New Trip Report posted by TuscaroraBorealis

Trip Name: Tip of the Arrowhead.

Entry Point: 69

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Nice report and pictures. Great fall color.

Another steller report, TB. My condolences on the passing of your father. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and observations. I enjoy the details about the areas you visit, yes, and I also appreciate the reverence and appreciation you have for the wilderness. Love the photos which improve the story and have their own message too. My best to you during the off-season. :)

Another thoughtful and well-written (and photographed) trip report!
It's amazing you were able to go in mid-October and still had relatively good weather. I loved seeing how much fall color was still visible too.
It's also fun hearing about your travels with Aurora since my grandsons are about the same age.
Thanks for sharing!

We were up on the Powwow Trail that weekend and Friday was the most stunning of autumnal days. I was pleasantly surprised that so many trees still had their fall colors. Great report. I also really love East Pike Lake. Glad to hear the deadfalls that were freshly blocking some trail sections a couple years ago are now gone. That Pike to Pine portage sounds...umm...interesting.

I just love those lakes east of the Gunflint! So many great memories for me and so much scenery, though there's always a "steep" price to pay it seems. Funny you should bring up that island on East Pike. I have lost two watches into lakes in the BWCA and one is in the channel between that island and the shore somewhere. I don't love paddling with a watch on so I had it in my life jacket. It tipped out of an open pocket and sank like a rock!

You're dead on about the "further east one goes, the more rugged the terrain.) That Pike/Pine portage is a beast! So far as I can figure, that "triangle" of portages (the Pikes to Pine, McFarland to E Pike, and Pine to Long) are the three highest elevation gains of any BWCA portage with these three also being the only three BWCA portages with over 300 feet of elevation gain from lowest point to highest point. The only portages with over 200 feet that are not east of the Gunflint are Seagull to Paulsen and Lujenida to Zenith depending on how one measures.

TreeBear: "
You're dead on about the "further east one goes, the more rugged the terrain.) That Pike/Pine portage is a beast! So far as I can figure, that "triangle" of portages (the Pikes to Pine, McFarland to E Pike, and Pine to Long) are the three highest elevation gains of any BWCA portage with these three also being the only three BWCA portages with over 300 feet of elevation gain from lowest point to highest point. The only portages with over 200 feet that are not east of the Gunflint are Seagull to Paulsen and Lujenida to Zenith depending on how one measures. "

Yeah, you'll get no argument of your assessment from me. The trails into Gadwall, Gogebic (directly from West Pike not the BRT), Vale and I'll add nearby Pemmican are the steepest climbs in the BWCA I can recall off the top of my head. The trails we took into/out of East Pike weren't as unrelentingly steep, but they certainly made up for that in overall distance. But I agree with you, the topographical scenery in this region is breathtaking. Figuratively & literally! :)

Loved the trip report. As mentioned in a different post I was already interested in try a trip in this region. But I think you just tipped the scales for me.