Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Trip Planning Forum :: Tow boat services - is there a listing somewhere?
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schweady |
cyclones30: "You've got Packsack on there twice among others. One is correct and other one says they go Fall > Crooked which isn't possible. " Gotcha. Yet another edit made (above). Some copy-paste with some user info must have been going on there. |
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Savage Voyageur |
Your original post asked for pointers on tows, so here is a few. 1) Collect tip money for the tow guy before hand when everyone has easy access to their wallets. You don’t want to rummage in the bottom of your pack at the drop off for tip money. Give the money to one guy in your group to give to the tow operator. If you have a big group you will have two tow guys so split the tip money. Suggestion would be 15-20% on the tip to tow cost. 2) Have your gear stowed and not a lot of loose stuff. 3) Keep your seat pad or crazy creek chair with you to sit on for the ride. Those John boats are bumpy and you will feel every wave. 4) Protect your fishing rods with some kind of rod holder. Gear moves around in those boats during the ride. I lost a rod guide this way one trip. 5) Remember to ask your tow operator for a cell phone number so you can contact him with a InReach unit if needed a pickup time change. |
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Gaidin53 |
I generally put the return tow tip money in with my fishing license and permit into a ziploc bags(actually 2 one inside the other). I then put that ziploc into my map case. That way it’s easy to get to at the end of the trip and not at the bottom of the bag. I left my rods bungee dealee bobbed under the canoe seats for the ride back in this year. The cap for the opposite side of the reel handles vibrated off during the ride back in. Luckily my son found it so nothing was lost. The other one was really loose. Definitely be organized and try to reduce the amount of small loose items. Challenge then is slowing down enough at the beginning of the trip on the drop off to get everything out and organized how it now needs to be for the trip. Definitely put on your raincoat and any other warm gear for the ride out in the early mornings. It gets cold in the wind on the ride out. Shed gear once you hit the drop off and are setting up to paddle. Ryan |
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okinaw55 |
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okinaw55 |
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boonie |
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okinaw55 |
Before I retired I was a C#, vb, html, asp.net programmer so I know a thing or two if you're worried I'll mess something up. |
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schweady |
I'm actually not entirely sure how I feel about it. I just know that there are spots deeper into the interior that I want to see (or see again), and this body isn't getting there by paddle alone. So, please, no quibbling about whether this is the "right" way to explore a wilderness. I'd just like to sketch out a list of possibilities. I know that many outfitters and resorts will provide the service, but can we compile here a listing of the ones folks know of/have used? -- Including: who's providing the service/tow start point, drop-off point, paddling route/destinations, costs, pointers... |
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cyclones30 |
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okinaw55 |
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cmanimal |
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cowdoc |
Personally, I've used Williams & Hall and CCO on Moose and Seagull on Sag to get to Hook Island. If you are getting the tow to Quetico entries (from the BW side), you ride on the outfitters/tow boat BWCA day permit so you don't have to mess with that. |
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Gaidin53 |
Pretty sure Latourrells does all the same options. Just to be clear no one does Ensign closest they can get you is Splash. No one does Knife closest they can get you is Birch. Ryan |
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schweady |
okinaw55: "I think based on the responses so far its apparent that there is a need for a list for these services. I think Op has a good idea." Here's a rough a crib sheet with contributions made here so far. I'll need to comb through the outfitter websites here for additions/better data/more detail. Thanks to all who have replied. -- first draft, deleted -- |
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schweady |
okinaw55: "Dang dude. You're running with this one. I like it but concerned now after Bill's comment, it can change. I wonder how we can stay on top of this?" For myself, doing this has almost completely answered all of my questions about the standard routes. For sure, the multiple destinations out of Moose and Saganaga Lakes were always a mystery, never having looked all that closely at maps of those spots. Making this information a bit more readable? A work in progress. Keeping up with the changes offered year to year? Probably what the various outfitter websites are for. |
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HighnDry |
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schweady |
Lonnie - Moccasin Point, Lake Vermilion --> Trout Lake LaTourell’s Outfitters - Moose Lake --> Prairie Portage/Birch Lake (Indian Portage)/Splash Lake (Ensign Portage)/Basswood Lake-Washington Island and Back Bay Anderson’s - Crane Lake --> Loon Lake/Lac La Croix/Bottle Portage/Quetico Williams & Hall - Moose Lake --> Prairie Portage/Birch Lake (Indian Portage)/Splash Lake (Ensign Portage)/Basswood Lake truck portage, Back Bay, Lincoln Island Clearwater Lodge - Clearwater Lake --> Clearwater Lake east Seagull Outfitters - Saganaga Lake --> Hook Island/American Point/Canadian Customs/Red Rock Portage/Saganaga Falls/Devil’s Walk Bay/Northern Light Rail Portage/Northern Light Rapids Seagull Outfitters - Seagull Lake --> Western tip of Three-Mile Island/North Bay Tuscarora - Saganaga Lake --> Hook Island/American Point/Red Rock/Saganaga Falls Voyageur North Outfitters - Moose Lake --> Prairie Portage/Birch Lake (Indian Portage)/Splash Lake (Ensign Portage)/Basswood Lake-Washington Island and Back Bay, Burntside Lake --> Crab Lake Portage, Moccasin Point, Vermilion Lake --> Trout Lake, Crane Lake --> Lac La Croix Area/McAree/Maligne/Bottle Lakes/Snow Bay Voyageur Canoe Outfitters - Saganaga Lake --> Hook Island/American Point/Red Rock/Saganaga Falls/Powell's (Old Portage)/Northern Light Rail/Northern Light Rapids/Powell's Portage Canoe Country Outfitters - Moose Lake --> Prairie Portage/Birch Lake (Indian Portage)/Splash Lake (Ensign Portage)/Basswood Lake-Washington Island and Back Bay Spirit of the Wilderness - See website Willy Vosburgh’s - Moose Lake --> Packsack Outfitters - Fall Lake --> Newton Lake Portage/Four Mile Portage/Top of Jackfish Bay Vosburgh - Moose Lake --> Prairie Portage/Basswood Lake truck portage/Birch Lake (Indian Portage)/Splash Lake (Ensign Portage) Zup's - Crane Lake --> Loon Lake/Lac La Croix/Bottle Portage/Quetico Cliff Wold's - Moose Lake --> Prairie Portage/Birch Lake (Indian Portage)/Splash Lake (Ensign Portage)/Basswood Lake-Washington Island and Back Bay Ely Outfitting - Moose --> Prairie Portage/Birch Lake (Indian Portage)/Splash Lake (Ensign Portage)/Basswood Lake-Washington Island, Burntside --> Crab Lake Portage, Fall Lake --> Basswood Lake Piragis - Moose Lake --> Prairie Portage/Birch Lake (Indian Portage)/Splash Lake (Ensign Portage)/Basswood Lake-Washington Island and Back Bay, Burntside Lake--> Crab Lake Portage, Crane Lake --> Lac La Croix, Fall Lake --> Jackfish Bay Spirit of the Wilderness - Moose Lake --> Prairie Portage/Birch Lake (Indian Portage)/Splash Lake (Ensign Portage)/Basswood Lake-Washington Island and Back Bay, Snowbank Lake --> Boot Lake Portage, Burntside Lake --> Crab Lake Portage |
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cmanimal |
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mmrocker13 |
Depending on where we are going and who is doing the going we've used LaTourells's (Moose toward knife); Packsack (Fall headed to crooked); and Anderson (Crane lake up either toward LLC or up to Quetico) |
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bobbernumber3 |
schweady: "...I'm actually not entirely sure how I feel about it... I've had a tow-in or a fly-in for 38 of my 39 canoe trips so far (French Lake Quetico 2006 was the exception). I don't know what you would be having feelings about? It's part of the trip. |
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HighnDry |
Sea Gull Outfitters(Sea Gull, Sag, etc) Those are just two towards the end of the Gunflint. Spirit of the Wilderness, sits on Gull Lake also offers tows now that I think about it. |
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billconner |
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Gaidin53 |
Packsack Outfitters also does tows on Fall Lake and can get you deeper into Basswood. Ryan |
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cyclones30 |
Andersons and others do the looooong big boat run from Crane area to Loon or LLC via a few boat portages. Pricey but a hell of a fun ride. They also go to Bottle portage and other Canadian drops when the border is open. Clearwater will do one right on Clearwater. Seagull and Tuscarora? and maybe others can do Sag that can drop at a variety of locations. I believe you can get a tow on Burntside to get to the portage towards Crab/Cummings. |
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okinaw55 |
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