Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Listening Point - General Discussion :: All-time favorite WORST portage?
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maxxbhp |
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scat |
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jwartman59 |
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Speckled |
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TreeBear |
I get a chuckle because I remember most of these. Similarly to comments above, the memories are shaded by the context in which the portages were encountered. Pine to Long I had fought a long headwind solo to get there while borrowing the slowest canoe I had ever had the misfortune of paddling, a 12 foot Old Town with a broken solo seat. I then took the punishment of carrying it up there with a clamped on aluminum yoke. I earned the view and made memories. I've grown to love the tough portages though in a way since I know they are one of the fastest routes to solitude. |
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papalambeau |
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naturboy12 |
TreeBear: "There was an article on Portage North about the steepest portages by the numbers: https://kondosoutdoors.com/upward-upward-which-portage-is-the-tip-top/ " Thanks for sharing this, I had never seen it before. One on that list that I have experience with is Wench to Brule, and we did it with fishing gear only. Between the many downed trees, rocky areas to traverse, steep (in places) slope, and small amount of room to maneuver a canoe, it is the toughest "short" portage that I have experienced. By comparison, the Eddy Falls portage, which we did with full gear, both directions to and from SAK, and a 2nd time to go back fishing in Eddy from SAK didn't seem so bad. Maybe that's because although it was steep, it was too short to really add up to much of a challenge. |
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straighthairedcurly |
papalambeau: " I asked my three brothers and they all said the same - the Hanson to Cherry portage on a 90+ degree day kicked our butts...." Thought my heart was going to burst from my chest on this one! |
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pastorjsackett |
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Jackfish |
Kahshahpiwi to McNiece Pond to Unnamed (between McAree & Wicksteed) Badwater portage (from West Bay) Staircase Portage (Sturgeon to Russell) |
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Barca |
Sturgeon to Antoine (Quetico) Classic Princess Bride portage, a forest to get lost in, Cliffs of Insanity, Fire Swamp ect. Only missing the ROUS. |
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pmora |
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TuscaroraBorealis |
I concurr with whats been said about the Paulson portage. The Mountain-Pemmican portage is almost all up a steep hill with several tight winding sections thrown in for fun. (Side note: the first part of this portage is also the trail to the latrine for the Mountain Lake campsite.) It's been a few years, but West Pike yo Gogebic is also up a very steep hill and there was a tight spot where the canoe would barely slip through. However, this one afforded a short mostly level stretch before the final ascent to the lake. Mavis - Missing Link portage is mostly a cake walk but, there is one section that is nearly perpendicular. Duck - Big Moose might take the cake as it has just about everything. It starts out innocently enough at a beautiful sandy beach at Big Moose but soon morphs into a very rock & root laden climb up a few moderate hills. A creek crossing & some boulder hopscotch before dropping steeply down to the last section; which while exceedingly flat is about 100 yards of challenging bogwalking (See video.) even without a pack or canoe. |
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YetiJedi |
Spartan2: "I have thought and thought about this topic. How much you dislike a portage so often depends upon weather conditions at the time, and your own state of mind. What bothers some people doesn't bother others, too. Well said, Spartan2, and thank you for sharing your perspective and wisdom. You are correct, it is a blessing to be able to remember cherished experiences from the past. I also appreciate that you point out how doing difficult things often becomes positive learning moments that bring us joy later in life. Again, thanks for sharing your thoughts...they hit home for me. :) |
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PuffinGin |
YetiJedi: "Spartan2: "I have thought and thought about this topic. How much you dislike a portage so often depends upon weather conditions at the time, and your own state of mind. What bothers some people doesn't bother others, too. These have been my thoughts too. So glad to see you express them here, Spartan2 and YetiJeti. Every time I thought of a bad portage, I realized that there were extenuating circumstances: like it was very hot, I'd just finished lunch & was in my down time of afternoon, it's was very wet with slimy lichens on the rocks, very wet year with lots of sinking into mud or bog. Then if and when I've done those same portages on another trip, they were just fine and lead to another beautiful lake on another great trip with dear paddling partners. Wish body were in better shape. Wish best tripping partners hadn't left for great beyond and we could take more portages together, looking for worst or best or just fine, going to new or previously visited lakes, catch or lose more fish, and sample more of these God-given experiences and build new memories. Blessed to have be able to do so many Quetico (and some BWCA) trips from first in 1978 (with my soon-to-be husband and best paddling partner) to last in 2011 (without Darryl, year after his death, with long-time paddling partners. |
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treehorn |
scat: "I base camped on Ram one time and did a day trip to Little Trout to fish for the little trout there and also to tackle the Misquah portage one more time just for kicks, but this time with only a small pack, fishing equipment and my Prism in tow. There and back in one day and there was nothin to it this time, actually was fun. That portage goes up and down hills 3x if I remember, stepping from slippery odd angled rock to rock for a lot of the way, definitely one to remember." I videod my walk back from Misquah to Little Trout a couple years ago if anyone wants to experience this one...sorry the audio sucks, but you can see the terrain. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHGP7RyAU2Q&t=1s&ab_channel=PaulGehrmann |
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Minnesotian |
Memory Lane Portages connecting Conmee Lake to Poohbah Lake in Quetico. There are three of them with tiny little lakes in the middle, so it feels like one big portage with about 5 seconds of paddling between them. The time I did it I ended up postholing all the way up to my hip a couple of times which isn't that fun with a canoe on my head and on a solo trip. I've resolved never to do them again, but Poohbah is such a nice lake that I will probably break that resolve someday. MidwestMan, your comment about the old guy saying you were only almost done with the portage reminded me of what I sometimes tell my friends if they ask that question: "Yer halfway there to being a quarter done!" |
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straighthairedcurly |
JimmyJustice: "Um...the Fowl portage. It's named that for a reason. " Oh, the memory of stepping over all those downed trees...3 times each since I was stupid enough to decide to double portage it since I was unsure which direction was correct. But the portage that messed with my head more than any portage ever is the one from Davis Lake to Kiskadinna. It was my first solo trip. I was traveling heavy and had to double portage. I had fallen and injured my ankle and knee the day before trying to reach Davis Lake so I could not afford any mistakes with footing. For those who have never been on this portage, it starts in a burn area and the path is very overgrown so you can't see your feet. It is also long and has a beaver pond in the middle that requires waist deep wading. The day was brutally hot and I ran out of water. I wrote NEVER AGAIN on the map. But now I think about trying it again, because it couldn't have been that bad, right? |
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timatkn |
Also the Kashipiwi to Yum Yum portage. There is almost a straight down rock face to negotiate and big elevation changes. PMA Raven Lake after a storm… T |
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boonie |
straighthairedcurly: But now I think about trying it again, because it couldn't have been that bad, right? |
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7thinningstretch |
Lawnchair107: "Heart attack hill between Mudro and Sandpit comes to mind." Agreed! Both up and down was an adventure. |
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Tomcat |
I don't recall a worst portage. I do recall unpleasant aspects such as the length, insects, mud, elevation change, rocks, navigation, congestion, obstacles, carry weight and so on while portaging. I tend not to be in a hurry and it shouldn't matter but for some reason the worst portages for me are portages so short that it takes more time and energy to unload and load the canoe than to cross the portage. John |
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Toggy |
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RT |
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walleyejunky |
Maybe one that surprised you. Maybe one that you dreaded before your trip but you went anyway because the destination was worth it. Maybe it is one that you would definitely NEVER do again!! I experienced a few this last trip. Portaging from Crooked back to our entry point at Mudro I was not looking forward to the climb out of Nikki Lake towards Wagosh and it was everything it promised to be. However, as bad as that one was it was nothing compared to the middle portage between Fourtown and Mudro. I imagine billy goats wouldn't even like that trek. Let's hear it. What is your worst portage experience in the BWCA? |
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Hammertime |
For me it’s the short to mid length ones with hills, rock gardens and hip deep mud that test my mettle. With that said the portage from cherry to lunar was wildly challenging but felt like a video game and ended up being super fun in a weird sort of way. It had everything, boot stealing mud, laydown trees obstructing the path, rocks that needed to be balanced on, intense inclines, etc. The fact that we were on a day trip with nowhere to be no doubt made it feel a bit more fun than it otherwise might have. Can’t wait to go back!!!! |
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MidwestFirecraft |
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Lawnchair107 |
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JimmyJustice |
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YetiJedi |
For me the first portage from the parking lot into EP #14 - LISN has been rough on my way out. Twice. The first time my 14 year-old daughter at the time got very sick the day before. We woke up on Steep Lake and my 18 year-old daughter and I did the paddling and portaging in extremely windy weather. At over 20 miles with rough waters and a sick daughter worrying me, it was a tough day but we made it and all turned out okay. On most of the portages, I did quadruple trips which was no fun. That last portage almost did me in. Last fall I attempted the same trip but shouldn't have tried a week or two after recovering from COVID. I made it about 4-5 miles, fell, and struggled to get back. That last portage was difficult because I was very tired and sore. Third time's a charm...I plan to go back for a 10-day solo next September. |
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MidwestMan |
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jwartman59 |
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quark2222 |
Got to my SUV, finally, and loaded up my canoe and gear. Shivered all the way down to Grand Marais with the heater on full blast. Seems like I had hypothermia. The trip was in the middle of September. The Tuscarora portage is no prize, that is for sure. Done that a couple of times. There are probably more, but why dwell on the bad stuff. I'll never do the South Round to Round portage again though. Not only because of that experience, but also because most of the portages west of there kind of suck too, until you get to some bigger lakes, such as Gillis. Tomster (Quark) |
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tumblehome |
It’s very subjective based on attitude,weather,time of year, people you are with, load, physical fitness, etc. With all of that, I will put my hat into the ring with the Delehay Death March. Look it up. Tom |
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AceAceAce |
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Traveler |
All this was about 25 years ago. I have no idea what it is like today. |
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martian |
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TreeBear |
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cmanimal |
Lots of Moose and bear tracks, glad we didn't meet any as there isn't a passing lane on that portage. tried to go back in 21 but our start date happen to be the day they closed the BWCA, hope to take another crack at it in the next few years. |
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TrailZen |
TZ |
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scotttimm |
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TuscaroraBorealis |
maxxbhp: "I don't know if it even exists anymore but there is a portage from west Sag to Ashdick. The only thing it doesn't have is a big hill.Thigh deep mud and swarms of every biting insect on earth. Also it's not used much so its always overgrown.Did the Ashdick to Swamp a few years ago....I think this is the one you're referencing??? |
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straighthairedcurly |
Spartan2: "I have thought and thought about this topic. How much you dislike a portage so often depends upon weather conditions at the time, and your own state of mind. What bothers some people doesn't bother others, too. Well said. You can tell on so many of these posts, people have included extenuating circumstances that might have increased the physical or mental toll paid on a particular portage (weather, equipment, injury, etc). I have done the Seagull to Paulson portage and it didn't make my top list even though it was one of the toughest portages I have done. Why, I ask myself? Because I was doing it on pretty fresh legs close to the end of a trip with my husband and son. And our mindset for the portage was to work together as a team, so we leap frogged and changed loads with each other frequently. We made plenty of rest stops to admire the view and look for berries. That made it more delightful than it probably deserved. |
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ForestDuff |
TreeBear: "I'm giving mine to Seagull to Paulson (J.A.P.) " Now do it in the winter. After breaking trail all the way down Seagull, we had to break fresh trail in deep powder up to Paulson. About 200 yards from the lake, we had a mutiny, nobody would break trail any further. Defeated, we spent the night in the woods, woke up next morning and headed back to Seagull on the nicely packed trail to spend the next 3 nights. This was pre blow down and fire in the area when it was still Jap. |
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Spartan2 |
Muskeg-Kiskadinna came into my thoughts, and then Height of Land (which was particularly muddy the day we traversed it.) Horsetail Rapids on the Granite River trip is one I hated, even though it is short. And as I gave thought to all of the many portages I have encountered, endured, and survived. . .I suddenly realized that I would just give anything to be young and healthy again, able to do them another time. So there is actually no WORST portage; every one of them that I conquered is a memory that makes me smile now. And when I miss canoe-tripping, believe it or not, portaging is one of the things I miss the most. All part of the adventure. |
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ducks |
Instead of my planned 30-40 minute single portage, it took me 2 and a 1/2 hours of pushing and climbing over and under trees and sawing limbs where I couldn’t get through. I was Carl and Mike’s 1st customer after they had purchased Rockwood from Mike and Lin that winter and I felt so bad their brand new Northwind Solo had scratches on it before it ever even got wet. |
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Harv |
Lawnchair107: "Heart attack hill between Mudro and Sandpit comes to mind." This one is short but it sucks! |
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chessie |
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A1t2o |
The second one that comes to mind was a portage that could have been terrible but ended up being not too bad after an attitude change. It was East Pike to West Pike and it was storming on us. It was a long day that we started on Moose so this was our 6th portage and it was going to get dark soon and we needed to find a campsite. We were wet and cold in early June with flooded portages and lots of rocks. We were double portaging and the canoe was second. Both of us were looking at each other and the canoe waiting for the other to volunteer to carry it, when I just said "F it", threw the canoe on my shoulders and half jogged down the trail. At a certain point you just need to ignore the water and trust that your boots and ankles can handle it, and just go. Both of these portages were learning experiences for me. The first, I gave in to how much the experience sucked and the excuses for why I couldn't do it easily. The second, I went the other route and gave my best without holding anything back. It kind of felt like I redeemed myself a bit from that first trip. |
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TacoOverland |
The first is the 409R from Seagull to Paulson ( was called Jap back when I did it). Did this on a winter trip pulling sleds. Sugar snow was a bear going uphill. Reward was amazing solitude and killer lake trout fishing. The second is the 340R portage into Morgan Lake From FR315. Again did this one several times many years ago. The beginning of the portage was a hip deep bog of muck. If you were lucky there was a few branches or logs thrown down to balance on to cross. I'm thinking boards have been added by now. Back then, Carl Lake had some outstanding Rainbow trout fishing and a beautiful 4* site (the only one on the lake), fast forward to now; the pike got the trout and the blowdown got the site. Bummer x2! I've done the Tuscarora portage many times and while it is indeed long, it's not especially difficult otherwise. IMHO. I will say that May of 2022 presented some interesting portage conditions as I put in on Round and made my way through Snipe and Missing Link down to Long Island and beyond. Many of the early portages in the route were under knee high water (running water!) and looked more like streams than footpaths. |
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scat |
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TacoOverland |
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WaveRunner |
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JRUWL |
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TuscaroraBorealis |
JRUWL: "It's got to be the portage to nowhere. 1st ever trip was with the church youth group going in on Seagull. After spending a night on Cherry, we headed north through Lunar, Lake of the Clouds, etc. Identifying portages was not our strong suit throughout the trip but we made a doozy of a choice once we got onto tiny little Rivalry Lake. Such a small little lake, how could we have missed the portage to Giji?? Well, there's a portage lookalike in the sw corner of Rivalry. The biggest problem with this pseudo portage was that it went straight up, like crawling on your hands and knees but still standing up kind of straight up. Not sure how those kids got those aluminum canoes up that hill, but they did. Once there though, the "portage" disappeared. After some bushwhacking to search for the trail, we gave up and lugged everything back down the hill to the lake. Low and behold, there was the actual portage 30 yards to our left." Didn't lug everything up but, I made the same mistake. :) I wonder what that trail is or, why it is there? It was so well worn and close to the real trail that it's an easy 'trap' to fall into. Of course, the actual trail between Gijikiki & Rivalry is worthy of mention in this thread in its own right. Very steep climb out of Gijikiki and the bottomless mudhole landing on Rivalry can be outright treacherous. |
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nctry |
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lindylair |
Just as we were finishing the Misquah portage we ran into a couple forest ranger guys on Vista and chatted a bit. They asked us, rather incredulously, you took that portage? On purpose? |
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Deeznuts |
Also made it over to the steep-north portage that trip and that was a terrible one too. The lower portage into lower pauness is crazy too if you can't just float through. It's very short but easily the steepest incline and decline the whole trip. |
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cofit |
Portages are kind of like the weather. Sunny and 70 for a week makes for boring stories to your non-tripping friends unless the fishing was fabulous. Short and flat portages? Eh-no big deal. But if the wind blew, there was a storm, it snowed every day for a week or there was an ugly portage here and there--those make the best stories. Having said that, I'll throw a couple I haven't seen listed into the ring. SAK-Holt-Ogishkemuncie stands out for me. Maybe it's been maintained since but downed trees, hopskotching through a creek and finding the trail was a treat. Ottertrack to Gijikiki, although fairly short checks all the boxes. And for some reason-Snowbank to Boot. There's nothing objectively difficult but it always seems like it's much longer than the maps indicate and is one of those that I just don't like. |
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egknuti |
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Michwall2 |
2. Wine to Mug - When wet. Open rock face, set me on my bottom twice. 3. Fente to Hub - Rivals any climb anywhere else I have been in the BW. (Including "The Wall" between Muskeg and Kiskadinna.) 4. Sitka to Cherokee - Not a flat piece of real estate anywhere along this portage and a rock face scramble. 5. Lujenida to Zenith - Hot day and running out of water. |