I just exited Quetico this morning. My bushwack was a success. Trip report coming as soon as I can get my "&$@ together. It was one hell of an experience!!!

Congrats on your accomplishment!!! Looking forward to the Trip Report details and photos.

I want to know if you caught a big fish.

I was betting against you. Can't wait to hear about it. This has you knocking on legend status. Mid summer? No way.

Congrats! You are a competent angler so it is going to be interesting to hear about your catches.

At long last! Glad you made it (knew you would). I'm guessing that you caught lots of pike, and that Zephira has dark water.

I cannot wait to see the report, and please post a few pics for us to drool over while we wait....Glad you're back

Very excited to read the report. Kind of jealous you got there before I did, but can't wait to hear what it was like.

Was it crowded?

Were there any camp sites open?

Were there any bugs?

Silence on the net, wallee? Still sleeping? We're all dying over here. :)

quote SaganagaJoe: "Silence on the net, wallee? Still sleeping? We're all dying over here. :)"

Hey He's probably tired from making it back out of Zephira

That followed by a very long drive home.

I'm sure the trip report will be something worth waiting for filled with all types of surprises, challenges, big fish and mermaids. I'm sure a lake as remote as Zephira must contain mermaids.

Mermaids are catch and release on Zephira I think.

;-)

I'm not home yet. And then heading for another trip until the first week of August. I'll fill you in a little bit tomorrow. I threw all the mermaids back, all I could catch were brunettes as I'm really partial to blondes. ;-)

All in jest of course - take your time getting home and enjoy the rest of your summer trips...

Great to hear! Looking forward to hearing more about your adventure!

I cant handle all this mystery. I have no idea why but i just read everything on this site about Zephira. I think its the name that just makes you feel like its someplace special. Please post this report or i will not be productive all day. Even a "fishing was awesome" or "fishing was not awesome" would suffice for a little while

bump....Wallee???? :)

Working on a report , should be done in a couple days....

quote walllee: "Working on a report , should be done in a couple days...."

OH YEAH!!! Take your time, I'll still be here.

quote walllee: "Working on a report , should be done in a couple days...."

Dude, you're killing us.

I understand that you, walllee, are about to begin (or are on) another trip and that is the reason for no trip report (I checked the Trip Reports) of your bushwhack into Zephira. Couldn't you have just provided a synopsis of your adventure weeks ago? I hate mysteries long unsolved!!!

Did you enter Zephira from Cache Lake or somehow from the east along Zephira Creek?

quote Canoodler: "I understand that you, walllee, are about to begin (or are on) another trip and that is the reason for no trip report (I checked the Trip Reports) of your bushwhack into Zephira. Couldn't you have just provided a synopsis of your adventure weeks ago? I hate mysteries long unsolved!!!


Did you enter Zephira from Cache Lake or somehow from the east along Zephira Creek? "

Just got back from a trout fishing trip in Northeast Iowa, and am leaving again for a BWCA trip in a few days. Here is a short synopsis of the trip. Entered Cache from Trousers in torrential downpour, was up to my waist in mud more then a few times. Hurt my knee doing the last leg past the creek to Cache. Stayed on Cache for 2 days before I attempted the bushwack into Zephira. I went up the creek and entered Zephira at its north end. I could not get the canoe to the lake with the condition of my knee. The bushwack only took a little over an hour, and went through some of the prettiest forest I have ever seen. The bay I fished looked like a classic Northern Pike bay. I made about 100 casts without even a strike, but it did not matter. Just to be there was enough thrill for me. I could not see a lot of the lake from where I was, but it looks like it would hold fish. The water was dark. I plan to go back sometime in the future. With a good leg, I could get the canoe in there in less then a day for sure. Cache held some of the darkest chocolate brown Lakers that I have seen. .....Well there it is in a nutshell!! I promise a better report later. The portage itself would make a entire report.

quote GirlOnARock: "You left the part out about the mermaids haha"

That is for the big report!!!!

Geese... waist deep mud and knee injury on the portage into Cache and that portage could take a whole report! Pins and needles... mermaids and chocolate brown lakers. Desert fish??? Hope your knee injury was, and is, minor.

Sounds like Zephira is void of fish. Likely why no one goes there or decided it worthwhile to create a portage.

quote AndySG: "
Sounds like Zephira is void of fish. Likely why no one goes there or decided it worthwhile to create a portage."

I don't think that is it at all Andy. The spot I entered was not a Good looking fishing spot, I new this when I first laid eyes on this muddy, shallow bay. I did not even begin to give this lake a good fishing test. Secondly the Canadian dnr folks were very eager to learn of my trip, they did not know anything about the lake themselves, and we're just as excited as I about the trip. The reason nobody goes there, and that there is no portage , is because the lake is a damn hard trip, that only a few of us would attempt. So your theory of Zephira being void of fish may or may not be true, but I think it holds some monster Fish , and so do many of the Folks in Atikokan.

I feel like there is more mystery now than ever

quote walllee: "

quote Canoodler: "I understand that you, walllee, are about to begin (or are on) another trip and that is the reason for no trip report (I checked the Trip Reports) of your bushwhack into Zephira. Couldn't you have just provided a synopsis of your adventure weeks ago? I hate mysteries long unsolved!!!



Did you enter Zephira from Cache Lake or somehow from the east along Zephira Creek? "

Just got back from a trout fishing trip in Northeast Iowa, and am leaving again for a BWCA trip in a few days. Here is a short synopsis of the trip. Entered Cache from Trousers in torrential downpour, was up to my waist in mud more then a few times. Hurt my knee doing the last leg past the creek to Cache. Stayed on Cache for 2 days before I attempted the bushwack into Zephira. I went up the creek and entered Zephira at its north end. I could not get the canoe to the lake with the condition of my knee. The bushwack only took a little over an hour, and went through some of the prettiest forest I have ever seen. The bay I fished looked like a classic Northern Pike bay. I made about 100 casts without even a strike, but it did not matter. Just to be there was enough thrill for me. I could not see a lot of the lake from where I was, but it looks like it would hold fish. The water was dark. I plan to go back sometime in the future. With a good leg, I could get the canoe in there in less then a day for sure. Cache held some of the darkest chocolate brown Lakers that I have seen. .....Well there it is in a nutshell!! I promise a better report later. The portage itself would make a entire report."

Glad to hear you could get up that creek far enough to get close to Zephira and make the bushwhack more tolerable. Sorry about the knee, and yeah, that Trousers-Cache portage can be a bear.

I know this may be unpopular here, but to me, fishing on Zephira isn't even the number one reason I'd want to go. It is just to get to a lake like that, that no one goes to.

That said, I have a hard time believing a lake that size, attached to a creek, in that area, wouldn't hold some nice fish.

It's a near certainty that Zephira contains fish. My bet would be pike. If the lake is reasonably deep, there could be some big ones. My suspicions that the lake is dark have already been confirmed.

Perhaps dark = shallow and mud bottom? It does in my neck of the woods.

trip report? photos? take pics during the bushwack? if so im sure we would all love to see them.

Have a few pictures of the stream, bushwhacked, and lake, but not a ton. Still working on report. Just haven't had much time, but it's coming along. Heading up north tomorrow,

whatever.

The Zephira mystery remains unsolved. Fishing from one spot, in one bay, on the shoreline is worthless intel.

quote Bushwacker: "The Zephira mystery remains unsolved. Fishing from one spot, in one bay, on the shoreline is worthless intel. "

We are all pretty much aware of that...

Walllee, I need a description of your bushwack route to Zephira. I'm thinking about going there next year with gear and a canoe. Although I've planned a couple of routes, but I'm curious how you got there. Hoping I can solve the Zephira mystery once and for all. Thanks.

quote AndySG: "Walllee, I need a description of your bushwack route to Zephira. I'm thinking about going there next year with gear and a canoe. Although I've planned a couple of routes, but I'm curious how you got there. Hoping I can solve the Zephira mystery once and for all. Thanks."

I have the track on my gps. I can send it to you when I get back home.

Cool...Thanks

Wallee
I would like to have those tracks also. You need to down load Spot tracks within a couple of weeks or they will be deleted if you have not already done so.
MagicPaddler

*bump*

I've been checking the thread and trip reports periodically, specifically for this report. Any news wallee???

quote DancesWithTrees: "*bump*


I've been checking the thread and trip reports periodically, specifically for this report. Any news wallee???
"

Report has been half done for a month! I plan to finish it up when I get some time. The Fall season has been crazy at my work. Just not enough hours in the day.

Here's Walllee's gps track to Zephira for those who are interested

Those are not my tracks to Zephira.

Walllee,

It sounds like you are definitely burning the candle at more than a few ends as they say. Work, wife, family, life and other crap life throws at us definitely is more important to focus on-we can be patient.

I doubt anyone is going to tackle a trip to Zephira until next year at this point, so I think you have a little time.

Let life settle down, enjoy some quality quiet time with your wife and family over the holidays and share the report with us before the ice melts next year.

My motto always has been "Happy Wife equals Happy Life!"

quote Bogwalker: "Walllee,


It sounds like you are definitely burning the candle at more than a few ends as they say. Work, wife, family, life and other crap life throws at us definitely is more important to focus on-we can be patient.


I doubt anyone is going to tackle a trip to Zephira until next year at this point, so I think you have a little time.


Let life settle down, enjoy some quality quiet time with your wife and family over the holidays and share the report with us before the ice melts next year.

My motto always has been "Happy Wife equals Happy Life!""

"A man's got to know his limitations" Clint Eastwood
Family first= no regrets
The woods will always be there.

Any updates on the status of this trip report? Did I miss it?

Sounded interesting, so I've been keeping an eye out for it.

I don't think it actually happened.....LOL

quote QueticoMike: "I don't think it actually happened.....LOL"

Oh, it happened!!!! Still got aches and pains to prove it.LOL!!! The report has been half done since Sept. Just haven't had the time or motivation to finish it. I will say that I did not catch a fish. My route took me to a shallow weedy bay. Without the canoe to explore the lake, all I was able to do was make casts from one spot. The bay shoreline was not walkable with the bad knee I hurt on the Cache portage in a all day deluge of cold, wet rainy lightning storm.

Just having fun with you, I figured you made it. Sucks you didn't have a better place to fish. Maybe a blow up belly boat next time, that would be interesting?

By the way walllee, I think you made it. I was just cracking a joke as well.

quote Bushwacker: "By the way walllee, I think you made it. I was just cracking a joke as well. "

I new you were kidding??. Quetico Mike hit it right. A belley boat would of been perfect, although I think I could of got the canoe in there in less then 3 hours . The bushwhack from the creek to the lake was not near as bad as I thought it would be. The size of some of the birch, aspens, and pines was unbelievable. Some of the moss and lichen beds I had to walk on were some of the thickest depth wise I have ever encountered. It was a pretty surreal experience.

quote walllee: "

quote Bushwacker: "By the way walllee, I think you made it. I was just cracking a joke as well. "

I new you were kidding??. Quetico Mike hit it right. A belley boat would of been perfect, although I think I could of got the canoe in there in less then 3 hours . The bushwhack from the creek to the lake was not near as bad as I thought it would be. The size of some of the birch, aspens, and pines was unbelievable. Some of the moss and lichen beds I had to walk on were some of the thickest depth wise I have ever encountered. It was a pretty surreal experience."

As I recall from a talk with a Ranger, some of the areas to the east and south of Cache are true old growth. Whereas the areas more around the northern parts of Cache are pretty recently logged. So there are probably patches of some very old forest back there.

The legend of Zephira grows further.

Just tell the truth Lee. We won't judge you, at least I won't.

Walllee send me a email or call me 630 000,0000

I already knew the water was dark, hence the line in my poem, from 16 years ago...


There Sits Zephira.....A poem by Stumpy.......

There sits Zephira
what mysteries she must hold
she moves a bit, but doesn't leave
just sits there, growing old
She's sat there for millenia
and will for many more
with visitors so scarce to call
that few have seen her shore.

There sits Zephira
guarded by trees growing tall
she sits beyond our comfort zone
a mystery to us all
we glance upon her picture
and quickly look away
then dream about another route
a simpler, easy way.

There sits Zephira
shes perfect in my dreams
with everything a man desires
"come fish me", she just screams
a ranger once flew by her
and then he told to me
she could be deep with 4 foot pike
her waters look like tea

There sits Zephira
I dream of fish like hogs
with jumping bass, a walleye cache
and pike as big as logs
but why no trail to her?
a portage she wont lend
is she, not worth visiting
or just a route dead-end

There sits Zephira
are her shorelines grand?
are they smooth or boldered
or maybe they are sand
are they thick with Jackpine?
or swamps to thick to tramp
or do they hide some secrets
a long-gone trappers camp?

There sits Zephira
and decades just might pass
till fire sweeps around her
and turns her wood to grass
and we may never see her
a hard bushwack she'd make
but until then, to me always
she'll be the perfect lake.

Stumpy check your email.

MP, you're the man to finally make it. Hope to read your trip report this year.

This is piquing my interest. I tried to get into Cache a season or two ago with hopes of maybe doing this before heading down the Cache River. I ran into bad weather and an aching body after getting to Trousers and decided to fish and head back out. Maybe this upcoming season is the time to give the Cache portage a try again and maybe bushwack into this lake --- is this still within Quetico and can you camp in there or is one generally limited to a day trip and back out again? Just curious at this point.

It's within the Q. Less than a mile from the eastern boundary. Typical Q rules apply.

MP, are you considering taking a shot at it in 2017? I've been trying to work things out with a crew for 2017 or 2018 myself.

One thing we've been bantering around is, inflatable canoes. They are sluggish on the water, but for a bushwhack like this, being able to carry the boat as a backpack would greatly improve the trek. Maybe.

quote DancesWithTrees: "MP, are you considering taking a shot at it in 2017? I've been trying to work things out with a crew for 2017 or 2018 myself.


One thing we've been bantering around is, inflatable canoes. They are sluggish on the water, but for a bushwhack like this, being able to carry the boat as a backpack would greatly improve the trek. Maybe.
"

No plans as of yet. Will need to see how other things pan out.

that's a great poem

This is my first post to the forum, but I have been following it for many years and most recently, the Zephira discussions. It has peaked my interest enough that my brother and I are planning to make the trek in June come hell or high water (hopefully not too high).

We've been wanting to try something completely "out there" that hasn't been done much, if at all, and this seems like the perfect opportunity.

I contacted a Quetico ranger last month and they still don't seem to know much of anything about the lake, but want to find out what we learn so that has us even more excited.

We've entered from Beaverhouse multiple times and PP so this will be a new area of the park for us. Any other advice that you experienced paddlers can provide on the trip into Cache would be greatly appreciated.

We understand the challenges that await a journey like this which is why we are excited to only be 5 months out now!

scotterw@yahoo.com

quote ksfishguy: "This is my first post to the forum, but I have been following it for many years and most recently, the Zephira discussions. It has peaked my interest enough that my brother and I are planning to make the trek in June come hell or high water (hopefully not too high).


We've been wanting to try something completely "out there" that hasn't been done much, if at all, and this seems like the perfect opportunity.


I contacted a Quetico ranger last month and they still don't seem to know much of anything about the lake, but want to find out what we learn so that has us even more excited.


We've entered from Beaverhouse multiple times and PP so this will be a new area of the park for us. Any other advice that you experienced paddlers can provide on the trip into Cache would be greatly appreciated.


We understand the challenges that await a journey like this which is why we are excited to only be 5 months out now!


scotterw@yahoo.com
"

Welcome to the forum and good luck with your trip!

quote ksfishguy: "This is my first post to the forum, but I have been following it for many years and most recently, the Zephira discussions. It has peaked my interest enough that my brother and I are planning to make the trek in June come hell or high water (hopefully not too high).


We've been wanting to try something completely "out there" that hasn't been done much, if at all, and this seems like the perfect opportunity.


I contacted a Quetico ranger last month and they still don't seem to know much of anything about the lake, but want to find out what we learn so that has us even more excited.


We've entered from Beaverhouse multiple times and PP so this will be a new area of the park for us. Any other advice that you experienced paddlers can provide on the trip into Cache would be greatly appreciated.


We understand the challenges that await a journey like this which is why we are excited to only be 5 months out now!


scotterw@yahoo.com
"

Welcome aboard, and that's great! Sadly I think my attempt would not be until 2018 earliest.

I've done the French Lake put-in, down through Baptism, Trousers, Cache, and on to MacKenzie, a number of times. I'm a big fan of that corner of the park. Feel free to email me (link envelope) if you want to chat about all that. Don't underestimate the work it takes to get to Cache in the first place.

As for getting to Zephira, you've probably seen all the info here. My high level take (and I think it's pretty common here) is that you have to try that unnamed creek from the east shore of Cache, get as far north as you can up to hopefully the old logging road cut, and then make your way east through the bush from that point. I laid out a sort of fan of routes from various points along the creek, for GPS use. Your bush crash would be anywhere from 1 to 2 miles, which as I'm sure you know in Quetico, can range from kinda slow going to a crawl.

Good luck!

quote ksfishguy: "This is my first post to the forum, but I have been following it for many years and most recently, the Zephira discussions. It has peaked my interest enough that my brother and I are planning to make the trek in June come hell or high water (hopefully not too high).


We've been wanting to try something completely "out there" that hasn't been done much, if at all, and this seems like the perfect opportunity.


I contacted a Quetico ranger last month and they still don't seem to know much of anything about the lake, but want to find out what we learn so that has us even more excited.


We've entered from Beaverhouse multiple times and PP so this will be a new area of the park for us. Any other advice that you experienced paddlers can provide on the trip into Cache would be greatly appreciated.


We understand the challenges that await a journey like this which is why we are excited to only be 5 months out now!


scotterw@yahoo.com
"

Welcome aboard, and that's great! Sadly I think my attempt would not be until 2018 earliest.

I've done the French Lake put-in, down through Baptism, Trousers, Cache, and on to MacKenzie, a number of times. I'm a big fan of that corner of the park. Feel free to email me (link envelope) if you want to chat about all that. Don't underestimate the work it takes to get to Cache in the first place.

As for getting to Zephira, you've probably seen all the info here. My high level take (and I think it's pretty common here) is that you have to try that unnamed creek from the east shore of Cache, get as far north as you can up to hopefully the old logging road cut, and then make your way east through the bush from that point. I laid out a sort of fan of routes from various points along the creek, for GPS use. Your bush crash would be anywhere from 1 to 2 miles, which as I'm sure you know in Quetico, can range from kinda slow going to a crawl.

Good luck!

Cut a good trail and take a fishing rod with ya......

Thanks everyone!

Dances, email has been sent.

I seem to remember a BWJ article about a trek down the Cache River after the long portages. That trip was at a time of high water and VERY challenging. Also sounded dangerous and with the likelyhood of getting lost due to not being able to really read the channel. Take extra precautions and be prepared to be somewhat stranded from time to time or worse. Not much help can be expected if a need comes up either. I would not take an inflatable boat. Walking out would be a problem, I would think. Good luck.

I seem to remember a BWJ article about a trek down the Cache River after the long portages. That trip was at a time of high water and VERY challenging. Also sounded dangerous and with the likelyhood of getting lost due to not being able to really read the channel. Take extra precautions and be prepared to be somewhat stranded from time to time or worse. Not much help can be expected if a need comes up either. I would not take an inflatable boat. Walking out would be a problem, I would think. Good luck.