Heavy Canoe & I are headed for Mugwump. Thanks to the feedback we've gotten here we have decided that bushwhacking through the blowdown isn't a good idea. In fact, we think it is such a bad idea that we have decided a 2 1/2 mile portage up the Kekekabic Trail from Amagok Lake is actually a better idea.

Are we making the right call?

I've seen the Kek trail by Mueller Falls. It's a little better than a bushwack....

Where is your destination? Travois? Loki? Harness? And whence then? Back out? All the way to Strup & civilized country? Need some more info on your route in order to form a voyeuristic, I mean, informed opinion.

Two thoughts: one, I've heard, strictly second hand, that the Kek Trail isn't in great shape these days, that's it's been affected by the blowdown & is fading into the brush in places. Something to check on. Second, if the trail is in good shape, & so are you, 2 1/2 miles are doable. My max has been 1 1/2 coming & going, but if you're stubborn, what's another mile?

Travois is our 1st intended base camp. Giving up on the notion of a true bushwhack that first day doesn't mean we won't have plenty of opportunity for it later. Day trips will have us bushwhacking and our second base camp will be Van Lake which we fully intend to bushwhack to by going through Sprig & My Lake. Our route out will be leaving from Van to the south and pick up the maintained portages there to head back east.

As for being stubborn...we've both run marathons so I think we've got stubborn covered.

I used the Sioux Hustler Trail as part of a 2.5 mile or so portage, a few days after doing a bushwhack that only let us get 5 miles in an entire day. Even with double portaging, it was much nicer. Even a minimally maintained trail is often much easier than a rough bushwhack. Spending a day climbing over and crawling under hundreds of trees will definitely wear you out.

Basically no part of this section of the Kek is flat but there are not as many rocks as on most of the portages in the area. Your going up one big hill then down another 4 maybe 5 times. I would guess the sum of the uphill parts around 1000 feet. It says it's 2.5 miles on my Fisher map but it's closer to 3.5 miles because of the endless curves and hills. The hills will suck the life out of your legs. I fell over on one of the downhill parts, rolled for a ways then crashed into the forest with a 40 pound day pack on the return trip (I would have forgot that had my buddy not told the story a couple of days ago in great laughter). The Travois Lake overlook is hard to miss cause it's a very purdy view. Once at the overlook the easy part is over. You can either start swacking there or head down to the seasonal Bushwah creek.

Thanks Chilly. Great info! At first, my reaction to my partner's suggestion of portaging that far was, "The canoe was made for water...it makes an awefully heavy hat for a trek that long." However, the more I learned about bushwhacking through the blowdown the more I had to admit this is the right choice.

Right choice...wrong choice...it is sure to be an adventure. Is June really still 3 months away?