BWCA Little Gabbro to South Kawishiwi River Portages Boundary Waters Trip Planning Forum
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catmanjake
member (37)member
  
04/12/2008 03:27PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
I see that there are 2 different ways to get from Little Gabbro Lake to South Kawishiwi River. The west portage has 2 small portages while the east portage has one of 120 rods and another of 30 rods. As I've experienced before, not always do short portages mean the easier route.

Does anyone have any experience with these portages and which is the easier route?

Thanks,
Robert
 
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canoerone
distinguished member (439)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
04/12/2008 07:23PM  
CMJ,
I have been thru Little Gabbro and I do remember two different routes to get to the South Kawishiwi River. The western route has a 286-rod carry to Bruin Lake and then a 15-rod carry to the river. The north route is a single 125-rod portage to the river. Since the west route includes two portages (one over 280 rods), the north route is usually preferred. That trail starts out with a pretty good climb but then is an average trail from there to the river. It does seem to be longer than 125-rods, though. I hope this info is helpful.
canoerone
zeropointd
member (16)member
  
04/13/2008 01:08AM  
My crew did the 286 last summer in the pouring rain and I couldn't recommend that portage to anyone if you have another option. It was long, narrow, boggy in a few places, a number of blow downs...overall a real bear. Avoid it.
mr.barley
distinguished member(7231)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberpower member
  
04/13/2008 09:20AM  
The 125 rod portage is like a highway as I recall. Nice trail to walk. It also goes by an old wooden dam, which is kind of interesting.
04/14/2008 07:00AM  
Take the North route out. Easy portage and the river is good easy paddling. If you want to spice things up take the Bruin portage. As you know it is longer. Did not think it was too bad but there are no really great sites/views compared to paddling on the river. Todd
catmanjake
member (37)member
  
04/14/2008 02:16PM  
I see now where I may have confused people as I was not looking at the western portage to Bruin Lake.
What I am looking at are the 2 portage routes going North from Little Gabbro Lake into Kawishiwi River.
There is the one route that is a 122 rod portage. The other route shows a portage of 13 rods, paddle down the river and then a portage of 9 rods. This is a little west of the 125 rod portage.

I'm wondering which of these 2 routes are easier.

Thanks,
robert
04/14/2008 02:56PM  
I have only used the "EAST" one between the 2 campsites. There is an old damn there on the channel going out. That portage was nothing hard and nothing special. That is all I got for you. Todd
mr.barley
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04/14/2008 11:17PM  
My wife and I used the 8 and 10 rod (my Fisher map) to get to the S. Kawishishiwi River and reentered Little Gabbro on the 120 rodder. The 8 and the 10 ended up being a semi bushwack as I recall. I prefer the longer portage myself. It's nice back on the river.
04/15/2008 10:47AM  
I haven't been able to find the two shorter portages in both my trips and have heard from others that it is a pretty difficult bushwhack. Looking at where the landing would be from the river side, I can imagine that it's really tough. The 125 rodder has a difficult uphill climb from Little Gab and then is a pleasant walk back down to the river. Nice area once you're on the river. Nice campsites in the area and some easy portages if you're just passing thru.
Eagle81
  
07/23/2019 02:56PM  
We just returned from the BWCA. We entered on the So. Kawishiwi river and paddled up to Little Gabbro and then to Gabbro. On the way up we decided to be cute and avoid the 122 rod portage on the east route and take the west route with the "two" short portages. At the entrance to the narrows at the river we had to walk the canoes through the rapids on the way up we found three short portages (not 2) and we had to walk through rapids two times. At the up stream side of dam 2 we had to enter the canoes 40-50 feet from shore to avoid rocks. It was a challenge. It took our group of 8 and 4 overly packed canoes 4 hours. We all agreed that we experienced it though. We took the 122 rod portage on the way back and found it much easier and faster.

Othello
distinguished member (139)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
07/24/2019 11:13AM  
I took the western route (shorter portages) once...

ONCE.

Depending on time of year and water levels, the eastern 121 rd portage (#655) is easier and/or safer.
07/24/2019 03:23PM  
Since my post (wow, 11 years ago!) I went back to the area in 2015. Experienced the exact same thing as Eagle81. The wife and I scouted the first portage and she said no way. I talked her into it and by the end she was ready to stick me with a fillet knife. Just take the 120.

JD
billconner
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07/24/2019 05:41PM  
Took the west route a few years ago - floated over dam and through most of the rapids. Very interesting. No complaints about the portages....
 
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