I took my 2 boys up to Kawnipi last year and had a blast. Looking for ideas for another trip this year. They are looking for a challenge, remote travel, fishing is important but not the primary reason for going. We will have at least 9 days near the end of May, but could have 12 depending on start date of a summer internship. We generally like to stay 2 nights on each campsite, but occasionally travel 2 consecutive days. Any thoughts greatly appreciated.

Are you open to a north side entry?

dd

quote dentondoc: "Are you open to a north side entry?

dd"

I think so. It's about a 6 hour drive to Atikoken for us.

I don't know your route to Kawanipi but, assuming your travel every other day for 9-12 days is like my travel every day for 5-6, hard to beat McEwen Chain for some of the things you ask for. We did PP, Man Chain, part way up Falls Chain, McEwen, Louisa, Agnes, and PP. Another is PP up through Side, Kashapiwi, Trant, S-Chain, and PP. Or combine them. Both great trips.

Denton Docs thought about north side also has great possibilities. Hard to go wrong.

quote tuscarorasurvivor: "

quote dentondoc: "Are you open to a north side entry?"

I think so. It's about a 6 hour drive to Atikoken for us."

Pshhaww... like driving to the grocery store. :) Go north, my friend. Go north.

quote tuscarorasurvivor: "I took my 2 boys up to Kawnipi last year and had a blast. Looking for ideas for another trip this year. They are looking for a challenge, remote travel, fishing is important but not the primary reason for going. We will have at least 9 days near the end of May, but could have 12 depending on start date of a summer internship. We generally like to stay 2 nights on each campsite, but occasionally travel 2 consecutive days. Any thoughts greatly appreciated."

When it comes to remote and challenging, I'm always an evangelist for the NE corner of the park. French-Baptism-Cache, MacKenzie, Ferguson, Cache River, Wawiag, Mack, etc. Any number of routes in that area if you have 9-12 days, plenty of good fishing spots, and the least-visited parts of the park. Pictographs on MacKenzie and Mack. Old growth forests around both of those lakes too, and parts of Cache area. I believe the Trousers-Cache and Cache-Lindsay/MacKenzie portages are the longest in the park too, if you like that sort of thing.

quote DancesWithTrees: "

quote tuscarorasurvivor: "I took my 2 boys up to Kawnipi last year and had a blast. Looking for ideas for another trip this year. They are looking for a challenge, remote travel, fishing is important but not the primary reason for going. We will have at least 9 days near the end of May, but could have 12 depending on start date of a summer internship. We generally like to stay 2 nights on each campsite, but occasionally travel 2 consecutive days. Any thoughts greatly appreciated."

When it comes to remote and challenging, I'm always an evangelist for the NE corner of the park. French-Baptism-Cache, MacKenzie, Ferguson, Cache River, Wawiag, Mack, etc. Any number of routes in that area if you have 9-12 days, plenty of good fishing spots, and the least-visited parts of the park. Pictographs on MacKenzie and Mack. Old growth forests around both of those lakes too, and parts of Cache area. I believe the Trousers-Cache and Cache-Lindsay/MacKenzie portages are the longest in the park too, if you like that sort of thing.
"

I greatly appreciate this. I'm sure my boys would be up for this challenge, and I'm still decent enough that with their help I could probably manage as well. Sounds like pretty areas, historic areas, fishing, remote. I'm not getting any younger, so we better do this or something similar soon.

One possible option on the northside to do a loop and begin/end at the same point would be to do the following:

Launch at Nym Lake (this is the closest EP to Atikokan and you can acquire your permit and pay your fees there ... if you choose to do this EP there are some other tips to consider). You can leave your vehicle in the Nym Lake parking lot (I've done this for a 2 week trip without issues).

Then do the following loop:
Batchewaung
western Pickerel Narrows
Maria
Jesse (you can make it to here in one day and this would be a good place to do a layover)
Elizabeth
Walter (a short distance from Jesse, but another potential layover spot)
Lonely
Sturgeon (if you've not lingered along the way, I'd make this my second layover stop. This is a huge lake and not a place where you want to be on a windy day, so if detect windy conditions prior to your arrival here, I'd layup short of here. Personally, I'd stop not long after you've reached Sturgeon as there are several nice campsites in this area. Also there are good fishing options in channels and around Scripture Island. My next stop could be again on Sturgeon on the NE end of the lake. I think I'd pick a spot along the shore where the portage to Olifaunt is to the east and the portages to Ram/Antoine are to the west. Here I might linger longer than a normal stop and paddle north and east to fish the outflow of the Pickerel River exiting Olifaunt or take day trips to Olifaunt (portage to the east is quite easy) or to Ram/Antoine. All of these offer great fishing opportunities)
After Sturgeon, I'd start making my way back to Nym by paddling up th Deax Rivieres to Twin Lakes and do the portage to Dore (there is a pictograph just beyond a small island to the right as you reach Dore). From Dore, I'd proceed to the eastern part of the Pickerel narrows. (This is another potential stop over location with lots of campsites and fishing opportunities.)
Then its a matter of how stage up to exit back at Nym. From the Narrows, only one portage lies between you and the parking lot and its a portage you traversed going from Batchewaung to Nym going in. It will all depend on wind conditions and desired time of return to Nym to establish whether or you you want to make a stop (I'd recommend somewhere on Batchewaung) or paddle out to Nym from the eastern Narrows.

The key issue on this route is large lakes and wind. Both Sturgeon and Pickerel (even the Narrows) are subject to a long fetch if winds are blowing with force out of the west. If the long range weather forecast is for higher winds near the end of your trip, I think I'd opt to do the route in reverse. The critical juncture then is Batchewaung Lake, which is also no picnic with stiff westerlies.

Well, its more than 2 cents, but that might be one option and a reasonably easy loop.

dd

dd,
It's way more than two cents worth of experience and advice! I appreciate it and will give it consideration. Thanks again.