Greetings everyone, hope you all are having a safe and good summer!

Gotten confirmation that dad and I are doing a September trip, and have a couple of different routes in mind. (NO, we're NOT doing an October winter trip this year haha!) We have options for put in/take out, whether drop off and pick up at Stanton, or parking at Bhouse, or some combo (although we tend to prefer to avoid Nym after a series of bad luck on each last day heading out, several trips in a row... and are looking at about 7 or 8 nights. Primarily travel, but always plan one or two layover days in case of weather, or if we just feel like spending an extra day.

Anyhow, we went to Bentpine back in 2007, and I recall trail creek being primarily floating bog but passable. I saw an excerpt from a trip report through the BWJ mentioning trail creek now being a 'bog slog'. I reached out to BWJ for some further info if possible, but figured I'd put feelers out here to see if anyone has any recent info. I'll likely be contacting Doug to chat, as I likely will end up having him give us a lift. I recall Bentpine being nice and would definitely like to get back! Dad's concern is the Badwater portage, especially that early in the trip when we're heavy. We did it before, in the rain of course, and it wasn't an awful experience, but that was also 12 years ago... I suppose the other idea is to figure out how to reverse it, maybe do Bhouse, to Quetico, then Jean and down and back to the west to Bentpine..or loop over yeh to lonely and revisit that lovely portage, followed by Sturgeon over to Bentpine creek.. Options!

Last time at Bentpine we went out through Claire, Burntside, Jean. This time I was contemplating going out to Sturgeon instead (put in at Bhouse), then up to Lonely and onward to Stanton for takeout. Other possible route would be to come in Stanton, and take our familiar loop through Fern (would prefer to take the Deux... But there's only been one year we made that in the fall, and that was simply because of recent reports and a wet summer), down Sturgeon, Russell, then to Lonely, and head up to Draper for a day or two before going back to Stanton.

As in the subject, I guess my overall question is the suitability of paddling trail creek, as well as the water levels in general this year. From what I've seen, it looks like it has been relatively dry as of late.

Cheers to all and thanks! 

Enjoy and safe travels.