Quetico Portage 5426

I've been through this twice in the last two years and still have not done it 'right' (most efficiently)...but now I think I do at least understand the best path through (for now - at least until the beavers change things!) .....As of this writing there are three total carries and two paddles on this journey from Kahsh to Trant - plus a potential beaver dam pullover. From the South, you can portage (right side) before the little beaver dam, but if you are good with dams, pull over that first one, then paddle to the end & find the portage on your right, as that first portage section that avoids the dam is quite rough. Portage the first leg - not too long (100 to 150m?) - then put in and paddle ~300m to the next take-out, very obvious on the right a bit before the next, larger beaver dam - it's a 50 meter portage, give-or-take. (Note: There is a trail to keep portaging all the way to Trant instead of putting back in, and I suppose that might be the right call in very low water...but most folks should paddle again after this larger dam.) Paddle ~200m and you come to a medium beaver dam - before you get there by perhaps 20 - 30m you turn right to take out. I made the mistake of going to the dam and pulled over, which was fine...but it is avoidable. Then you've got a rocky 250-350 meters of more 'normal' portage to navigate, and there are sections that are tough footing. Good luck! Hope this manifesto has been helpful and not confusing.

Big flooded area in the middle. Along with 3 seperate beaver pullovers on the southern side. In short there are 3 separate walking areas, 1 of which is flooded. 3 beaver pullovers. and 1 short canoeable area in the middle. Overall, it isn't "difficult" - Just very tedious and time consuming getting in and out of canoes and reloading them.

We ended up doing this in three portages in June 2023. There's a small beaver pond partway through the first carry coming from Trant and heading south that you can either portage through or paddle about 5 rods and then portage again. Moderately difficulty overall, but nothing that would make you want to avoid this portage.

Previous poster is correct. Its now 2 portages. We had a long walk through knee high water in grass at some points to get to the point you reach a landing where you load or unload the canoe. You then paddle for a bit and then unload the canoe to portage again. I'm going to include a picture of my Garmin track for this portage. I dropped waypoints and the hiking guy symbol are the canoe landings. I believe I marked these waypoints when I was actually standing in the place with my garmin. Not based off of my tracks so they are very accurate.

Beavers have made 3 sets of dams along this portage. It is listed in the database in the recent past as being one long 200 rod portage. In 2011 it consisted of 2 small portages with a large flooded area in the middle. The first out of Kahshahpiwi begins at the far Northeast of the lake on the right side and travels along the right side for approximately 40 rods. At this point there was a large beaver dam that allowed us to put-in and travel east for another 100 rods approximately. We had to lift over two additional beaver dams along the way until we eventually reached an area too thick and narrow to allow passage by canoe. From there we took out on the right and traveled another 60 rods approximately to Trant lake. Very rocky on both portage sections. In low water years, this must be a boggy mess.

On Paddleplanner, the Mackenzie maps and the Fisher maps, this is shown as a single 204 rod portage. On The Adventure Map of Quetico (published by Chrismar Mapping Services, which can be purchased at Prairie Portage), this is shown as two portages: one of 350 meters (67 rods) and another of 220 meters (42 rods) with a river in between. Water levels were high enough that the center portion of this portage was navigable by canoe in July 2018 making the Chrismar maps the most accurate. Although there was a beaver dam at one point and large deadfall at another, each requiring a push portage, it is better to paddle than portage: when the water levels are high, do not do this as a single portage as the center stretch becomes a knee-deep swamp. It is much easier by canoe.

Most of this is no longer walkable. Requires pull over at beaver dam quite early on when going from K-piwi to Trant - and then need to paddle and walk canoe through low lying bog/marsh for most of the rest of the portage. When you run out of marsh look for the portage trail again on the NE side. The last 60 rods or so are very rocky.