Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Trip Planning Forum :: Gabbro Lake
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JackStraw |
Busy?: I would 100% describe that weekend as busy. You may need to reserve the entry permit on the same day/hour the web site opens. Both the Saturday permits were booked within hours last year. The campsite at the narrows from Gabbro to Little Gabbro was open, but no others until the far end of Gabbro, the island site right before the rapids from Bald Eagle. The site was great for one or two tents. On our way out some of the peninsula sites were open. When fishing the raped Bald Eagle into Gabbro we frequently shared the area with one or two other groups. Not ideal, but I enjoyed catching instead of just fishing. There is a reason it draws a crowd. Other points: *Fishing was fantastic: personal record smallie, plenty of walleye and northern. *Tuesday we heard logging machinery all morning. Not sure if that was due to a change in wind direction or when they were working. It kind of brought us back to reality that the trip was ending. *Mosquitoes in the parking lot were insane. |
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egknuti |
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billconner |
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maxxbhp |
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LindenTree3 |
Awesome web-site that I did not know existed until the other day when I was playing around trying to find maps for camping in the BW when I stumbled on it. Thank you all behind the scenes for maintaining and keeping up this site. I used to run the fire engine out of Isabella in the early 2000's, so you would think I know a little about Gabbro, but I honestly do not, and have never been there, it was always Ely's district, and I was a Tofte district employee, the district line was roughly at McDougal Lake. I never did that many BW trips when I was employed as the engine captain (I did more when I was on wildfires) seems like I always wanted to vacation somewhere else from where I lived. Now that I live in Detroit Lakes, MN I get back to the BW camping more than when I lived in Isabella. Again thank-you all, and any advice on my previous question about what is the best day to enter the BW to find a nice campsite? Lindy |
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schweady |
Gabbro is a favorite. You didn't mention fishing, but we have always caught our share of walleye in late July-early August; I can imagine the fun in June. But, yes, it will also be popular with many other folks. Most, if not all, of the sites will be filled each night. We like to leave our outfitter in Ely (VNO) by 6:00 (it often gets later if someone in the group believes that we NEED to eat breakfast at Britton's...) and be scouting our favorite sites by noon or so. Keep in mind that while it's fun to research what others have to say about campsites, setting your heart on a particular spot can result in disappointment. Oh, and we will also often go in at Ojibway Lake and base on the North Kawishiwi River. Similar semi-solitude and nice fishing. Day of the week? There have been some studies done on the slowest days, but I don't recall exactly. Sunday or Monday, maybe? Lynn is an Ely outfitter who frequently posts here and she can give you the data she has collected, but we have gone in on Sunday almost every trip for years and we meet a lot more on the portages who are going home than we overtake or get passed by. |
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Linden |
Question? How busy do you think Gabbro and surrounding areas will be at this time of year? Are there any camping sites or regular sites I should try for while I am in the area. I am a hearty, solo camper with my dog, and carry a Old Town, Pack 6 canoe that weighs 35 pounds. |
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Linden |
How about the campsites along the Kawishiwi river and clear lake area? I would probably only do a 2 nite stay, over at any site. At 53 I am still high energy and I like to paddle around. Just for FYI, Last year I did a loop out of Little Indian Souix river thru Oyster, Finger and Loon lakes. How much traffic would encounter on the Kawishiwi river. Linden |
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Linden |
quote lundojam: "It'll be busy. Get in as early as you can. There are a couple of deluxe sites on the major points of Gabbro. We have stayed on the point on the north shore in the middle of the lake (more or less) and liked it. Don't expect solitude, but it's still great." Did you mean early in the day or early in the week or both. Question, I will have the option of entering either Saturday, Sunday or Monday. Which of these days would be the best day to enter Gabbro and having the chance to pick up a 4 star campsite? My thoughts would be to enter on Sunday, with the hopes that others may be leaving that same day, therefore opening up some of the sites for availability. Am I correct or would Saturday or Monday be a better day to enter? |
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lundojam |
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LindenTree |
Sorry I can't help you, I never made it to Gabbro because I transferred to Alaska in 2015. I'm back in Duluth now and hope to make it to Gabbro sometime. Hopefully some of the others who chimed in on my thread can help you. |
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nooneuno |
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ILcdr |
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jdevries |
quote Linden: " Thanks all, Couple of great sites just over the portage from Little Gabbro into the river. Skip the first one in the bay you enter from, but then either of the two going up river or the first one going down river are fine. The island site on Clear is also nice. JD |
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VoyageurNorth |
The fishing is great in all the lakes, Clearwater has nice size northerns too. I'd put choices for permits like this: #1 try Little Gabbro; then if not open, #2 Snake River, #3 Little Isabella and #4 South Kawishiwi. |
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LindenTree3 |
Great information Voyageur and all you posters, I will plan on a solo trip with my dog the first week of June in the Gabbro, Bald Eagle area. My dog and I will not have a agenda, but will most likely plan on doing the Gabbro Loop, and probably try some paddling up the Kawashiwi river in the Clear lakes area. I will plan on at least 5 nites and perhaps 6 depending on my food supplies and ambition. My 5 nite trip last year involved 45 miles paddling and about 20 miles double portaging. Because of that I burned a lot of calories and ran out of food one day early. My 12.5 foot Old Town Pack 6 canoe is steady, but slow, especially when you throw an 85 pound dog in it. I did manage to do 16 miles one day last year, but I was beat. Also thanks for the info about the fires, my wife and I were on Insula Lake about 5 days before the Pagami fire blew up in 2011. After watching the smoke column building more and more each day I told my wife (I may get called back here). We headed home to Detroit Lakes after our trip and sure enough a few days later I got the call to come back. I spent 2 weeks between Bog and Section 29 lakes as a Task Force leader. FYI: If anyone is interested it is pretty easy to see the footprint of all the fires within the last 15 years using the maps link on this web-site. (heres an how/example) Open the maps link and go to entry point 33 and scroll North East between Pietro and Turtle lakes. Then click on the Satellite link in the top right corner. (This is the link between MAP Sattelite TOPO). The past fires foot print is a subtle change in color between the two lakes and changes shades from a forest green color to a lighter slate color and basically follows the portage between Turtle and Clearwater Lakes. All the past fires have this similar change in color on the satellite photos going back to before the Alpine fire around Alpine Lake in 2005ish. This is a tool I use as a firefighter when planning my canoe trips to decide if I want to avoid the burned over areas. Everyone must keep in mind that even though an area looks like it has had a fire in the satellite photo this does not mean that the area is moon scaped and should be avoided. There are many-many varying degrees of burn severity and there are also very many unburned areas within an old fires foot print. Linden |
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billconner |
quote ILcdr: "Try Pietro if you find those lakes to be too crowded. Also a smaller lake if its windy. Good fishing for northerns and smallies there. " Pietro is nice but a lot of it is in the Pagami Creek fire area. |
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LindenTree3 |
One other question, I read on this site that the BW permits open up for (General Public)reservations on January 28 2015, however I thought I read that they open up on January 30th. Can someone confirm the date and time for me. It sounds like I will nedd to get my permit ASAP for entry into Little Gabbro lake if I plan on staying in that area the first week of June. FYI: I have no qualms of going in at Little Isabella or Snake River if I am not able to get my permit for that time frame into the Gabbro Kawashiwi river area.(I do realize that they have way fewer alloted permits) Linden |
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Jimmmyj |
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Jimmmyj |
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jillpine |
Being about 15 yrs old or so, I can't recall much about the route, but I recall it was challenging in terms of heat, bugs and distance. We felt a real sense of accomplishment when we reached a campsite, then got up early in the mist to go pike-hunting. It was such an adventure. All of the sudden, through the 6am summer solstice rising-sun-and-mist comes the familiar bars of Misty Mountain Hop on a boombox...at 6am. Turns out a forest road allowed (allows? haven't been back) the fatal alcohol and gasoline engine access. Magic, gone. Or, through a more philosophical lens, altered. Misty Mountain Hop has never sounded the same since then. You will get some more helpful help, Jimmmyj. Just thought the coincidence of first-timers to Gabbro was interesting. I haven't been back to Gabbro since '81. The parallels to the first kiss - lol! Beth |
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spottedowl |
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schweady |
quote LindenTree3: "FYI: I have no qualms of going in at Little Isabella or Snake River if I am not able to get my permit for that time frame into the Gabbro Kawashiwi river area.(I do realize that they have way fewer alloted permits)" Fewer permits but usually plenty of available dates long into the reservation calendar. Far less demand for these EPs. |
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Linden |
quote spottedowl: "The Gabbro loop is cooler the Cherokee. Both will be plenty busy at that time." What is the Gabbro Loop. I guess I can look it up, but I am in South Carolina fighting Forest fires and doing some prescribed burning now. I won't be back until January 4th, and my guide books are all at home. Thanks Linden |
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PINETREE |
quote billconner: "Consider Isabella River and, especially for fewer other campers, noon the loop to Clearwater through Gull and Turtle. " Second that. |
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PINETREE |
quote schweady: "quote JackStraw: " It is just the beginning. |
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schweady |
quote JackStraw: " You were hearing test drilling being done just to the south by the company hoping to mine in the area. Very loud on Gabbro the past couple of years. Has affected this area's previous #1 ranking for our men's trips. |
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LindenTree3 |
I usually like a little solitude when I camp so I am thinking of changing things up a bit since it sounds like Gabbro is a little crowded. I am leaning toward Cherokee Lake out of Sawbill or the lake to the East (Cant Remember the name now) I may try to do a loop in the Cherokee Lake area that I have read about. Last year I did the Little Indian Sioux river to Hustler and around Finger Lakes and back down through Loon Lake. I spent 2 days on Finger lake on an Island with a beautiful campsite and did not see anyone for two days. I think Gabbro is going to be a little packed for my taste. I solo canoe with my 85 pound German Shepard Mix. Thanks again |
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LindenTree3 |
quote LindenTree3: "Thanks for all the help. |