Boundary Waters, Trip Reports, BWCA, Stories

Louse River
by joeandali

Trip Type: Paddling Canoe
Entry Date: 08/04/2023
Entry & Exit Point: Sawbill Lake (EP 38)
Number of Days: 9
Group Size: 2
Day 2 of 9
Saturday, August 05, 2023

We did not have to be in a rush today. We woke, showered, and grabbed breakfast at the hotel. We were on the road around 9:00. Once in Minnesota, we stopped at Gooseberry Falls State Park to kill some time. It was very popular but worth the stop. We made our way to Tofte and ate lunch at the Bluefin Bay resort. The walleye sandwich was fantastic.

We made our way up the Sawbill Trail and checked in with Sawbill Canoe Outfitters. We received our permit but were told we had to come back between 7:00 and 9:00 pm to pick up our pack and other gear. I was hoping to get the pack so we could repack. We asked the individual checking us in about water levels on the Louse River. The only thing he could tell us was that water levels were below average, but not as low as the historic lows they had two years ago.

We found our campsite at the National Forest campground and got set up for the night. We explored some of the trails down to the lake and stopped in the camp store. We were there to pick up our pack at 7:00. This individual had much more helpful information about the route. We took the pack back to the site and went back into town for dinner. We were planning to stop at the Coco Cafe, but they were closing as we arrived. We went back to the Bluefin and the restaurant was packed. We sat at the bar and ate.

We started back up the Sawbill trail. On the trip back, a moose walked out of the trees and started walking up the road in front of us. Eventually, it crossed to the other side. We were back at the campsite around 10:00 and went to bed.