Anyone been there?

North Kawnipi, to the East. Easiest way in and out is down the creek, but there is also an overgrown portage from days long gone, it goes into the Cache River Bay of Kawnipi.

Swans nesting there this spring, couldn't believe my eyes.

Pictures?!?

Nah, I don't take many pictues.

This has been on my wanna-go itinerary for several years, but I just haven't gotten there. This year we were on Kawnipi but my partner's ankle was sprained so I was doing almost all the portaging, didn't seem like the year. Gotta do it though.

Got very close this July, camping just west of the Kawnipi pictographs. What is the attraction for Lemay? beauty, solitude, fishing?

The attraction for me is that it's off the beaten path, but not so far off that it necessarily involves serious bushwhacking.

It's quiet, there are fish, and the one site is pretty nice.

Some joker left a big honkin fire grate there.

In the book, A Tippy Canoe and Canada Too by Sam Campbell, Lemay goes by the name Sanctuary.

Considering the way it looks, that would make sense.

I had it on my A list for this year, but at the last minute my brother in law bailed on my trip and I had to reroute. I am still very interested in going. Any 'Eyes inhabit this lake?

Thanks for the invite to the Aficionados list by the way!

Yes.

We ought to organize a BWCA.com group trip like the one that Pete and I just did up there.

You guys should do the Saganagons, Mack, Wawaig, Kawnipi, Lemay, Fallschain trip.

I can give you some routing advice if you need it.

Tryvge - I would be very interested in that route. I have looked at that area on the map for a couple years now. Is this a trip that can be done, with some fishing in 9 days?

Easy in 9 days. And you woud have plenty of time to fish.

Water is too low this time of year, but it would make a good spring trip.

I can go into much more detail if desired.

We would probably go in mid to late June.

That's a much better time to go.

Plus, the fishing will be orgasmic.

Boneli posted this a while back and says he's going that way in September. Trip Report?

I was thinking counterclockwise.

Yes, go counter clockwise.

er, I meant clockwise.

No.

Go Saganagons, Bitchu, Cullens, Mack, kawnipi, etc.

Okay, when? Right now?

The reasoning behind that is that it's easier to go upstream against the Fallschain than it is to go against the Wawiag.

That makes sense. I've also heard that if you do the same route backwards you get a whole different experience. So that would make going up the Fall Chain a new experience for me.

Also, Mack and south would probably be a challenge portage wise. I hear that tough portages make for better fishing and better campsites.

Or Sag and North rather.

Yes, the Mack and Cullen portages are kinda tough, but not too bad.

The fishing is good all around, the sites are also good. You do paddle through the Bird Lake fire, which was in 95. It's now a sea of ten foot tall jack pine.

How about Mack. I have heard that it get's fished pretty hard as there are a number of fishing parties that do fly ins to Clay or come from a local outfitter and just base camp there? Not sure how much I care, but usually if we do tough out of the way portages we like to not see a lake full of fisherman.

Thanks for the info. This trip would all be new territory for me.

I wonder when the walleyes will start their post spawn feeding spree in that neighborhood.

June.

Yes, Mack is a great fishing lake. And yes, people come in there from the fly in camp, several actually. But not many people. It's still a bit of work to get in there, and that much work is too much for those who are attached at the hip to their internal combustion engines.

Portage info is hard to come by. I found some on The Quiet Journey Quetico Database and read about some of them in Canoe Stories BWCA Quetico. Waiting for the mailman to bring me my maps. Seems like the area is a little boggier than other parts of the Q.

This story talks about coming down the Wawiag from a floatplane drop off on Clay Lake.

Float planes are for pansies.

If I cough hard I could blow myself into the Wawiag. It's not that remote.

But, the water level is so low right... It would stink.

I would avoid using an outfitter for anything. The only reason I would hire a floatplane is to go somewhere that a loop wasn't feasible.

Trygve;
What would May look like? Maybe too early for the walleye madness, but the water levels would be way up and maybe the bronzebacks and snotrockets will make up for it.

May would be the best month for water levels, usually.

Also, the trout fishing could be spectacular.

Would you use an outfitter to get a tow?

For a reasonable price, sure. I guess they can only take you to Cache Bay. So how much time does that save? Earlier I should have said I wouldn't want a guide to plan my route or my menu, and I like using all my own equipment. Planning and equipping is half the fun. I wouldn't mind a floatplane ride if it took me somewhere really remote and didn't cost an arm and a leg.

Saves between 2 and 3 hours, depending on how good a paddler you are.

If it's windy, it can save you a day.

So who's gonna do the Mack Lemay Loop? When?

I would like to do the Mack lake loop you guys are talking about. Not sure if we would have time for Lemay, though. I'll have a hard time convincing the troops to go to Lemay if we are catching fish on Kawnipi though.

Regarding Mack lake, I just read a trip report on another site where they talked about flying into Mack. Is this a fly in lake? I knew an outfitter put people into this lake but thought fly in meant Clay lake and paddle in. I was hoping this lake would be a remote lake, as it looks fairly hard to get to by canoe? Will probably still go here, may not lay over though. I guess if we don't it will be more time for Kawnipi and possibly Lemay.

They do fly into several lakes just outside the park, to the East of Mack.

But, not very many people paddle into Mack that way. Although they are there.

If you want to get to Mack, go up through Saganagons and Cullen, etc.

If you want to stay on Kawnipi, go up the Falls Chain.

Clay Lake fly in from Gunflint trail and paddle. I would go with saving the money and taking the motor tow to Cache Bay and then a days work out on Sag. Mack sounds muddy but the fishing sounds worth a couple days in the mud. Lemay is work just to get in there so if I had time I would stay two nights there also. Since I've already been down the Falls Chain, I'd get another view paddling up. Hey Maverick; I was looking at your profile and you got my canoe! Did you get the 3 seater?

Mack is not Muddy.

The Wawiag is muddy though.

If you work your ass off, you can go from Sag to Kawnipi in a day.

I have done it, but that's some serious paddling.

Barry (bonelli) is out there right now. Wonder what he will have to say.

I'm glad we got all that rain, for Bonelli's sake.

Despite being dangerous, the Falls Chain and the Wawiag are much more enjoyable with higher water.

Yep I have the three seater. I had the Quetico 17 and got the bigger one for flexibility on trips with odd numbers and due to having kids of canoing age. I really like it. I liked the 17 too.

To date on all, Quetico trips anyway, I have removed the 3rd seat and just had two guys in it.

This loop ought to be on our TO DO List. I have two others that are already scheduled, the Red Pine in May and the Wabakimi in August. Unfortunately that will about do it for my vacation days, unless I can squeeze it back to back with the Red Pine in May.