On my Voyageurs map, it only shows that portage as a "winter snowmobile" trail.  Obviously the map dudes are wrong on that one but it's an interesting take. There are two trails, the snowmobile one which is likely overgrown during the summer and the portage trail that shows up on the paddleplanner and bwca sites.

Both rail portages are an easy walk. If you’re feeling lazy, pay the $10 or whatever it is today, load your canoe on the rail trolley and fill canoe with packs, etc and enjoy the easy stroll.

Yes, I believe it's a rail portage. BWCA has a picture from someone who paddled it. It looks like a flat, grassy stroll to the other side of the portage where Loon begins. I'm sure the rail portion is just out of the field of vision of the camera.

Still have to portage from Little V to Loon. Rail? I always walked Beatty. Don't know this one.

I had the same reservations regarding that section as well Bill. The ranger indicate that while there are some up an down sections to the trail, none of it passes through any boggy sections. On the bwca site, the map shows a portage trail and a separate road or path. That path skirts all of the potential boggy/wet areas.

Made sense to me. I only paused by satellite images  that made me wonder about an area at east end that could be boggy.

I liked it and not being a tow proponent, could keep you out of rough water if weather turned.

I'll explain.

If you leave from the put-in on the southern shore of Crane Lake, you can either paddle yourself north toward Sand Point Lake and then take a u-turn and head sort of south/southeast along the Loon River to Little Vermilion and the portage you are mentioning ( I Think).

Or, you can take the Andersen tow boat which is pricey but worth it.

Another way, a more strenuous way is to paddle almost due east from the south shore of Crane to a portage about 381rods long, give or take. This will dump you in the middle of Little Vermilion, thus negating the looooooong paddle north to Sand Point and then turning south.

Check out paddleplanner, you'll see what I mean.

I’m not sure if I’m understanding the question??

Little Vermilion is a wide spot in the Loon River. To access it, just take the first marine portage out of Crane on the river. You can do the traditional portage or use the marine trolley car. It will cost a few bucks, but cheap IMO.

Called LLC Ranger Station and someone from the USFS got back to me today. The portage exists. It apparently has no surprises like marshes, swamps or beaver dams. The ranger has been over it but it's been a few years. He couldn't say whether portage crews will make it to that portage this year.

I did some more research with google earth and it appears that portage sets in a little bay where someone has built a cabin just to the north of it. There is an access road that maybe cuts off 60 to 80? rods.

If I had seen that earlier, I would have asked the ranger about parking on that road and starting the portage from there. I'm not sure if it's safe to leave a vehicle there--- probably have Andersen's shuttle me over and pick me up.

I'd probably head up there, park and walk the trail first to see if I need a chainsaw to get through or a build a bog birdge over some of the apparently wetter sections.

I'm only partially kidding. 

I'm going to keep digging.

Thanks Bill! I went into Snowbank this week but I'm going to call the USFS Ranger station in Cook and see if they have any info. I'll post here when I find out something.