Anyone have any recent experience with the series of portages that start in North Bay (Basswood) and traverse through Nest and Point Lakes enroute to Isabella Lake (or better yet, swinging off toward Side Lake).

I've gone around by the Isabella Creek route to Side Lake a number of times and was looking for a practical alternative. I have done the Point Lake to a no-namer portage before and I'd probably avoid that one unless the 100+ yard swamp section on the no-namer end has dried up. I also have done Point to Isabella (pretty overgrown when I went through).

Information and suggestions much appreciated.

Thanks,
dd

BTW: If you are headed through that no-namer and you have time, drop in a line. Some nice, pink-flesh lakers in there (some deeper water along the southeastern shore).

I don't have my maps in front of me. But I am quite certain the Point to No Name Lake is no longer a portage maintained by the Park for the reason you mentioned----the swamp near No Name. I have gone through that area any number of times and simply portage into Isabella.
That plan works well. Until you forget, get too much in a hurry, don't remember to look at the map, etc. So this fall I go through with my youngest brother and his son in law that has never been Canoeing before. Yep, the old experienced guy led them right to the swamp days after several inches of rain. Each of us fell and one of us lost a boot for a time in the muck. It was actually quite humorous even as we were doing it.
So my advice is look at the Q Park map because it has the portage marked correctly.
Otherwise the other portages are pretty straight forward. I assume you recall Cardiac Hill on the way to Side from Isabella. And, of course, don't take a left turn where the trail splits before Side.

Well described, but the Nest and Point portage has s mud muck at its north end. All the Portages in this area are fine, as long as you have reasonable time plans.
For example, my crews have several times launched from Moose Lake, no tow, crossed at Prairie Portage , Burke Lake, North Bay, and either to camp there or on Isabella, The next day we are surprised about how long it takes to go on to Sarah or Kash. Due to all the Portages in between.

For example, going end to end on Agnus, depending on the wind, could be 3-5 hours, but the similar distance through Louisa, Glacier, and north could easily be 2 days. And this is part of the trip planning fun and flexibility.

quote GraniteCliffs: "... But I am quite certain the Point to No Name Lake is no longer a portage maintained by the Park for the reason you mentioned----the swamp near No Name. I have gone through that area any number of times and simply portage into Isabella. ... So my advice is look at the Q Park map because it has the portage marked correctly.
Otherwise the other portages are pretty straight forward. I assume you recall Cardiac Hill on the way to Side from Isabella. And, of course, don't take a left turn where the trail splits before Side."

Thanks GC.

I HAVE been through there a number of times, but it has been a while. My plan was to go the Point to Isabella route unless it was clear that the swamp problem had somehow been resolved. Obviously, it hasn't.

We also have the other two options ... Kett portages route or Isabella via Isabella Creek (I've also done both of these before). Since we will ultimately come out to the same pick-up point (we are getting a tow to Lincoln Island going in and coming out), I just wanted to try to avoid taking the same portage route in and out.

Yes, I do remember Cardiac Hill and the trail split. Frankly, I'd rather do the Hill than the portage between Baird and Keats ... narrower trail, worse footing, steeper in spots.

I guess I should also ask if anyone has done either of the portages from Side to Sarah, since that is the direction we are headed. I've only used the creek portage (hop, skip, jump) rather than the overland route. Any recent observations on either of these?

Thanks again.
dd

I did the Side to Sarah via the creek a few times last year. No problems with the route. I prefer it to the single portage. From Isabella to Side I think it's easier to head to the west on the first no name after Isabella, portage out of the swamp and into a second no name and then into Side (this is the portage that forks off the Heart attack Hill portage at the base of the hill). I think this is the easiest route (avoids the big elevation change)(on one trip last year I managed to hit every portage out of Side except the long carry into Sarah). There is also a third option of heading east of the Heart Attack Hill portage into another unnamed lake and then west into Side, the portage emerging just south of the route into Kahshapiwi. Might be easier than the Heart Attack Hill portage but more time consuming.

I have always liked the portage into Sarah from Side over the creek route where you have to load and unload more. Although this year when we came across the portage I swear it was nearly a half mile longer than last year and two miles longer than 30 years ago! On the way out we took the creek............Still not sold on it but it is growing on me.

GC- if the load and unload is a hassle then the single portage makes sense. For me the loading and unloading is simple. I also consider that creek paddle a beautiful bit of water that I hate to miss.

oops

I was through the Nest-Point-No name route two summers ago. The Point-No name portage was still bad at the north end. Muck and deadfalls. I learned later that the portage is no longer maintained.

I was through the Kett Portages last summer and enjoyed them.. Some blowdowns toward the Basswood end, though.

Banksiana -
GC -
Artic -
Eyedocron -

Thanks for the responses. Deeply appreciated. Sound like little has changed since my last trip through the area (of several over the years, just none recently).

I think I've basically decided to skip the Nest/Point route and just paddle up and around Isabella Creek to Isabella. I'd estimate the distance difference to be approximately 3 miles (about an hour's worth of paddling) that would probably be offset by more time spent portaging via the Nest/Point route. I guess it will depend, in part, on the amount of flow down the creek. There was enough on my last trip that it was necessary to get out and line in a few spots. It was altogether different two weeks later when we came back that way.

In any case, thanks again for your information and insight on my route options.

dd

Last Spring I "accidentally" took the No Name lake portage to Point Lake. It's swamp at the No Name end, really swampy for the last 10 to 20 yards. The landing on the Point Lake side is solid ground and the trail quickly dives into some overgrown hemlock and deciduous trees. It's not too bad of a trail, just overgrown a bit but still discernible. The total portage is about 40 or 50 rods if I remember correctly and exits onto a granite ledge that juts a bit out into the No Name Lake.

quote HighnDry: "Last Spring I "accidentally" took the No Name lake portage to Point Lake. It's swamp at the No Name end, really swampy for the last 10 to 20 yards. The landing on the Point Lake side is solid ground and the trail quickly dives into some overgrown hemlock and deciduous trees. It's not too bad of a trail, just overgrown a bit but still discernible. The total portage is about 40 or 50 rods if I remember correctly and exits onto a granite ledge that juts a bit out into the No Name Lake."

Thanks Nanda -

That pretty much correlates with my memory of that portage from years ago. On the No-Name end (heading from the Point direction), wet for about 80 yards with ankle to knee deep water; last 10-20 yards water from knee to waist deep (maybe deeper if you stepped off into a hole).

I went across that section with my empty canoe kind of like a kid with a scooter ... knee down in the middle of the canoe and paddling/pushing off floating flotsam with the other foot.

dd