiming, (or Atikaki for that matter) Thru International Falls or Winnipeg. Both will take the same amount of time from metro MN, although thru Winnipeg is slightly longer. Having not been thru Winnipeg, Grand Forks or Fargo in decades I decided to travel thru them to get to Nopiming and return via Int’l Falls. That I would escape paying the toll in Int’l Falls did play a small part in the decision but I especially wanted to see the rebuild from the flood in Grand Forks, and if the home my father built and my grandparents lived, are still standing. They both are, but downtown EGF and GF look nothing like I remember.

Once again I was detained at the border and questioned, apparently because I looked nervous. Drinking energy drinks will do that to me; I don’t normally drink coffee or even soda so caffeine is like cocaine or meth to me. The guy guarding Canada from infidels asked if I had ever paddled alone before. I would assume in their data base they know the answer to this question as they have asked it every time for the last few years. He was also especially interested in my canoe, apparently he thought this was all just a ruse to sell or leave a canoe in Canada without paying the taxes to support their socialistic state. Perhaps all the scratches on my canoe convinced him I was legit, he let me enter.

I arrived at Tulibi Falls at 3:30AM, which allowed for a 3 hour nap. There were 6 other vehicles in the parking lot. One major difference of Manitoba to MN or Ontario is the fee; you pay $8 a day in Manitoba, or a $30 yearly fee, and nothing more to park your car. So a group pays $8 a day to paddle Nopiming or any other provincial park. That’s a drop in the bucket compared to Ontario’s outrageous $15 a day per paddler fee (don’t forget the fee the outfitter charges to park so your vehicle doesn’t get vandalized By some crazed USA hating Canadian) But then Manitoba doesn’t have Ontario’s debt problem. Ontario’s debt per capita is worse than CA or IL, Canadians are always so critical of the USA, apparently dissing us allows them to keep their mind off their own problems.

Up at 6:30 I packed up, portaged down to the lake and was greeted with a beautiful paddle across fog and mist covered Tulabi Lake. I had the lake all to myself. The next difference is the portage, like the BWCA they are marked and maintained, unlike Ontario. Here is a picture of the first. No doubt some of you will object. I liked them.

Another similarity to MN, but difference to Ontario, is that you must camp at designated campsites. There are 20 in Nopiming and you must portage 3 times to get to the first, which assures a certain level of competency of groups entering Nopiming. Keeps the incompetent riff raff out you see in BWCA, that can hire someone to haul them across otherwise beautiful lakes which only makes the wilderness that much farther away and the whole area smaller.

Another similarity is that camp sites have fire boxes, rather than grates like in BWCA. There was a fire ban, although I wouldn’t have built a fire anyway.

And the main similarity is it is beautiful.

The Ontario border is only a day’s paddle away, so if all the campsites in Nopiming are occupied, you can camp in Ontario as long as you pay the $10 crown camping fee. Of course Canadians are exempt from paying this fee, the politicians aren’t totally stupid. You could also paddle all the way to Woodland Caribou if you wished, this is the same Bird River that passes thru South Aegean and Paull Lakes.

i buy the $30 park pass every year. it covers the parking
and the backcountry camping. i make at least two trips up the
bird river every year, most times we go up into snowshoe lake
that is just across the ontario border. snowshoe is an expermental
lake that as far as i know requires no backcountry camping permit
heading farther up the bird river you will enter chase, midway, &
eagle lakes there you will need the crown camping permits. once
you pass into ontario the portages are not marked & you can camp
anywhere. leaving friday am. and putting in just east of tuliba
on davidson lake and heading up into wilson lake for some walleye
& lake trout fishing. there are a lot of good canoe routes in this
area. this past july we spent 10 days around wilson and up to
snowshoe and saw only one other canoe. only when we came back
down the bird river & got closer to elbow lake & tubiba did we
start seeing more canoes.

Thanks for this post. I'm always trying to find new places within my driving area to explore.

quote lars54: " only when we came back
down the bird river & got closer to elbow lake & tubiba did we
start seeing more canoes."

it does not appear many venture beyond Elbow into McGregor, at least that is what I observed too, aptly named, there are many birds along the Bird River, and beaver so boiling or filtering water is mandatory

their biffy's are a little luxurious :)

Thanks, I never knew about this place you speak of. It's a little far from chicago but you never know.

quote lars54: "snowshoe is an expermental
lake that as far as i know requires no backcountry camping permit
"

I believe that is not correct, no permit is required of Canadians, but foreigners, yes

I just got back today...at least to my cabin on the MN side. I wanted to make it all the way to WCPP but got stymied between Snowshoe and Chase. Either I couldn't find the portages or they were blocked about half way. Great trip though. Spent a few days on Snowshoe and explored a bit. I like some of the old "fishing camps". Great campsites, usually with a piece of plywood to fillet fish, 2 or 3 grills, some fantastic fireplaces, an old sardine cans, a piece or two of tackle and lots of untold history. Beautiful waterfalls, shield rock formations, fantastic fishing...good canoe country. I will disagree on the level of experience getting into Elbow Lake. More beer has flowed across them portages than water. Attached is a picture of a group on the way in. One was barefoot, no portage yokes, 4 tripping the portage with a satchel of fireworks. Elbow is a party lake for the most part from what I could see. On the way out I met an older guy (65 or so) with a younger 20 something kid. The old guy was smoking across the portage and lit another one up when I was talking to him. Life jackets in a plastic bag with some pillows..the wind was gusting 25 mph+ today. Hope they made it.

Anyhow, the Bird is a beautiful flowage. I will put a trip report together in a few weeks with a lot more pictures.

hobbydog

the square firering, is that on snowshoe, and the big rock
firering is just across the channel on a island???

quote hobbydog: "I will disagree on the level of experience getting into Elbow Lake. "

You can find a-holes in any wilderness, portages do not filter them. Portages do filter trippers though, the more portages, the fewer paddlers. However, you have to be careful of two things about that. Some parks have fly-in service, others have motor taxi service. A year ago in WC I encountered a group of a-holes on Glenn; they had flown in to Robinson.

The OP (in another thread)sounded like they were concerned about cost, the rugged access roads to WC, and since they are going with kids on a short trip, I thought recommending Bird River was a much better fit. Whether they take my suggestion or not is up to them.

Nopiming is different than WC for sure, whether it is “better” or not depends upon what you are looking for. The topography, flora, and fauna are the same, the management and clientele is different. Nopiming is kinda like the BWCA, an introduction/ entry point to an Ontario Provincial Park. The picture of the broken canoe below is the portage between Elbow & McGregor, few appear to go beyond Elbow, hopefully this canoe will convince them not to.

below are two pics of fire rings, the grate is Nopiming, the other, Woodland Caribou, I'll leave it to others to argue which of the fire rings in this thread is the bigger eyesore.

I did my WCPP solo this year from the Manitoba side. Started at Nopiming Provincial Park Beresford Lake, Manitoba.
This lake is a motor boat lake and entered from the boat ramp on this lake. There is a nice parking lot there to leave vehichle at.

It is about a 2 hour drive from the town of Lac Du Bonnett, Manitoba.
About the last 70 km or 50 miles is GRAVEL, but a real do able road in a car or a pickup. Not like the "Red Lake" entries.

There are motor boats and cabins and regular car camping campgrounds at Beresford Lake, and then about a 5 mile paddle up a creek to Garner Lake, which is East and on the way to WCPP. Boats can/do go up the river/stream to Garner Lake, and fish up there. Garner Lake is about 6 miles long East to West and is the SW entry into Woodland Caribou Provincial Park.

There are many nice camp sites on Garner Lake, and they are marked with signs (see photo).

I paid $30 for a permit to park in Manitoba Provincial Parks. This is an annual permit and is required when staying/parking in Manitoba.
Was a great place and there are many paddling destinations from this entry both in Manitoba and Ontario WCPP, as it is a 10.5 to 11 mile paddle to the EAST end of Garner Lake from Beresford Lake Campground.
Garner Lake on the EAST end is the Border between Manitoba and Ontario

Hope that Helps

SunCatcher

A couple video's of Beresford Lake and Paddling South On Beresford Lake Manitoba on way to Garner Lake Manitoba. This is the way to WCPP from the Manitoba side.

SunCatcher

Beresford Lake Boat Ramp Entry

Beresford Lake Paddling South

quote lars54: "hobbydog


the square firering, is that on snowshoe, and the big rock
firering is just across the channel on a island???"

That would be them.