Boundary Waters, Trip Reports, BWCA, Stories

Kahnipiminanikok
by Kiporby

Trip Type: Paddling Canoe
Entry Date: 08/09/2009
Entry & Exit Point: Quetico
Number of Days: 6
Group Size: 4
Day 2 of 6
Monday, August 10, 2009

We wake early today we a goal of reaching McKenzie Bay on Kawnipi Lake. After paddling across Sidney Lake we reach the first of the four portages for the day. Each portage bypasses a waterfall: Little Falls (36 rods), Koko Falls (111 rods), Canyon Falls (95 rods) and Kennebas Falls (30 rods). Kennebas Falls is pictured below.

Once past Kennebas Falls, we are on Kawnipi Lake. We spend the afternoon paddling and fishing our way up to McKenzie Bay. Jeff catches a 41" pike and Scott catches several nice walleyes. Chuck and I catch too many bass and small pike to count.

It is a beautiful day on Kawnipi. We reach our goal of McKenzie Bay by early afternoon and choose the large campsite on a point along the southern shore. The camp has a fantastic 270 degree view of the surrounding area from a huge rock point.

We set up camp with one tent out on the point under a small tree and the other back in the woods behind the fire pit. A bonus to this site is a log picnic table that we set our tarp over.

After a filling fish dinner we spend the rest of the evening fishing from shore, enjoying the sunset and then watching the Perseid's Meteor Shower after the stars came out. It had been a perfect sunny day on Kawnipi with hardly any wind a very good fishing.