Boundary Waters, Trip Reports, BWCA, Stories

McNiece Solo
by TomT

Trip Type: Paddling Canoe
Entry Date: 08/29/2024
Entry & Exit Point: Quetico
Number of Days: 8
Group Size: 1
Trip Introduction:
My 11th solo revisits sites from a past trip and I deal with a serious injury on the trail.
Part 1 of 2

After counting the months and days down, the time has arrived. My new border collie pup of nine months is a last minute scratch from going with me. I went back and forth with the decision but decided he just wasn't ready yet, so a solo I will be. I'm fine with that and I could use a good pause from everything from work to the internet. Unplugging from civilization for an extended time has real benefits.

I love the preparation and anticipation of going on a long canoe trip to Quetico from deciding on a route, what luxuries to bring, what outfitter to use and most importantly - what lures to bring!

So on August 28th I was up before the alarm at 3:30 AM and quickly on the road from the Chicago suburbs. After a few stops in Ely, Mn. I headed out to the Canoe Country Outfitters base on Moose Lake. I'll be spending the first night in their campground and using their services the next morning for a 20 minute tow boat ride to the Canadian border.

While in the campground that evening I got a visitor. Jon aka "Banksiana" from this message board stopped by to have a chat. He was exiting from his own solo trip this day on Moose Lake. I got to meet his 3 year old male border collie named Django and we talked over his trip and my route. He's a very experienced canoe tripper and we've been friends for many years thanks to this message board.

I've decided on a straight in and out route where I'll be triple portaging. Both of these are firsts for me. In the past 21 trips I've always done a loop type route while double portaging. About 6 months ago I sprained my knee and then tweaked it 3 months ago. It feels good now but I don't want to push it so will carry lighter loads by triple portaging and have more layover camps with a less aggressive route. It sounded good at the time.

DAY 1

On 8/29 I took my 9:00 tow ride to the Canadian Ranger station to check in. I had to wait a bit but was paddling on Inlet Bay of Basswood Lk at 10:40. At the launch I met a solo guy just coming in and find out he's a member on this board too. He goes by "John O". We have a short chat about our trips. I also meet a family with 2 younger kids going on their first trip. They are very excited about it.

My plan is to go slow the first day. Ease into it by taking one portage into Burke Lake and finding a site for the night. Banksiana told me about a little used site that is hidden from the water. I don't see the landing on the first pass but find it on the return trip down the shore. It's hidden alright!

You have to pull everything through a narrow opening in the brush then hike a short hill to an open area concealed from the lake. The forecast called for a major storm in the area and there's lots of thunder and wind gusts as I set up camp but not much rain with this. I'm glad to be off the water in a very sheltered spot.

I'll spend the rest of the day eating lunch and exploring. There's nice high overlooks of the lake at several spots. Good trails to follow but you can tell this site is barely used. It's great for up to 4 people and 2 maybe 3 tents. The hammock trees are widely spaced and I had trouble getting my hammock high enough off the ground. My butt sat on the ground and sleep was off and on.

It's been exactly 3 years since I've done a canoe camping trip and I felt very rusty today. I had been doing one per year since 2006. I also discover I forgot something of great importance. I bring 2 headlamps and neither of them had batteries. Neither does my flashlight. Oops....

Luckily I brought a radio with 2 AA batteries. One of these will go in the flashlight but no headlamps for me as they take triple A batteries. My checklist in the future will definitely include "Batteries" on it.

DAY 2

I'm up at 8:00 and pour in a skillet half of the 10 fresh eggs I had put in a nalgene bottle. It's a great way to do fresh eggs early in a trip. I throw in dehydrated red pepper, green pepper, mushrooms and onions to the eggs and throw on string cheese and top off with a hot sauce.

I have half a pack of pre- cooked bacon. I like this because there's so much less mess than cooking up raw bacon. Now all I need to do is clean up and get packed and on the water. 

The paddle across Burke Lake is enjoyable with the wind at my back. While unloading at the portage I don't see my portage yoke anywhere. Oh no... I forgot it at the site. So I shove off into the headwind and go back to my camp where I find it right where I left it. This gaffe cost me an hours worth of time and effort. Yep, I'm rusty alright.

The good news is now the sun is out. The bad news is the wind has switched to come from the north west and picked up speed. I'll have a headwind in my face the rest of the day. I make the 2 short portages and come out onto big North Bay of Basswood. There's a large island close to shore so don't feel the wind but I can sure see it's effect out on the main body of water.

A tandem canoe with 2 younger guys pull up and advise me not to cross the lake today telling of big rollers hitting them broadside. Hmmm. I've paddled rough water before and it depends on the direction of the wind and if I can island hop and stay near the shore where the wind would push me if I need to bail. But it's better to err on the safe side when solo and there are 3 campsites on this big island to take. I'd really like to at least get to the north end of this lake. It's a big paddle and I still have a lot of afternoon left. I'll go to the island and make a decision.

Once there I can see the length of the lake where I need to go. I'm going for it. I write in my journal "It wasn't easy but the boat is designed for this and I barely get any spray inside. It takes a lot of physical effort and combined with a lack of sleep I stop at the north end as soon as I see a 4 star site that's empty.

I arrive at 3:30 and I'm taking a nap in the hammock at 5:00. I'm up at 7:00 pm and finish a dehydrated pot pie just at dusk. It's beautiful out now, a gorgeous sunset across the lake with a gentle breeze with loons calling. Oh, and no bugs! That's a big perk of going in September. Does it get any better?

Just after dark as I lay in bed I hear an ungodly screaming coming from maybe 100 yards away. It sounds like an animal being eaten by wolves. But it goes on an on. Surely it would have died by now. I think what the sound is, is trumpeter swans. They are either upset with each other or participating in some kind of mating ritual. I saw them earlier in the day and they've become quite common in the canoe country over the last 15 years .

DAY 3

I sleep great and get up at 9:00. What I love about going solo is I can literally do as I wish. And right now I'm wishing for a layover day to rest my tired aching body. I'm stiff and sore and know enough from past trips it's good to do what your body needs and not push it too hard. My lower back won't let me stand up straight. I think I had very poor posture being hunched over when paddling into the headwinds yesterday. I'm not going anywhere today.

My plan is to get into McNiece Lake which is a full day of portaging and paddling from where I am now. I've always wanted to return to McNiece since I camped there in 2011 on a solo. It's now become somewhat of a dead end lake as the long portage from there to Kahshapiwi Lake was burned over and apparently not maintained by the park service anymore. Reports are that there's now so much low brush it's hard to see the trail and can get dangerous to cross.

I spend a warm, high 60's sunny day exploring the area, napping, and sitting against a tree watching the lake reading my book.

DAY 4

I'm up with my alarm at 6:15. The night was chilly but it warms up fast and I'm in a T-shirt as I break down camp. The routine is getting easier now. I ate last after tearing down camp and the oatmeal tasted terrible. Something was wrong and I knew I needed to throw up and then I would feel better. I went to the woods and let it all out. I don't know what that was all about but it's happened twice on past trips too.

On the water at 9:30 and zip through the 4 short portages to Shade Lake. I had to conquer the lilly pad choked stream out of North Bay on the way there. Not too much trouble and a very scenic area with a good size beaver dam to pull over. Headwinds pick up on Shade Lake and there's 2 longish portages into Grey before Yum Yum Lake. Triple portaging is a big trade off. I love the lighter loads but it takes time and can get monotonous going back and forth.

I meet 2 younger guys at a landing with what I think is eastern European accents. They are pretty whipped from yesterday where they did an 11 hour first day. They tell me of their very aggressive long route and say they will probably cut it in half. I know the feeling of designing a route with maps in the winter and being excited at doing it. Well, it's a lot easier on the map than in person! lol. I've grown to like layovers now and not so much setting and tearing down camps every day like when I was much younger.

I get into Yum Yum and start to get that remote feeling. It's very quiet and I won't see anyone now for days. The landing that goes from Shan Walshe Lake to McNiece is really neat and tucked into a grove of very large cedars. The low water makes this one and the landing on McNiece a bit dicey with the big boulders and deep water. This situation creates some anxiety being alone. One slip could be real trouble here.

In 2011 I came through Shan Walshe and remember the trees very bare with exposed rock from a recent fire. Now there's lots of young trees with some dead tall pines sticking up through them. There's also some very big pines that survived the fire and tower above it all. There's a few very old survivors on the portage to McNiece. I love seeing the big old trees that have been here for 300 years or more.

It's 5:37 when I pull in to the really nice site on McNiece. It looks very different than in 2011. I realize later it's because the water levels are down probably 2 feet from then. I struggle to bring all the gear up the steep landing ledge then to the seating area. Above that a trail leads to a large flat top area with great trees for the hammock. After setting up the sleeping area I put up the tarp over a nice eating area away from the fireplace. Someone left a lot of good dry wood here. You see that more often than not in the park and I always try to return the favor. I get everything set the way I want as I plan at least 3 nights here with a day trip to fish Shan Walshe for trout.

I don't recognize the site until I get to walk it. Yes, the fireplace by the tree, the high upper area for the tents. Great views up and down the lake. I have good memories from my solo in 2011 of hearing a lone wolf.

On that pre dawn morning It was the kind of stillness where you can hear a pin drop. I lay in the hammock waiting for the first light. Then came this slow, very low pitched howl from right across the lake. I've only heard packs of them howling and never a solo wolf like that one before or since. It sounded almost mournful. I remember thinking "what was THAT all about"? Did it see my camp? Was it talking with the rest of the pack? One single howl and it was gone. Such a cool experience and one that colored my perception of this special remote lake for me.

After a dehydrated beef and noodle dinner I make hot Chocolate and break out the bourbon to go with the sunset. I'm pretty wiped out from the long strenuous day. From the journal "I miss having a dog and also other paddlers with. But it is what it is and I have the lake to myself now."

The local squirrel introduced himself by scolding me, otherwise it's quiet. I love watching the squirrels in the fall. For their fall ritual of collecting and stashing food they will climb high in a tree and bite off cones that bombard the camp to be gathered later. It's amazing how quick they do this from so high up.

The new Luminaid solar lantern I brought saved me big time since I didn't have a headlamp to use. I am using it to read and write in the hammock before bed. It's 8:19 and almost dark now. Very calm and warm.