Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Trip Planning Forum :: Namakan River from LaCroix to Namakan Lake
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PineKnot |
Sorry about the delay getting back to you. The Quetico R up to Beaverhouse was very very nice, scenic, eagles everywhere. About 4 portages, all fairly straightforward. Not much current, although I recall paddling hard up a couple short swifts at pinchpoints after the first portage, lining up at least one set of small rapids (an island in the middle of the river created rapids on both side) at about the halfway point going towards Beaverhouse.... |
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Spartan2 |
It was my first canoe trip ever! Unfortunately that was 1971, so I am sure a few things have changed since then, but if you would like to read about that trip, click on the "trip report" icon under my name and read the one entitled "How it all began". It was a great trip, and I am still canoe tripping 42 years later, so it certainly worked for me! We repeated this loop later on. . .I believe it was 1980, but I may be confused on the date. My husband isn't home this evening so I can't ask him. On our second visit, there was a bridge over Lady Rapids, I do remember that. The first time there wasn't. Running Lady Rapids remains one of my most exciting experiences in the canoe country! We shouldn't have done it, but it sure was fun! Incidentally, we have canoed the Loon River several times, have both walked and used the Beatty Portage, and have never run into the "troll". :-) |
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dagger2000 |
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lwbdrb0901 |
we would appreciate hearing from any of you fine folks that have tripped from La Croix down the Namakan River to Namakan Lake -- we are planning to wander around the far western canoe woods this year and are curious if the Namakan is reasonable. Thank you all. wes and deann |
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jwartman59 |
the voyageurs originally used the namakan river there main travel route. after a dozen or so years they started using the loon river instead. it was longer but the voyageurs insisted on the change because they felt the namakan was too dangerous. high falls just escaped being dammed. thanks go out to all those who worked to stop this would have been nightmare. it could have destroyed valuable sturgeon habitat. this river is similar to wild canadian rivers far to the north. no real protection except from the queen, the first nation community on LLC use this river, or did when we were there a dozen years ago. expect to find interesting things in the woods. this trip took us a leisurely four nights. i would recommend a royalex boat for two reasons. you could run some of the rapids that we portaged or lined. some jensen canoes are dificult to control on big waves that might be encountered on lake namakan. |
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Kiporby |
How was the paddle up river on the Quetico River to Beaverhouse Lake Pineknot? |
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billconner |
Thank! |
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ChuckC |
-CHUCK- |
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BeaV |
Then there is the border crossing issue- I would get my RABC ahead of time. That way you don't have to stop in at Canadian Customs on Sand Point Lake to start your trip. At some point you'll be reentering the US and will have check in with US Customs. |
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bottomtothetap |
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lwbdrb0901 |
thanks wes |
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billconner |
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lwbdrb0901 |
Namakan downsides: will require clearing Canada Customs and getting the Crown Land Use permit mentioned earlier in this thread Loon River/ Loon Lake upsides: we paddled this route last year and enjoyed it, the river is a little uncharacteristic of much of the BWCA/Quetico with more ash hardwood trees along its shores, the railway portages are very curious spots to visit enjoy wes birdsong |
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lwbdrb0901 |
Thank you for your quick reply and your knowledge of the Namakan. My wife DeAnn and I are planning to make the Namakan trip in Mid-July. Like you, we carry a wood and canvas canoe. I was a scout base guide in the days when the scout guides carried Seliga's and I have never broken the habit. Are any of the portages exceptionally hard to spot or difficult to carry? I am a reasonably fit 65-year-old but the joys of killer portages are in my past now. Thanks again for your time and attention. wes and deann birdsong |
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dagger2000 |
If you are in Sand Point Lake and would like a very special little lake for a layover day, be sure to check out Mukooda Lake S12 on your National Geographic Voyagers Map. It is on the western American side of the lake just north of the King Williams Narrows. It is quite shallow, reed filled with large pines on the shore. Many good childhood camp-outs there, so I remember it fondly. :) |
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lwbdrb0901 |
thanks for your quick reply to our message board post and for your cautions about wind and houseboats on the Namakan -- we paddled from Black Bay of Rainy back to Moose Lake NE of Ely via Kabetogama -- we were extremely lucky -- no bad wind and enough overcast that we didn't get cooked -- life is good thanks again wes and deann |
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jwartman59 |
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lwbdrb0901 |
Thank you for your reply and your trip report. I enjoyed both. My wife DeAnn ad I are planning to float the Namakan in mid-July. Like you I was on the La Croix end of the Namakan (we went down from La Croix as far as the creek to Beaverhouse) but that was long ago. We'll let you know what has changed. Thanks again for your time and attention. wes and deann birdsong |
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nctry |
quote PineKnot: "Late last June, my son and I paddled a loop from Beaverhouse-Jean-Sturgeon-Maligne R-LLC-Namakan R-Questico R-Beaverhouse. Namakan R was very scenic. Stayed a night on a small island on the Namakan R about 1/2 mile east of junction with Quetico R, which was a super scenic paddle. As for current near the Nakakan R/Quetico R junction, water levels were above normal I believe, and there was a fairly good current. I would not have enjoyed, but could have made it with lots of cussing, back up to LLC against the current. To sense the swiftness of the current, when we entered the Namakan from LLC, it took us less than 3 hours to make it to the island campsite, and that includes the two portages which we doubled with our gear, and some time to admire the falls... Just be careful about pleading ignorance. They can be pretty tough on certain issues. Such as if you have two limits of fish and you volunteer information like you caught most or all of them they don't like that. I took that route back in the late 70's. It was an enjoyable route. Only we had a boat come out from the " village" and tried pretty hard to swamp us. Met a guy who flew in and was fishing at one of the portages. He was very informative and later sent me a bunch of information of a trip o was planning in Manitoba. That was just a leg of a bigger trip, but was very fun. We lucked out and the big lakes were pretty calm. If your going to Crane and can't quite make it or Crane is rough there is a nice campgrounds on Williams Point. They even have bear boxes you can put your food in. We go through there on our yearly fishing trip to a Canadian lake our dad's took us to for many years. |
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Kiporby |
I'd continue the trip by heading up the Quetico River to Beaverhouse and make a loop somehow back to the Maligne River in Sturgeon and end back at the LLC ranger station. |
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jwartman59 |
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PineKnot |
Re crown permits, when I asked the ranger up in Atikokan if we needed them for camping on eastern LLC or the Namakan R, she essentially said they are rarely checked...so save your money and plead ignorance... |