Marten wrote on Jun 27^th, 2015 at 2:48pm:

MP, congratulations on achieving your goal! I hope to see you on Irvine Lake in WCPP with NCTRY in August. I cleaned all the portages into Irvine in 2013 but if you need a little more bushwhacking I think Jimbo can assist you in following his choice of Irvine entry. There has been a big forest fire and massive "snowdown" on his "path" but it sounds like you are qualified to try it.

Ugh... MY choice of entry to Irvine (Kingfisher's really) was bad enough back then, WITHOUT the dead falls!  Even then it was best suited for true masochists - like Kingfisher - who took "the point" but spent most of that doggone afternoon lost!.  I think it was the cliffs coming off the watershed east of Irvine that put my sciatica into a rage & very nearly shut me down.    After that, the walk across the plateau didn't suck entirely but, of course, we didn't have the dead falls Marten says exist now.  In the "swamp" beyond (I took a wrong turn) & was crying for mercy and licking thin trickles of water off of rock faces because my water supply had long before given out & I was so thirsty (damn the giardia, full speed ahead!).  When I finally escaped to see Kingfisher on the other side (he DIDN'T make the wrong turn this time; he stayed on the plateau), my feet were completely blood-blistered and I had lost three full toe nails en route.  I was one dehydrated sorry sack of bones by the time I reached the other side with that danged food pack!

So, Magic, THAT 3+ mile bushwhack - the EAST side approach to Irvine - is probably just YOUR sort of thing!

For all others (ie. sane people), I recommend MARTEN's approach from the west, especially when carrying full packs & canoes!

A more detailed review of "An Idiot's Approach to Irvine Lake" may be found in QJ Campfire Stories using this link:    (You need to Login or Register

Later,

Jimbo   8-)