PhantomJug wrote on Jan 1^st, 2015 at 12:24am:

Ah, solo.  It sounds so easy doesn't it?  Or have you forgotten how long the road down to BH actually is.  Leaving your rig on Flanders rd?  Navigating BH with all that current running underneath?  C'mon man.

Wolves? Bears? Nah........Solo? Sure why not. My biggest concern in winter snowshoe travel has always been inadvertently crossing creeks or smallish rivers which have been snowed over. Cross where there is a good drop underneath and you can get busted up.......fall while solo and you can get dead.

Current under ice is my second greatest concern.

I have read of the first scenario having happened to folk, especially out west. And I became potentially entangled in the situation and it is rather unnerving.

The Paradise River flows from Paradise Washington to Longmire (and beyond). The total distance by trail is only some 6 miles (13 by road) but the elevation change is dramatic. The trail follows the river and is a rather pleasant hike. During the winter months I was the night watchman of the Longmire National Park service compound so the midwinter days were often spent solo on a pair of snowshoes or occasionally on skis.

Clever lad that I am I got the genius idea of snowshoeing from the Longmire compound up to Paradise Inn and then the following day continuing on to Camp Muir which is base camp for a summit bid at Mt Rainier (only 3 hours from the top). I got an early start and figured I would destroy the trail to Paradise in 1/2 day easily.......after all I had hiked it numerous times in the summer. Mt Rainier achieved the worlds record in snowfall (1975 I believe) and while not a record year the snow was probably some 8ft deep near Paradise. Several hours into my venture the trail vanished and the Paradise River was no longer discernible having been covered over. Lots of 20ft drops along the river.......I was sweating bullets, loathe to leave the little valley where the river was lest I get lost but knowing I could take the big plunge at any moment.

I ended up losing the trail and the river and popped out behind and below Paradise Inn. I arrived just in time to get a bite to eat (Paradise was open on the weekends throughout the winter). It had taken some 10 hours to travel the six miles.

I did continue on to Camp Muir the next day but that was a piece of cake compared with the upper flanks of where I had been the day before. The jaunt did create a bit of a buzz amongst the Park Rangers and my co-workers. Not sure if the looks I got were grudging respect or "what an idiot" type glances.  Be careful what you decide to bite off.

PJ is right......why the Quetico? BW seems the way to go. Would you know any difference in the middle of winter if I dropped you on a lake in the Q or a lake in the BW? Nay way. I readily admit to being jealous, I would love to do such a trip, sounds great!