Looking for an EP that's not too heavily traveled for May 10th. 7 to 8 day trip with not too long of portages. Any info will be helpful.

Hmmm, well - what's your limit on portage length? Or is it the total length of all portages that concerns you? Does it matter if it's short but difficult? Does the number of portages matter? Do you plan to travel every day? How far do you want to travel on the trip? Or do you plan to basecamp?

Are you considering Quetico or do you want to stay in the BW?

Would like to stay in the BW, portage lenght less than a 1/2 mile, a few portages are ok, short and difficult ok, like to base camp and explore from there. Thought about beartrap or thunder but maybe looking for less people, open for sugestions, always looking for a new adventure.

Almost anywhere along the border route will allow lots of potential to move long distance without long portages. You might want to head to Crooked Lake for a base camp location.

quote BeaV: "Almost anywhere along the border route will allow lots of potential to move long distance without long portages. You might want to head to Crooked Lake for a base camp location. "

which way would you take to Crooked Lake and not sure about bigger lakes with wind.

quote housty9: "

quote BeaV: "Almost anywhere along the border route will allow lots of potential to move long distance without long portages. You might want to head to Crooked Lake for a base camp location. "

which way would you take to Crooked Lake and not sure about bigger lakes with wind. "

current discussion

I will just be ending my 1st solo when you are heading in. I plan on doing the numbered lakes for my 1st solo. Pretty easy and think there should not be much for people that time of year.

quote housty9: "

quote BeaV: "Almost anywhere along the border route will allow lots of potential to move long distance without long portages. You might want to head to Crooked Lake for a base camp location. "

which way would you take to Crooked Lake and not sure about bigger lakes with wind. "

I was thinking going in from either Prairie Portage or if you want to avoid most of the big water of Basswood (especially in May) then enter at Wood Lake and work your way north.

You might consider an East Bearskin entry. The portages are short and easy all the way out to Crystal Lake. Crystal is a really nice lake with only two campsites. There are no routes that continue out of Crystal, although you can access a couple of smaller lakes without campsites. You can take the short portage to Canoe and daytrip to Johnson Falls or another short portage to Alder and a short portage to Pierz. You can come back out the same way if you don't want to take the longer, tougher portage to Pine to loop back that way.

quote boonie: "You might consider an East Bearskin entry. The portages are short and easy all the way out to Crystal Lake. Crystal is a really nice lake with only two campsites. There are no routes that continue out of Crystal, although you can access a couple of smaller lakes without campsites. You can take the short portage to Canoe and daytrip to Johnson Falls or another short portage to Alder and a short portage to Pierz. You can come back out the same way if you don't want to take the longer, tougher portage to Pine to loop back that way."

Thinking this route maybe a good one to take the wife in the fall, leaning towards Mudro for my spring trip, lots of options to choose from, plus this trip I like going out of Ely and stopping at VNO.

Mudro is a good one too. I went up through Fourtown, Boot, Fairy, Gun, Moosecamp...

I did the same loop as Boonie and enjoyed it very much. There's only one tough portage. It's the one going in to Fourtown.

quote TomT: "I did the same loop as Boonie and enjoyed it very much. There's only one tough portage. It's the one going in to Fourtown."

Been through that portage once but it was about 15 or more years ago, slippery when wet is what i,m told, hopefully no snow when i go.

quote housty9: "

quote TomT: "I did the same loop as Boonie and enjoyed it very much. There's only one tough portage. It's the one going in to Fourtown."

Been through that portage once but it was about 15 or more years ago, slippery when wet is what i,m told, hopefully no snow when i go. "

There are a couple of very steep rock sections on the 2nd and 3rd portages between Mudro and Fourtown, housty9 - take your time and be very careful there. On the third one you may just be able to go up the creek in the spring. Otherwise it's very easy portaging.