My wife and I were fortunate to have great Fall weather for a trip in the Western BWCA for eleven days and 10 nights of travel. This was her first extended canoe trip after having many kayak trips.
Day 1
Travel from Alexandria, MN to Crane Lake, MN
Pick up permit in Cook
Pack up the boat
Paddle Crane Lake, King Williams Narrows, Sand Point Lake and Little Vermilion Lake
Camp on Little Vermilion
Wonderful to finally be out.
Day 2
Paddle Little Vermilion Lake, Loon River
Portage into Loon Lake
The water seems high coming down the falls.
Paddle Loon Lake.
Portage into Lac La Croix
Picture Rocks not far from the portage, which I find fascinating.
Camp on Lac La Croix
Day 3
Paddle Lac La Croix
Two Portages into Iron Lake
Camp on Iron Lake near the portage into Crooked
Day 4
Paddle remainder of Iron Lake
Portage into Crooked Lake past Curtain Falls, splendid.
Paddle Crooked Lake
Past table rock and the Picture Rocks, my favorites.
We had a quick wind and rain storm here and I am glad we were not out on the big part of the lake.
Camp at the bottom of Crooked and could hear Lower Basswood Falls during the night.
Day 5
Paddle the last of Crooked
Portage around Lower Basswood Falls
Paddle and Portage Horse River, very rocky.
Paddle across Horse Lake
Paddle and portage into Fourtown Lake.
Wow, people everywhere.
It seems we were only a couple of portages from an entry point.
Camp on a beautiful campsite on Fourtown.
Shared fresh-made muffins with a friend that I had not seen in years, as they passed by our site.
Small world!
Day 6
Paddled out of Fourtown and paddled and portaged some beautiful, picture-perfect BW lakes:
Boot, Fairy, Gun, Waggish, Niki, Chippewa, Papoose, Papoose Creek
Into Friday Bay of Crooked lake and camp.
Day 7
Portage Curtain Falls into Iron Lake
Portage into Lac La Croix
Paddle to Boulder Bay and then Boulder River
Portage into Lake Agnes
Camp on Lake Agnes for two nights.
The campsite was beautiful, but the tent site was not good.
We were feted with the calls of Loons, Trumpeter Swans and moose.
I had seen swans before but had never noticed how synchronized they are when they fly. Awesome!
Day 8
No packs to portage.
Just a day trip out of Lake Agnes
Down the Nina Moose River with a couple of ports.
Nina Moose Lake
Little-used portage into Lamb Lake
Ramshead Lake
Ramshead Creek
Portage back into Nina Moose River.
This portage is tough to find from the north side.
A beautiful, quiet paddle, on out of the way lakes it seems.
Day 9
Portage out of Lake Agnes and into Boulder River and Boulder Bay of Lac La Croix
Camp on Lac La Croix by Sandbar Island
Day 10
Lac La Croix
Loon Lake
Loon River
Little Vermilion Lake
Camp on the north end by the narrows
Day 11
Short paddle back to the vehicle on Crane Lake
Wonderful trip with great weather, beautiful scenery and wildlife.
Day 1
Travel from Alexandria, MN to Crane Lake, MN
Pick up permit in Cook
Pack up the boat
Paddle Crane Lake, King Williams Narrows, Sand Point Lake and Little Vermilion Lake
Camp on Little Vermilion
Wonderful to finally be out.
Day 2
Paddle Little Vermilion Lake, Loon River
Portage into Loon Lake
The water seems high coming down the falls.
Paddle Loon Lake.
Portage into Lac La Croix
Picture Rocks not far from the portage, which I find fascinating.
Camp on Lac La Croix
Day 3
Paddle Lac La Croix
Two Portages into Iron Lake
Camp on Iron Lake near the portage into Crooked
Day 4
Paddle remainder of Iron Lake
Portage into Crooked Lake past Curtain Falls, splendid.
Paddle Crooked Lake
Past table rock and the Picture Rocks, my favorites.
We had a quick wind and rain storm here and I am glad we were not out on the big part of the lake.
Camp at the bottom of Crooked and could hear Lower Basswood Falls during the night.
Day 5
Paddle the last of Crooked
Portage around Lower Basswood Falls
Paddle and Portage Horse River, very rocky.
Paddle across Horse Lake
Paddle and portage into Fourtown Lake.
Wow, people everywhere.
It seems we were only a couple of portages from an entry point.
Camp on a beautiful campsite on Fourtown.
Shared fresh-made muffins with a friend that I had not seen in years, as they passed by our site.
Small world!
Day 6
Paddled out of Fourtown and paddled and portaged some beautiful, picture-perfect BW lakes:
Boot, Fairy, Gun, Waggish, Niki, Chippewa, Papoose, Papoose Creek
Into Friday Bay of Crooked lake and camp.
Day 7
Portage Curtain Falls into Iron Lake
Portage into Lac La Croix
Paddle to Boulder Bay and then Boulder River
Portage into Lake Agnes
Camp on Lake Agnes for two nights.
The campsite was beautiful, but the tent site was not good.
We were feted with the calls of Loons, Trumpeter Swans and moose.
I had seen swans before but had never noticed how synchronized they are when they fly. Awesome!
Day 8
No packs to portage.
Just a day trip out of Lake Agnes
Down the Nina Moose River with a couple of ports.
Nina Moose Lake
Little-used portage into Lamb Lake
Ramshead Lake
Ramshead Creek
Portage back into Nina Moose River.
This portage is tough to find from the north side.
A beautiful, quiet paddle, on out of the way lakes it seems.
Day 9
Portage out of Lake Agnes and into Boulder River and Boulder Bay of Lac La Croix
Camp on Lac La Croix by Sandbar Island
Day 10
Lac La Croix
Loon Lake
Loon River
Little Vermilion Lake
Camp on the north end by the narrows
Day 11
Short paddle back to the vehicle on Crane Lake
Wonderful trip with great weather, beautiful scenery and wildlife.
