Hey, New to this forum. Will be making my first BWCA solo trip in May.
Outfitter has me going in entry 47 Lizz/Swamp lakes. Good or bad idea.

I've done the PA portion of the Appilachain Trail solo, and paddled the upper Allegheny River solo. I haven't been to the BWCA in years and my research seems to bear out this is a good first solo trip. Will be having base camp with daily trips around the camp.

Any help greatly appreciated!

Welcome to BWCA.COM, enjoy, and be smart. You can read of my first solo. I don't think I'd like base camping - I like travel - but you'll have that option and I don't fish.

For a much more entertaining trip report about a first solo, and among the most read trip reports, read Corndog's .

Welcome on board DB!
IMO this is an excellent solo route. Not too difficult, nice mix of rivers, small and large lakes, lots of moose (especially between Horseshoe & Vista), good fishing ops (Gaskin, etc., only Northerns in Winchell, though), pretty scenery (especially the hills of Winchell), fewer people (most of the time, anyhow), and some great campsites to choose from. One piece of advice would be to opt to paddle from west to east on the big waters of Winchell to avoid struggles with the wind and waves.
Enjoy!!

quote DaBurgh: "Hey, New to this forum. Will be making my first BWCA solo trip in May. Outfitter has me going in entry 47 Lizz/Swamp lakes. Good or bad idea."

Welcome DB!

Good or bad idea??? Definitely a good idea!!!

I love this area. I did a trip out of EP 47 for my kids first canoe trip and found it to be just strenuous enough to be a challenge for the kids in terms of portaging and truly one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. We have been back to this area several times and it never disappoints.

Watch out for the soul/sole sucking mud on Lizz when you reach the Lizz to Caribou portage. It will suck the shoes right off your feet if your are not careful.

Horseshoe and the river area near the turn to Vista is known for moose sightings so keep your eyes open.

The Vista end of the Horseshoe to Vista portage is an ankle breaker boulder field. Take your time to find a good foothold as you pick your way through to launch your canoe. The southern most campsite on Vista is a stunner if you are planning on camping on that lake.

Have a great trip!

I did my first Bwca solo there last May and it was great. The weather could have been better, but my goal was to see a moose and by about 10 am the first morning I saw one. I enjoyed Horseshoe lake and the surrounding area. Have a great time!

Welcome Aboard! I agree w/ the others that it's a great area for a first solo. Lots of options of places to go and most of the lakes are smaller. Allen and Pillsbury have fewer people around than the other lakes in that area. Omega is my favorite BWCA lake so far.

For a much more entertaining trip report about a first solo, and among the most read trip reports, read Corndog's ."

I have Solo'd but have not read this trip report before. I cried, I was laughing so hard.

but really, Just go for it. With the right attitude, all trips are perfect.

Thanks for the replys everybody, see yinz on the water!

I was on a solo in that area last Sept. Rockwood Outfitters shuttled me over to EP #50 and I paddled down to Long Island and across Muskeg-Kiskadinna-Omega-Henson-Pillsbery-Allen to Horseshoe, then I exited through Caribou-Lizz to Poplar Lake and returned to Rockwood. There's a trip report with some pictures of the area. Horseshoe is a beautiful lake and so is Omega. Where are you planning to basecamp? Day trip to?

"Where are you planning to base..." Undecided. Horseshow looks nice on the map and appears to have decent access to a number of other lakes. I probably won't make a decission until I talk with the outfitter and see some suggestions on this blog. I see for my entry date there is only 1 permit left and days befor and after still have entire quota available and some with 2 or 3 available. So for now it is wait and see.

Just looked at map and Meads Lake camp site looks nice, maybe base camp there.

great choice for a first solo, cool area. my first solo was a basecamp on perent....hated it and swore id never go alone again, way too much down time. well, i tried another and found out moving everyday (when possible) did the trick for me. this is my pinnacle trip to date. hunter island and now i want something bigger.

continueing to look at map of EP 47 there appears to be many choices I think I'll be having a great week. Thanks again for your comments!

Welcome "DaBurgh"

It would appear that Lizz Lake, (EP #47) is a popular choice for solo canoe trips. In fact, I did my first BWCAW solo trip in the late summer of 1986 via EP #47. I've included a brief trip report of my experience below.

I set off on the trip with my English Setter "Lady", and "Lady" and I did a decent tour of that area. After entering the BWCAW at Lizz Lake, I paddled and portaged through Horseshoe-Vista-Little Trout-Rum, and out to the fire service road through Ram Lake. After portaging out of Ram Lake to the fire road, I re-entered the BWCAW by way of the South Brule River & Bower Trout Lake, which equals approx. 480 rods per Robert Beymer's Guide Book. After the long portage' from to the South Brule River, I then traveled west through Bower Trout-Marshall-Swan-Vernon and Brule Lake.

Once on Brule, I headed north through the "Cone Lakes", then east through Cliff-Winchell-Omega-Hensen-Pillsbury-Caribou, and then back to my starting point at the "Windigo Lodge" on Poplar Lake, where I had left my vehicle earlier in the week. (That "Windigo Lodge", which was built in 1975, burned down five years later. Sad to say, seven people died in that blaze.)

The surrounding area had a lot to offer. There were beautiful intimate lakes that were relatively unaffected by winds, with the exception of Brule Lake. There was Moose, lovely scenery, (I love the hills surrounding Winchell & Marshall Lakes), ruins of the Smith-Alger Logging Camp on the 292 rod portage from Swan Lake to Vernon Lake, and relative solitude for the BWCAW.

There's was also the "Aboriginal Maiden", a 12' concrete statue on Brule Lake, which is no more. (Robert Beymer also refers to the statue as the "Spirit of Brule Lake" in Vol. 2 of his BWCAW Guide Book.)

Statue on Brule Lake

Although I had done solo trips on several Wisconsin Rivers before, it was my first solo canoe trip in the BWCAW. I soon discovered I had bad case of "wanderlust". Although I took one lay-over day, it drove me nuts. Much like "kanoes" mentioned, there is something about paddling and portaging day after day, and setting up a new campsite every night, miles away from the campsite you called home the night before. (Every solo canoe trip since, has been that way for me.)

As I've mentioned in other solo tripping threads, solo canoe trips have a different dynamic than canoe trips with others. You discover a lot about yourself and your abilities. Although I still enjoy canoe trips with my family and friends, I "need" at least one good solo trip a year to re-discover myself.

I hope you enjoy your first trip through EP #47 as much as I did. I'm not suggesting that you travel the route I did, but don't be surprised if you're smitten with the "wanderlust bug", and decide to do more traveling than you may have originally intended.

Hans Solo

quote luft: "

quote DaBurgh: "Hey, New to this forum. Will be making my first BWCA solo trip in May. Outfitter has me going in entry 47 Lizz/Swamp lakes. Good or bad idea."

Welcome DB!

Watch out for the soul/sole sucking mud on Lizz when you reach the Lizz to Caribou portage. It will suck the shoes right off your feet if your are not careful.


Horseshoe and the river area near the turn to Vista is known for moose sightings so keep your eyes open.


The Vista end of the Horseshoe to Vista portage is an ankle breaker boulder field. Take your time to find a good foothold as you pick your way through to launch your canoe. The southern most campsite on Vista is a stunner if you are planning on camping on that lake.
Have a great trip!"

Good Info here! I remember warning my wife of the muskeg on Lizz and "Plop," there she went (LOL)! I helped her out and 2nd load on the portage, despite knowing about it, I got a little too close and "Plop," down I went too (LOL)!

That portage to vista is a "Bugger." The rocks seemed to be spaced just so you can't get good footing. But Vista and Misquah are pretty lakes.

If you like to fish, walleye is pretty good and smallies fair on Horseshoe. I always like to stay on Caribou on the way in for my last night as there are a couple good walleye reefs there too. The long skinny lakes from Henson to Omega are northern lakes. Omega is pretty, and Otto Lakes usually stays secluded and is full of northerns.

That area is pretty much all boreal forest, not as many hardwoods it seems. But, I do love that area. You will have fun!

Hans, Ozarkpaddler, Great stories of your adventures, making me impatient for my May 29 getaway. Hopefully as I head to BWCA I won't get too many tickets trying to break land speed records from Pittsburgh to the Gunflint Trail!

DaBurgh-

Food for thought if you're driving - You'll probably get routed through Chicago and up as the fastest way, which is the way I went in the beginning. I have never gone that way since discovering the drive up through Michigan from Toledo, then across Michigan's U.P. and Wisconsin. Chicago is presumably an hour or two faster, but highly dependent on traffic. I make better time across the U.P. than the routing assumes, except for all those scenery stops :). It is definitely a much more scenic and relaxed drive.

quote boonie: "DaBurgh-


Food for thought if you're driving - You'll probably get routed through Chicago and up as the fastest way, which is the way I went in the beginning. I have never gone that way since discovering the drive up through Michigan from Toledo, then across Michigan's U.P. and Wisconsin. Chicago is presumably an hour or two faster, but highly dependent on traffic. I make better time across the U.P. than the routing assumes, except for all those scenery stops :). It is definitely a much more scenic and relaxed drive."

Oh ditto so much.. I think rush hour is eternal in Chicago! I was there last year..and forgot how bad it could be.. but we were on our way to Madison WI. An Illinois paddler told me that you could go way south of Chicago and around, but I forget the route.

BOONIE, Yellow Canoe, thanks for the tips. When I went to Ear Falls ONT a few years ago 3As routed me through Chi town then up through Wisconsin to Superior/Duluth. Boy the traffic both ways in and around Chicago added a couple hours to the ride. I have friends in the UP so it will make a good stop!

quote DaBurgh: "BOONIE, Yellow Canoe, thanks for the tips. When I went to Ear Falls ONT a few years ago 3As routed me through Chi town then up through Wisconsin to Superior/Duluth. Boy the traffic both ways in and around Chicago added a couple hours to the ride. I have friends in the UP so it will make a good stop!"

Definitely a good plan on the UP route. I just did your trip in reverse a few weeks ago and went through Chicago as I was headed from and to Minneapolis. Chicago traffic and the multiple toll stops/charges on the route were the pits!

Hey Boonie............. what would be a good route to get from the Twin Cities through the UP and down to Columbus? We may be making that drive this summer I really really do not want to go through Chicago.

Good route for a first bwca solo. Smallish, easy to navigate lakes, easy portages, fishing opportunity. I've camped on caribou, vista and horseshoe, all nice lakes.

I would personally want to paddle Winchell or omega for the scenery if I find myself in the area again. I haven't been to either but have heard plenty of good things.

quote ducks: "Hey Boonie............. what would be a good route to get from the Twin Cities through the UP and down to Columbus? We may be making that drive this summer I really really do not want to go through Chicago."

Ducks-

I'm usually headed for Duluth, so you might have to adjust a little, but there's basically two ways across the U. P. - a northern route through Marquette to Ironwood and a southern one through Escanaba.

I go north through OH on the turnpike by Cleveland to Toledo rather than through Columbus, but otherwise it's the same. It's Rt 23 out of Toledo to I-75 N across the Mackinac Bridge. Then it's west on Rt 2 along Lake Michigan. I turn north at R. 77 to Seney, which takes me right by Seney National Wildlife Refuge, then west on Rt. 28 through Marquette to Wakefield, MI, which is where Rt. 2 comes up from the south and takes me over to Superior/Duluth.

Depending on your plans and time, i.e. do you need to get there and back as fast as possible or...?, If so, you'll want to take the southern route. The question then is which way to get to Escanaba? You'll have a better idea of that than me.

It's pretty straightforward for you once you know how and where you're getting to Rt. 2. You have to cross the Mackinac Bridge to Mackinac City, take I-75 S and Rt. 23 S to Toledo. I'd guess from looking at the map that your best bet is just to continue S on Rt. 23 (and I-75 again) until Rt. 23 heads off to Columbus. Columbus is pretty easy to get around - I-270 circles it and several major highways bisect it.

If it's a trip where you have extra time, there's a lot of nice scenery and places to see in the U.P. and WI. You might even take the northern route one way, the southern the other.

Have a nice trip and let me know if I can answer any other questions.