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desertcanoe
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01/31/2014 11:49PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
We’re planning our first Quetico trip and want to go in from the north. We’re planning/hoping to go in on May 17 for 10 days (yeah, just don’t mention the “I” word, okay?). Experienced BWCA trippers, like to paddle, don’t fish. Scenic, solitude, wild is what we like, single portage, don’t mind work.

I’ve been reading other posts and have gathered a few notions that I’d appreciate any comments or feedback on. And I have a zillion questions. So here goes.

We’re thinking of entering at Nym/Stanton, going down to Sturgeon, across to Kawpini, looping back towards Sturgeon, and then heading back north. Good choice for someone that's never seen any of Q?

Nym or Stanton? Looks like Nym allows access to the the central region. I’ve read comments about Stanton as possibly preferable but I haven’t understood why?

Sturgeon and Kawnipi appear to be crossroads lakes. Kawpini a destination, Sturgeon not so much?

What about good routes going north/south? Jesse-Elizabeth route and the Dore route?

Looks like there’s lots to see and several different routes going east-west between Sturgeon and Kawpini. We should see the the falls at Split Rock, Chatterton and Snake, yes? What about the route between Camel and Heronshaw? Some interesting river travel? How about taking one going to Kawpini and the other back to Sturgeon?

I haven’t put miles on anything yet so…is Poohbah out of range? Worth it to go down from Sturgeon to Poohbah then across through Delahey to Kawpini or better to stay to the north and go east-west on the routes I mentioned above?

How many days to Agnes? Crazy far?

Totally new territory for us so any advice would be much appreciated.
 
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dentondoc
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02/01/2014 01:50AM  
Stanton gives you a shorter route to Sturgeon than entering from Nym, but you must use a Canadian outfitter to be able to use Stanton.

If you enter at Stanton and single portage, you could likely be as far as Chatterton (maybe Keats) by the end of Day 1. (That would be Stanton, Pickerel, Dore, Twin, Deaux Riv., Sturgeon, Russell ... as a route). Entering from Nym, you would not likely get much further than Sturgeon by the end of Day 1 (esp. if you use the Jesse, Elizabeth, Walter, Lonely route).

Reaching Kawnipi on Day 2 is possible with either route, but you'd be there reasonably early on Day 2 starting out at Keats ... you could even make in to Agnes (via Keewatin) with minimal effort. Going via Fred, Camel, Cub, Eag, Baird, Metacryst, Heronshaw takes longer, but is very scenic. Making it via this route to Agnes would be a very long day.

Going in May, you'd likely have plenty of water to easily travel all of the river sections (Deaux Riv. is the most problematic along the route ... others tend to have plenty of water). The only significant paddle against current would be between Sturgeon and Russell (as a paddle up as opposed to a portage around).

What is doable in terms of distance maybe shouldn't be your major concern. There are plenty of beautiful areas along any route you pick and the fishing (esp. in May) can be unbelievable. I'd recommend a somewhat slower pace where you can savor some of the splendor you will be passing thru. Some of the lakes you may not reach this year will still be there next year (or later). I much prefer a pace that allows the beauty of the wilderness to "soak into my soul."

dd
OldGreyGoose
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02/01/2014 10:43AM  
So many questions, so little time . . . =). General comments: IMO, Stanton is THE place to start if you're ONLY interested in getting a fast start. (But what's the hurry, you have 10 days!) Paddle down through Sturgeon to Fred, then take it SLOW up scenic and isolated Cutty Creek and wind up on Kawnipi. Take in the scenic, Poets Chain/falls -- take lots of pictures -- ending up on Russell. Then go back to Sturgeon, but take a right turn to Olifaunt and go through the "B" Chain -- slow going and scenic and solitude -- to Pickerel, then out at Stanton. --Goose
old_salt
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02/01/2014 11:01AM  
I agree with ogg. Take it easy. Not possible to see it all in one trip. I would pick a lake or two and focus there.
desertcanoe
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02/01/2014 01:00PM  
Thanks for the "take it easy" advise. "Soak into my soul" is just what we're after. We'd like to do a little traveling to just get a sense of the place but we don't plan to be in a hurry.

Goose, looks like we can do a loop between Sturgeon and Kawnipi and have a great route both east-bound and west-bound. Thanks.

Even though the B chain is within a day of the EP we'll have some solitude? I am not used to that.

I'm assuming not too many paddlers up there in late May? Is most of the Quetico use coming in across the border, rather than out of Atikokan? We went through there last summer and that was one sleepy town.

Stanton - less big water to cross with Stanton but still looks like some pretty open spots on Pickerel. Because of our drive on the 16th, getting an early start would mean not much sleep the night before. Probably should just shove ourselves out of bed and take a nap on a rock somewhere Day 1?

This will be our longest trip. With this much time and that route we should be able to "take it SLOW" plus have a layover day or two.

Jeez, I love having the maps out this time of year. All we need now is ice-out!
Thanks!

OldGreyGoose
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02/01/2014 01:20PM  
"Even though the B chain is within a day of the EP we'll have some solitude? I am not used to that." Yes. There are NO guarantees, but we saw just one group after Olifaunt until the outflow from Pickerel into Bisk (where a couple with no gear were fishing). Others have said that more people day-trip from Pickerel than go all the way through. The portage from Olifaunt to Fern is like 1160 meters(0.7 miles), and uphill. It is a beautiful area, and would be more "busy" if not for that. --Goose
dentondoc
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02/01/2014 02:28PM  
I'd guess 70-80% of the travelers use one of the southern EP's (LLC, PP, Gunflint area). So, your chances of having solitude are pretty decent ... I'd say more so in mid-May.

But sometimes you can be surprised. I've been in some heavy traffic areas and seen other canoes on a more or less daily basis (but very rarely are they camped close by, or even on the same lake). At other times, I've been in a heavy traffic area and seen no one for a good stretch of days. For example, I once took a trip to Kawnipi via Agnes using PP as the EP. Once I left Sunday Lake heading in, I saw no one other than my traveling companion until reaching the southern end of Agnes on the way out ... 11 days later. It was beginning to feel a little spooky (like the time I was in the wilderness during 9-11 and saw no one for many days).

dd
desertcanoe
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05/13/2015 10:17PM  
got iced out last year and did the Frost in BWCA instead. But in 9 days we'll try it again and be headed for the Poets Chain! And quiet. Thanks Dentondoc and OGG and oldsalt.
OldFingers57
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05/14/2015 07:34AM  
I did a route last year with a group that started at Nym Lake and then we went down thru Batch, Maria, Jessie, Elizabeth, Walter and Lonely, over to Sturgeon, Russell and Chatterton. Then returned up thru Sturgeon, Twin, Dore, and Pickerel and back to Batch and Nym. Beautiful scenery and great campsites. Saw very few people even though it was late July early August. Portages were not too bad. The falls at Chatterton and Split Rock were neat.

This year my wife and I are doing the B Chain and putting in at French lake and doing it clockwise. The worst portage will be the one from Fern to Olifaunt. It's 990 meters, so not too bad. The others are fairly short.
KCMOcat8
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05/15/2015 01:08PM  
I agree with Oldfingers. We did that route a few years back and saw the most wildlife of any of our trips. Fishing was good too! Saw pine marten, moose, and many beavers.
desertcanoe
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05/17/2015 08:10PM  
Thanks for all the knowledge and experience. We're headed up Cutty Creek, back west through the Poets, then Olifaunt and Fern to the Bs and back to Pickerel and Stanton.

Still undecided about the first leg going south. Anyone with thoughts on the Batch-Maria-Jesse-Elizabeth-Walter-Lonely-Sturgeon route vs the Dore-Twin-Deux Rivieres? I know that Dore etc is shorter/quicker. But Elizabeth-Lonely etc. sounds off the beaten path.

Wow, the discussion of Hoare on some other threads...Camel is on our route up Cutty. But my partner is wary of PMAs in the BWCA so...still, man, not much that lights me up more than old pines.

Thwarted
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05/18/2015 08:16AM  
I've been through Dore a few times now and it is very nice. If you have time I would go down the lakes because they seem less traveled and I've heard are beautiful. I have always had company through the Deaux R. The plan back up the B Chain is a must see. Keep the camera handy. Leave at least two days. Can your outfitter drop you at Nym/Batch and pick you up at Stanton? It's all good.
OldFingers57
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05/18/2015 12:30PM  
quote desertcanoe: "Thanks for all the knowledge and experience. We're headed up Cutty Creek, back west through the Poets, then Olifaunt and Fern to the Bs and back to Pickerel and Stanton.

Still undecided about the first leg going south. Anyone with thoughts on the Batch-Maria-Jesse-Elizabeth-Walter-Lonely-Sturgeon route vs the Dore-Twin-Deux Rivieres? I know that Dore etc is shorter/quicker. But Elizabeth-Lonely etc. sounds off the beaten path.

Wow, the discussion of Hoare on some other threads...Camel is on our route up Cutty. But my partner is wary of PMAs in the BWCA so...still, man, not much that lights me up more than old pines.

"


I thought the portage for Batch down thru jesse, Elizabeth and so on to Sturgeon were more difficult then the ones for Dore down.
05/18/2015 12:57PM  

quote OldFingers57: "I did a route last year with a group that started at Nym Lake and then we went down thru Batch, Maria, Jessie, Elizabeth, Walter and Lonely, over to Sturgeon, Russell and Chatterton. Then returned up thru Sturgeon, Twin, Dore, and Pickerel and back to Batch and Nym. Beautiful scenery and great campsites. Saw very few people even though it was late July early August. Portages were not too bad. The falls at Chatterton and Split Rock were neat.
"


Much like OldFingers57, I've traveled the aforementioned route several times. The route through Batch, Maria, Jessie, Elizabeth, Walter and Lonely, over to Sturgeon is more scenic in my opinion and less traveled. I have been that way in July, August and September and I have never "shared" a portage with anyone else. I experienced very few other travelers on Cutty Creek down through Camel Lake and back up until I hit Keats Lake and the "Poets Chain".

Going by way of Dore Lake, Twin Lakes, and down through Deux Rivieres can be slow going south of Twin Lakes due to beaver dams, potentially low water, and aquatic vegetation on Deux Rivieres.

Took a lay-over day on Olifaunt Lake in early June one year and only saw one other group pass through. The highlight on Olfifaunt Lake was a cow moose swimming across the lake with her two calves.

The long portage from Olifaunt to Fern wasn't all that bad and there are several side trails off of the portage that allows you great views of the canyon and rapids below.

Hard to go wrong with any route through that area. In general, I love going into Quetico via the northern Entry Points. Less people, but also some of the most beautiful areas of Quetico in my opinion.

Enjoy!

Hans Solo

(Pictured below from left to right, Olifaunt Campsite, Portage on the "B Chain" and wading up the Pickerel River.)


 
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