Wondered if those familiar with the Man Chain might be able to help out. Wondered how many days you'd estimate to do a loop from Prairie portage, up the Man Chain with a lay over day maybe at Emerald Lake, then up to Silver falls or thereabouts and back down the Knife Chain back to Prairie. Wondered also if there were small lakes along the way up or back that you'd recommend. We are just two of us, mid 60's, experienced, but not wanting to push as hard as usual. Am doing some planning off a very old small map, so also can't tell if you can avoid going across Cache Bay on the way back down. And one last one, is there a Mckenzie map that might cover this route. Thanks so much for any info.

4 days - add 1 for a layover. I think you can go through Jasper to avoid Cache Bay.

Don't recall which MacKenzies - but several as I recall.

McKenzie #26 covers most of that area with 8, 9 and 27 filling in all the remaining spaces. You can do without 27 as it only covers a short section of That Man. The Quetico entry point is usually listed as Carp and that is an easier access than Emerald but then Emerald would be a side trip. You can avoid Cache Bay but will be hiking the Silver Falls trail to enjoy the falls and then backtracking a bit before cutting down through Lilypad and Jasper then Ottertrack to get to Knife. The portage between That Man and No Man can often be paddled through and the stream is a fun little trip itself. Four days will be enough you should have no problems with one layover. Finally you will be working off a Quetico permit and unable to camp on the US side along Knife unless you have a separate BWCA permit.
Welcome to our forum, you have a nice trip in mind, enjoy.

Funny. I sent Stu at BW Journal an email about this exact route today. I wish I could help you, but I'll just be reading replies. I'm planning this route for 2017.

It's not listed on my map but Slate lake has a nice island campsite on the east side of the lake just before you get to Saganagons. It was nice when I used it back in '04 anyway. Have fun. some interesting portages on the Man Chain.

If you go look at Silver Falls, be sure and troll a deep crankbait around the outflow area. I've picked up several 25 plus inch walleyes there. Two years ago my canoe buddy caught a 29 incher just at the edge of the current. Fun, fun, fun.

Terry

If you don't mind the smaller scale, Fisher map #32 covers most of this route on one sheet. My advice would be to take as much time as you can- we did the loop counterclockwise a couple years ago, September trip, paddling 5 or 6 hrs./day, put in Sunday, came out Sat. This allowed for a nice end-of-the-trip 1-1/2 day layover on Carp with a day trip over to Emerald. Also allowed for more solitude the second half of the trip, didn't see a soul Tuesday-Sat. If you go in at Moose, take the tow to Indian Portage and save yourself most of a day's paddle on both ends. We cut up through Jasper/Lilypad to Silver Falls, instead of the Cache Bay route.
One of my favorite trips ever- have a great time
Here's a relevant page from the Beymer guidebook:

If leaving from Prairie Portage on a wind-friendly day at 8ish with single carries, how far up the Man Chain can one expect to get?

Is it worthwhile to stay the night at Other Man, then tackle the portages into Sag and the Falls Chain, or better off to push into Bell Lake of further and get a few of those portages out of the way on an otherwise portage-easy day?

From Prairie Portage, 6 hours or so should put you at the top of That Man, if not beyond. Then it's another 6 or so into Bell- might as well get those three Other Man>Unnamed portages out of the way. There's a really nice, large campsite on a peninsula at the east end of Bell, just south of the portage.

To me the Man chain is some of the prettiest lakes around-why hurry out of them?

Did know a couple of guys skied from Ely(Moose lake) to That Man lake and back to Moose lake the same day. Quite a jaunt.

quote Pinetree: "To me the Man chain is some of the prettiest lakes around-why hurry out of them?

Did know a couple of guys skied from Ely(Moose lake) to That Man lake and back to Moose lake the same day. Quite a jaunt."

That's some serious skiing.

I know, why hurry through the man chain...it's tough! Part of a 100 mile trip and several other amazing areas of Quetico are lying in wait. we have a duff day or two worked in so if the 30" walleye are jumping into the boat and the sun is shining the second day may very well turn into a layover day!

quote Exo: "

quote Pinetree: "To me the Man chain is some of the prettiest lakes around-why hurry out of them?


Did know a couple of guys skied from Ely(Moose lake) to That Man lake and back to Moose lake the same day. Quite a jaunt."

That's some serious skiing.


I know, why hurry through the man chain...it's tough! Part of a 100 mile trip and several other amazing areas of Quetico are lying in wait. we have a duff day or two worked in so if the 30" walleye are jumping into the boat and the sun is shining the second day may very well turn into a layover day!"

It was at least one if not both the same people hold the canoe record in canoeing the Hunters loop in Quetico if your familiar with that race-challenge.

quote Pinetree: "

quote Exo: "

quote Pinetree: "To me the Man chain is some of the prettiest lakes around-why hurry out of them?



Did know a couple of guys skied from Ely(Moose lake) to That Man lake and back to Moose lake the same day. Quite a jaunt."

That's some serious skiing.



I know, why hurry through the man chain...it's tough! Part of a 100 mile trip and several other amazing areas of Quetico are lying in wait. we have a duff day or two worked in so if the 30" walleye are jumping into the boat and the sun is shining the second day may very well turn into a layover day!"

It was at least one if not both the same people hold the canoe record in canoeing the Hunters loop in Quetico if your familiar with that race-challenge."

Wasn't it around 30 hours or something crazy?