Wednesday September 04, 2025 EP 37 Kawishiwi to Kivania
~Kawishiwi Lake, Square Lake, Kawasachong Lake, Townline Lake, Polly, Lake, Koma Lake, Malberg Lake, Kivaniva Lake
Having picked up our canoe at the excellent Sawtooth outfitters the night before, we got an early 6:30AM start. Shortly after leaving Tofte we encountered a mother moose and two babies galloping along Sawbill Trail, so spirits were high as we hit Kawishiwi lake around 7:30AM. Those spirits were dampened somewhat by 25 mph headwinds, whitecaps, spitting rain and temperatures in the high 30s. We are veterans of many trips, but it was daunting as our previous year's fall trip was marked by incredibly high winds that forced us off of Seagull in early October of 2024. What followed was an absolute slog across Kawishiwi, Square, Kawasachong, Polly, Koma, Malberg and the Kawishiwi River. We repeatedly encountered deviously well-engineered beaver dams, deep keen-sucking mud on portages and wind that seemed to come straight at us regardless of our heading. The only moment of sunshine for hours was found at the end of the beautiful portage #547 from Malberg into Kawishiwi River.
The only brief respite of sunshine for hours was serendipitously found on the remarkably beautiful portage #547 from Malberg into Kawishiwi River.
We hit Kivania around 2pm and were gratified to find the campsite (#1049) there empty so we didn't have to retreat over the portage to Kawishiwi River to the available sites there. The site on Kivania doesn't have terrific pads but is nicely elevated in the center of the lake and came with it's own set of mated swans who were completely unruffled by our presence and stayed with us the entire time we were there. The sun came out in time for us to hit Kivania and try for some walleye for dinner but sadly we could only turn up a single pike, which, although decently sized, we declined to harvest since we had our customary first night steak dinner.