Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Quetico Forum :: Pickerel Dam and Chatterton Falls Videos
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tumblehome |
OK I misread your post. You skipped Alice. So you went back up through Deux Riveres’. How was that with the water? I wish I could bushwhack from Alice to Buckingham Lake. I’m too chicken to do that stuff alone. I think I am going to rethink my trip and maybe go south out of Sturgeon down to Fred and Camel then up to McDougall, Chatterton and then out to up Deux Riveres’ What was the water like on the narrows of Sturgeon not between Russell though? Thanks. |
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Gaidin53 |
Ryan |
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sns |
We had been cautioned not to use the rapids route to/from Russell/Sturgeon, so took the Staircase going in. We did the rapids going out, and were really glad we did. It could have been run with low risk top-to-bottom. In the end, both boats did a very short portage (partly bushwhack) at the top, and one boat ran the bottom set while the other one portaged on the south side to enter Sturgeon. Tom, we diverted and did not do the Bonhomme or Savage portages. Like you, I was concerned that the marshy part might be flooded and that it might become challenging to know if you are even on it. Who knows, perhaps parts can be floated! GPS might be handy. I'll wager you can float between the two unnamed lakes between the Racers (thus avoiding that portage). But the other B portages are all in tight quarters close to moving water. Might have to forge a path on higher ground...plan for extra time and caution. |
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gonorth1 |
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Waterboy |
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Porkeater |
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sns |
Chatterton Falls, May 25 2022 Pickerel Dam & Outflow, May 28 2022 |
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GraniteCliffs |
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gonorth1 |
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sns |
When were you on Russell & Sturgeon? |
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sns |
Deux Rivieres was just a high creek with little noticeable current. Floated right over the two beaver dams. |
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tumblehome |
The water leaving Pickeral must be incredibly tough to navigate all the way to Olifaunt. I'll be in that area next week. Tom |
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sns |
First, the Parks folks were "recommending avoiding the Bisk/Beg/Bud section". This altered our route up from Russell, so we went through the rapids to the north end of Sturgeon Narrows instead of up through Alice/Fern & the B Chain. But once back up on Pickerel, we landed next to the dam (approached with extreme caution - the boom was out and we were really careful to stay out of the Event Horizon). We walked the portage to Bisk, sort of...it got wet and we went inland & buswhacked until we could rejoin it. Had to do this a couple times. I walked it back however, and there were three spots requiring wading; two in knee-deep water, one was closer to the Shrinkage Threshold. I felt confident that I could have gotten through to Bisk with my gear without much trouble...but I would not send an inexperienced tripper that way until water levels come way down. The Parks people are of course making blanket recommendations with the most inexperienced in mind... Videos of the Pickerel to Bisk portage |
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gonorth1 |
The power of Chatterton was incredible! For .75 of mile or more it was noticeably pushing water into Russell. We wanted to walk the portage to see the upper falls more closely. Never did find the portage. Did you by chance find the portage? Good video of the falls! I'd like to go back in August or Sept. to compare it to last week. |
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tumblehome |
Thanks for the info. SNS- I am planning to do Alice to Fern. How is Alice? Always wanted to go there. And how are the two racer portages from Alice into fern? My notes say the last one is swampy. 400 rods. Tom I put in at Nym on Sat. |
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Waterboy |
We did scout out Russel Rapids and did exit Russell via Rapids on 5/31 by making our way to the 15 rod portage around the fastest moving water. The water level had dropped 5” over our stay so it was fairly easy to get down the rapids. However, it would be nearly impossible to paddle up the rapids at the base. |
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sns |
Waterboy: "However, it would be nearly impossible to paddle up the rapids at the base. " Indeed. However: we found a trail - not really a portage - and got a canoe through and past that section at the base. My line in this image is not exact, but should be close. This would allow one to travel upstream, as the section between this and the regular portage about 500m SE has enough eddys and slackwater on the southern bank to be fairly easily paddled. |