We have been hashing about our route for a while now...first it was Beaverhouse to Twin Falls....or flying into Clay Lake....but it has boiled down to a Quetico Favorites Trip....here is a preliminary route map.....could go either way. Circles are possible campsites.

Awesome !! How many days ??

Do I remember correctly that we met many years ago in Quetico. If its the occasion I'm thinking about, you were paddling tandem (maybe front seat) and had just finished the portages coming south out of Conmee into Brent. I was running solo (with a QJ decal on my canoe) and fishing in the bay just after the portages.

dd

10 days
June 10 -20 ???
Conmee into Brent....ya I think that was us.

Great route, but I would swing a bit farther east and include Conmee and Suzanette, as long as you're in the area.

So, you've been to the area before. What kind of advice are you looking for?

If you add Suz, that would put you on 2 lakes with message caches ... and Suz is a favorite of mine anyway.

dd

Any campsite info on the Roland Chain & Argo? I also remember hearing about a camp on Earl, any know about that? We keep waffling about Suzanette, I think we want to stay more time in the Elk & Ted Area rather than Suzanette...but we could change our minds.

I would check the PCD (Paddlers Campsite Database). I know there is at least one very nice site on Earl.

The nicest camp I found on Earl is on the NE point of the large bay in the middle. It has nice rock/water interface and a fantastic ramp of ledge rock up to the ridge behind the camp. One of my favorite sites, though really only accommodates smaller groups.

Nice! Thanks We are just 3, so I guess that's a smaller group, I think we will have 1 tent and one or two hammocks. We fished thru there last time and had so much fun,catch & release, we forgot to look at campsites.

I believe the campsite on Roland (8Y) is a bit further west than you marked on your map. It is a decent campsite, but when I was on it last year, a large tree on the shoreline had toppled, which rendered part of the site less useful. It does have a few trees that would be suitable for hammock hanging.

Actually, I preferred campsite on Middle Roland (8D), but the fishing was comparatively superior on Roland. If you are traveling north thru there, go ahead and paddle up the channel to make the portage between Middle Roland and Roland a tad shorter. There is a decent landing on the left as you go up the channel until you reach a point beyond which you cannot proceed. The small waterfalls along the portage are quite nice.

dd

So you've experienced the fat little orangish lakers of Earl. On one my earlier trips this year I paddled the shoreline of the little lake to the east of Earl on the north route to McIntyre. I did not have fishing gear, but my guess would be that lake (lets call her "little Earl") probably holds lakers as well.

fishguts- PM sent

Tom

We sent in our registration to Jordan's Outfitters today,
for our June 2014 Western Quetico Trip....so we are committed!!
We are driving from Oregon in 2 days....1 stop for some sleep then on through!! Looking to get our permit for early June. FANTASTIC!!

quote fishguts: "We sent in our registration to Jordan's Outfitters today,
for our June 2014 Western Quetico Trip....so we are committed!!
We are driving from Oregon in 2 days....1 stop for some sleep then on through!! Looking to get our permit for early June. FANTASTIC!!"

Sounds like a great adventure. FYI, you might see my group in there as well at that time as we are heading in via Maligne to Poobah and swing out via your northern loop. Nothing solidified yet as we are still recruiting (armtwisting) our 3rd and 4th...but it will happen! One canoe will be a black Bell Northwind and the other a flesh toned Champlain with a BWCA and Inukshuk on bow & stern....we'll do our best, I'm sure....to stay 'invisible'....but just in case you spot us from a distance....

HighnDry,
We will keep our eyes peeled, we will have an SR 17 and a Solo...both Kevlar rentals. The SR 17 is from Jordan's Outfitter, the solo probably from Canoe Country Outfitters. :-)

Regarding campsites on Argo, last year I stayed at the site you have circled on Birch Island, or maybe it's just to the east of your mark. Nice elevated site with lovely views. Argo is such a gorgeous lake. I caught this laker where your line passes between the point and the island.

Hi Fishguts-I posted on the other Quetico forum and it turns out we are taking almost the exact same trip as you except I am contemplating going up the Poohbah through the memory lane portages and exiting at Twin Falls. We have 10 days planned but I dont know if I am up to upstream paddling and those long mucky portages. Anyway seems like our tastes in lakes are similar-maybe we will see you

Ya! papszoo,
Sounds like similar trips.....ours is designed so we can cut it short at any time and fish longer where we are or move on ....we want to spend some time at the end fishing Wicksteed and Gratton. Just love those Northerns & Largemouth.....
first part of trip- smallmouth & Trout
Middle part Walleye & smallmouth
end part Largemouth & Northerns.

Your trip starts the day after ours ends....maybe we should get together in Ely on the 20th and we could give you the scoop on our trip??

fishguts

Thanks for the offer fishguts. Would be great to pick your brain-but we drive to Crane lake and take the tow to Zups where we stay the day before we paddle in. That gets us to the first portage earlier. So we wont be in Ely. Hope you have a great trip.