My wife and I are going to take our first trip up to the BWCA the last week of August or first week of September. We have one week off, so I'm thinking with travel time and a day to recuperate we'll have 6-7 days in the BWCA itself. I'm hoping to get people's advice because I really want my wife to enjoy the trip so that she'll want to come back!

I'm thinking a relatively light trip would be ideal--maybe stretching a 3 day trip into those 6-7 days, so that we can linger at some sites or basecamp a few days and fish. We're not particularly good at fishing (just started), but we're just looking to have fun.

I've been eying the Clearwater route (Clearwater-West Pike-East Pike-John-Little John-McFarland-Pine-Little Caribou-Caribou-Clearwater). On the outfitter website it says it takes 3-5 days, so I don't know how leisurely that'd actually be, especially given the size of those lakes and all the wind that comes with that. Though maybe we could do the West Pike to Pine portage to keep the trip a little shorter (I know that's a pretty tough portage--but the photographs I've seen of all the bluffs in this area really make me want to go there!)

I'm not set on having to do a loop either. But I would really like to paddle and hang out on lakes with a lot of granite and pine trees, and I've been told the arrowhead region is ideal for that.

Starting out at East Bearskin and paddling up to the Alder/Canoe/Pine/Crystal Lake area also seems like a nice one that would allow for base-camping with a lot of short day trips (including Johnson Falls).

Ideally we'd like a trip with no wind, no portaging, no bugs, and no people :)

What do people think?

I think your original route will be fine. Very scenic and easy in five days. Some highlights would be: the Palisades on Clearwater (along with very transparent water and some nice campsites), scenic vistas and a couple of really nice campsites on West Pike (as well as some overlooks from the Border Route Trail), fantastic smallmouth and pike fishing on East Pike, decent walleye fishing and Johnson Falls at the western part of Pine Lake.

You can't go wrong with that part of the BWCA. Just find a campsite early.

Alder and canoe are decent lakes and easy portages. The eastern campsite on crystal is secluded if that is important to you. Some lakers in crystal. Johnson falls is a fun hike from canoe lake! If palisades are paramount(pun intended),then Clearwater is an awesome choice.have fun!

Your route suggestions sound great.
Clearwater-McFarland-Clearwater: 910 rods (if you single portage) 34 miles

If your wife likes the outdoors you could probably take her anywhere in the BW and she would be happy!

Keys to keeping first-timers happy on a BW trip (IMO):
- moderate portaging
- smaller lakes
- find out what they want to see/do (falls, cliffs, smaller lakes, bluffs, overlooks, fishing, etc)
- appropriate length of trip

Both areas are really scenic. Both have great fishing, both allow a trip to Johnson's falls which is worth while. Try fishing where the creek from the falls enters into Pine. Nonstop smallies, even for beginners.

The Clearwater loop in 6 to 7 days has some room for layover and/or wind bound days. With Pine, Clearwater and West Pike, wind bound for a bit a possibility. There are some amazing sites to see on this loop. Border Route Trail overlooks, Clearwater palisades.

The East Bearskin-->Alder area is really nice for day trips. 1)Hike the Canoe-->Pine portage to Johnson's Falls, 2)Crystal to Spaulding: Spaulding Lake has ruins of a Miner's cabin you can find by bushwacking. Crystal is a really pretty lake to me, great place to spend a day fishing. The western campsite is for mountain goats. Both Alder and Canoe have some really good campsites. The portages in the area are all nice and relatively short and easy if you avoid portaging canoe and kit over the Canoe to Pine. Easy portages makes for an happy first trip. 6-7 days would be a long base camp though.

No People? Probably not in this area. I suppose Crystal or Pierz may see less traffic.

Have fun, either choice will be a beautiful area, and should provide opportunity for a wonderful trip.

mcfarland has some tacky cabins, kind of a disappointment in the middle of a trip. anytime i am in this area i feel that i have to get to mountain lake, one of the best lakes in the bwca.

Make sure to hike the portage from Clearwater to Mountian. Several spots with breathtaking views along the border.

Is going from Clearwater up to Mountain and on to Moose (and potentially turning around and going back from there) a nicer trip? I thought I read somewhere motors are allowed on Mountain Lake on the Canadian side.

I figure if my wife has pretty views and nice campsites (in terms of pretty sites, pretty views) she'll be happy. I'll just be happy to be out in the wilderness (with my granite and pine trees...)

The Mountain Lake route just doesn't seem to leave much room for detours--the only detour I see is to Pemmican lake. Which is fine if Mountain and Moose are about the most beautiful and serene lakes in the BW... And beautiful views would impress her more than Johnson Falls.

As for the Clearwater route-- I agree the cabins would sort of ruin things was thinking of skipping McFarland (most of it) by portaging from East Pike to McFarland (I only see that portage listed on some maps though...). East Pike to Pine was the other option--I figured that'd be the only portage of the day if we go that way.

Or we could just start at EP 68-70. I figure it's not to bad if you start/end near civilization...

I can be pretty indecisive--I know we'll love wherever we go. But if we're looking for a little more solitude, beautiful and serene wilderness, is any of those three routes better? (Part of the Border loop vs Clearwater Loop vs East Bearskin)

I know this seems silly--sort of like asking "if you could spend just one day in Yosemite, what would you do--sit down on a rock and cry." I'm hoping to come back again and again. But if you could only do one of these trips (or some others I didn't mention), and do it in a relaxed manner, what would you choose?

I'm leaning towards the Clearwater route--I know it's a beautiful trip and we always have the option of turning back around West Pike or East Pike if we're taking things too leisurely to finish the trip.

(Or should we be going to Caribou-Little Caribou-Pine in case we end up just turning around instead of finishing the loop?)

Sorry for all the questions. I really do feel like a kid in a candy shop. Or an adult in a photography store. (Or hardware or outdoor equipment store...)

How would your wife feel about a sandy beach campsite for a couple days? I know that the Alice Lake/Insula Lake area has many sites with really nice sand beaches. Imagine that perfect warm summer day, setting the chairs out on a sand beach that stretches for a hundred yards or so, sharing a box of wine while watching the perfect sunset.

I don't know, just came to mind. I have not been in that area for 40 years but plan on going back this year. Quite sure that there is plenty of granite and pines too. Thomas lake narrows, pictographs on Fishdance, others here can speak better to what it offers. Seems like a trip that would fit your time frame well.

The Pike lakes are really pretty. I have never thought that Pine was particularly nice, just big. Johnson Falls is really nice though.
The trip I suggest would have more variety than just several long west to east lakes where wind could be an issue. And no McFarland lake. How about the rest of you - agree or disagree?

I remember my first trip into the bwca. We kept it on the simple side,and learned quite a bit by making our own mistakes! Enjoy your decision and have fun planning,traveling to and from, and being there! If you really want a good meal after coming out,let me suggest the trail center restaurant .they have the best food on planet earth IMHO ! Take care!

Clearwater Loop Slideshow of loop described Clearwater east to McFarland west to Caribou Sept. 2009.
Excellent travel conditions only needed 2 nites for whole route, spent a week relaxing. Do not let the homes/cabins on McFarland dissuade you, you'll pass them up after 60 minutes of paddling and sightseeing. McFarland leads you under a small picturesque road bridge and one of the more scenic bluffs on this route.
Take the time to stop in at Clearwater Resort.
I camped at Flour Lake nites before and after.

butthead

+1 what butthead said. this route is too nice to let a few cabins and a few maybe motor boats keep you from doing it. rather than pine lake i would do the border, you have plenty of time.

I am doing this route with my daughters in June. Spending the night @ Clearwater before we put in and we are taking the border route route. Plan on returning via either the Pikes or Pine and then play around in the Caribou, Canoe, Crystal area before heading back to Clearwater.

This is one of the most scenic areas in all of the BWCA, in my opinion. Another here who agrees with Butthead; the cabins are not a reason to avoid McFarland, although you can bypass McFarland by taking the Royal River into John Lake and that into East Pike. That route gives you a couple of longer portages, but I enjoy portages and so do my girls.

quote jamotrade: "Make sure to hike the portage from Clearwater to Mountian. Several spots with breathtaking views along the border."

+1

Well I think I'm settling on a Clearwater loop--you guys just have me wondering whether I should do the border loop or the loop through Pike lakes, McFarland and Pine. I'm leaning more towards the latter because it's a little shorter so if we run into bad weather we won't be as rushed

If I do go the border loop route, is the better/more scenic way to return via East/West Pike or through Pine?

Thanks for all your help--I really appreciate it.

Not too different scenery wise. Pine is impressively large and long! Watch out for wind! The campsites on pine are decent and some afford a nice view for evening star gazing. The campsites we encountered on mountain and moose were a disappointment . Ok at best. One nice one on John lake near the outlet. The cliffs on mountain made it very exiting,however. Got a large walleye on moose! She is still swimming! Good luck!

I'd vote for the looping through the Pike Lakes. I really like West Pike. The campsite across the lake (to the north) from the island is one of my favorites. I'll second though, the comments to make camp early. On a few trips it has seemed that nearly every campsite is taken on most lakes. However, on a couple trips at the height of summer I've nearly had the place to my self. Hard to predict.

very pretty area, Just a word of caution , Pine Lake can get pretty rough on a windy day The high banks and straight East West orientation seem to create a wind tunnel effect...... one of the hardest paddles I have endured. 8 hours of non stop paddling from little caribou to Mc Farland ...I think only 7 Miles ....Ugh