Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Quetico Forum :: Black Robe Portage
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jphares44 |
It's funny, but two Fisher maps I have do not show any campsites on Wicksteed, but there are several on that lake. We also found Wicksteed to be full of aggressive, hungry smallies. I'll also say that the 220 rod "Killer Portage" is exactly that...a killer. I hate to admit it, but we were pretty wiped by the time we got to Wicksteed. |
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old_salt |
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old_salt |
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CardinalNation |
I did "Goat Hill" portage from Pond to Gratton once, but will never do it again. It's a bear. It does save time if you're going directly to Darky, but would be much slower if you are going to Argo. If you are want to spend some time on Darky as well as Argo, I would do it on the way out and float with the current down the Darky River to Minn. Last time I went that way, we only had to do 3 portages (one just north of Darky and two where the river dumps into Minn). The rest of the portages marked on the maps can be floated going with the current. You could have them drop you off at Bottle and pick you up at Black Robe. Good walleye fishing below the spillway dam going into Minn. Also there is great campsite (not marked on the maps) on the first point south of the dam going into Minn. |
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Eyedocron |
Always wanted to see this lake again, so fifteen years ago my crew went to Twin Falls, upstream to Tanner, took the Eat Em Up portage south to Darky River, upstream to Darky Lake and looped back west to Wicksteed. Nice island camp site and caught a bunch of northerns. Went back out south through Darky, Roland Lakes, Curtain Falls and out. You could probably not do this trip now, as we entered from the US side, went up through Nina and Moose, Boulder Bay, and checked in at the ranger cabin that was still there at the west part of the park. |
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golds009 |
For the last 2 years, Anderson outfitters (Yeah, Anderson Outfitters) has dropped me off,picked me up at Bottle Portage. The first year I took the Roland Lake route, and last year I took the 160 rod portage from Crooked Lake to Argo Lake. What I notice when looking at the maps is a 200 rod portage from McAree/Pond Lake which dumps into Gratton Lake, and finally Wicksteed Lake. Wicksteed looks to be a large lake with NO campsites. My question is this: has anybody done this route and are there any comments? Thank you in advance. |
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mr.barley |
quote golds009: " What I notice when looking at the maps is a 200 rod portage from McAree/Pond Lake which dumps into Gratton Lake, and finally Wicksteed Lake. " That 200 rodder is a real killer. |
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old_salt |
quote mr.barley: "quote golds009: " What I notice when looking at the maps is a 200 rod portage from McAree/Pond Lake which dumps into Gratton Lake, and finally Wicksteed Lake. " Must be the reason it's called the goat portage... |
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dentondoc |
BTW: I came in and exited via Darkwater (southern, "swampy" portage). dd |
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golds009 |
golds009 |
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dentondoc |
quote golds009: "I see Darky River on the map, but not Dark Water, which empties into Darky Lake. Is this what you are referring to (or is Dark Water the original name)? If so, is that the river that is accessed from Minn Lake? How difficult was the swamp portage? Thanks. I believe more recent maps have recorded "Darky" as "Dark Water" (for reasons that are probably obvious). The "swamp" portage is not an actual swamp ... just wet ... appropriately strewn with basketball sized boulders with a slight encroachment of vegetation. (BTW: the northern portage from extreme-north Dark Water to Wicksteed is a bit closer to a bushwhack.) And yes, that is the river that runs from Dark Water to Minn. I came into Dark Water via the river from Minn, having had Anderson's drop me off at Brewer Rapids (just south of Black Robe portage). Then the short hop around McAree Rapids put me on McAree Lake. Probably not as fast as taking Black Robe if you are headed to Minn, but likely a better choice if you are headed toward the goat portage (Pond to Graffton) enroute to Wicksteed. dd |