Portage Description:
The appearance of a new beaver dam or two has considerably altered the character of this portage from what is described in the guidebooks. Picket Creek remained navigable for further than indicated on the map, but there were a couple of places where we had to do short liftovers to get around dams. The portage itself appears to be underwater until you get to an area where the beaver-flooded area widens out. This is where it was a bit tricky. In order to pick up the portage trail, head more toward the right hand (northwest) corner of the flooded area. Look for a rocky stream bed with a couple of large logs that have fallen across it. This is where the trail used to cross the stream, from the North (right) side to the South (left) side. If you bring your canoe around about 2 or 3 rods to the left of the stream there is an okay place to unload without having to drag the canoe over any windfalls. After about 3 rods of walking through marshy stuff, the trail dries out and becomes visible. We took a compass reading to make sure we were heading the right direction. Once you manage to get your gear to the actual trail this portage is no big deal and only about 90 rods -- a rough guess.

Lake after portage: Nels
Known campsites: 3
Lake Description:
Boat landing near Southwest corner of lake with parking lot.

Portage from Nels into: