Since there are no takers on this one, here is my best guess. If anyone knows that I'm wrong, (or simply confused) speak up.

I "looked" at the portage from Quetico to Badwater some years ago and here's what (I think) I remember. I think the beginning of it is uphill and it follows a stream bed. Lots of rocks, not much water. I do remember a large, (I think the correct term is) spruce bog. (A better term might quaking bog.) It was very pretty, very different. The problem was it was also incredibly spongy. If you were to loose your balance, and fall off the semi floating logs, you'd be in it deep. (And there was a long stretch of what was really just two or three side by side poles making up the trail through it. They were slippery and slowly sunk if you stopped.)
I couldn't hit anything solid through the moss with my tripod for balance, substantial trees were just out of reach, and I'm not good at "log rolling." At that point, my partner essentially said "Forget it. I'm not going any farther and neither are you... Get out of there." Normally that wouldn't discourage me so easily, that time it did. I wouldn't even walk it alone. If we'd have planned on taking that portage on that trip, I'm pretty sure we'd have found a different portage... or five.

Sorry I can't help more. It was the early 90's so I would hope it has been improved by now. All I can say with reasonable certainty is be sure to find out about that one before your trip. Just my opinion, but it may be real nasty.

Posted by db on January 12, 2000 at 02:38