Did 5 days out of Brant...up thru Flying, Fay, Chub River, Seahorse, French, Gillis, Crooked.....then took a bushwack to get to Tusc via Jerry/Garret/Matthew that took over 4 hours. Those connecting creeks are all steep walled gorges....20,30, up to 50 foot high. I was able to walk right in the creek beds. Pretty tired when I got to Tusc. Next day did the Howl Swamp to Copper, Snipe and spent my last night on Missing Link. Felt good to just have one portage left between me and a hot shower and a meal that someone else cooked.
Weather was good except for a fair amount of wind.

Sounds like a good trip. I'm heading in that way in 6 days but don't plan for the bushwhacking. Was there any sign others had been through those creeks recently?

No footprints or trails, but when I picked what I thought was the path of least resistance through brushier spots, once every so often I would find a branch snapped back....not a recent snap....but maybe earlier this summer?

quote cowdoc: "No footprints or trails, but when I picked what I thought was the path of least resistance through brushier spots, once every so often I would find a branch snapped back....not a recent snap....but maybe earlier this summer?"

Evidence of sasquatch.

The place had a squatch odor.....er....mighta been me....

excellent. sounds like a great trip

quote cowdoc: "The place had a squatch odor.....er....mighta been me...."

Any weird feelings of being watched?

I won't be doing the bushwhack, cowdoc . . .but how was the trip from Tusc to Snipe through Copper - nice country?

quote boonie: "I won't be doing the bushwhack, cowdoc . . .but how was the trip from Tusc to Snipe through Copper - nice country?"

That was an excellent part of the trip. Howl portage is nice....rolling through some big woods. Copper is a pretty little lake. The last 3 portages are kinda tough. Copper to Snipe, Snipe to ML, ML to Round. The Copper to Snipe is pretty flooded on Copper end. People have blazed a new trail to get to start of real portage....it's a little tricky.
I was really looking forward to a fun little paddle down the Chub River but it was a wind tunnel that day and kinda ruined it for me. Spent more time digging into the wind than enjoying scenery.

Glad you had a good trip, might have try some bushwhacking next year.

Thanks, cowdoc - I'm looking forward to it. I'll be going the other direction - from Snipe to Tusc. I think I have some notes about that portage to Copper.

quote cowdoc: "Did 5 days out of Brant...up thru Flying, Fay, Chub River, Seahorse, French, Gillis, Crooked.....then took a bushwack to get to Tusc via Jerry/Garret/Matthew that took over 4 hours. Those connecting creeks are all steep walled gorges....20,30, up to 50 foot high. I was able to walk right in the creek beds. Pretty tired when I got to Tusc. Next day did the Howl Swamp to Copper, Snipe and spent my last night on Missing Link. Felt good to just have one portage left between me and a hot shower and a meal that someone else cooked.
Weather was good except for a fair amount of wind."

Thanks for the report. I've been eyeing that route as a possible trip into Little Sag at some point. How were your portages out to French? The bushwack into Tusk sounds like it was an experience :) Glad you're back safe and sound.

After Flying, I took the 90 to Fay and then paddled the Chub River to Seahorse and then French. That was my 2nd favorite part of route. When I got back, some people had told my outfitter that the portages out of Flying headed for Bingshick were all flooded from beavers and were muddy and very difficult to even find (under water)

Finally loaded some pictures. The ones labelled "Jerry to Tusc" are the ones through the PMA. solo pics

awesome photos...... thanks for sharing.

Nice shots of the bears around the Cross Bay EP. My wife and I hiked the Centenial Trail at the end of Aug. and there were piles of bear scat everywhere. Later that day when driving back from the end of the Gunflint Trail we saw a bear on the Gunflint Trail right at the turn off to Cross Bay/Round.

Nice to see those pics, cowdoc. I thought Snipe was a really neat lake (my 1st time there) and Copper was a pretty little lake. I often wish there could be a campsite (just 1) on some of these smaller lakes. The Howl Swamp portage was a very interesting trip. Oddly enough that was one of the few places I ran into other people - right at the beaver dam in the middle of it. Tuscarora was a pretty lake too - I also stayed at that southern campsite with the beach on the way through. I stayed at the middle campsite on Missing Link the last night so I'd have a short exit the last day. The bears were still there when I exited and walked from Round down to Cross Bay to retrieve my car.