db wrote on May 8^th, 2013 at 5:39pm:


"River left" is on your left when you're heading downstream.

Similarly, the "left bank" (like Paris and the Seine) is on the left when facing downstream.

Hey Matt (or anyone else) can you remind me again which way the river is flowing when talking river right and river left? N-ya, I know you explained it to me at least once before.... I still get confused.

If you take the middle passage out of Agnes to Murdoch, use the river left portages.  there are portages both sides - left is used more, and more likely to be cleared.

I took right side once - the landing was more obvious than the one on left, and looked easier so...., and wound up carrying the canoe back across the river to the other side when I got to end of trail (continuing on river right had not been cleared for a few years, it looked like - anyway it was easier to walk across the river than to continue on my side) - at that point, the river left portage was split by a short paddle and I picked up the second half of the trail there.

I've been on all three of the routes. None are too difficult. More likely to see moose on the Anubis route. Good smallmouth fishing at Murdoch. This is a "six to one, half a dozen to another" choice.

Stanley,

I prefer Anubis/Bird route for coming out of Kawnipi. I usually head out of Kawnipi early morning on exit day from basecamping and head out via McVicar Bay into Anubis then to Bird. None of the portages are too bad.

We  try to get into Agnes as early as possible as winds can make travel difficult. We eat lunch some where on Agnes. We will sometimes overnight near Louisa Falls if the wind made travel slower.Many times we will proceed thru both long port ages and camp in Sunday Lake. If we are real ambitious we have made it to Bayley Bay from Kawnipi in one long day and camp for last overnight before our early morning tow at Prairie Portage.

I would suggest taking two full days to get back to PP.

Have not been in the S chain or Agnes, but am familiar with PP, Burke, and North Bay.  Easy portages, fair amount of traffic, but the northern end of Burke Lake, where it narrows down, is my favorite spot.  I think that is just because in my mind it is the entrance to the wilderness.  At that point, I have left behind the motorboats, phones, and rest of civilization, and am embarking on a journey into the wilderness.  If you are looking to camp in Burke or North Bay, the pcd has good data.  There are several nice sites.  Somewhat heavily used, but pretty good shape considering the use.

Four of us are heading up to the Q for 12 days on the water starting May 26th.  (Typical is 7 days for us.)  Out of PP thru the S Chain/Agnes.  Most of our time we'll be on Kawnipi.  (Maybe a layover on Silence each way.  Reid/No Names, ditching Agnes on the way back.)
My main question is which way to go out of Agnes to Kawnipi?  Left (up thru Keewatin), center (down river/Murdoch), or right (Bird/Anubis)?  Originally I was thinking right in - left out, but with high water & early season is straight up the gut the way to go?  My secondary question is for feedback to anything relating to this trip/route.  (PP, Burke, North Bay, S-Chain, Agnes, Kawnipi, Reid/No Names/Silence.)  We travel hard in/out but definitely base camp and fish the majority of time.  Thank you in advance for any feedback.