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Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Quetico Forum :: Cross-Quetico Route Planning
 
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MooseBones
06/26/2020 09:34PM
  
Hello All:

Since I am in mourning now that my quetico trip for 2020 has been cancelled, I am trying to plan a one way trip across Quetico.
1. Would cache bay to beaverhouse lake be doable logistically?
2. Would crane lake to nym lake be feasible as well?

5 people total, could spend up to 2 weeks camping.
Can either fly into inl, or dlh or thunder bay.
Would need to rent canoes, and need transportation
We are all very experienced Quetico travellers, but unsure how to set up a one way trip. Expense not really a concern, I'm getting older and looking for one last grand adventure with my boys.

Thank you!
 
Mocha1
06/27/2020 09:08AM
  
Yes it's doable. We have gotten a ride to beaver house and paddled back to gunflint lake. Took 20 days to do it, 6 were windbound days. Enjoyable pace. We had our own gear. What happens to your canoes when you are done?
Since it seems you will have time for planning you could contact Canadian outfitters to see if they would pick up their canoes at a different location .
Sounds like a great trip!
 
billconner
06/27/2020 09:59AM
  
I think picking outfitter at take out and having them shuttle you and canoes and gear to BH is conventional approach. Sounds like fun!
 
stevedug
10/28/2020 12:57PM
  
Moosebones, the easiest thing would be to start at beaverhouse and end at french. we've done that before no problem with outfitters up there shuttling us.


with 2 full weeks in the park, you can head southeast on jean/sturgeon and spend a lot of time wandering around in the interior and southern edge of the park before you head north to pickeral and out at french.
 
AmarilloJim
10/28/2020 01:36PM
  
stevedug: "Moosebones, the easiest thing would be to start at beaverhouse and end at french. we've done that before no problem with outfitters up there shuttling us.



with 2 full weeks in the park, you can head southeast on jean/sturgeon and spend a lot of time wandering around in the interior and southern edge of the park before you head north to pickeral and out at french. "
This was my thought as well
 
Jackfish
10/29/2020 12:03PM
  
When we did our cross-Quetico trip, we started at Beaverhouse and ended at the Moose Lake landing next to Latourell's. We were fortunate in the fact that I had a customer in International Falls whose retired sister and BiL were willing to shuttle our vehicle for us. We paid them nicely for their efforts and when we got to the Moose Lake landing, my van was sitting there all ready for the drive home.


That was ten years ago and, to my knowledge, we were the only shuttle they ever did. Someone in I-Falls who is trustworthy and reliable could do more of this.
 
AdamXChicago
07/18/2020 11:51AM
  
current is a non-issue, IMHO

 
Moose Bones
07/18/2020 11:18AM
  
Is it also feasible to travel the Waiwag river from west to east, or is the current too strong, making the trip east to west mandatory?
 
bobbernumber3
07/18/2020 03:18PM
  
We started at French Lake with 7 guys. On day 3, one of our group traveled back solo to shuttle a vehicle down to The Gunflint Trail. Six of us continued for a 2-week Trans-Quetico trip, July 2006.



 
jbarth
07/18/2020 12:15PM
  
Moose Bones: "Is it also feasible to travel the Waiwag river from west to east, or is the current too strong, making the trip east to west mandatory?"
I would Fly into Clay and come down the Wawiag into Kawa Bay and work your way back to Beaverhouse or Stanton Bay. Many options... OR go up the Wawiag and find the Belair Totem and portage into Belair and then into McKenzie. My ever best trip. I am working on trip number 57 if the border ever opens.

Jim Barth
 
dentondoc
07/18/2020 02:14PM
  
My second-ever trip to Quetico (a leisurely two-weeker) started at Beaverhouse and ended at Prairie Portage. This was an early season trip (i.e., second week in May), so our outfitter (Canadian Border Outfitters on Moose Lake) pre-positioned a canoe at the Beaverhouse ranger station. We spent the night at CBO and the next day flew (from the Ely float plane base) to Beaverhouse (dropped off at the ranger station) via Sand Point (to clear Canadian Customs).

Our only minor issue with current going in this direction was a minor inconvenience going up the channel between Sturgeon and Russell. We had to line the last 20 yards or so. The flow was relatively substantial in May. We obviously didn't take the portage.

dd

p.s. I've also done a one way that started in Cache Bay and exited at Prairie Portage via McKenzie Lake. This one involved a friend who was also doing Prairie Portage to Sag. We timed it so that when she finished we arrived. So, she shuttled our vehicle back to Moose Lake. We ran from Cache Bay up the Falls Chain to McKenzie then re-tracing our steps back to McEwen and then heading down the chain of lakes to Louisa and out via Agnes to Prairie Portage.