I'd say look st paddle planner map again. 381 to rods. No. 730. Maybe call USFS and ask?

Called LLC Ranger Station and someone from the USFS got back to me today. The portage exists. It apparently has no surprises like marshes, swamps or beaver dams. The ranger has been over it but it's been a few years. He couldn't say whether portage crews will make it to that portage this year.

I did some more research with google earth and it appears that portage sets in a little bay where someone has built a cabin just to the north of it. There is an access road that maybe cuts off 60 to 80? rods.

If I had seen that earlier, I would have asked the ranger about parking on that road and starting the portage from there. I'm not sure if it's safe to leave a vehicle there--- probably have Andersen's shuttle me over and pick me up.

I'd probably head up there, park and walk the trail first to see if I need a chainsaw to get through or a build a bog birdge over some of the apparently wetter sections.

I'm only partially kidding. 

I'm going to keep digging.

I'll explain.

If you leave from the put-in on the southern shore of Crane Lake, you can either paddle yourself north toward Sand Point Lake and then take a u-turn and head sort of south/southeast along the Loon River to Little Vermilion and the portage you are mentioning ( I Think).

Or, you can take the Andersen tow boat which is pricey but worth it.

Another way, a more strenuous way is to paddle almost due east from the south shore of Crane to a portage about 381rods long, give or take. This will dump you in the middle of Little Vermilion, thus negating the looooooong paddle north to Sand Point and then turning south.

Check out paddleplanner, you'll see what I mean.

I had the same reservations regarding that section as well Bill. The ranger indicate that while there are some up an down sections to the trail, none of it passes through any boggy sections. On the bwca site, the map shows a portage trail and a separate road or path. That path skirts all of the potential boggy/wet areas.

Yes, I believe it's a rail portage. BWCA has a picture from someone who paddled it. It looks like a flat, grassy stroll to the other side of the portage where Loon begins. I'm sure the rail portion is just out of the field of vision of the camera.