Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Trip Reports :: Trip Report - Stuart River to Stuart Lake
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30Smoke |
sedges: "You have a lot of room to shed weight in your outfit. The big difference in the last two outfits shows you get it and you will likely shed a little more each time you go. No need to be sorry for giving great advice! I have learned lots from this board over the last few years. I have come a long ways from my first trip and hope to keep learning more each trip. My weakness is I keep reading trip reports and finding more places I would like to visit, so I need to knock a few sites off the list each year. Then there are the places I would love to go back to! Thank you! |
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30Smoke |
TomT: "Nice report and I loved the pics with the captions. You sir, are a better man than me. First off I never would have done a long portage like that in October. You can find solitude at almost any entry point for way less work (late in the year). And doing it for about 6 hours in the dark solo?? No way I would attempt that. But hey, it's YOUR adventure. That's the beauty of going solo. Thanks for the nice words. As you may have figured out - I did learn a lot - the 6 hours in the dark was not planned. The nice thing about solo's is learning about yourself. I used to be nervous in the dark, but was glad to find out I had the inner strength to face the adversity and overcome it, while remaining calm and safe. Knowing what I know now, I would have done an easier trip in October, especially with the weather forecast. |
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Driftless |
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boonie |
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sedges |
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30Smoke |
boonie: "I think you must have cut your pack weight almost in half since the first trip! :) Still seems like a lot to me, but you're younger and stronger than I am. It sounds like you were fairly well equipped for some tough conditions, too, and comfortable being alone out there. Glad you were able to have a good, enjoyable solo. " packs 130 to 100 and no loose gear canoe 70 to 35 - so 200 to 135 makes it doable. I think I drop another 10 to 15 - less fishing and less camera's. Most of the pictures were on the lumix camera you recommended. It's waterproof and easy to pull out of my PFD jacket to take a picture when needed. But i still like my Nikon and multiple lenses - but 65 lbs is a big deal. I am hoping to drop 20 lbs off my frame this winter and maybe another 20 next year to get down to 200lbs personal weight, then everything should be even easier. But speaking of that first trip - I did the Boot to Ensign portage and it took 4 hours, same time as Stuart River 450 rod portage. So thanks again for your help with the gear list and advice! I just might become a good soloist! |
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sedges |
As I have aged, shedding outfit weight has become a necessity for continuing tours. My last three tours were all ten days. The outfit dropped from two 65 pound loads to two 50 pound loads to two 45. Much of that was a lighter canoe, but I replaced a white gas stove with an alcohol stove, pack fewer clothes and had to wash clothes along the way. Not a lot of redundant clothes. I'd figure the coldest temp I could possibly have and plan on wearing all of my clothes in that situation. I never over pack food, especially on a short trip. Even on a ten day trip my working hard big appetite foesn't kick in until the fifth or sixth day. Unless there are special dietary requirements, food can get real light. Choosing food that requires simple cookware also eliminates pounds. Cookware is one place that it is inexpensive to shed weight. Thirty-five pound food pack for a four day trip is the first place to cut pounds. Some reductions get expensive. Going from a 4 pound tent to 2 pounds or less is going to cost me a bunch. I set a little aside when I can and eventually I'll get that tent. I wouldn't do it if the old one(1980s) wasn't on its last go 'round. Same with sleeping bags. If that 3/4 person Timberline tent in your first photo is what you carried on the trip you could shed quite a few pound just going to a 2 person tent. There are pretty roomy 2 person tents in the 4-5 pound range these days. Camera and lenses are certainly hard to give up. If you are a professional photographer and the purpose of your trip is production of fine photographs a big kit is a necessity. But hey, people are filming amazing video on iPhones that go on to full production. I finally settled on a Canon Elph170 in a tiny little pelican case. It is flexible enough to get exposures that I am satisfied with for the purpose I put them to. I took it as a challenge to get decent photographs from a pocket sized kit. This is certainly a place to shed weight and volume. Sorry to be so long-winded, but I feel you are moving the right direction. I've picked up good ideas from this board over the years that have made my trips more pleasant. Looking forward to your next report! |
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30Smoke |
Many take-aways from this trip. 1) Getting the bags packed and ready to go is a priority. I was up late Saturday night/Sunday morning and just starting throwing stuff in my bags. Fall travel required extra blankets and clothing for my ditch bag, so I would have something dry and warm. Gloves are super important, need to find something that will keep my hands dry and warm! Other than that, I had the right gear, just overestimated my conditioning. 2) It is important to get the early start, especially with the long portages and travel. I overestimated my level of fitness and what my feet could take. I should have done more training with packs to get use to the weight and endurance. 3) Safety: I never felt in danger, as I had a good headlamp, and the travel I did in the dark was very slow and safe. I was ready to put the tarp up and wait until morning if I thought there might be problems, but I could hear the running water well in advance, as there were no other sounds that night. It actually turned out to be the neatest experience on the trip! 4) Biggest take-away is don't panic! I had never traveled in the dark, but I surprised myself by staying calm. I did have that "what have I got myself into" moment, but I will learn from this experience and carry it forward and hopefully have many safe trips, which means not putting myself in the position of night travel. Finally, I would like to try it again, but I may look at labor day weekend vs the first week of October. I will continue solo's because there are so many places I would like to visit, and I only have one paddle partner! So everybody stay safe out there and happy paddling. |
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djwillco |
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bwcasolo |
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Northwoodsman |
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HangLoose |
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TomT |
I'm sure you learned quite a lot and it's normal to not enjoy your first few solos, or I should say - miss being with others. I wouldn't give up on the solo thing just yet. I've found that I really like a partial solo where I pre arrange a meet up with others for some of the trip. That's my perfect trip these days. Thanks for taking the time to write it it up! |
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boonie |
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30Smoke |
Trip Name: Stuart River to Stuart Lake. Entry Point: 19 Click Here to View Trip Report |
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boonie |
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