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bennojr	06/23/2016 04:17AM   quote housty9: "quote bennojr: "How about this plan... We meet at the rest stop at the intersection of Lake County Road 2 and State Highway 1 in the pre-dawn hours of the Saturday after Labor day 2017. You drive my car and your gear to your entry point at McFarland and I drive your car and my gear to my entry at Little Indian Sioux. We take whatever route we want. Of course it'll take me four weeks to complete what you do in two. " I will keep that in mind, I'd rather do a spring trip, but will see how things and training goes thru the winter and spring. " If you do the spring trip I might be able to give you a shuttle ride if you need one. My plan to take the summer off work didn't pan out but next year I hope to be done for good.
housty9	06/23/2016 08:08AM   quote bennojr: "quote housty9: "quote bennojr: "How about this plan... We meet at the rest stop at the intersection of Lake County Road 2 and State Highway 1 in the pre-dawn hours of the Saturday after Labor day 2017. You drive my car and your gear to your entry point at McFarland and I drive your car and my gear to my entry at Little Indian Sioux. We take whatever route we want. Of course it'll take me four weeks to complete what you do in two. " I will keep that in mind, I'd rather do a spring trip, but will see how things and training goes thru the winter and spring. " If you do the spring trip I might be able to give you a shuttle ride if you need one. My plan to take the summer off work didn't pan out but next year I hope to be done for good." Thanks, I will keep that in mind, Ben help me with that this year, worked out great.
nctry	06/23/2016 05:55PM   We can run your vehicle to little Indian Sioux ep, then I'll run you across to McFarland or little John and you can do the border route or hit some interior lakes. And work your way across east to west or vise versa.
butthead	06/22/2016 01:20PM   For a trip that length and duration parking security may be important, as well as a base to camp at before and after. I bet you could work up an interesting excursion out of Sawbill, north to border lakes, west to LacLaCroix, then back thru mostly interior lakes to Sawbill. butthead
housty9	07/19/2016 11:15AM   I need this weather to cool down some so I can get in to training mode again, this hot weather kills me, looking forward to lots of hiking and paddling this fall till ice, then I'll hike all winter.
billconner	06/22/2016 02:53PM   quote housty9: "quote bennojr: "How about this plan... We meet at the rest stop at the intersection of Lake County Road 2 and State Highway 1 in the pre-dawn hours of the Saturday after Labor day 2017. You drive my car and your gear to your entry point at McFarland and I drive your car and my gear to my entry at Little Indian Sioux. We take whatever route we want. Of course it'll take me four weeks to complete what you do in two. " I will keep that in mind, I'd rather do a spring trip, but will see how things and training goes thru the winter and spring. " Then the Hog Creek entry and across Isabella River sounds even better in spring with traditionally higher water. My route is not too different from what butthead suggest - just shifts the entry/exit from Sawbill to Hog Creek/Kawishiwi Lake.
housty9	06/21/2016 08:08AM   I'm planning a 200 mile solo trip next year between portaging and paddling, I have 2 weeks to do this in or a little more, this is my goal, no it's not for everybody but right now in my life that's what I'm into. Any suggestions for a route? As soon as the heat of the summer passes the training will begin again.
boonie	08/05/2016 09:27PM   I had to stop exercising for the last three days until they did some medical test, so now I have three weeks to do what I can. I'll probably try to get in 2-3 good hill walks and a longer walk on weekends, plus some basic lifts to go with the back/core exercises. So I'll just have to go with that this year and hope to do better for next year.
IceColdGold	08/05/2016 01:52PM   After most of my vacations, I go back to work and rest.
housty9	08/04/2016 12:10PM   quote boonie: "quote billconner: "I figure first month is like training for the following 5 or 6." Boy, ain't that the truth for us old guys! :) " Since I started doing longer solo trips I'm in the best shape I've been in since highschool, I'll average twenty or so miles a week hiking and try to paddle at least one day on weekends in the fall till ice and spring as soon as the Mississippi is open enough to paddle, I'll paddle from sunrise to past lunch time or longer depending how busy I am at home. I'm fifty five and get more active the older I get, some days I can't get enough.
TomT	07/31/2016 04:12PM   quote housty9: "I need this weather to cool down some so I can get in to training mode again, this hot weather kills me, looking forward to lots of hiking and paddling this fall till ice, then I'll hike all winter." About 3 weeks ago I filled my small guide pack with 20lbs and started wearing it on some walks with my dog. Now , since I finally have Saturdays off of work I've ramped it up and started taking my canoe to a local forest preserve lake for a good paddle (an hour yesterday then hour and half today) then immediately put on the pack and do an hour and half hike along their bike trail. The dog is loving this. I've got till Labor day weekend to get in the best shape I can. It's so much easier to work out when there's a purpose.
TomT	08/01/2016 05:08PM   quote housty9: " my father in law laughs at me when I say I'm training to go on vacation." It is out of the norm for sure. Most people lay on a beach for their vacation. Us - we take physical work and quadruple it and call it fun.
boonie	07/31/2016 08:09PM   My training has had too many interruptions, Tom, but I'll just get as many "hill walks" in as I can, and whatever else I can squeeze in.
TomT	07/31/2016 08:20PM   quote boonie: "My training has had too many interruptions, Tom, but I'll just get as many "hill walks" in as I can, and whatever else I can squeeze in." Those are good. Wearing a pack will help strengthen your hips. You can do squats wearing a light pack too! I wrap small dumbells in bath towels. I'm going to start wearing it to cut the grass.
billconner	07/31/2016 09:03PM   My training is taking stairs instead of escalator in airports and bypassing moving walkways. Though I have been going a ten mile hike every weekend. Figure that's good for something. Still aiming for AT in 2019 or 2020. I figure first month is like training for the following 5 or 6.
TomT	08/02/2016 06:19AM   quote boonie: "quote billconner: "I figure first month is like training for the following 5 or 6." Boy, ain't that the truth for us old guys! :) Four weeks from now when I go on my trip, I'll almost be in good enough shape to really train . . . well, maybe next year ;)." We can do a lot in four weeks. Just get in two good paddles and 4 good hikes with a pack every week till then and your trip will be nearly pain free. Push yourself Boonie. We only live once and a trip is so much better when we're not too sore to move on days 2-5. BTW, they are marathoning the Rocky movies on cable. :)
hobbydog	07/31/2016 02:23PM   I learned a new word today. I think it describes the route many soloist take.
boonie	07/31/2016 08:08PM   quote hobbydog: "I learned a new word today. I think it describes the route many soloist take. " I like it.
housty9	08/01/2016 08:03AM   I'll start ramping up my training in the fall when the heat lets up and hike all the way through winter, my father in law laughs at me when I say I'm training to go on vacation.
TomT	08/01/2016 05:08PM   quote housty9: " my father in law laughs at me when I say I'm training to go on vacation." It is out of the norm for sure. Most people lay on a beach for their vacation. Us - we take physical work and quadruple it and call it fun. My ass is sore today. I canoed both Sat. and Sunday for a total of 3 hours and I have canoe butt today. How the hell am I going to put in a 7 hour day in quetico?
sunnybear09	08/01/2016 07:50PM   quote TomT: "quote housty9: " my father in law laughs at me when I say I'm training to go on vacation." It is out of the norm for sure. Most people lay on a beach for their vacation. Us - we take physical work and quadruple it and call it fun. " Is this the family friendly version, Tom?
boonie	08/01/2016 08:50PM   quote billconner: "I figure first month is like training for the following 5 or 6." Boy, ain't that the truth for us old guys! :) Four weeks from now when I go on my trip, I'll almost be in good enough shape to really train . . . well, maybe next year ;).
housty9	07/22/2016 12:37PM   quote hobbydog: "On my WCCP trip in Sept. I have a general area I will visit but no firm route. I was thinking about making a game of bingo out of it. A blackout card would be nice but see how many squares you can fill. Some will require luck, some will require hard work and some will just take discipline. Still working on my goal list. What is yours? Fish for two full days on the same lake Bushwack to a lake catch a muskie catch a 40+ muskie/northern Stay up all night and photograph the night sky cover 120 miles carve a spoon see a moose see a caribou catch a lake trout catch a walleye camp on a never used site and leave NO trace 11 days See northern lights cross 3 entry points a 25 mile day sleep under the stars See a lynx See a pine martin 5 continuous days without seeing a soul Might have to do that with all the lakes I've been to lately, goal is to see them all in the bw. "
housty9	06/22/2016 08:12AM   quote bennojr: "How about this plan... We meet at the rest stop at the intersection of Lake County Road 2 and State Highway 1 in the pre-dawn hours of the Saturday after Labor day 2017. You drive my car and your gear to your entry point at McFarland and I drive your car and my gear to my entry at Little Indian Sioux. We take whatever route we want. Of course it'll take me four weeks to complete what you do in two. " I will keep that in mind, I'd rather do a spring trip, but will see how things and training goes thru the winter and spring.
Alan Gage	06/21/2016 02:45PM   quote housty9: "Would rather keep it in the bwca, not ready to go into Canada yet, don't really want the extra cost being single now, it's been a life changer." I can understand that but, at least in WCPP, I don't think the fees are that bad. 14 nights in WCPP would cost $182 which doesn't seem so bad for a 2 week vacation. Sleep in your car or camp alongside some forest access road and the only extra expense will be some extra fuel. You're already packing food so no need to eat out. There are also innumerable canoe routes on crown land that won't cost you a penny. Most of them are very infrequently traveled but it's also harder to find information on them and the shear number of possibilities can be overwhelming. There should be some really good stuff that's not too far over the border if you're concerned about drive-time. Alan
Exo	06/21/2016 04:35PM   Write each EP on a piece of paper. Pick one out of hat. Buy every bwca map. Enter, and each day paddle where you please since you had no route other than to put some miles in. Each evening plan the next day's journey and calculate the minimum number of miles needed. Last few days, make your way back to your entry point. There's a certain allure to me...not knowing where a days travel will take you, that tomorrow might as well be a random day a year from now since you know not what it will bring... Knowing what direction you are heading, but not knowing what campsite or lake you will be laying your head at that very evening...
Alan Gage	06/21/2016 10:00AM   I did the Bloodvein River last year. Started at Johnson Lake just outside WCPP and paddled and portaged up to Knox to get on the Bloodvein system. A little over 200 miles and took exactly 2 weeks to reach Lake Winnipeg. Was weather bound for 3 days going down. It was hard work getting downstream in 2 weeks from Johnson Lake. Many people fly into Artery Lake and take 2 weeks going downstream from there. At the end you can either fly back, arrange a shuttle from Bloodvein Village, or probably catch a boat ride (does the ferry still run?) across Lake Winnipeg and shuttle from there. Or just do what I did and spend 2 more weeks paddling back upstream to the car. ;) Really beautiful area and a fun river with no roads or power lines until you reach Bloodvein Village at the mouth. I believe it's fairly heavily traveled river in the middle of summer but when I was out from mid-August to mid-September I think I saw 5 groups of canoes and of course the little fishing boats on lakes with fishing outposts. Alan
housty9	06/21/2016 11:09AM   Would rather keep it in the bwca, not ready to go into Canada yet, don't really want the extra cost being single now, it's been a life changer.
ZaraSp00k	06/21/2016 11:17AM   I'd say stay out of the Ely area, two weeks of fighting everyone for a campsite would drive me nuts.
ducks	06/21/2016 08:41AM   bwca? quetico? My trips are only 4 days so I have no idea how to plan something that long. The 2 long trips I can think of are 1. Hunters Island that Jan did 2. Border Route
Bogwalker	06/21/2016 08:54AM   WCPP from Artery and the large mural of pictos, paddle the Bloodvein River and head through Irvine and down through the MinJim route out at Leano or Onnie. Lots of cool places to visit, lots of solitude, world class fishing and a fly in to start the whole thing.
billconner	06/21/2016 09:43AM   Grand Portage to Internationale Falls (or maybe the Voyageurs Park headquarters.)
hobbydog	07/20/2016 07:45PM   On my WCCP trip in Sept. I have a general area I will visit but no firm route. I was thinking about making a game of bingo out of it. A blackout card would be nice but see how many squares you can fill. Some will require luck, some will require hard work and some will just take discipline. Still working on my goal list. What is yours? Fish for two full days on the same lake Bushwack to a lake catch a muskie catch a 40+ muskie/northern Stay up all night and photograph the night sky cover 120 miles carve a spoon see a moose see a caribou catch a lake trout catch a walleye camp on a never used site and leave NO trace 11 days See northern lights cross 3 entry points a 25 mile day sleep under the stars See a lynx See a pine martin 5 continuous days without seeing a soul
BeaV	07/20/2016 07:33AM   The border route from Crane Lake to Lake Superior is 200 miles +/-. Even though, as some suggest, just winging it and randomly paddle/portage sounds enticing, this idea may not lend itself to your goal of 200 miles and 2 weeks solo. Without a clear destination for the trip, you may lose enthusiasm after a little while and opt out too soon. I find having a clear goal (I prefer a location to get to for a goal) really helps with motivation when things turn for the worse (bad weather, loneliness, or aches & pains). For the border route, telling yourself it's "Lake Superior or bust" is a great motivator to keep making progress day after day.
housty9	07/20/2016 07:50AM   quote BeaV: "The border route from Crane Lake to Lake Superior is 200 miles +/-. Even though, as some suggest, just winging it and randomly paddle/portage sounds enticing, this idea may not lend itself to your goal of 200 miles and 2 weeks solo. Without a clear destination for the trip, you may lose enthusiasm after a little while and opt out too soon. I find having a clear goal (I prefer a location to get to for a goal) really helps with motivation when things turn for the worse (bad weather, loneliness, or aches & pains). For the border route, telling yourself it's "Lake Superior or bust" is a great motivator to keep making progress day after day." Loneliness, aches and pain are not a problem, weather is the biggest factor when your on bigger water, I do a lot of extra paddling and stuff to get ready, I do kind of want to have a route to go by, your right it helps with the motivation which usually not a problem for me.
housty9	06/27/2016 02:24AM   quote Marten: "quote hobbydog: "Start out at an EP and make it up as you go. " +1 Pretty ambitious mileage so meander around and avoid the killer portages. Don't get so far out that you are forced to keep going when the fun meter is bouncing on zero." Killer portages just add a little more challenge to the trip.
TomT	06/27/2016 06:49AM   I would think the border lakes have to be involved but going west to east would be my preference. Maybe do the Frost River on the return trip for adventure. Should be a great time.
housty9	06/27/2016 07:55AM   quote TomT: "I would think the border lakes have to be involved but going west to east would be my preference. Maybe do the Frost River on the return trip for adventure. Should be a great time." Kevin l and I did the frost river pretty nice area, low water would be no fun, Thinking maybe up around sag and down the Granite river.
Marten	06/25/2016 06:36PM   quote hobbydog: "Start out at an EP and make it up as you go. " +1 Pretty ambitious mileage so meander around and avoid the killer portages. Don't get so far out that you are forced to keep going when the fun meter is bouncing on zero.
housty9	06/24/2016 03:39AM   quote nctry: "We can run your vehicle to little Indian Sioux ep, then I'll run you across to McFarland or little John and you can do the border route or hit some interior lakes. And work your way across east to west or vise versa." We can chat on the 4th about this, looking forward in getting together than.
housty9	06/24/2016 03:41AM   quote hobbydog: "Start out at an EP and make it up as you go. " That's kinda going to be the plan, I would like to have at least a little bit of a route planed.
hobbydog	06/23/2016 07:40PM   Start out at an EP and make it up as you go.
RainGearRight	06/21/2016 11:35AM   Lots of miles! Sounds like fun. You could start at Slim like by burntside, travel north to Big lake, cross the Echo trail to the Stuart ep. From there head towards Boulder Bay and then Agnes, Oyster and the lakes south of LLC. Loop up to LLC and paddle back down to Iron and over to Crooked and the border lakes to Knife. Knife up to Gijikiki, Cherry, Topaz area and back sw to Kec, Fraiser, Thomas and out Snowbank. That should get you close to 200 miles.
billconner	06/21/2016 01:26PM   OK - try this for all BWCA hartland. Overnight at Kawishiwi Lake campground and enter Hog Creek, west on Isbella River tpo the Gabbros, north on Kawashiwi to numbered lakes to Insula; up through Ensign to border, east along border and then into Seagull to Ogish; then loop through Tuscarora to Polar and Horseshow; onto Brule, Alton, Polly, and out at Kawishiwi Lake where you left your car. Just around 200 miles, an opportunities to cut some off if you change your mind or layover more than planned.
bennojr	06/21/2016 02:05PM   How about this plan... We meet at the rest stop at the intersection of Lake County Road 2 and State Highway 1 in the pre-dawn hours of the Saturday after Labor day 2017. You drive my car and your gear to your entry point at McFarland and I drive your car and my gear to my entry at Little Indian Sioux. We take whatever route we want. Of course it'll take me four weeks to complete what you do in two.
GoSpursGo	06/21/2016 02:06PM   You may want to do some research into the Kekekabic trail if you haven't already. Its only 41 miles I think, but it could be a great trip to do the trail and then paddle back to your starting point