I'm planning on entering lake one and heading west down the Kawishiwi. Does anyone know if that stream right before the 18 rod portage could be paddled/lined?

If I'm remembering it correctly, no. Too much vertical rise....but it is easy to portage, and That may be the one that I've body surfed in Tevas and a lifevest.

If you're talking about that little creek before the first portage, then I'll give it a maybe. I walked up that creek from the downstream side in late August when the water was really low. At that point, there would be no way to float it, but there was a lot of silver and green scrapes on the rocks, so somebody has run it, most likely in higher water. You can skip the next portage by running the rapids on the way down. Interesting old logging artifacts along this rapids. The third portage is something like 40 or 60 rods. It begins with a pretty difficult uphill climb but after that it isn't too bad. You'll have about a 2 minute paddle to the next portage, which is a quick lift over to avoid the waterfall pictured below. I've seen some canoe scrapes on the rocks over the falls, but I sure wouldn't try it. After that you've got a long way to go before the next portages.

Thanks that helps a lot. I'll take the portage then since I'll be bringing my seven year old son. Couple years ago I shot the rapids above and below Murphy's Fall. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, took longer than portaging and it was hard work to carry the canoe around the fall.

Murphys Falls as in the falls along the 220 rod portage? You're a brave soul! I've shot that first set into the small pond but never took the next leg down towards the falls. From that pond we dragged the canoe up the hill and took the portage the rest of the way.



Murphys waterfall. Same place, but in the winter.

jdevries - You should tell your stern paddler that he has his bent shaft paddle reversed!

Nice picture apart from that.

That's my brother. He knows that, but he had just launched right next to where the water was boiling over the falls and he was more concerned about which side of the canoe pointed up than which side of the paddle he used. He could have launched further down the shore where I did, but then he would have been behind me and not gotten the preferred fishing hole. He was all laughs about beating me and catching some really nice fish until I started posting this picture.

I reverse my paddle like that to do draw strokes. I thought maybe he was just maneuvering the stern.