Marten wrote on Aug 12^th, 2014 at 1:06pm:


Best advice yet! 

Thanks.

Puckster

There are a number of places where you can set up camp and go out for day trip loops. There are such places close to take out points such as Quetico Lake and Pickeral lake.  Start out assuming you will get there as if you were going to spend 2 or 3 nights there.  For those extra days, you can go out on day loops or just hang or leave the park early.  If during your week you go slow and you get there a day or two late, just eliminate the extra day or two at that last site.

The Gimp of 01 wrote on Aug 11^th, 2014 at 7:16pm:


I agree and did exactly that with a group of five this June in WCPP. We were using the newly opened Minjim route from Royd Lake to Douglas Lake. The fishermen were going to cry if we did not take a layover day for the Walleyes on Joey Lake. It was agreed to take the day off and suffer a little to make up for the lost time. The fishing was great but the pay-back more than we could handle. When it became obvious that meeting our scheduled pick-up time and place meant a three day death march  I called a meeting. It was agreed that getting back home at 10:00am instead of 3:00am was OK so I called Red Lake outfitters. We changed out pick-up spot and the time from morning to afternoon. We then went back to having fun. 

went back and read the original post a few times; seems the big problem is being tied into a certain pickup date / time? if i'm understanding this correctly; why not take a sat phone (yes i can hear the cringes and moans) and arrange a several day window with the outfitter picking you up? once you're a day away make the call; see when they can get you. seems it would give the desired latitude in departure dates. 

In 2012 I was going to do a 14 day paddle in fly out trip with a couple guys. When I saw how much it cost to fly out I'm thinking of how fun it would be to paddle out solo. Then I got to thinking the plane would be flying in empty and what an opportunity for possibly a friend to come in reasonably. No one could do it, until a guy I'd never met bit on the opportunity. It ended up being 14 days keeping up with two guys in a tandem with me in my Encounter with my 70 lbs dog. Day 15 Mark flys in with a brand new Prizm and some thick juicy steaks. He was  a strong paddler himself and I found myself doing the whole 26 days fighting to keep up with others. Note: Since my dogs passing I now realize how much extra work it was bringing her... It was well worth it! Later the same year I did a solo 40 days with my dog. We did almost the whole BWCA, but if you figured out miles Average per day it wasn't much. I think the WCPP has no match so I loved that trip for all the good reasons. But my forty days in the BW was the most enjoyable time I ever had with no schedules accept to get to a couple resupplies. I didn't do well fishing for a stupid reason. But paddling with my dog on what would be her last trip was so relaxing and fulfilling. I met so many awesome people and saw a lot of awesome country. Now the real test will be 2015... No dog... Just me.... I plan to do something good again. Two years of limited paddling is driving me up a wall. As per the original post I too have found tripping partners to be in extremes. It's either balls to the walls or fish fish fish... Or even worse, "I want to go home early because I miss my I Pod" folks. The nice thing about the BW is you see a lot of people even in the shoulder seasons and is enough interaction for me where I can do the solo thing. Puckster, I was talking to a guy who says he's going with (I believe it is anyway) you. He would be interesting to paddle with. Enjoy!

Oops, I didn't mean to push send.

Kerry wrote on Aug 3^rd, 2014 at 1:43pm:


Ya, but some of us like to keep those kind of thoughts to ourselves, ya know what I'm saying.

This touches the depths of my soul for are we not all lucha libradores wearing stretchy pants ... in our rooms of solitude?

Kerry wrote on Aug 3^rd, 2014 at 4:44am:


Who the heck is red?
Why not quote some real philosophers?

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Being in charge of a trip is always more work than going on a trip.  It is similar to going to a party or giving a party.  Once you are the person in charge, you have to make decisions and you have to be concerned about how your guests are going to respond to your efforts.  If you go solo you don't have be concerned about anyone's feeling.  Puckster your problem is that you need someone to plan the trip so you can be a guest.  It's a small example, but when my son my younger I was in the back of the canoe.  Now I am in the front of the canoe and all I have to do is fish and paddle.  If you are willing to give up control, the experience becomes more enjoyable.  In essence, you become the guest.