Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Group Forum: Solo Tripping :: LIS Loop question
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campnfish |
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cowdoc |
We debated, but did not do the Slim/Fat portage. I enjoyed paddling those lakes and the Steep portage is not that bad. I'm not convinced the portage would have saved us any time. (Slim/Fat). |
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minnmike |
I have paddled this area quite a bit, but have not done a solo trip yet. Wind and weather, and if I remember right, water levels on Pocket and Ge-be-on-e-quet creek may be a factor also. Also I would not plan on dry footing this route, especially soloing. you will have a hard time at landings going from oyster to Ge-be. I've had great weather on Loon several time, and once I've also done the portage north into Loon only to find scary white caps. We did make it to a site on Loon, but I would not have even thought about it if I was by myself. Also if you only make it to Loon the first night you will probably not make this loop and have time to fish much in 5 days. That being said, it is an awesome area and if you have been many trips with fishing, you should know what you are capable of. I can tell you I could not make it from Oyster to LIS EP in one day. It would take me 10 hours or so with good conditions to do that stretch. I think it's an ambitious trip, too ambitious for me to do in 5 days and have time to relax and fish. This route also is pretty hard to cut short once you get past your Fat lake option, if you get slowed down by weather or a great fishing spot, you can really only shorten it by a few hours a best by going out EP16. If it were me planning a 5 day fishing trip from LIS I would do a Loon, Lac La Croix, Gun, Eugene, Steep, South( or Fat), Slim, and out. You can reverse it if windy going in, and you can shorten it by going from Snow bay of Lac la Croix to North and South lake, and then south to Slim. Or skip LLC all together by doing, Slim, Fat, Eugene, Steep,North and South, Slim, and out. This EP has many ways to lengthen or shorten your route and so very flexible. I like that choice. Or EP 16 do Agnes, Oyster, Ge-be,Rocky, Green, LLC, Boulder Bay, and back out Agnes. I haven't solo'd yet but I've read a lot about it and have my first one coming up too. remember you have to do all paddling, portaging and camp chores too. I don't mean to discourage your route, if you are young and/or full of piss and vinegar, then by all mean have at it. For me I would want a 6th or even a 7th day option. Good luck whatever you decide. |
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campnfish |
Night one camp on Slim 6 hours from EP. Night two camp on Finger 6-7 hours Night three camp on Oyster or sooner, 6hours Night four camp on Shell 5-6 hours Day Five out to LIS 5 hours I do have the ability to go to a 5th night as a buffer but its not planned. |
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minnmike |
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Jaywalker |
Campnfish - hope you did enjoy your trip, even if there were some tough learnings. Not feeling 100% will certainly put a damper on any trip. |
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minnmike |
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campnfish |
The problem i found was lack of hours with light, getting to a campsite that is east facing makes this even worse. I would plan to be at your campsite by 2:30 or 3:00 pm, anytime later and your hurried to get anything done. Now if you skip a fire then things get easier, but with 7:30 sunset i would have been very bored if i had to go to my hammock at 8pm. Minnmike, where are you going in, whats your route and how many days? |
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minnmike |
My route is quite lengthly as I will be doing 30 day trip. Basically it will be Going in on Moose River EP16 and Thru Agnes to LLC. Follow border to Sag, but after Prairie portage, I will leave border and go thru Ensign, Vera, And over to Spoon. Then up Knife to Amoeber, and Topaz to Cherry. Through Lake of the Clouds, GIjikiki, Ottertrack, and over to Sag where I will stay at Voyageur Outfitter for a shower, meal, beer, wash my cloths and have 2 more weeks of food waiting for me along with some extra gear. The second leg of my trip from Sag to my take out EP37 Kawishiwi Lake is less planned. Just depends on what I want to do. Lots of options. So sept 17 to oct 17, I turn 50 on the 18th so this trip is my present from my wife. I wasn't planning on a solo, but wanted to do 30 days and no one I trip with could or would want to do 30 days. I am very excited and a little nervous. |
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Minnesotian |
campnfish: " What has me the most concerned is that last stretch from Oyster and back out, those look like big portages. ?" Those are big portages, but two of them are just a walk in the woods. However, the portage from Shell into Lower Pauness can be flooded out. When I went through there a couple years ago (also on a solo) the section that is on the eastern side, near that spit of a pond next to the portage, had spilled into the path. So I ended up loading the canoe and pulling it through the water. Ended up being 30 or 50 yards long. Water was about knee deep. I did pretty much the same trip as you are planning: EP14, Little Loon, Slim, FAT, Gun, Takuchmich, LLC, Pocket, Gebeonequet, Oyster then out at 14. I had scheduled 14 days for my trip but ended up doing it in 7 days, 6 nights. I did have a layover day on Takuchmich island campsite, which I recommend that site. I skipped North Lake because I heard the portage from North to Steep is a real bear. On the other hand, the unmaintained portage from Slim to Fat is no easy thing either, but it is pretty flat. On Gebeonequet, you should check out the throne room someone made out of stones. It was there a couple years ago. Next to the western campsite on the north end of the lake. Oyster has some lake trout that I was able to pull up in August the year I went. Its a nice area and in retrospect I wish I had slowed down and taken the full 14 days. |
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Jackfish |
campnfish: "Im in Ely tonight, probably wont get to EP until 10am, will see how it goes, at some point i have to make a decision to go the entire route or come back the way i put in. My gear pack is about 40lbs, my food pack is about 15lbs, and my canoe is about 30lbs. My knees started to act up last week on the treadmill carrying about 35lbs, so i am a bit nervous about that." Go get 'em, Brian. You'll be just fine. Have a great trip and tell us about it when you get back. |
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Bannock |
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campnfish |
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minnmike |
I also am bringing an Extra wood burning stove called a Firebox Nano that I bought last year. Sounds real similar to your Solo Lite. Can side feed it longer sticks too. Also have a little ground cloth for it so can use it by my tent vestibule under my small CCS tarp. FYI, my gear pack weighs #52, My food barrel with harness weighs #27.5, and my Prism with painters, extra paddle, and portage yolk weighs about #37-38. So carry canoe and food pack together, and gear pack by itself will be carried first on portages. I keep second guessing my clothes, my gear, my food...If I don't have it now, I don't need it. I know it's a long trip for a first solo, but I've always wanted to do 30 days in and nows the time. I can come out early if I want or need( I'm hoping not though) as it is my favorite place to be. And I also will be at an Outfitter, mid trip, for a day to clean up and resupply, so really it's 2- 2 week trips with a day break in the middle. I have done a 3 week trip in with others and that was plenty long. Sept-Oct my favorite time in BW so should be doable. We are heading to Bemidji in a couple hours to spend the weekend with my daughter who goes to BSU. Drive to Ely on sunday to watch the big game, and get permit. Stay over night and head in Early monday morning. So stay safe everyone, and will do my first trip report asap when I get back. Camp, Thanks for the pic's and sorry for high jacking your thread. |
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Jaywalker |
The first portage on the map out of Pocket is not needed - just paddling into the creek. Its very weedy, and with any headwind (which I had every day of my trip) can be slow but is passable. Oyster is nice. I like the first site as you come from Rocky, and had some success fishing just on the outside of the hump into the big lake. Did not catch a lot, but did record my personal largest laker the other day on a Gold Rapala. They were all down about 30-35 feet, but would come up sometimes to feed. I think 5 days is doable for someone in good condition who packs light and moves quickly, but it doesn't allow for bad weather, and I'm not sure how much time it would allow for fishing in the evenings. I was caught off guard by how early it was already getting dark. |
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campnfish |
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campnfish |
Like Jaywalker mentioned having a luci light was something i had, and i loved it, i also had a headlamp but just having light around camp when there was no fire was awesome, Walmart sells them for $15.00. The other thing i had was about 30 feet of zing-it for a clothes line, then i could string that anywhere near camp and hang my luci light on it and slide it anywhere i needed it. |
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campnfish |
one more from shell. |
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campnfish |
My plan is to head up LIS to Slim and either cut over via Fat lake or work my way up and around through North and Sleep, but eventually coming down to Oyster and back out through Shell. I'm wondering if im going to be pushing too hard the whole time or if 5 days is enough for this route, I would like to fish some as well. What has me the most concerned is that last stretch from Oyster and back out and those look like big portages. My other thought was to come out EP 16 if this was going to be too much for 5 days? |