Nanda- if the stream is navigable (you'd be going up not down) around the giant talus slope below the cliff you would reach the terminus of the old portage which is a dry relative highway to Kahsh.

I went through there last year. There was not enough water to paddle on the other side of the hump, at least not for any distance. The portage was a faint path through the marsh close to it's edge on the right (along the edge of the steep rock bank climbing into the woods). The trail went up the bank briefly before descending into the long corduroy-being-consumed-by-mud section that eventually ties into the old trail.

Next time I'm paddling to the back of that cliff wall!

I read all the portage reports as well as Nanda's and so when I went thru I took the time to check things out and see why different reports seem to conflict?

One of my pet peeves when reading directions is when the person giving them uses the terms Left/Right instead of the N/S/E/W compass directions.

One of the portage reports says that going from Side to the Un-Named lk, you want to go Left/East?
If your going North, then left is West.

I will give the compass directions only, assuming for the discussion that Kashahpiwi is North. From Side lk, you find the first portage easily enough.

Go in woods about 50' and the trail splits West and East. I went West to see what the put-in was like? As described in a portage report the West side is a bad place to put-in, forget about it. I walked across the beaver dam and came back on the East side. You cross the stream but the put-in on the no-name is much better.

The next portage is as Nanda described. It is on the East side and with the low water there was a nice sand/gravel beach to land on. Up a little hill, down a rock face and your on your way.

The next part is where depending on water levels, you could get in trouble or be confused?

I read about the Granite Face cliff in the NW corner and that's where I headed. Water level was so low, I had to stand up and use my double paddle like a Gondolier and push my way to rock garden landing.

I did as one portage report suggested and shuttled with some difficulty my gear to flat area in cedars and easily picked up the trail to Kash. A few hundred yds in, I saw those orange trail markers and the trail to a take-out that in HIGH water would be accessible from the East side.

I didn't walk down to the "new" take-out, but at the intersection of the old/new trail someone had laid some brush/logs across trail, presumably to guide people to the new landing.

I would let water levels determine which spot I used going North/South because there was no way in hell I could of gotten up the East side.

The "old" trail on the NW side is in good shape and the rough/dangerous landing is probably why they want to route folks around it.

So its 2x East sides and depending on water levels, either the NW corner or the NE one.

The Kash portage is mostly long and not that hard. I did the Yeh portage later in trip and THAT bad boy is worse than the Kash portage AND the Badwater combined IMHO.

Quote:


I don't know about shortening the route, but by taking that LEFT/RIGHT stuff out, I think it simplify's the route, or at least I hope it does.

I'm a little perplexed on why the Rangers think the NEW landing on the east is going to be the best route IF they permanently block the old one out of the NW corner?

IF the water level is low and you have to go thru a mud bog/corduroy to use the new landing, I'd rather go the rock garden route on the NW corner. At least you stay dry while you unload your gear.

Anyway, people have the choice, because I don't think the old NW path is going away anytime soon, unless they really throw up a road block and literally force you to the new put-in-take-out.

Thanks Solus, that makes sense.
Good to know you have multiple options, but IF the conditions allow it, that NW landing isn't all that bad.

I'd take THAT route over a bog walk any day.