I will be setting up a couple BWCA trips with friends and family this year. I also have a Red Lake River beginning to end trip planned with a friend along with a Mississippi river run set up with a couple friends. The more time on the water the better.

The Red Lake River runs just over 200 miles. It starts at Red Lake and runs into the Red River. 

 We're thinking it will take us five days to paddle, should be a fun one. I like your pick of canoes, I have a 

1992 Grumman 17 and a Bell Wildfire.

Guess you are coming our way! My wife and I practice our paddling on the Red Lake River in Grand Forks (training for some canoe races). Our scout troop has camped at Sportsman's Park in Red Lake Falls a few times, too. 40 miles a day on the Red Lake River should be doable as long as it is early in the season. There is usually a pretty good flow. Later in the summer, though, the water can get low in spots.

As for my plans, I have three trips in the works:

• Memorial Day trip with my wife and 5-year-old son to EP 32 Little Gabbro. Hoping to stay on Bald Eagle, but don't really have a set destination in mind
• "Guys Trip" to EP 14 Little Indian Sioux North and staying somewhere around Shell Lake
• Taking my boss, his son, and his son-in-law to the Quetico. Entering at Pickerel Lake

Those are all my definite plans. I also want to take a trip to Woodland Caribou with my wife and dad. Been trying to do that for years, but it hasn't seemed to work out yet. I'll also probably take a Labor Day trip, but I don't know with whom or where. I usually go with my wife, but she probably won't be able to make it this year. Either I'll find a different partner or try my first solo trip.

Originally Posted by: brokepaddler

Low water levels are making the Red Lake River awfully slow right now.
Yikes!

Sure haven't heard anything about flooding this year  Fargo doesn't even get their annual sandbagging holiday.

The trip our scout troop took down the RLR a few years ago turned a lot of them off of canoeing. They spent pretty much the entire day dragging the canoes over rocks. It took them much longer than they had anticipated - they didn't get to camp until 9:00 or 10:00. I couldn't do the canoe trip with them, but I was waiting at Sportsman's Park for them and wondering what had happened. Low water is definitely a game changer.

Mid May my oldest son and I will go in at EP #47 - Lizz & Swamp Lakes for 6 days. Want to spend some time on Gaskin, Horseshoe, Omega, maybe Winchell and Vista. No hard plan, we'll take it as it comes.