After a long stretch of not making, it to the BWCA I got back last week. We headed out of Seagull Lake and used Seagull Outfitters (I recommend them) for our Kevlar canoes. The canoes we got were fantastic compared to the old aluminum Grumman canoes I've rented or brought up in the past. you can't mind getting your feet wet though.
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We took the 550r portage into Pauline Lk (formerly Jap Lake) which in hindsight probably should have been our last portage of the trip. It is a beast of a portage up, down, rocky, stream crossings, mud, parts under water and long! The area around Pauline Lk. had us worried about hanging since most of the trees now are young and too thin for hanging. This was the worst of how it looked from either windstorms or fires in the past.
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We lucked out and found a camp spot with room for two hammocks.
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The new growth varied along the way and some areas had what looked to be different years of growth judging by the size of the new trees.
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We went through to Fay Lk, Warclub Lk and on into French Lk. where we camped between the 33r and 13r potages on the map. The only other camp spot on the lake wasn't hammock friendly. The trees weren't big enough yet.
From French Lk we went into Peter Lk via the 130r portage and on to the 30r portage into Gabimichigami Lk (yep it's really spelled that way). The area we were getting into had older forest and looked like I remember the Northwoods before all the fires and wind damage. Our next camp spot was really a nice one. Thankfully it wasn't a good tent site according to Chips and Jazz, the gentleman and his dog that was just leaving it to check the other spot on the lake. They have been up there canoeing around for three weeks.
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Our last full day saw us heading into Ogishkemuncie Lk (nope not making up lake names) and on to Aspen where we found a site with trees big enough to hang from on an island. The area around here was getting back to new growth again. This was a pretty busy area and the camp spots were taken by what looked to be longer term campers that were doing day trips and whatever else.
We got to see a Fisher looking for a way across the channel we had to portage around which was fun but it was to far for a photo, we had some small binoculars with to see the Fisher better.
Some of the easier portaging we had to do.
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Sorry about the sideways view. Couldn't figure out how to get it to display vertically.
We had to portage around this.
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Our last night was in Seagull Lk on another Island that had good trees to hang from. We went out on the lake to see the sun setting since it was the first camp that didn't have hills in the way of the view.
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It was interesting how one island would have new growth and one nearby had older trees on it and both islands were about the same distance from the mainland.
On many of our portages we crossed the Kekekabic hiking trail that crosses the BWCA.
Overall a great trip, so happy to be back there. Bugs weren't bad. Got eaten but it wasn't horrible and a head net is something you'll want unless you like to go crazy from bugs in your face and ears. Saw only three ticks between the two of us which was great since my Memorial Day weekend up in Wisconsin which had a tick on me every time I went even near the yard or any trees.
You'll need to research the area you plan on going to if your set on hanging. The Gunflint trail entry area has had lots of damage but is hangable. I think we really lucked out plus going in through such a long portage first day is a strategy that usually works, which it did for getting privacy. Didn't see anyone else for two and half days.
Think I'm going to try and get back up this fall. Make up for missing so many years of not going.
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