So, when do you guys start the extravaganza of solo boats? I gotta say I wish I was going with.  It will be interesting to see how it pans out.  Is the count up to 7 now?

TomT,

The Armada of 6 left Zup’s this morning for an early morning tow to Black Robe Portage for the 1st leg of a 13 night 14 day trip. There are 4 soloists: Jimbo and his brother, Denton Doc and Magic Paddler. There is one tandem: Pineknot and son.

I was planning to go with this Armada but I had knee surgery for a torn meniscus on June 8th and I had to cancel out as the knee is not stable enough to take on the rigours of rocky portage’s. I am pretty bummed out as I have gone to the Q every year but one since 1979.

I am looking at maybe going up to the Q perhaps the first week of September. Jimbo and MP are interested in going as well. Jimbo mentioned the possibility of hooking up with you on Sturgeon when you are there.

Jimbo will be sending me a SPOT message to let me know the location as the Armada trip progresses.

Quote:

I am pretty bummed out as I have gone to the Q every year but one since 1979.

  I feel for you Wally 13. I've missed my share of years for work/family health issues, and it really bummed me out.
  When I went thru Black Robe portage at the end of my FUBAR trip, I thought if all the portages were like this one, you could trip until you were 90. ;) ;D ;D

The Native Guides have boats/motors cached on the
McAree side. They even have a big sign posted. ;D

Wally13 wrote on Jun 22^nd, 2018 at 2:54pm:

I am looking at maybe going up to the Q perhaps the first week of September. Jimbo and MP are interested in going as well. Jimbo mentioned the possibility of hooking up with you on Sturgeon when you are there.

Sounds like a good plan!  Hope your knee heals quickly.  I'm doing a much easier trip this time.  Going in at Nym with layovers on Draper, Sturgeon, and then Lonely.  I've got 10 nights.  Hope to see you there. 

Just recieved SPOT from Jimbo and the Armada made it to Darky for 1st overnight.

Hope all goes well for them.  Should have some nice tales when they get home.

Just recieved Spot from Jimbo and gang ...?and they are camping on the same site on Darky as yesterday ... as planned.  Day trip to Wicksteed for some smallies and perhaps Ballard for walleye or fishing for Lakers on Darky.

I'll wager one dollar that they run into Stu Ostoff from The Boundary Waters Journal guiding a crew.  Stu frequents that area every year around this time.

TomT

I bet you are right.  I have met Stu many times up that way the last week of June. I have seen him on Kawnipi, Brent and Comnee ... he likes to fish for walleye at the evening bite, He has passed by us on the water or by my campsite at 10:30 pm many a time. Stu is heading back to his campsite and ready to start supper!

I recieved a SPOT from the Armada and they are still on Darky, Fishing must be good.

Jimbo’s Armada are now camped on the big Island site on Argo Lake.

Wally13 wrote on Jun 26^th, 2018 at 6:12pm:

Jimbo’s Armada are now camped on the big Island site on Argo Lake.

Sounds like a major route adjustment... Hope everyone's ok.

Are they camping together? I know the BW has a 4 boat limit per site.  Not sure about Quetico.  I would imagine it very difficult if the travelled together so maybe they decided to set up bases on big sites and day trip.

Tom T,

The Armada has 2 permits to meet Quetico requirements. Denton Doc, Jimbo and Jimbo’s brother are triple portaging and have one permit. Pineknot and son and Magic Paddler are double portaging band have the other permit.

Jimbo’s Spot message that I recieved yesterday has them on Argo. Our original plan was to go to head over to Suzannete and Burt after staying a few days on Darky. Then over to Brent and then down to Argo. Not sure why they are on Argo so soon into their trip. We will have to wait until their return on July 5th to find out why they decided to go to Argo so soon. Maybe laker fishing on their minds ... and Argo has Lakers for sure.

I'm wondering how the latest storm affected these guys.  I'm sure there will be stories.  Hope everyone is safe.

What's up, everyone have writers block?

Marten wrote on Aug 2^nd, 2018 at 8:25pm:

What's up, everyone have writers block?

I hope that is NOT the case, I know there are so good tales to tell.

These trips always seem so easy when you are at home planning them.  Then you get there and find out you forgot something (your youth its gone). Jimbo and crew took the EASY path up the Darky River while Pineknot&S and I went the HARDER path over the mountain goat portage.  When Jimbo and crew finally got to Darky Lake they were not in too good a shape.  They decided to change the trip goals and do a much abbreviated rout.  So our group had a little meeting and decoded to change our rout also.  Pineknot picked out a nice rout going through Brent, Ted, Elk, and Argo. Then following Jimbo’s rout out. The smaller lakes in the part of the rout between Brent and Argo were nice. We left something behind on that rout if anyone is interested.    (You need to Login or Register

My brother was experiencing "chest pains" on Day One.  He also was having some major issues with gear.  Those factors gave me serious pause re: the orginal plan.  So, we (DentonDoc, my brother & I) elected to do a more leisurely route very early on.  Also, 4 pretty hefty storms figured in.   Magic, PineKnot & his son were only a couple lakes over much of the time but apparently DIDN'T get nailed like we did.  So, the weather had an impact on route selection & progress.  Three of those storms featured 30+mph winds and all four of those frog-stranglers dumped 2+ inches of rain (or more) on us in under an hour exacerbating issues my brother was having with his Hennessey Hammock (inadequate tarp & rip in fabric he was laying on).  Fortunately, MagicPaddler was able to loan a spare tarp that was far more functional than the one my brother's new hammock came with.

Fishing was pretty good, especially for bass and lake trout.  I had my grand slam on Day Two on Darky, the day I started to fish.  The other guys fared pretty well, too, though the walleye were more scarce than we would have liked.

There are stories to tell of that trip and I'm still working them through in my mind as to how best to tell them.  My brother & I were quite "over-packed", the result of having communicated very poorly in advance.  Despite discussing "packing" (thoroughly, I thought) before we ever left, we STILL somehow managed to bring 2X of almost everything for the two of us!  Oh, and consider: 1) NONE of the guys seemed to want ANY of the potatoes or corn that Wally13 & I had planned, 2) none of those dudes consumes more than a small child's portion of steak (or anything else!) and 3) my brother decides to eat his beef jerky & dried fruit 90% of the time versus our planned packed meals... well, let's just say that I had enough left over to feed an army!  Truly, I certainly don't need to buy hardly any supplies at all for my upcoming trip with Wally13 & Magic in about 4 weeks!

I hadn't tripped with my brother in about 10 years.  This trip was sort of his "retirement party", therefore we'll likely do it more often since he'll have time on his hands.  I suspect our pre-trip communication will improve... and, consequently, our loads will lighten.  Despite adversities, he had a blast, thoroughly enjoying the company of more experienced paddlers.  Upon our return he almost immediately went out and bought "upgrades" to equipment, per suggestions from Magic, DD, etc.  To hear him tell it, he was travelling with the likes of Daniel Boone & Davy Crockett! 

Yes, there's a story to tell but it may have to wait until the flakes start flying.  I'm fond of this anonymous quote: "You cannot hear the waterfall if you stand next to it.  I paint my jungles in the desert."

There's still too much summer activity going on for my brain to put our adventures & mis-adventures into proper perspective.  I took great notes so those tales will keep for a while, including the one about sipping from the Holy Grail that Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone found....

Later,

Jimbo   8-)

P.S. I'm not so convinced that the Darky River route to Darky Lake was  all that much "easier" than Magic's mountain goat trail into Wicksteed (something Magic was trying to tell me well before we ever got started).  In addition to going "upriver", we spent a lot of time loading, unloading and negotiating some tricky foot paths along a much longer route.  Anyway, like he says, planning is ever so much easier than actually doing the route.  Live & learn.  I was actually quite happy with how my "bionic parts" handled all the stresses.  I'm not giving up on my "fountain of youth" just yet; I found it still trickles, some.

P.P.S.  By the way, we DID run into Stu (well, at least MY group did).  It happened on the next to last day at the Curtain Falls portage. 

Jimbo,
Glad to hear your bionic parts are performing well. My hip feels like it belongs to a 45 year old (I’m 61) and has allowed me to become much more active this summer. Two Quetico canoe trips, albeit not like the epic adventures of a few who report here, yourself included, a moderately strenuous 8 day long adventure in Iceland, hauling logs and cutting firewood almost daily, and lots of exercise walks. I still plan a week of Elk hunting in New Mexico and a backpacking trip to the Porcupine Mountains before the snow flies. It’s been 7 months since the implantation and I still feel some discomfort and stiffness but once I get moving it’s all good.

Thanks for the pre trip reports Magic and Jimbo. Funny you saw Stu. He reportedly doesn’t need maps for the Q anymore.

Quote:

In addition to going "upriver", we spent a lot of time loading, unloading and negotiating some tricky foot paths along a much longer route.

I've come to the conclusion from my personal experiences that I'd rather do one long portage than multiple short ones with a longer overall route.

Solo at least for me put-ins/take-outs are the times when you have the highest risk of pulling a muscle/slipping and falling.

Other than hammock incidents that is.  ;) ;) ;D ;D

“Chest pains” on day one. Kind of scary. Good decision to reduce the route. Glad everyone had a good time. 8-)

TomT -

Stu was sort of surprised to see me "still in the park."  He had heard from Mark Zup that we had gone in a couple days before the previous trip he was guiding.  He was heading out of the park with a SECOND group when I ran across him.  His group was relatively small due to some last-minute no shows.  He indicated "good fishing" on Crooked but was anxious to hear about my experiences on Conmee & Suzanette... of which there were none.  Mark Zup had warned me that Conmee has been "slow" this year, the hot lakes being Wicksteed & Darky, according to him.

jimmar -

Sounds like we both have had excellent rehab experiences re: hip surgery!  I had been pushing "core strengthening" extremely hard since my surgery in January.  Since then, I've added a strong cardio component... easier now that I'm not limping around.  I, too, get some "discomfort & stiffness" that goes away with some activity.

Hey, watch out for those "snow flies" in the Porcupine Mountains.  I hear those little beggars can really bite (on a par with canoe flies).


OS -

You're right; you shouldn't mess around with chest pains.  I figured my sister-in-law would haunt me forever if I managed somehow to snuff out her husband immediately after he retired and she had him to herself!  On the other hand, my brother accused me of "colluding" with her in a sinister plot to nab the company life insurance policy money which was still in effect until the end of July! 

I suppose if she had been willing to split the proceeds I might have been willing to tackle Magic's "mountain goat" approach via Wicksteed.

ST -

DentonDoc took quite a spill on one of those landings, trying to reload his vessel on a major incline (well, in this case, "decline").  For the most part, we did a good job of helping each other out in those spots.  My brother & I blew it that time, however.

If nothing else, it slowed DD down some so we were better able to keep up.

About all I can say about our Day #1 is: 1) we survived, and 2) I'm sure as heck glad that MagicPaddler wears a bright orange hat wherever he goes.  Otherwise, I might have missed him entirely when we finally arrived on Darky Lake!

We DID have a very good time, though I wish I had the smarts of Pine Knot's son, Matt, who brought the best possible defense versus the notorious ankle biters/canoe flies... a fly swatter!  Even my ankle net socks couldn't keep them from biting me.  Had to wear a heavy pair of socks underneath for them to do any good.  I had almost forgotten how badly I hated those little SOB's....

Jimbo   8-)

Thanks guys, been stuck on land too long and  needed a taste of canoe travel. Atikaki is open again so our trip is back on. We are all getting on and can't match the trips of the past. This year the plane will drop us on the lake that took two of us 8 hard days to get to,sweet.

Jimbo,
This is my first post - I believe you cruised by our group camped at the Jean Narrows on Tue. Sep 4th.  At the time you were looking for a hat left there by a member of your group and we had not seen it.   We did eventually come across the hat (beige ball cap?) on the day we broke down camp and would be happy to send along back to it's rightful owner.  Now that I have made my first post I should be eligible to send you a PM also.

Cheers,
Budhockey

Budhockey,

Welcome to QJ! Thanks for taking the initiative to contact me & find TomT.  It was a pleasure chatting with you guys that day.  I'm sure TomT will be contacting you soon re: that hat.

This was my 2nd "solo armada" trip of the year.  Only four guys this time, just like your party.  We enjoyed the bug-fee, great weather & mostly very good fishing for a full 10 days.

Hope to see you back on QJ again.  We're much obliged for your help!

Jimbo   8-)

budhockey wrote on Sep 10^th, 2018 at 5:35pm:

Jimbo, This is my first post - I believe you cruised by our group camped at the Jean Narrows on Tue. Sep 4th.  At the time you were looking for a hat left there by a member of your group and we had not seen it.   We did eventually come across the hat (beige ball cap?) on the day we broke down camp and would be happy to send along back to it's rightful owner.  Now that I have made my first post I should be eligible to send you a PM also. Cheers, Budhockey

Hey Budhockey, that's a nice site there.  I was windbound there around 8/31 (?) and left the ball cap in my hurry to catch up with Jimbo and cronies who just passed the site that morning. 

It's a nice hat and would love to reimburse you for whatever the shipping is.  I see you're from Illinois too.  I'm in Carol Stream.  Maybe I could swing by to pick it up if you're close. Thx!

So, I was with Jimbo's Armada part 2 in early September for half the trip.  We met up on Burntside for 4 nights then went our separate ways.  This is how my trip ended after leaving Burntside.  I'm curious how the other 3 guys managed.  I'm copying what I wrote in an email to Jimbo.

"That rainy travel day we left Burntside was great for being on Sturgeon.  I did Jean Creek in the rain and missed the last portage into Sturgeon so that meant walking the canoe a lot.  Lucky for me it was a solid bottom.  Many beaver dams, probably over 10.  Little bastards.  Once on Sturgeon it stopped raining and I ate lunch at a site, then had a nice little tail wind all the way to Lonely Lake.  More beaver dams and one 2-3 footer in Lonely Creek.  Missed my chance at getting a massive beaver on video.  Every time I came up to the landing with my gear he was swimming close by and tail slapped at me.  Three times this happened and I didn't think to get a video of it.

I was pooped around 5:00 and settled in to the first point site on Lonely.  Decided I would layover and it was a great idea as the next morning the sun came out after very heavy fog and there was a stiff westerly wind all day.  White horses were running!  I spent the whole day in camp playing with Luna and reading. Thursday I travelled and went as far as I could to Batchewaung Bay where I took a very small island site around 6:00.  Great spot!  Fantastic sunset and I managed to get a time lapse video from a rock bluff 10 feet over the water. Next morning did some cliff jumping with the go pro camera before heading all the way out.  Beautiful day to travel.  In fact both travel days were around 70 degrees, sunny and light breezes.  I couldn't have asked for a better trip."

BTW, Burntside Lake is now among my three favorite Quetico Lakes.  I will be back for sure!  I have a score to settle in the west bay.  8-)

Look forward to the full trip report and some pics.

I knew from my spring trip those beavers might be a problem on Jean Creek. Jean is one of those streams that can be wide and deep or shallow and narrow all depending on the water levels.

I have NEVER taken that last portage on the left going south because I've always been able to paddle/pole down or up Jean Crk. That solid bottom makes it easy to pole and I knew if I had to walk it wouldn't be a mud slog.

Burntside is a great lake BUT it gets a lot of pressure because its a designation lake for many basecamp fishing guys.

Not many decent camp spots so the few, like those nice island sites, can easily get overused.

Did you portage from Jean into Burntside or take the portage out of Ceph Lk? If the water level was down the Ceph portage would be doable for a solo canoe but you would have to walk some probably?

I portaged from Jean to Burntside.  Tough landing at Jean but nice level portage.  I think Jimbo and crew took a stream on the way out to Jean but not sure.  They were talking about doing it and your name was mentioned.

Jean creek is a lot of work because the beavers fix any breaks immediately. I knew guys went that way recently but I could see fresh mud and sticks to plug the break where they lifted their boats over.  Luna listened like a champ as I had her stay in the boat with the packs as I dragged/pushed it over the dam.  It's very sloppy and sticky mud near the dams. 
At least it didn't smell bad like other mud in streams.  If the bottom was soft I would have been in deep doo doo literally, but it was preferable to drag the boat in a foot of water vs. triple portaging all my gear.  That said, I may take the Yeh portage if I go to Burntside again.  I know you advise against that.  ;D

Quote:

That said, I may take the Yeh portage if I go to Burntside again.  I know you advise against that.  Grin

   I've done it 2x, the first was when I was in my 40's and the last I was 68. I'm sure the years played a part but I consider it a tough portage, others may not?

Don't let my view of it deter you. I'd like to hear your perspective of it if you do it? Don't be dumb like I was and portage your canoe up that big rock slope.
I should have SLID the canoe up and would if I ever take it again. ;)

I wonder if Jimbo's guy's did get thru to Ceph Lk with a reasonable effort OR did they use my name in VAIN.  ;) ;D

I took my 7 and 1/2 year old border collie Luna on this trip.  It was her third Quetico trip and she settled right in.  She made fast friends with Jimbo, Lawrence (Magicpaddler) and Mike (Wally13).  I mentioned a few times that they needed to see her with a frisbee.  So, here's something for the three guys I camped with.  Pineknot too who also knows Luna from a previous trip. 

This was taken in October of 2014.  I used my point and shoot video so it gets shaky at times.  Fast forward to the 2:00 mark to skip her swimming in a river. 

This is just one of the reasons why I love border collies.  I trained her not to bring the frisbee back to me mainly so she could catch her breath while I walked up to her.  Stick around for the end, the last two catches really show off her skills.  She's got an uncanny sense of exactly where the frisbee will come down.  We do this most evenings to this day.  This is one happy dog doing what she loves.

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You gotta love those working dog breeds!
That's a great video and Luna is a sweet gal!

Thanks ST!  Here's a preview of my trip report which won't be done until December.  Gotta work.   :(

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TomT wrote on Sep 16^th, 2018 at 9:10pm:

Thanks ST!  Here's a preview of my trip report which won't be done until December.  Gotta work.   :(   (You need to Login or Register

That's some serious water right there. ;) ;D
The last time I stayed at that site was a few years back. They didn't have that alternate firepit the guys were sitting at.

  At the time I rigged my Dry-Fly so I could build a fire in that rock wall firepit and stay dry while enjoying a nice fire.

I'm thinking the rangers built that alternate firepit because they feared sparks from that wall pit could ignite the brush behind it?

A fire on that island would be devastating and take out one of the few good known spots on Burntside.

Thanks Tom
I had forgotten how hard it rained.

very interested in the report. i'm planning a trip likely to burntside next year.
it's been 4 years since any trip. ugh.
. i love the way luna spins around before you throw. my dog loves frisbee too but she doesnt have that speed and agility
i was wondering  what if that camp site isn't available? are the alternatives ok?
not many sites on that lake.

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what if that camp site isn't available? are the alternatives ok?

The campsite due east of that island is a nice one too. Pics of it on the Paddle Planner.
I would have stayed there my FUBAR trip but the landings I saw were to rough for me with my injury.

There are some spots in the western bay that you could make a bushwack camp for one or two people.

If you go during the season, that lake can be mighty busy. A designation lake for many fisherman and lot's of paddlers pass thru too.

going w 3 other guys that have never been
exact date not set thinking late june
would like to make it to bent pine but that might be pushing it.

(just realized, this is off topic...will move to another area)