Читать книгу Boundary Waters Canoe Area: Western Region онлайн

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The first long portage starts at a sandy beach, which may be obscured by aquatic vegetation in the shallow water in front of the landing. The route has a surprisingly good, virtually level path most of the way to the river, with only a few wet spots along the trail. The final 15 rods, however, are across a spongy bog at the edge of the river, where it may be impossible to avoid wet feet.

The remaining eight portages are sometimes hard to find and are brushy. Most are dry, however, with fairly good paths, in spite of the infrequent use they receive. Although you are traveling upstream, most of the portages are quite level. Only the third portage (32 rods) has much elevation change; there’s a rather steep climb about halfway across. It is also one of the more scenic portages, with a good view across the rapids to a pine-covered ridge.

In addition to the seven portages along the river, you will also encounter two small rapids around which there are no portage trails—one just beyond the 12-rod portage and the other just before the 70-rod trail. In that long, winding stretch of river between those two portages, one author encountered 27 beaver dams during one trip. Most of the dams could be paddled over without any difficulty, but a few required lift-overs. The 70-rod portage bypasses a shallow part of the river that is plagued with windfalls. The path along the south bank of the river is hard to see. Watch for tree blazes and rock cairns that mark the way.