Anyone ever go in this way? I think it's up 702nd road near the town of Savant Lake (not the lake itself). Thoughts welcome.

I haven't been there, but take a look at the Wabakimi Project Maps, Volume 3. That route is covered there.
Volume 2 covers the area north and west of there.

I hope someone chimes in.
It looks like there is road access, but there could be washouts.
Or the road could exist but require 4WD.

quote jcavenagh: "I hope someone chimes in.
It looks like there is road access, but there could be washouts.
Or the road could exist but require 4WD."

Thanks jcavenagh. I am picking up at least vol.3 from uncle phil at copia. I may purchase another volume as well to cover my bases. I've looked at the road on google earth and it looks in good shape with a road leading down to the lake, but all of that could be dated info. I'm interested in exactly what you specified: 1) condition of the road, whether I can get my two-wheel drive car up there and 2) the route into Wilkie and the rest of the park.

Looks do-able from my research but would love a first hand account. Destination might be Glacier and a loop out but a lot will depend on water levels, portage conditions, and weather as always.

wintertrekker has done a route close by... 17 Day Solo-Part 1
He and Harlan run the wintertrekker website together. Maybe they have current info.

quote HighnDry: "

quote jcavenagh: "I hope someone chimes in.
It looks like there is road access, but there could be washouts.
Or the road could exist but require 4WD."

Thanks jcavenagh. I am picking up at least vol.3 from uncle phil at copia. I may purchase another volume as well to cover my bases. I've looked at the road on google earth and it looks in good shape with a road leading down to the lake, but all of that could be dated info. I'm interested in exactly what you specified: 1) condition of the road, whether I can get my two-wheel drive car up there and 2) the route into Wilkie and the rest of the park.


Looks do-able from my research but would love a first hand account. Destination might be Glacier and a loop out but a lot will depend on water levels, portage conditions, and weather as always."

Thanks for the link jcavenagh. I'm going to check that out. The lake destination above should have been 'Granite' not Glacier -- misread my maps! Thanks again.

Round about 80 mi. Nice looking route. A lot of small water.
How long you figure to be on the water?

quote jcavenagh: "Round about 80 mi. Nice looking route. A lot of small water.
How long you figure to be on the water?"

Thinking a trip of between 6 to 8 days. I always like to have a bailout option if weather is just lousy or some other conditions (blowdown, high water, etc.) conspires against me...or I just find a nice site/lake with good fishing and do not feel like pushing on. 80 miles or so would be an average of 10 - 13 miles or so per day depending on days so might be optimistic given that Wabakimi is a bit more wild if you will than say, BWCA (or Quetico for that matter). Good to know at this point.

Also, watched the youtube video of the solo trip. Had to put it away because I just wanted to load the gear and go...right now...with all the snow still on the ground...but I'll circle back to it in awhile as it's amazing to see the place you might get to firsthand. Great stuff and thanks for digging that up!

H&D- I just pulled out my WP Vol 3 map book and traced the route: Smye, Wilkie, Flindt, Gault, Termite, Brennan, Windfall, Snake, Beaver, Eagle, Dagger, Otter Bluff, Granite, Brennan, Stump, Gault, Flindt, Wilkie, Smye.

It's all there with campsites and portages.

As you may surmise...I'm jealous! :)
Have a great trip!!!

quote jcavenagh: "H&D- I just pulled out my WP Vol 3 map book and traced the route: Smye, Wilkie, Flindt, Gault, Termite, Brennan, Windfall, Snake, Beaver, Eagle, Dagger, Otter Bluff, Granite, Brennan, Stump, Gault, Flindt, Wilkie, Smye.


It's all there with campsites and portages.

As you may surmise...I'm jealous! :)
Have a great trip!!!"

Thanks. Thinking of a couple smaller loops on that one just in case it becomes too ambitious once in there. I think there' is an option to just loop around Flindt or to loop around Gault area or go up Brennan to the falls and then maybe back out same way or drop due south to Jeep - Challenge - Dagger and then out those 'bottom' lake routes you posted up there. I have a guy meeting up with me from the 'peg' so I think we have some good options to contemplate once we are in. Sometime around June 24/25th depending on my work schedule at this end (will go earlier if I can get things buttoned up sooner). You all are welcome to come! Heard from Uncle Phil that the road is maintained well enough up to Smye to make it accessible for a car so it should be a good put-in. What fun!

Lots of choices! Good news about the road access!

quote jcavenagh: "Lots of choices! Good news about the road access!"

Thanks. Have to get a couple topos maps together now and make some other arrangements. Will be good to talk to folks at Copia about much of this as well.

Does anyone have any intel on campsites, portages, swifts, etc on Windfall? I'm not seeing it on my planning maps or WP vol.3 maps. I'm expecting that there are at least a couple of each going to/from that lake and at least a campsite but I'm curious if anyone has any first-hand knowledge? Thanks.

quote HighnDry: "Does anyone have any intel on campsites, portages, swifts, etc on Windfall? I'm not seeing it on my planning maps or WP vol.3 maps. I'm expecting that there are at least a couple of each going to/from that lake and at least a campsite but I'm curious if anyone has any first-hand knowledge? Thanks."

Just an update on this: Last night I was perusing my maps and found the info on portages and locations of campsites for Windfall. So, I am set on that but if anyone has any suggestions for which campsites worked best or the portages in/out of Windfall -- that would be great! Looks like at least 3 sites on the lake with 3 portages in from Brennan and 3 out to Snake.

Arranged my permit to go in the 24th. Spoke with Shannon, park supertindent at length. He shared that the 702 road will be in good shape going up from Savant Lake. He advised caution due to potential logging activities/trucks and to take it slow in general. Crews will also have been moving about the park in late June but some portages may not have been cleared or more blowdown could still be present. He also reported that ice-out is expected for late May, most likely, this year. (Today they were getting pounded with rain in Thunder Bay -- so it's helping). Can't wait.

So, because it looks like there may be fire ban in BW next week, I sketched an alternate trip: Smye, Wilkie, Flindt, Gault, Termite, Stump, Gault, Flindt, Wilkie, Smye.
6 days/5 nights on the water.
35-38 miles total.
A nice leisurely 6 mi/day pace.
I don't fish so permit will be about $75.
Seems like a pretty good plan b.
I am calling it the Smye-GTS Loop Route.
If I get a fire ban, I'll just drive up to T-Bay and stop at the MNR office.
Then find my way up the 702...

This is a pool and drop, small water route suitable for my first solo, I do believe.

quote jcavenagh: "So, because it looks like there may be fire ban in BW next week, I sketched an alternate trip: Smye, Wilkie, Flindt, Gault, Termite, Stump, Gault, Flindt, Wilkie, Smye.
6 days/5 nights on the water.
35-38 miles total.
A nice leisurely 6 mi/day pace.
I don't fish so permit will be about $75.
Seems like a pretty good plan b.
I am calling it the Smye-GTS Loop Route.
If I get a fire ban, I'll just drive up to T-Bay and stop at the MNR office.
Then find my way up the 702...

This is a pool and drop, small water route suitable for my first solo, I do believe."

Good route. FWIW, a crown permit is worthwhile if you plan on arriving at the parking (look for the rock cairn, next to the 4-wheel drive track on right hand side of road after Km43) lot to Smye. A 20 min paddle up the channel will lead you to a good flat site on Smye for your first night. Look for the plastic lawn chair.

There's a good site on the north peninsula of Wilkie (it's the 2nd of 3 sites) which will give you a commanding view of Wilkie to the north and the islands N/NW of your view that you will paddle between to hit the channel up to Flindt.

DON'T step off of the solid ground landing on the Flindt side :)

Flindt's still fairly big water if wind comes up. I never made it over to the Gault portage (rain was coming in). Should be an excellent loop. If I wasn't taking my family west to Glacier NP for the next 2 weeks, I would be tempted to head back up there as well.

Enjoy your trip and we'll look for your trip report.

Thanks for the info!

Spent last night going over the maps with a fine tooth comb...I am pretty much useless at the office now...
Batteries for the camera are charged, SPOT has been set up and checked, clothes and gear packed(except down items which have a separate dry bag), still need to pick up some food things...

quote jcavenagh: "Spent last night going over the maps with a fine tooth comb...I am pretty much useless at the office now...
Batteries for the camera are charged, SPOT has been set up and checked, clothes and gear packed(except down items which have a separate dry bag), still need to pick up some food things..."

Hey jcavenagh, when are you coming back? I'll be interested to hear about current conditions up there. I'm going up there on August 16th...entering on Little Caribou and meandering south to join the Kopka River south of Aldridge Lake. Kind of wondering if a fire ban is a possibility and how much stove fuel to bring.

Fire Risk in park is Low;
Ontario Forest Fire Danger map

I expect to be back in Chicago on 8/16 or 8/17.

I think I might go a little crazy if I sit around too much. So I am toying with the idea of getting into Windfall Lake. I have added Windfall to my map set. I might go in, spend a night and paddle out the next day.

I did the Little Caribou entry to Schulz's Trail trip in 2011. If you want you can check my blog for a complete trip report and slide show.

We'll be gone by then. Oh well. Thanks for the map link. I had seen another map that showed a blob of moderate fire risk somewhere up there. But with the long range forecast calling for cool we should be OK. This is a three week trip so without the option of cooking on wood, I'd have to lug a whole gallon of fuel.

I have seen your trip report. Thanks.

I just spoke with Shannon, the Park Super. Nice guy, got me all set with permits. He emailed me the permit. I should be on Wilkie by mid-
afternoon of FRI.

ALSO...Shannon says permits will be available online next year.

I'm back. I learned 2 things:
1. I am not a solo canoe trip guy. I come from a big family and have always had people around me. I much prefer spending time chatting with others instead of being alone.
2. Solo tripping is far more fatiguing than I anticipated.

And those portages are some of the roughest, most primitive that I have ever crossed. I never did find the 41m portage in Smye Creek.

quote jcavenagh: "I'm back. I learned 2 things:
1. I am not a solo canoe trip guy. I come from a big family and have always had people around me. I much prefer spending time chatting with others instead of being alone.
2. Solo tripping is far more fatiguing thGan I anticipated.


And those portages are some of the roughest, most primitive that I have ever crossed. I never did find the 41m portage in Smye Creek."

Glad you made it back jcavenagh. Agree with your points in that solotripping isn't an easy experience. When I can, I team up with another solo going in which is what I did on my trip in this route in June. What kind of portage conditions did you encounter? Were there significant amounts of blowdowns across the trail?

We had to cut our way through the 131 rod to Wilkie from the last "lake" on Smye Creek in June. I could imagine with rain/wind since that time, for example, there could be more blowdowns across some of those portages. Where is the 41m portage on Smye? Is it that 43m portage (2nd one) coming from Smye Lake or are you thinking of another?

I'm still kicking around a 2nd trip up there but my window is closing for this season. Might have to be next year. Appreciate any other info -- sorry the solo experience didn't work out -- but I can empathize. Sometimes when I'm out there I think "this is the last time I do this alone!"....then I'm out there again :)

There was 1 big blowdown on Smye to Wilkie portage, but I was able to walk around to a spot I could step over.
The portage I never found is second one on Smye Creek and it is a little rapid flowing out toward Wilkie. I lined it going out bound. I looked and looked for the portage coming back. Finally just pulled the boat up through.

Hello? Is there anybody in this thread? It has been a month since anyone posted anything about Wab.
I think the portage from Flindt to Gault is passable.

quote jcavenagh: "Hello? Is there anybody in this thread? It has been a month since anyone posted anything about Wab.
I think the portage from Flindt to Gault is passable.
"

I think it is too! :) However it would be great to get some more recent intel on this one.

Let's do it, then.

I've looked over the work done maps o n the Wabakimi Project pages. We've gone down the Flindt River and points west, into Gault from the north east but have not gone through the portage joining them. It does not appear on the Work Required and Improvements Needed map. I guess you'll have to get Map Booklet 3 which cover the Ogoki River and Southern Tributaries.

quote goatroti: "I've looked over the work done maps o n the Wabakimi Project pages. We've gone down the Flindt River and points west, into Gault from the north east but have not gone through the portage joining them. It does not appear on the Work Required and Improvements Needed map. I guess you'll have to get Map Booklet 3 which cover the Ogoki River and Southern Tributaries."

I have thst bopklet and it's marked.

We (The Wabakimi Project) worked in that area in 2010. You can be sure it was cleaned and measured then. I personally cannot believe that a portage in that area would not be used fairly often as it joins two significant route areas in the park.

The fly-in lodge operators on Flindt report that their customers don't use it and they don't do any work with it.
It seems there may be two trails, one running almost straight east-west, and one running from the southwest to the northeast. I just want to go look and try it.
I thought I would do it last August, but I got sick and pulled out early.

ok...so here is the most recent info we have found on this portage...see 1/4/12 posts

quote jcavenagh: "ok...so here is the most recent info we have found on this portage...see 1/4/12 posts"

Well it still looks like fun. The better question will be to find out what the portages look like beyond Gault going to Brennan. I'm researching Corona 23inch saws :)

quote HighnDry: "

quote jcavenagh: "ok...so here is the most recent info we have found on this portage...see 1/4/12 posts"

I'm researching Corona 23inch saws :)"

Me. too. looks like about $100 for saw and sheath. This is something I can use around my yard so I have a good excuse for SWMBO.

OK. Packed and ready. Just a few last calls to make at the office. I should make it to Duluth tonight.

quote jcavenagh: "OK. Packed and ready. Just a few last calls to make at the office. I should make it to Duluth tonight."

Lucky, lucky Guy! Have a great trip!
Sunnybear

Hope you have a good trip! Looking forward to the report and pictures.

quote jcavenagh: "OK. Packed and ready. Just a few last calls to make at the office. I should make it to Duluth tonight."

Safe travels. See you on Stump or shortly thereafter!

quote jcavenagh: "ok...so here is the most recent info we have found on this portage...see 1/4/12 posts"

For anyone interested, the Flindt-Gault portage is open, fairly easy to find at the northern end of that bay and runs on a well-established rock ridge of granite. The front and back ends (last 10 rods perhaps) are a bit mushy as they run over mossy ground. Other than that, the trail is a very pleasant, level 175 rod portage which might end up being one of your easier portages your entire trip -- depending on your route choice.

For those that have done it-How would you feel about living a truck and canoe trailer at the Smye Lake entry point for a couple of weeks in August?

Thanks.

I left my vehicle there last year with no problems. There is a clear area on the left about 500 meters past the access trail to Smye Lake. Be aware the area is sandy, but there is enough hard surface area to get well off the road.

You may be able to drive your vehicle part way down the trail from 702 to Smye where there is a large gravel area. I decided against that, not wanting to risk dealing with what looked to me to be an overgrown, but wide, ATV trail.

I had difficulties finding the access trail as it was very overgrown. It is marked with flagging tape, but there are a couple of other trails in the area that are marked as well. I would suggest getting the GPS coordinates from the overhead imagery and using that to locate the proper trail. I believe the coordinates are also posted somewhere in this forum.

I am planning to be in that area in August as well. Have fun!

Don

Entry point coordinates:

50.3802778, -90.3695343

2015 I drove a Kia SUV into the parking area.
In 2016 I was able to pull a Prius into the parking area.
No issues.
Best to walk in the trail first to see conditions.
The parking area is well hidden, but is maintained.
I think MNR maintains it, but not sure.
Make sure you use the trail that is most north.
The other one is a very difficult put in thru a swamp.
The coordinates above show you the correct trail.
There was a small cairn about 18" high at the correct one....not sure if it still exists.

The four-wheel drive track is at or just passed the km 43 marker. Watch for the sign as you go up that dirt road.

I've had no problems parking at the gravel pit when I've been up there for a week or more. It's pretty hidden from the road. After some conversations with the local FN folks in Savant Lake, I'm not sure if even they go into Smye that much except for winter moose hunts.

Good info. Does anybody have current info on condition on Smye to Wilkie portages? A friend and I are entering on August 29th

John...the new owner of the Four Winds Motel in Savant Lake is arranging our shuttle. We're hopping the train back to Savant Lake a wee
k later.

On a different post jcavanagh said he was heading in that way on August 6th. Maybe he can update you when he returns? It will likely be before you head in . . .

I'm sure that you noticed that the thread is over 3 years old. I've been in/out of Smye several times --- once was to try to meet Jcavenaugh. He had injured his knee prior to going on that trip and it flared up when he was in. I came in after him and only found his boot marks up to Flindt! Anyway, it's a great, quiet entry point and beautiful. Well worth time and effort.

So...we are back...alive. Brutal.
We had to cut our way into the parking area all the way from the 701 Rd thru to the gravel lot.(About 400 ft of heavy work.) We broke our nippers almost immediately so we used a hatchet and 15" Sven saw. That took about 3 hours. There is still low brush, but I got my Prius thru. And we added orange tape to the blue tape so you should find it easily now.
(There was a guy from Michigan who used the swampy put in just to the west of the good one. The track into the swampy area is clear, but don't fall for it. There is a massive beaver dam after you slog thru the swamp.)
Portages - No maintenance for several years. Blow down all over the place. I didn't bring my big saw because I'm an idiot. Bring at least a 21" saw. If you have a 24" that will be even better. Just about every single portage was in so much worse condition than 2016 that I was completely surprised.
Also, the water is high and the trails are muddy and spongy.

If you can find the 191M portage that is supposed to be on Smye Creek at 50°23'04.2"N 90°18'11.8"W then you are a better man than me. We finally gave up and lined it both down and coming back up.

Because of the very poor conditions of the portages my buddy decided he did not want to try the portage from Flindt Lake into Gault. We do not know the length, (it looks to be about 750-800M) but we know that there is a lot of blow down. So we changed our route and went south on the Flindt River a bit.

If you are going from Flindt River north into the south end of Wilkie, bear right. DO NOT take the portage that is on the left and looks like the obvious choice. We orange taped the correct portage after 3 hours of being lost in the woods.

I am going to spend a few days licking my wounds. Good luck and God Speed.

Wow! What an “adventure “… We’re heading that direction in a couple of days and we’re planning on a loop that ends with crossing from Gault to Flindt. Did you take a look at the portage? Wondering if we should reconsider… and reroute. Thanks for the help.

FWIW, I just returned from a route that, in Fall 2021, was reported as having had only 1 blowdown on 25+ portages. My group agreed at end of this trip, an estimated 80% of the 25+ portages we crossed need basic maintenance - 50% had significant (crotch, chest, head - height) blowdown. We used a Gomboy 240mm and an Agawa boreal 21 (orange handle) on at least 30% of the trails we crossed. Could have done more but were frequently in a hurry to beat the storms. We had some pretty intense weather (wind, storms, heavy rain).

Wyopaddler, be prepared to scale back expectations of progress. For sure bring a saw, flagging tape if it's a bushwhack. That'd be my humble recommendation.

After 12 years/23 weeks of WP trips I grew tired of all the portage clearing work and we always carried a chain saw. I can only imagine what things are like after 4 years of no maintenance.

In 2017 myself and a partner did a WP trip over almost 3 weeks from Allanwater Bridge to Lake Nipigon and found the route totally cleared to Bukimiga Lk where there a good bush road out to Hwy 527. From Aldridge Creek to the Kopka Rv and all the way to Bukimiga Lk the route had been fully cleared by the park trail crew because it is a regularly used route for outfitter client trips. Earlier in the trip we took an alternate route on an old outfitter portage to save 5-6 miles of paddling. To do so we had to find and clear a 200-300m abandoned portage with hand tools. Those couple of hours reminded me of why I did not want to do anymore portage clearing work. I am not sure I will ever go back there.

I appreciate your opinion and will take it seriously. Can I ask what region you were traveling in?

wyopaddler: "Wow! What an “adventure “… We’re heading that direction in a couple of days and we’re planning on a loop that ends with crossing from Gault to Flindt. Did you take a look at the portage? Wondering if we should reconsider… and reroute. Thanks for the help."

"Adventure" is the word we chose after we got on the 599 Rd back to Ignace! We felt that "disaster" just put too negative a spin on it. :)
We did not even look at the Flindt-Gault portage. It was evident that our planned time limit would not allow us to complete the planned route. So we headed south.
The 185M P from Flindt River to Wilkie is in very good shape. Maybe it has had some maintenace, but it is flat and almost completely clear.

Yes, reduce tyour travel distance expectations. Please bring a big saw.

Oh, and if you can get powdered electrolytes to mix with your water I strongly recommend it. We were drinking constantly, but were not getting electrolytes. We both ended up pretty badly dehydrated.

My advice - take jcavenagh’s advice on electrolyte mix seriously. Get the mix with sugar in it, you’ll need the calories. Clearing work is quite demanding physically and will cause you to sweat profusely. And remember on all but two of my trips we always had a chain saw. Uncle Phil viewed the chain saw as so important that he had replacements flown in at great expense on several trips when we had breakdowns or lost the saw (which happened twice.)

I remember coming back from a 2 wk trip so exhausted that my wife made me go to the doctor. Further, it was not unusual to drop 5-10#, probably mostly water wt but my clothes sure fit better for awhile.

wyopaddler: "Wow! What an “adventure “… We’re heading that direction in a couple of days and we’re planning on a loop that ends with crossing from Gault to Flindt. Did you take a look at the portage? Wondering if we should reconsider… and reroute. Thanks for the help."

On June 5th, 2022 I used this portage from Flindt to Gault. It had obstacles but I got through it well. On my map I noted "long, hilly, rough but also lovely. Downed tress, needs some work".
Maybe this information helps.

Thanks for the intel everyone. We’ll report in when we get back.

Thanks for that info. Were the coordinates for The Smye entry that were posted earlier in this forum still accurate ? Still planning on attempting this entry on August 29th.

HighnDry: "

quote jcavenagh: "ok...so here is the most recent info we have found on this portage...see 1/4/12 posts"

For anyone interested, the Flindt-Gault portage is open, fairly easy to find at the northern end of that bay and runs on a well-established rock ridge of granite. The front and back ends (last 10 rods perhaps) are a bit mushy as they run over mossy ground. Other than that, the trail is a very pleasant, level 175 rod portage which might end up being one of your easier portages your entire trip -- depending on your route choice."

Just reposting this. The Flindt-Gault portage trail. There was an X made of sticks that marked the Flindt takeout side. The trail ends at Gault with about10 rods of mossy mud that runs in almost a gully down to the lake and a rocky granite outcropping. Gault is a beautiful island studded lake. Lots of eater-sized walleyes. The portage to Stump? is an easy 35 rod that winds through the woods to a cramped put-in (under a cedar) One big lowdown when I went through--I think that was 2016 or 2017. Nice north to south lake. One campsite at the north end. A creek empties out of the north end that will lead to the portage into that Allanwater.

OregonDave: "Thanks for that info. Were the coordinates for The Smye entry that were posted earlier in this forum still accurate ? Still planning on attempting this entry on August 29th.
"

Yes. Look for blue and orange flagging for the track into parking lot. (Orange high, blue low)
Also, when portaging to the water you want to go past the first spot that looks like the put in. If you use that put in you will have to climb over a huge beaver dam. Keep going down the trail a few hundred meters.

lt should be just after km marker 41, if I remember correctly.

Just got back. The trail to the put in is just after KM 39.

Jcavenagh,

Did someone in your group leave a pair of shoes on the 701 Rd by the access trail? I have them.

donr: "Jcavenagh,


Did someone in your group leave a pair of shoes on the 701 Rd by the access trail? I have them."

Yes. Please toss in the garbage.
We remembered after we got on 599.

jcavenaugh,

You referenced that 191m portage--which I've never been able to find either. I have a hunch that the "take out" for that portage is on river left about 100m or so on that side near a place where the shoreline looks like a natural takeout. There is a short granite ridge just beyond it and it looks like if you could scramble out there, there is very little underbrush -- or at least there was the last time I was up there --- where you could start your portage to make it around the gully on river left and pop out in the bay beyond the rocky stream.

Anyway, it's a theory I'll have to test the next time I'm up there....clearing a trail into Wilkie!

I spent about an hour looking for that portage with no luck. I did find some sawn logs, but no sign of a real trail. I gave up and lined my canoe down the stream, working around some downed trees that blocked the main channel. On the way back, I did my best to remove the obstacles and was able to pull my boat up the channel relatively easily. Unfortunately, I was not able to clear the stream completely and had to leave a large log in the middle of the stream. Perhaps a couple of guys can finish the job.

Made carrying my Katanaboy 500 worth the effort.

Does anyone on this board drive a blue minivan from Michigan?
And if so, did you enter via the swampy put in and go over the beaver dam sometime before 8/5/22?
We saw your vehicle and built a small Inuksuk behind the rear end.