I'm trying to plan a 2 night, 3 day trip with my wife. I was thinking about doing a loop from entry #29(North Kawishiwi). The route would go down the south fork into Gabbro, Bald Eagle, Turtle, Clearwater, then get back to the entry point through the numbered lakes. A guide book I have suggests a similar trip from entry #30. The map in the book shows a portage(well two) that will get you from Clearwater Lake into Rock Island Lake and up into Lake two. But the McKenzie map I just bought does not show a portage there. Does anyone know if a portage exists there? Also if anyone is familiar with this area then I'd love any suggestions. I hope this trip wouldn't be too long for 2 nights. Please tell me anything and everything you know. Thanks

Ellroy2-This is a Long informative answer-

A portage exists but it goes through the Weasel Lake primitive management area which means it is not a maintained portage. I did the portage into Rock Island from Lake 2 and part of the way to Clearwater last year. I have done the whole thing in the past. It can be done, but it is not easy, especially depending on the water level.

What you should plan on experiencing is as follows-assuming you are going to Lake 2 from Clearwater:

Clearwater to small pond between Clearwater and Rock Island. Some paddleable water and some places you will need to get out and walk the canoe. You may encounter a beaver Dam lift over along the way which helps with water level behind the beaver dam, but makes for a liftover also. You should not have to portage unless the water is real low.

From Small pond to Rock Island. More of the same. This is more vegetation filled and my mean some portaging along the banks of the former channel. It is not that hard (but understand I like tough portages and bushwacking) but it might be more than you want to bite off if you are travelling heavy or do not like tough portages.

Rock Island is a nice little lake and has a great camp site on the SE bay. You need the PMA desigantion on your permit to camp there, but you are guaranteed a lake to yourself that night as only one PMA designation is given out per day. You can get the designation at the ranger station. E-mail me for more information on this process.

Rock Island to Lake 2-This is a portage of between 80-140 rods depending on where you take out. Paddle Rock Island up into the little bay to the NW. You can either take out right after you enter the bay and follow a not so well marked trail or you can continue paddling to the Beaver Dam around to the north. At the dam you will need to get everything up a steep slope of about 25 feet and it is very slippery if it is wet. My recommendation is to get out early unless you feel you can get everything up the slope.
On the portage take a light load across first and try to follow the stream/river as best you can. Don't be surprised if you feel you lose the path once or twice. Keep your head on and rest as you need to. After you get to the entrance to Lake 2 go back and get your other gear-which probably includes the canoe. Now all you have is a couple of easy portages to Lake One and the entry/take out.

If you are not up to a bushwack and probably getting out and walking your canoe-I would not recommend this route. If you want peace, solitude and to see a place few others do-Go for it and get the PMA to enjoy your last night on Rock Island. I'd be happy to share more information-e-mail me and I can give you more-or I could give you my phone number and we could talk.

Additional Info:

The route can be done in 3 days 2 nights. I assume you will head SW on the Kawishiwi river and work towards Bald Eagle. I might shoot for Gull or Turtle or even Pietro for your first night depending on the route up to Clearwater you want to go. Second night get up to Rock Island-this will be a tough day with those portages. And then from Rock Island to the take out is about 3 hours. You will probably get to Rock Island fairly early on your second day, but you will need the rest and the solitude will be awesome. The camp site on Rock Island is 5 star with a large granite ledge that slopes into the water and lots of place. It even has a great moss covered sopt with a flat rock perfectly angeled as a back rest situated to watch the sunset. I'll try to post a couple pictures tonight.

An alternative is to go up Pagami creek to Pagami Lake and to Lake 2. I have never gone that route, but from talking to people it sounds a little easier, but longer than the route through Rock Island.

So the trip is certainly doable in 3 days, just expect a couple of tough days and I would get a fair distance on day 1.

I think Bog covered that... I took the Clearwater, Pagami, One rout last year. Not that it matters, but I found an interesting link on PMA's that helped. Maybe it'll additionally help you.

http://www.rook.org/earl/bwca/pma/weasel.html

Hey guys thanks for the info. I don't have a problem at all with a couple rough portages. I might have to hear it from my wife, but she'll get over it. It's just her first time to the BW and my first trip where I have to plan it(plus it's our anniversary) and I have been talking the BW up as the greatest place ever for a couple years now. So I just want something that has the best of all worlds-scenery, wildlife, river and lake, solitude, and of course a few fish wouldn't hurt. So I hope I am making the right decision with a route like this. I'm glad it can be done in the time we have and I appreciate the tip on the Rock Island site. Hopefully we can get our solitude there since all 18 permits are taken up for the Lake One entry for that week. I'd like to know some more about the PMA thing though. I went to that website but I couldn't really find much info on it. Drop me some info either on here or at ellroy2@hotmail.com. Thanks again for the help.

ellroy-I'll send you an e-mail.

Here is a picture of the camp site on Rock Island lake

Is there any good fishing on Rock Island? I am planning on doing some of the Turtle, Clearwater, Gull loop and I could take a day and head into Rock Island. I would, most likely, do it as a day trip from a base on clearwater. Do you only need a PMA permit if you are going to spend the night?

The fishing on Rock Island is bad from what I could tell. We pulled in two under 3 pound northerns and that was all. We did day trips out to Lake Two and Lake Three for fishing. It is a shallow small lake that probably contains fish but not much.

You do not need a PMA designation on your permit unless you want to camp in a PMA-If you are just travelling through you are OK without a permit.