Boundary Waters, Trip Reports, BWCA, Stories

Clearwater to West Pike
by Mr. Ly

Trip Type: Paddling Canoe
Entry Date: 07/12/2007
Entry & Exit Point: Clearwater Lake (EP L)
Number of Days: 4
Group Size: 7
Trip Introduction:
Just got back from West pike lake. Weather was horrible. Rain and more rain. Never knew there was that much rain.
Report
Got towed to the portage between Clearwater and West Pike Lake. The portage in between the two lakes sucked. It's easier to got from Clearwater to West Pike than it is to go from West Pike to Clearwater. The portage is a slow incline then medium decline to West Pike. The party I went with didn't know how to pack so the first day we ended up making 3 portages. Yes! 3 portages! I could have done the 1.5 portages with just my personal gear and the canoe, but obviously I helped out everyone.

Stayed at the island on West Pike Lake which was a mistake cuz the wind was horrible. The lake doesn't have the greatest fishing. Caught some smallmouth but that's about it.

We traveled across and portaged to East Pike Lake and the fishing there was much better. Perch, Pike, and Smallmouth. You caught dinner there.

Best/Scarriest/Funniest part of the trip, two of my buddies were carrying the fishing gear back from East Pike lake and they got chased by a moose. My buddies were about 1 minute apart from each other. The one that got chased just took off and ran the one that was behind him said all he heard was what sounded like a 2000 lb horse running through the woods. ahha.

All in all I had fun. It was cold, windy, and wet but it was better than work.