PREFACE
This trip was special for a few reasons. First, it was the first year that I was able to go twice in one summer! Second, it was my first trip with my wife. Other than me, no one on this trip had ever been to where I took them. My wife's friend had been to the BWCA, and she deserves most of the credit for convincing my wife to go. Good news...we have a trip planed for 2024, so I guess it wasn't so bad :)
DAY 1:
This was my third year using Voyageur Canoe Outfitters, but the first year taking advantage of their breakfast. It did not dissapoint. In previous years, I had always planned on cooking breakfast for my group so we could get on the road ASAP, but breakfast was ready relatively early, and I didn't feel like we were set back any further than usual. Because of this, I am planning on utilizing their breakfast option for the two trips I am taking in 2024.
Larch Creek entry point got an overhaul last year, so there is more room for parking. We decided to park our vehicle there since we were going in and then coming back through Larch Creek. I have done Larch Creek for 3 other previous trips, and I much prefer this way to Clove rather than coming up through Magentic Lake. It's not that I don't like the stretch between Magnetic Lake and Clove, but I really like Marabouef, and this route allows me to get there sooner while still allowing me to enjoy portaging and running some rapids.
This year, like others, there were about 9 beaver dams to pull through, but it was definitely as many as the 2019 trip. Water levels were great.
We eventually landed at Campsite 438.
DAY 2-3:
We day-tripped out of Campsite 438, visited the first set of rapids, and explored the portage up the Granite River. We fished from our comprise all the way up to that portage (portage 268), primarily catching smallmouth bass and pike. No Walleye this year. The weather was beautiful until the evening when it began to rain.
DAY 4:
We packed things up and left on a drizzly morning. The bugs were relatively ok for this time of year for most of the trip, but this morning, it was HORRENDOUS. This made traveling back through the creek a nightmare for my wife. So much so that she said she'd never take that entry point again. So, for 2024, I'm picking a route with no beaver dams to pull the canoe over.
