Steve, Chuck's comments reminded me - even in the last week of Sept we had trouble finding an open site on Friday night - all other days there wasn't a problem but on the weekends there are still enough fishermen around to have a bit of competition for sites. I've heard/read trip reports from the BW that suggest getting to portages early in the day so you don't have to wait in line for portaging. To me, that doesn't constitute solitude. All depends on where you go - the further in and more portages you are willing to do the more 'away' you can get. Not sure how this would be on Rainy. Also, the 'circumnavigation' of the peninsula is kind of the standard 7 or 8 day paddling trip in VNP. We did not do this - chose to simply explore the area between the Ash River Visitor's Center, the Kettle Falls Hotel and the Wolf Pack Islands (nice area). Weather kept us in camp a couple of days. Also, in VNP you'll find areas and some campsites with sand beaches - nice for kayaking. BW most landings are rock outcrops or mud. Again, routes are available within the BW that minimize portaging. If I were going to kayak in the BW I'd *really* think about my equipment list and packing plan. The little pieces and packages required for loading a kayak don't lend themselves to frequent portaging. Going in late fall you also have to take more clothes and gear too (larger sleeping bag, etc). Dumping a Duluth pack in a canoe is nothing like stuffing 15 little items in a hatch! K PS: I have an Excel spreadsheet of VNP GPS waypoints (campsites) that I got from the NPS GIS office if you want that. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
I have gone to the BWCA every year for a while now, but I've always done it in my canoe. If I were to take a kayak (and I've thought about it) I would go in at Moose Lake. Then take the prairie portage into Basswood Lake. I think that is a mechanized portage where you can pay a small fee ($15?) to an outfitter who will load your boat on a truck and drive it across. Basswood Lake would then be big enough to allow for some substantial exploring. The downside to that trip is that I doubt you would get much solutide. >From the other people I've met who go to the BWCA that is a pretty heavily traveled route. And that route also allows small motors. It s true that the farther you go in, the more portages you cross, the less people you will see. I've been out to Boulder Lake twice, both times the day I spent in the lakes around Boulder I saw only two other groups all day. VNP might be better just based on logistics - no portages. I've never been there so I can't comment on it. Mel There are 10 kinds of people, those that understand Binary and those that don't. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
The later you get in September the smaller the crowds get. I went out of Moose Lake during mid week the first week in October and saw almost no one. The other advantage is that permits are not required after October 1. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --- When logic and proportion Have fallen softly dead, Remember what the dormouse said: "Feed your head. Feed your head. Feed your head" -WhiteRabbit *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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