Hey everybody,

We are planning a trip from Lake One to Lake Alice.

I am wondering if you guys think it's possible to paddle that distance with 6 guys and 3 canoes in a day?

Thanks in advance,
Brent

From what I've read on this site, it's about 7 hours to Insula from EP30/Lake One if you're starting at first light, not paddling into a headwind and not really taking any breaks. I think it would be another 2 hours or so to get to Alice. I'm a BWCA newbie heading to Insula this June with a fairly experienced group. They did Lake One to Alice in a single day a few years ago. They said they were done by the time they hit the Insula-Alice portage. That's about 15 miles of paddling if I remember correctly.

You should be able to make it no problem. Get an early start. Prevailing wind will be at your back most of the way, barring any strange weather patterns.

what time of year is your group going? very do able based upon the weather. I would suggest paddling the river to Alice rather than the portages-water level dependent. Get an early start as to get a head of the traffic. Good luck!

should be fine depending on the experience of the paddlers. we got to the north part of insula in 6 hours maybe 7 on a perfectly calm day. Should be able to do it if the weather is right.

I took my wife all the way back to Alice on her first trip. She wasn't real happy with me, but we still did it.I think we did it in about 7 hours, but I'm a slave driver.

Yeah... an early start is what we'll have. We are leaving the Rochester, MN area at dark thrity... (1230am on Thursday) So we should be at the entry point at 7:30am.

The plan is to paddle as far as we can. 3 of us are BWCA regulars and the other 3 have never been.

The more I think about it... we'll probably end up trying to find a campsite before Insula and paddle the rest of the way after we're rested.

If it was just me and my usaual paddling buddy and we didn't have the 3 new guys then we could probably do it.... but it's going to be very difficult with not having slept the night before.

Anyways... Happy Paddling.

7:30!?!? Shoot for 5:30 or 6:00...you know, EARLY! :)

If you have new people and have not slept much, I suggest camping on Hudson. It's a nice lake and outside of the numbered lakes enough that the crowds thin out a bit. You can get to a site in time to set up camp/fish/swim, etc. That way you can get up in the AM after a good night's sleep, have a nice breakfast, get packed up and still be in Alice in a few hours paddle. I bet the new people will have a better time if you set it up to be more leisurely and let them work into the routine.

I agree with jamotrade...last year we did the drive all night thing and departed Lake One fairly early, around 7 AM. Plan was to get to Insula and we did so early in afternoon, around 1 PM. We had 2 experienced and 2 first timers. We were all beat though, with very little sleep the night before. Going any further would really have been pushing it. Besides, Insula is not a lake that I would want to hurry through on the way to somewhere else. It is more of a destination in my opinion. We spent a few days at Insula before heading for Kawishiwi. We just cut through the south edge of Alice, which was an adventure with the north to south wind. The river between Insula and Alice was extremely scenic and one my favorite sections of the entire trip.

The permit station opens at 7:00am. By the time you watch the video and get your permit I do not think you will be at the landing by 7:30. You might want to back up your start time.

Have your permit sent to an outfitter that opens at 6 AM. You'll get an earlier start.

VNO opens at 5am. You'll be on the water by 6 or 6:30.

You're actually right.. The more I think about it I'm thinking that it's probably a better idea to leave at 10pm and then drive through the night. If it takes us 7 hours then we'll be up there by sunrise and ready to go.

Tired probably but ready to paddle anyways.

It is certainly possible, but highly dependant on factors such as physical fitness of group members, and especially the weather.

Mr. Barley I too brought my wife on her first trip into insula. we were supposed tyo go to alice, but it didn't work. we stayed on Insula.

she hasn't gone back since.

I think you could make Alice in On day if you start really early and paddle like hell.

On the other side.....I made it from Williamson Island to Lake One in a little over 9 hrs and was very happy. It was with my wife and a couple of kids.