Message to my son after this fall's trip:
We were camped on Basswood Lake at Ranger Point this September, near the entrance to the Kett Portages. I assume you remember the Kett Portages. I'll never forget you screeching an aluminum canoe through the brush the last few rods of the flooded portage, swearing like a maniac. Bill thought I should take a photo for you. It looks quite benign, doesn't it? Remember the time army worms? Remember the time flooded beaver disaster? Remember the time epic black flies? Actually we saw a grouse at the entrance from the lake but it took off before I could get a shot.

I did those in Sept. 2011 but it was 87 degrees and not much breeze. It was rough.

On Kett right in the middle as I passed through I saw two bald eagles flying full out with one chasing the other like fighter jets. they went over the trees into the south arm and did acrobatics and returned towards me before finally locking talons and tumbling down to the water.

At about tree top height they split up and resumed the chase over the trees and out of sight. I literally sat in my canoe for a minute to process what I just saw. I remember my jaw being open. Pretty amazing sight for a lifelong suburbanite.

I was just over those portages this past August with my oldest son. Not overly difficult, except for the fact that we had to smash through and around some areas of recent blowdown. The longer, southern portage is actually quite scenic for a stretch where it traverses a high, semi-open granite ridge.

I have been through when the portage has been flooded and it was very tough. I have been through twice since and actually found them in pretty good shape and not too bad to portage. The luck of the draw----------------and the work of the beavers I guess.

We just did the Kett portages last week! Other than the deep snow, we thought they were in good shape. The two portages from Kett to Robinson with their steep climbs, though much shorter, presented a REAL physical challenge!

quote clinegc: The two portages from Kett to Robinson with their steep climbs, though much shorter, presented a REAL physical challenge!"

That's wild country! The little "alpine" lake between Kett and Nub is quite a jewel.

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The first picture is on the Longer Kett Portage. The second is a picture the day after the President's Day rain storm on Robinson Lake.

Quite the adventure!

I was thinking of using these this upcoming Spring to get into the area and beyond. It's good to get the intel on the conditions of those portages.

quote clinegc: "The first picture is on the Longer Kett Portage. The second is a picture the day after the President's Day rain storm on Robinson Lake."

Good for you guys.

I just went through these portages last Monday. There is only a little muddy spot or two where those corduroy logs are now and the trail was fairly brushed back. However nothing had completely leafed out yet. There is a fairly large (10-12" dia.) birch laying diagonally across the trail as you head north. The swamp area was dry but lots of matchstick blowdown of similar size and smaller in that area that makes portaging interesting. A little further on as one climbs the trail, a gnarled pine of unusual size (GPUS) is also laying across the trail and there is a smattering of smaller diameter trees across the trail. These are all on the 240 rod portage. I had my corona saw and cut away, hacked in half or carved "holes" in blowdown to crawl through, over or step around.

The second 160 rod portage is in quite a bit better shape. I only cut up a few trees here and there across the trail with only one pine that needed trimming to create a hole to crawl under with the boat. It's more or less downhill on that second one which was a lot easier.

I stayed on the 3+ star site on the southwest part of the lake which was soft and comfortable after that workout! FYI, the 90- and 88-rod portages on the north end of Kett to Tuck have similar issues only on the 90-rod. The second portage is pretty much a 2rod portage to floatable beaver pond that ends with a 40 rod downhill trek to Tuck. I was glad I was going in that direction!

That is one portage and lake on my bucket list. Thanks for update.

Was on the string of portages from Robinson Lake, including Nub and Kett, on my way out to Basswood Lake on Tuesday. As promised by the park rangers who approached us in a motor boat on the way in on June 1, the Basswood to no-name on the south end of that trek is now open for business. (They were taking care of all of the portages from Basswood accessible by motor boat before moving on to other areas of the park ... were headed ultimately to Atikokan.)

There were a few muddy spots along the trek ... just a little (heading south on the last leg) before reaching the swamp and the last 50 yards are so as you approached the Basswood end. I suspect that some of this was due in part to the downpour of rain that occurred as we worked down that chain of portages.

The shorter Kett portage is "open for business" after we cleared several deadfalls blocking the trail in perhaps a half-dozen spots. Only one medium diameter (6+ inches) was left as a hinderance requiring a canoe pass-over and crawl under to continue on. That is not to say there are perhaps a half-dozen step overs of the knee high variety.

We also did some minor trail clearing on the Kett "approach portages" from Robinson. Although additional time would be desirable to brush back the trails a bit, they were (after we finished) clear of obstruction.

Seems like a year for falling timber, however, so it may not take much to place other obstacles along the portages. For example, while camped on the northern Robinson island site for 3 days we were in camp when 2 large trees fell (on different days) just beyond the fringe of camp.

Thanks to others who had preceded us through those portages this year. It was obvious that someone had been there first based on fresh saw marks making our work a little less involved. But as you can tell by my remarks it doesn't take long for trails to become blocked again given the right conditions.

dd

But you know ... I'd like to do these portages JUST ONCE when the rain wasn't pouring down making all that granite slab feel a bit like a skating rink. (Our outfitter for this trip reported that the general area got 3 inches of rain the day of our crossing this year ... I'm feeling we could have locally gotten more.)

Thanks for you and your crew's efforts on those trails dd! I cleared a few but ran out of energy and just started "cutting holes" to crawl under on some of those bigger blow-downs. Next year, I'm following you guys in :)

quote HighnDry: "Thanks for you and your crew's efforts on those trails dd! I cleared a few but ran out of energy and just started "cutting holes" to crawl under on some of those bigger blow-downs. Next year, I'm following you guys in :)"

The previous saw cuts I mentioned were most likely attributable to you. Believe me, I was most appreciative of your efforts even though it was evident from what we found that lots can happen in just a couple of weeks. My "crew" was just my partner and I, but apparently us septuagenarians can still "cut it."

dd