Welcome to the BWCAW blog of Ely Outfitting Company and Boundary Waters Guide Service!

See our websites at ElyOutfittingCompany.com and BoundaryWatersGuideService.com.

We are a Boundary Waters canoe trip outfitter, Quetico outfitter, and guide service in Ely, Minnesota. This Boundary Waters blog shares photos, stories, humor, skills, and naturalist insights from guiding in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW).

Most entries are from our founder and head guide, Jason Zabokrtsky. He is the Boundary Waters Blogger.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Flooded Portage Near Oyster Lake


The portage trail between Hustler and Oyster Lakes in the BWCA is challenging. It is about a mile long. And it is known to be flooded for about a hundred feet at the Oyster end. Some recent rains meant a particularly deep wade for us today. We decided to put the canoes down, load them with our packs, and then wade them across the flooding. This photo shows Bob and Ben rising to the challenge and traveling the long and very wet portage.

1 comment:

Christian said...

We did this portage last year. The outfitter, guide book listed this as a "long but flat and easy portage." True, until we hit that spot. More like a hundred yards than hundred feet. Fortunately the water wasn't as deep as depicted in your photo. We did the same with gear in canoes, but when I first dropped the canoe in the water, I had four boys sitting in it who thought they might just be able to make it across without getting their feet wet.