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ogarza
senior member (68)senior membersenior member
  
04/11/2016 04:21PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
Hi all,

Next September will be my first time in the Quetico, I have never been to the park.

I've spent hours planning the trip and I think I have one that makes sense, but since I have never been there, I'm not really sure if the trip makes sense.

We have 9 days (or maybe 8, depending on one of my friends).

I'm assuming we will do 1.5 portage (or x2 distance), there's three of us and 1 canoe.

Here is what I've come up with so far:

King's Point to Sarah (5:02, 9.8 miles, 3.6 portage)
go through Nest, Point, Isabella, Unnamed, Unnamed, Side

Sarah to Burt (4:27, 11.3 miles, 1 portage)
go through McIntyre, Paulene

Burt to Keefer (4:45, 7.7 miles, 2.4 portage)
go through Marj, Joyce, Unnamed, Kahshahpiwi

Keefer to Baird (4:57, 9.2 miles, 2.1 portage)
go through Sark, Cutty, Metacryst, Unnamed

Baird to Fred (4:55, 8.1 miles, 1.6 portage)
go through Cub, Eag, Cutty Creek, Camel, Nan, Cutty Creek

Fred to Jesse (6:38, 13.6 miles, 2 portage)
go through Heron Bay, Sturgeon, Lonely Creek, Lonely, Walter, Elizabeth

Jesse to Nym (5:21, 10.7 miles, 2.2 portage)
go through Maria, Pickerel, Batchewaung Bay, Little Batchewaung Bay, Batchewaung

..and we get picked up on Nym

Is it a good idea to go South to North? I've read some information that most of the flow is north, what about the wind? will it be all over the place?

We also would like 1 or 2 days for either layover or bad weather.

Thoughts?
 
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ogarza
senior member (68)senior membersenior member
  
04/11/2016 05:00PM  
Here is another route we are thinking, this one is 8 days, but 1 easy day, or we skip the easy day and go from russel to dore.

Same first 2 days, but instead of Keefer..

Burt to Trent
from Kahshahpiwi, instead of going to Keefer

Trent to Kawnipi (5:04, 14.3 miles, 2 portage)
go through Hurlburt, Payne, Keewatin

Kawnipi to Chatterton (5:28, 13.9 miles, 2 portage)
go through Shelley, Snake Falls, Keats, Split Rock Falls

Chatterton to Sturgeon (3:21, 9.5 miles, .5 portage) - easy day
go through Russel, Sturgeon Narrows

Sturgeon to Jesse (4:50, 10.5 miles, 2 portage)
go through Lonely Creek, Lonely, Walter, Elizabeth

Jesse to Nym
same as other trip

old_salt
distinguished member(2547)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
04/11/2016 05:44PM  
Depends on why you're tripping. If the goal is to cover water, either trip will do it. If you want a fishing trip, focus on a couple of lakes and spend some time there.
ogarza
senior member (68)senior membersenior member
  
04/11/2016 05:50PM  
Not really looking to fish, more about just enjoying the scenery.

billconner
distinguished member(8608)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberpower member
  
04/11/2016 06:32PM  
North to south costs less, about $6.50 per day per person, but may not be important to everyone.

PineKnot
distinguished member(2021)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
04/11/2016 06:47PM  
Been on most of the lakes you're looking at on both options. Your Option 1 route is great, but if you like seeing more larger waterfalls, then Option 2 (between Kawnipi and Russell) might be more to your liking.

Also, it seems to me that the portages may be bit more challenging on Option 2, especially from Kahshapiwi to Chatterton via Trant/Kawnipi.

You could head from Baird to Chatterton via McDougal or Keats if you wanted to also see Split Rock and Chatterton Falls.

As Bill noted, daily fees are less if you enter from the north, but if you enter from PP, you'll all need an RABC so it might be a wash.

It sounds like you'll be using shuttle service from your end point to get back to your starting point. Is this correct? If so, make sure you all bring your passports on your trip.

I could be wrong, but I think the stronger "prevailing" winds that time of year tend to come from the west and south, although I recall a couple years ago in July, we had 3-4 straight days of cold, nasty, strong northerly winds and rain that kept us on Russell near Chatterton Falls for an extra 2 days before we fought our way back through Sturgeon to Nym....so who knows?

ogarza
senior member (68)senior membersenior member
  
04/11/2016 07:52PM  
Thanks guys,

I'll make an option with the changes you propose and see what it looks like.

There is also a super lazy version where we go from Agnes to Kawnipi, its like 1.3 miles of portaging in 3 days, but I think this is our fall back plan.

We're flying to Canada, driving to Atikokan and then they are dropping us off at Kings Point by plane and then they pick us up an nym, so we stay on the canada side all the time.

GraniteCliffs
distinguished member(1981)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
04/11/2016 11:01PM  
Sounds like a great trip.

My only input is your first day, it seems to be quite a lot if you're planning on flying to Kings Point and getting to Sarah. Your packing, loading the canoe, flying, unloading, etc. will take time.

If it all goes well and you are able to start paddling fairly early in the day, you might be okay, but the trip to Sarah has a couple of longer portages and a number of average ones. If you are experienced folks, though, it is very doable even if you have to do the 1.5 portage.

04/12/2016 06:37AM  
That's an exciting trip plan. I love that no water will be doubled back on. I'll be in the same area with a Sarah Lk permit in early Sept. for 13 nights.

My only suggestion is to get all of your group in the best physical shape possible. Start humping a pack whenever you can and work out the paddling muscles. Also, doing squats is a great portage exercise. Nothing worse than being wiped out on day three and struggling the rest of the time.

Here's to the weather - cheers! Maybe we'll bump into each other. I'll be solo in a red canoe with a dog in the bow.

04/12/2016 08:10AM  
Welcome to the Board!

A 70 mile first trip sounds huge to me depending on your ages and previous experience.

Flights to Canada, rental(?) car, fly-in, pickup, lodging sounds like money is no object on this trip.

Wind is almost always a factor and it is hard to say if N-S is better than S-N. Wind direction always follows the lake length and is usually a headwind.

Have a great trip... look forward to the Trip Report!

Guest Paddler
  
04/12/2016 10:10AM  
Thanks all, we live nowhere close, so driving up there or taking our gear is out of the question, the flight to Canada is ~14 hours, hehe. We decided on the one way trip because we will probably only do this once.

We are torn between agnes, kawnipi and the falls to nym or going through kahshahpiwi and cutty creek to nym, I have not found a lot of videos online. I want one route, my friends wants the other, lol.

ogarza
senior member (68)senior membersenior member
  
04/12/2016 10:21AM  
Err, forgot to log in.
billconner
distinguished member(8608)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberpower member
  
04/12/2016 01:40PM  
quote PineKnot: "As Bill noted, daily fees are less if you enter from the north, but if you enter from PP, you'll all need an RABC so it might be a wash. "

Am I missing something here PK? It would seem to me that entering from the south is both higher fees plus expense of RABC. While it now sounds it doesn't matter, not sure what washes.

PineKnot
distinguished member(2021)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
04/12/2016 05:56PM  
Yup...you're correct, Bill....oops, I got it backwards....coming from the states, it's added travel time, gas cost and lower fees for a northern entry compared to less travel time, lower gas costs, higher entry fees, and RABC cost/hassle for the southern entry....
04/12/2016 07:16PM  
Ogarza, a 14 hour flight?? Care to share where you guys are from? Just curious is all.

It's gonna be one heck of a trip. Hopefully the weather gods are in a good mood for you.

ogarza
senior member (68)senior membersenior member
  
04/13/2016 08:27AM  
quote TomT: "Ogarza, a 14 hour flight?? Care to share where you guys are from? Just curious is all."

Mexico, it's about 9 hours to get to Toronto, so it needs to be an overnight flight which then turns into a long layover to catch the first flight to Thunder Bay, after that we need to rent a car and drive 120 miles or so to Atikokan and get there at around noon so we can get ready to head out the next day.

It's not pretty.

billconner
distinguished member(8608)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberpower member
  
04/13/2016 11:06AM  
quote PineKnot: "Yup...you're correct, Bill....oops, I got it backwards....coming from the states, it's added travel time, gas cost and lower fees for a northern entry compared to less travel time, lower gas costs, higher entry fees, and RABC cost/hassle for the southern entry...."

I agree - I too often overlook time and mileage for leisure activities as a "cost" but they are. For me, Atikokan is 2 1/2 hours and 150 miles further. I wonder if the fly-in costs are comparable or if especially with the current exchange rate its less from Atikokan.

billconner
distinguished member(8608)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberpower member
  
04/13/2016 11:12AM  
Orgaza - the trip sounds great. I'm 64 and can average 10-12 miles a day for a whole trip with double portages, but I don't fish. So it seems fine - and some beautiful territory - unless you fish a lot. The pone worry I'd have is bad weather on your fly in day. While your travel and fly in plans require a lot more planning than I usually do (like last minute trips and show up in Ely and see what permits are available) I'd want an alternate plan if the float plane is stuck on the ground for a day or more. Maybe that's when you decide to go north to south and hope they can pick you up on the last day.

Would love to read a trip report or at least a few pictures from the plane if you can. Best of luck, on the weather especially.

mgraber
distinguished member(1486)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
04/13/2016 04:35PM  
That sounds like a challenging but awesome trip. Those are some great areas. As was stated earlier, make sure you are in shape. Quetico is pretty challenging and many overestimate their abilities based on what some of us "older" people do but don't realize how much experience and knowing what to expect helps(or that some of these older folks are in terrific shape).If you guys are in decent shape and get moving at a decent time every day you will be fine. Good luck!
04/14/2016 06:04AM  
From Isabella there are a couple of different ways into Sarah. If you stay to the west of Side you can avoid 2 difficult hill portages. One is named Heart Attack Hill for good reason. I would consult the outfitter with your maps on this.

05/14/2016 05:32PM  
Oh, by the way...ogarza, welcome to our little den of insanity!
ogarza
senior member (68)senior membersenior member
  
08/15/2016 08:24AM  
Thanks all,

We have now a few options that we can talk to the outfitter when we arrive so we can adjust the course depending on current conditions, and our backup plan to bad weather on fly-in day is to do the trip in reverse. Not sure how it would work with the permit, but we asked the outfitter and they said it would not be a problem.

I'm really excited now as it is less than a month away.

We're taking a couple of HD action cams, a nice SLR, and approximately 1TB worth of SD cards, hopefully we can get some really good footage. :)
08/15/2016 09:45AM  
you mentioned not finding much for videos. Go to youtube and type "Dan Knutson Quetico". He has a lot of videos of many of the places on your intended route(s). All very well labeled as to where they are.....not very long vids and usually not narrated.....but it will give you some ideas of what you're getting into.
ogarza
senior member (68)senior membersenior member
  
08/15/2016 11:04AM  
I'm at work atm, but I will definitely check those videos out later tonight, thanks cowdoc
 
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