Snowdog-

Thanks for the memory jog- last two times I went through Kahsh to Joyce I was trying to remember what was there the first time and I could not. Now I remember it was rickety and way too far above the swamp.

Pineknot-
I haven't done that portage from Crooked to Argo- from your description I'll have to adjust my routing to make it happen. Thanks.

Mulears....Basswood-Burke was our first too.  Fond memories.
Few years later, spent a warm Oct day swimming there and camping at the spot just yards to the east.  Also fond memories.  I remember thinking it was a tough portage, then getting to the Meadows, grunts....

YB- Yeah that's the location, until SD's note I had no notion of what had been there previously despite  at least three trips through the route.

There is a little unnamed lake/pond of sorts between kash and Joyce where I had a learning experience. My regular partner and I in our solos fell in with a group of 20 somethings coming from Joyce (as were we). One of the kids were portaging an old gigantic freighter of a boat that he said went close to 100 lbs but I digress.

The kids hit the lake/pond first and we met them coming out of a small bay where the map indicated the portage. "no portage" they said......"just a moose trail". They left the tiny bay and of course we went to check it out. Right where the map said the portage should be there was indeed a take out spot. We unloaded and walked a ways down the Moose trail which of course petered out like they always do.

By this time the other party had returned not finding anything. Their plan was to camp and then try and follow the small creek out. Of course the creek was absolutely choked with brush. I thought that a poor idea with a 100 lb boat and told them as much.

They left to try and find a campsite and I decided to take a spin around the little bay. Smooth rock pervaded the opposing shoreline so my focus went upwards toward the top of the bank. An old chainsaw cut was the clue I needed. Dan went to give a holler and we all proceeded to Kash which we hit right at dark just as some sprinkles started.

My favorite portage? It is secret. Do I have to tell? 

Snow_Dog wrote on Mar 30^th, 2012 at 3:29pm:



Good.  Then I'll go with what Martin Kehoe has called “The Slot Portage.”  This unique portage runs down the middle of a burbling stream which flows 50 meters or so through a major cleft in a high vertical rock face at the north end of Irvine Lake in WCPP.  When rays of sunshine filter through early morning mists and illuminate that chasm with a soft glow, you begin to think you are portaging through some remarkably beautiful wilderness cathedral.  Anyway, I'll not soon forget it. 

Kingfisher & I had "bushwhacked" into remote Irvine Lake the hard way (from the east).  Exiting via this unique portage somehow made that extreme effort feel worthwhile.

Jimbo