Hello! Was looking for any recommendations for about a 10 day trip out of Cache Bay in mid-June. I originally was thinking of the Triple K loop but am rethinking due to some good feedback on another post (thanks marsonite).

I'll be looking for solitude, photography opportunities (hopefully wildlife) and some fishing from camp. I did the Man Chain last year and loved it, but would like to go more into the interior of the Q. Any ideas or good spots to hit would be very appreciated. Thanks!!

You want less traveled areas? 10 days? OK, go to Russell Lake, down the rapids into Sturgeon, loop back east into Fred Lake, and do the string of portages east through Cub Lake. You can loop out more east however you want. Lots of short portages, deep in the center of the park, and a very poorly traveled area.

Second option is to go to Kawnipi, head north east up the Waiwag River, up Mack Creek (careful, easy to miss it) and take the string of creeks and portages southwest to Kenny Lake.

Great trips both and not for novices and not for some one week trip.

I assume you have a good reason for going out of Cache Bay instead of Prairie. Prairie Portage is has more options for loop trips without backtracking. For visiting the interior of the Quetico from Cache Bay, you are limited to the falls chain.

Another thought I had similar to eyedoc would be to leave the Poet's chain earlier and hit Mcdougal, then head to Camel, down to Veron and Delahay, Brent, McIntyre, Sarah. That's going to get you some remote feeling country. Heading east from there you could head to the southern end of Agnes by a number of different routes and take Louisa, Glacier, etc. back to the falls chain.

For scenery, my favorite part of the Q is Mcintyre, Sarah, Tuck, Kahshawapiwi, with clear lakes, cliffs, and virgin red pine forests.

quote Eyedocron: "You want less traveled areas? 10 days? OK, go to Russell Lake, down the rapids into Sturgeon, loop back east into Fred Lake, and do the string of portages east through Cub Lake. You can loop out more east however you want. Lots of short portages, deep in the center of the park, and a very poorly traveled area.


Second option is to go to Kawnipi, head north east up the Waiwag River, up Mack Creek (careful, easy to miss it) and take the string of creeks and portages southwest to Kenny Lake.


Great trips both and not for novices and not for some one week trip."

Thanks! The Waiwag river sounds pretty intriguing, I'll have to look into that.

quote marsonite: "I assume you have a good reason for going out of Cache Bay instead of Prairie. Prairie Portage is has more options for loop trips without backtracking. For visiting the interior of the Quetico from Cache Bay, you are limited to the falls chain.

Another thought I had similar to eyedoc would be to leave the Poet's chain earlier and hit Mcdougal, then head to Camel, down to Veron and Delahay, Brent, McIntyre, Sarah. That's going to get you some remote feeling country. Heading east from there you could head to the southern end of Agnes by a number of different routes and take Louisa, Glacier, etc. back to the falls chain.

For scenery, my favorite part of the Q is Mcintyre, Sarah, Tuck, Kahshawapiwi, with clear lakes, cliffs, and virgin red pine forests. "

Thanks for the info marsonite! And to be honest, I don't have a very good reason to go out of Cache Bay. I went out of there last year and liked the outfitter I worked with, but it doesn't really make sense for me this year considering what I'm looking for. Prairie Portage it is!

We did the Waiwag trip out of Prairie Portage about 15 years ago. Physically adventurous, but delightful if you have about 10-11 days. Not a one week trip. This is not the trip report area, but I can summarize and provide details upon request.
Crew of 4 and double portaging with aluminum 17 foot canoes (free, good price).
3 days Moose Lake, Prairie Portage, Bayley Bay, Burke Lake, North Bay, Shade Lake, Silence Lake, upper 1/2 of Agnes, Middle Agnes River, Kawnipi.
Full day up Waiwag River, Mack Creek (if you do this trip watch for it).
Half day down a string of portages, small creeks, and small lakes to the point camp on Kenny Lake.
Day and a half layover on Kenny with wade fishing below Kennybas Falls (I can explain this in a private EMail).
Long day up the Falls Chain, Dead Man Portage, Saganagons Lake and to Bell Lake top of Man Chain.
Layover day Bell Lake, then Man Chain and back to Moose Lake and home.
Including the 15 hour drive overnight each way this totaled 12 days.
Beware of the wind on Bayley Bay. If it is up, do this entire trip counter clockwise instead of clockwise.

Maybe I missed it above but I think the McEwen Chain from Falls Chain to Agnes is one of the nicest and best routes I've taken. We didn't see a another person for three days. Would be a great part of a 10 day trip.

A favorite trip of mine we did out of Cache Bay, which was a nice week and got a nice mix of scenic and classic (falls chain) and remote (the segments before the chain)...

Travel Day 1 Cache Bay - Silver Falls - Saganagons, then
Travel Day 2 Bitchu-Ross-Cullen-Munro (Cullen and Munro are nice little lakes)

from there you can go one of two ways. The way we went...
Travel Day 3 The unnamed river/lakes going W and SW from Munro to Kenny
Travel Day 4 Kenny - Falls Chain - Saganagons
Travel Day 5 - Cache Bay and out

Or the alternate from Cullen/Munro for more travel and more remote time (which I have not done)...
Travel Day 3 Munro - Mack (Mack has lots of old growth, good fishing I'm told)
Travel Day 4 Mack - Wawiag River (downstream) - Kawa Bay, Kawnipi
Travel Day 5 Kawnipi - Kenny - Falls Chain - Saganagons
Travel Day 6 - Cache Bay and out

Add layover days between as desired, for fishing or whatever. When we did that loop, we didn't see another soul from Bitchu to Kenny, and that river seemed to have been untravelled for some time (though both portages were maintained that year).