Hey Tom,

I'm looking for an axe. I'm thinking I might need it if I can get into some place wild such as Wabakimi where I have to literally cut my way through a portage. I have a corona saw with a 13" blade which is perfect for this but sawing large diameter blowdowns can be exhausting. So, is an axe the answer as a backup?

I know there are intrepid, experienced trail clearers on this site such as yourself who've swept through trails after some of my early-in-the-season excursions and taken out such trail blocking monsters. So, I'm looking for advice on 1) whether an axe is necessary and 2) what would be a suitable axe to pick up (assuming I need one).

It's wild country out there. ;)