BWCA Portage 288 (Gijikiki)

Short portage but muddy on the south end.

Steep, muddy, boggy. Watch out for the shoe sucking bog at the end of the portage. Totally worth it to see Lake of the Clouds and Lunar on the way to Cherry lake. Before attempting the trip from this side, make sure you can make it all the way to Cherry. There are no campsites midway through.

Rivalry end is a bottomless mud hole, watch your step! Very steep climb up from Gijikiki. Of note: there is a fairly well established false portage on the Rivalry end just a little south of the actual trail. Not sure of why it is there but, I can confirm others have been up that trail. Just remember the false trail starts off with a big climb and not a mud hole.

Short portage and its muddy on the Rivalry end. Be careful. Went waist deep in mud putting the canoe in and stepped on a truck wheel sized snapping turtle in the mud. Thought my foot had found solid ground and my foot / leg just started moving by its self... when I lifted my leg a giant snapper was lurching his head around back to get a snap at me. Went ass over to get out of the water. Good times. The portage out of the Swamp of Sadness is on the other kiddie corner end. Don't confuse it with moose paths.

A little steep near the Gijikiki end. I led our group with a canoe and stepped in a bad spot near the Rivalry end and ended up waste deep in muck. Nice and muddy.

Steep near Gijikiki but short. Rivalry end is really muddy.