Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Trip Planning Forum :: Missing Link to Little Saganaga
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BigCurrent |
djwillco: "Just did the Missing Link to Little Sag trip last fall. Definitely worth it and not a bad 1st day at all if your group is reasonably experienced and single portaging. We came back out the same way and spent one night on Tuscarora so we'd have an easy trip out on the last day. I've come through the other route mentioned as well, and would say the Tuscarora route is the more scenic, but, like others said here, it's always fun to take a different route on the way back and see something new. You won't be dissapointed with Littl Sag." How long is the trip to L. Sag, assuming we are single portaging? We are experienced and have put in some long days on previous trips. I've read estimates anywhere from 6-10 hours. |
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djwillco |
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BigCurrent |
We don't want to rush through certain areas but we do want to maximize our time in the area. We like to stay at least 2 nights at each camp so we can enjoy the surroundings and spend some time fishing. We are debating doing a short loop through Tuscarora and Gillis or the bigger loop through L Sag. We've never been in the area so we want to make the most of our trip. Is L Sag worth the travel or would we be stisfied with Tuscarora, Crooked and Gillis. We travel pretty efficiently and single Portage. We have made it from Snowbank to Ima in 4.5 hrs. Mudro to Crooked in 6 hours to give you an idea of travel speeds. If you were to choose 2 lakes to camp on in this area, which 2 would they be? Considering we want to catch some Lake Trout. |
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boonie |
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boonie |
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boonie |
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BigCurrent |
I'll post a lengthier trip report but the route was awesome. Day 1 - Round to Little Sag Day 4 - Little Sag to Gillis though the West Fern/Powell Day 6 - Gillis to Round via Brant EP. Rugged trip. Portages were adventurous. Fishing was good. Not as many people as we were expecting. Bugs were bad at time, but overall not too bad. Beautiful area. |
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landoftheskytintedwater |
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BigCurrent |
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TuscaroraBorealis |
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Z4K |
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MikeinMpls |
jdoutdoors: "It looks like a pretty healthy day 1 for sure but nothing too bad. I'd plan for an extended snack break after the portage to Tuscarora, then a good push all the way to Lil Sag. I have heard that the path with small lakes leading back to Round is no cakewalk and quite challenging in some places due to it being relatively untraveled, with some swampy areas and rocky areas. If you're up for a challenge I'd say do it, but if you want an easier or more straightforward return, I'd probably go back through Tuscarora. I've never been through this area, but have researched it a fair bit, and would love to get out there some time." Yes, those small lakes can be a beast. If early in the year, it turns into one big bog and pushing the canoe along is the best mode of propulsion. I did this in May a couple of years ago, and it was a tough day. Mike |
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djwillco |
BigCurrent: "Thanks everyone for the info. We bumped the trip back a week and got out of the woods yesterday. Look forward to reading this! Glad you guys had a great trip. We're doing that route with the kids 10 days from now. Especially interested in hearing about the portage conditions through the West Fern to Brant area! L |
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BigCurrent |
Is this a big day 1? It looks like it's about 5.5 hours from Missing Link to L. Sag if we are single portaging. On the return trip, is it better to go through Tuscarora again or go through the smaller lake and exit at Brant Lake? |
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molshove |
BigCurrent: "molshove: "When do you go out?" I'll be watching for a report, would love to hear your experience! We're not headed that direction till August, and have never been in that area, either. |
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BigCurrent |
Trip Report |
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JD |
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molshove |
I’m not dead set on this route, and am definitely interested in hearing how your trip pans out. Could be an alternative for us. When do you go out? |
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BigCurrent |
molshove: "When do you go out?" We will be up there May 17-23. We have never been to this area but it looks like a great destination with a lot of route options. |
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BigCurrent |
djwillco: "Just did the Missing Link to Little Sag trip last fall. Definitely worth it and not a bad 1st day at all if your group is reasonably experienced and single portaging. We came back out the same way and spent one night on Tuscarora so we'd have an easy trip out on the last day. I've come through the other route mentioned as well, and would say the Tuscarora route is the more scenic, but, like others said here, it's always fun to take a different route on the way back and see something new. You won't be dissapointed with Littl Sag." Good to hear, that is kind of our plan. 3 nights on L. Sag and then 2 nights on Gillis, Crooked or Tuscarora. We may take the northern route out of L. Sag back through Gillis, to see some more of the area. If we did that we would still exit out of Tuscarora based on what we have read about the Brant are lakes. |
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BigCurrent |
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BigCurrent |
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A1t2o |
I always find that Day 1 is the most exhausting. I'm not used to paddling or portaging so it takes a while to get warmed up and fall into a pattern. It gets easier everyday though, especially if you get a rest day every couple of days. If I were you, I wouldn't go all the way to Little Sag in one day. Sure, you could probably do it, but Tuscarora, Crooked and Gillis are beautiful lakes. Why not slow down and enjoy those lakes a bit instead of rushing through them? I would make Crooked the goal for the first night and see how it goes from there. Maybe you feel great and want to keep going, or maybe you want to stop and head up the portage to check out Gillis. I will say that the northern route that we took from Gillis to Little Sag was worth it though. Those are some nice lakes that do not get much traffic. We stopped for lunch at the site on the south side of Powell and it had a beautiful view. |
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cowdoc |
I'd go in one way and come out the other.....see some new country. |
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A1t2o |
Picking just 2 lakes is hard. Tuscarora is probably the best after Little Sag, but Gillis is easy to get to from Crooked so you could easily visit both if you camped on Crooked. We also traveled through Crooked and Tuscarora quickly due to weather so I might not be the best judge. What I would probably do in your shoes is this. Day 1 Round to Little Sag. Day 2 Explore as much of Little Sag as much as you can, I would probably recommend picking a portion of the lake to focus on and leaving the rest for a different trip. Day 3 Little Sag to Crooked. This day I think you would want to get to Crooked early so you can explore the lake. Day 4 Day trip to Gillis. Go explore Gillis there are trout in the lake so you can just troll the lake while taking in the sights, maybe stop at the cliff jumping spot to swim. Day 5 Crooked to Round. This will be your second time through Tuscarora, but you can take the time to explore the lake before taking the portage to Missing Link. Do a little fishing and take in the sights. This would give you about 1 day on each lake minus some travel time and setting up camp. You skip the Brant route, but trust me, you aren't missing out on much. That route is more trouble than it is worth when it takes you away from the other lakes you want to see. I'm glad I did it, but will not be doing it again. Also, if you are feeling adventurous you can take the detour that I did between Tuscarora and Missing Link. We took the wrong portage and went through Hubbub, Copper, and Snipe on the way out. That was a costly mistake since we were not planning on that additional travel time, but if you planned on it and single portaged then it could be fun. |