Stuart River report - from Bogwalker tod

(for those of you who don’t also visit other canoe boards like canoecountry.com, bwca.com or bwca.cc; Bogwalker is Steve Freeman)



Okay, I have my notes here, hope I get them in order & accurate.



Day One, made it up to the portage by the falls short cut & camped there the first night, couldn’t make it to the island (ice)



The falls on Stuart was very high & pretty. Bogs took several pictures, saying he did take a number of pix but not as much as Nibi would have.



Yesterday & tonight they are at the island campsite. The ice has shifted & they have to stay on the island. Bogs says the day is sunny & gorgeous & not too much wind, so they are enjoying sitting still.



The campsite was a mess & they cleaned it up. The latrine lid is busted up & held together by duct tape. Also very muddy & waterlogged area by latrine. Haven’t had a chance to look at the other sites yet, (ice)



Ice hampering travel to western side of Stuart & to the northwestern bay.



Stuart is almost out, should be out complete tomorrow, at the latest Wednesday morning.



Tomorrow they plan on going through Fox & Rush & hopefully make it to Iron for tomorrow night. They will check out Curtain Falls & Crooked to see if they can exit there. Otherwise I believe he said they’d be back tracking & try to exit through Beartrap creek. He will check in tomorrow too with more updates which I have promised to post.




Would help to include state/province
I live in Florida and there is a river in Stuart I was thinking of doing. Probably not the one you are referring to…

oops, you are right!
This was Stuart River & Stuart Lake in the BWCA, just off of the Echo Trail road.

thanks
Thanks for the report. I’ve been to the BW at least once a year since 1969. I’m retiring as a teacher this year so next spring I hope to be in the BW at ice out and go on a late season trip this year. I’ve been wanting to do such for a long time.

Sure you are right
THe falls on the FL river are not as pretty ans ice out occurs much earlier!!

I was being sarcastic
because I see posts all the time without any reference to where it is. Also, I am jealous of all the cool spots up north that maybe most people do know and those of us in Florida aren’t aware of. I hope to get out and do the BWCA one day.



Yes, the falls in Stuart, Fl aren’t quite as spectacular and the ice never really takes. Winter is our paddling time. Summers are ok for day trips and some overnights but mostly it is too hot and buggy for a long expedition although I’m sure there are lots of folks who do.

I knew you were
and actually had the same question you asked. As another S FL paddler, i do not get much opportunity to see waterfalls and ice, but dolphins and manatees and sea turtles and about 300 nice paddling days every year is not such a bad trade.