Hi:

My wife and I are already looking forward to our annual September trip to Quetico.

This year we are contemplating entering at Nym Lake and heading to the area southeast of Sturgeon Lake, namely Fred, Nan, Camel, Eag, Cub, Baird, McDougall.

Does anyone have any recent experience with this area? Any particular reports I could refer to or any info on the creeks and portages connecting those lakes?

Thanks

Phoenix,

Check back with me in mid-July.  I'll have some REAL-recent reports on that area & those specific lakes at that point.

Meanwhile, there was a magazine story called "Rendezvous in the Bush" published in the 2006 spring issue of the Boundary Waters Journal that covers those specific lakes.  I'm not sure it would give you the portage condition type information you would be looking for, however.  On the other hand, it'll tell you all about a rather rare species of bird known to inhabit those parts.

More productively, however, you should try using our "Search" function & plug in the names of some of those lakes.  That should lead you to a few pertinent trip reports.  Also, the PCD should point out some of the more likely spots to find campsites, but there are no guarantees of accuracy.

The Cutty Creek chain of lakes offers solitude, few campsites, and pretty decent fishing.  As portage conditions often vary with usage, I expect you will find these to be fairly typical of paths-less-trodden.

Good luck!

Jimbo   8-)

Phoenix,

I traveled from Keats through Baird and then Cutty Creek to Camel and on into Veron/Delahey last October. Creeks held plenty of water to paddle (and water levels were relatively low). Portages were in decent shape for not showing loads of use. The creek between Baird and Cub is stunning. I located a number of good-looking relatively obvious camps. The portage between Keats and Baird is strenuous. I'm working on a trip report. Feel free to ask any specific questions.

Solus wrote on Mar 27^th, 2011 at 6:13pm:

The creek between Baird and Cub is stunning. ... The portage between Keats and Baird is strenuous.

I did this portage (and route) the other direction in '08.  I'd agree that the Keats to Baird portage is an attention getter.  From the Keats side it ascends up a small creek channel.  Once the trail turns left out of the creek it gets MUCH steeper.  Once the climb has been completed, its is a distance of ground with some minor ups and downs.  Once you begin your descent to Baird, the trail plunges rather significantly over some rock face terrain (which I got to do when it was wet).  The final few yards were (when I did it) a mucky mess.  Loads of fun.  A wrinkle was added to my fun by a large deadfall from steep descent (rock face) to a less severe descent ... too large to step over without unloading (of course I was doing it the other direction).

When you exit Baird as it enters  Cutty Creek, one of you should go ahead and stand at the bottom of the portage and let the other pitch stuff down to him/her.  You'll know what I mean when you see it.  That part of the creek is relatively narrow, which was a minor problem when I made the traverse.  I ran into a small deadfall just on the surface of the water and spanning the channel.  Paddling solo, I could not reach it to move it out of the way since the channel was too narrow to get sideways to the obstruction.  I eventually stepped out into the hummock grass along the channel to remove my impediment.

dd  

Jimbo wrote on Mar 27^th, 2011 at 4:32pm:

Meanwhile, there was a magazine story called "Rendezvous in the Bush" published in the 2006 spring issue of the Boundary Waters Journal that covers those specific lakes.

Jimbo,
Let me think......Who wrote that article????? ;)

Thanks to everyone for all the "highlights" on this intended route.  Jimbo, I subscribe to the Boundary Waters Journal so I will try to find the 2006 article.

Phoenix

Jimbo:

Wouldn't you know it!!  We've subscribed to Boundary Water Journal since 1998 except for a one year period when we inadvertently let our subscription lapse. And Spring 2006 falls into that lapse period!

so you are going to Baird, then going to backtrack to Eag to McDougall ?

or are you thinking Baird to Keats to McDougall ?  

if that's your plan, be aware that the portage from Keats to McDougall is likely the steepest climb in the park, just at the start - its steep enough, that many people use a rope to simply haul thier boat up, or lower it down the cliff.  I went the other direction, (and I carry my boat on a backpack frame, so it can't slide off my shoulders) and going down that cliff, keeping the boat parrelell to the ground surface, the bow was well below my feet by a couple of yards.  it is more a cliff, than a hill

travel in the Cutty Creek area tends to be slower - so allow more time than you might in other areas

definitely look thru the trip reports

there used to be a false portage at one of the landings, heading uphill away from the creek as I recall - at one time, it had some logs thrown across it to steer you away from it - the portages follow the creek

the portage database could be helpful too

If you are coming into Keats via Russell-Chatterton, it makes sense to take the short portage from Chatterton into/out of McDougall and avoid the "cliff" portage to Keats altogether.  When back on Chatterton, the Split Rock Falls portage is not too bad ... although there is a bit of a climb out of Chatterton until you reach the height of the falls, then its more or less level until you reach Keats.  You might have to do some boulder hopping on the Keats end to move you far enough away from the falls, especially if the outflow down the falls is running high.  

BTW:  the McDougall to Eag portage is no picnic either.  There is s descent sized bog on the McDougall side.

dd

Android wrote on Mar 28^th, 2011 at 6:08am:

Jimbo wrote on Mar 27th, 2011 at 4:32pm: Meanwhile, there was a magazine story called "Rendezvous in the Bush" published in the 2006 spring issue of the Boundary Waters Journal that covers those specific lakes. Jimbo, Let me think......Who wrote that article????? ;)

Somebody who didn't offer much decent information on the condition of the portages, as I recall.  He also wrote about two bushwhack opportunities (one into Stumpy's 1st Bushwhackers Jamboree & another into Hoare Lake from Camel Lake), neither of which he even bothered to attempt.

He described it being really pretty back in there, though, and, as I understand it, will be doing one of those two bushwhacks this summer.  Or, maybe he'll simply sit back with his Scotch, watch the whole thing, and write about the OTHERS who attempt the bushwhack.

That solution actually sounds more enjoyable to me....

Later,

Jimbo   8-)

I was planning to go Russell to Chatterton (I've done this portage before), then Chatterton to McDougall (short portage which is new to me), then McDougall to Keats (to avoid the boulder hopping at the Keats end of the Split Rock Falls portage), then Keats to Baird and on along the rest of this chain. (This is the opposite direction of what I mistakenly indicated in my original post).

However, reading Mad_Mat about going "down" that near cliff between McDougall and Keats makes me rethink the direction. Anything that steep I'd rather go up than down (and this is doubly true for my wife).  A few years ago we did the portage from the unnamed lake east of Pond into Pond in the uphill direction (in the Wicksteed to McAree area). That is the steepest start to a portage we've ever encountered in Quetico (I think). If this one is steeper it should be "fun".


DentonDoc: looking at my topo map, I figured there might be a pretty boggy portion on the McDougall end of the McDougall-Eag portage (which you confirmed) which is why I want to avoid that.

"DentonDoc: looking at my topo map, I figured there might be a pretty boggy portion on the McDougall end of the McDougall-Eag portage (which you confirmed) which is why I want to avoid that"

I took that route in 2006 and 2008 I think the years were.  Portage crew had put in a lot of logs in the McDougal end of the lake, and that pretty much eliminated any bog, as it was easy to walk the "boardwalk"

the second time, the water was high and all the logs were floating - that was actually easier, in that I could just walk in the water and tow the boat the hundred yards or whatever thru the bog to dry land - it was good footing, and just knee deep, and shortened the carrying.


Regarding the Keats to McDougall cliff, you can get out of your boat at the portage landing and see what the cliff looks like - its right there.  If you don't like it, then you can do the normal portage around the falls to Keats, and go on to Chatterton and then into McDougall from there if you want to.

Gotta love the portage from Keats to McDougall and into McDougall from the south. Note, from my experience, there are no smallmouth bass in McDougall. In fact, McDougall is a figment of your imagination and when you get there, there are no suitable campsites.

I can feel my nose growing.

Ancient_Angler wrote on Mar 28^th, 2011 at 6:49pm:

Gotta love the portage from Keats to McDougall and into McDougall from the south. Note, from my experience, there are no smallmouth bass in McDougall. In fact, McDougall is a figment of your imagination and when you get there, there are no suitable campsites. I can feel my nose growing.

Hmmm... I seem to remember yet ANOTHER BWJ article - cited, in fact by the guy who wrote that Spring 2006 article mentioned earlier -  re: just how lousy the smallmouth bass fishing was on McDougall!  In fact, I think the lake is now mainly avoided by most sports fishermen due to fire retardant chemicals used in the big blaze that levelled all those great campsites.  Seems the retardant chemicals spurred the abnormal growth of heavy vegetative matter, resulting in the creation of Quetico's largest "carp pond."   I'm told you can nearly walk across the lake on an orange mat during the spring rut. 

So, if you are into "dough balls" and such for bait, have at'em!  There should be some big suckers in there by now.  Gotta let'em sautee for days, however.

Jimbo   8-)

Yeah, Jimbo, that's what I heard too.

If you persist and try for smallmouth in McDougall, avoid circling the big island on the west basin.

A pollyhumper problem, eh???

Jimbo   8-)

Phoenix:
We are planning a trip in September, 2nd - 10th doing a Stanton loop. Plans are to head down into the area you are considering but given that we spend a good bit of our time fishing and the recent posts by Jimbo and A_A, we will certainly skip McDougall ;) Thanks to all who have replied to this post as it will be helpful on our trip as well, especially the portage info. Phoenix, hopefully our paths will cross. While I haven't been in this area yet, I understand the Cutty Creek area is relatively lightly traveled and I would assume even more so in September.

J

I too thank all those who contributed to this post - useful info.

JChief: we are going in September 12 or 13, ie just after you've come out, I guess.

Phoenix

I passed through part of the area last summer (Keats-McDougal-Eag-Cub-Baird).

All of the portages were in good shape, and none difficult.  The McDougal-Eag portage was maintained again last July. Keats-McDougal starts fairly steep and has some poison ivy on the Keats end.

The most unusual thing was the lack of any moose sign in the area.  Pretty bizaar.