I want to paddle:

Poobah> Bernice> Allan> Allan Creek> to Fred Lake.

I've been researching how that creek is for a canoe. I've found that some people say it's OK to paddle when the water isn't low. I've also read about someone turning around at Allan Creek and turning back but they didn't say why.

On my maps, the creek looks pretty narrow and I'm OK with having to really push to get through but if it dries up to the point where I'm walking through mud for a few miles I might not be able to do that.

Have any of you folks paddled that creek? Can you provide your experiences as well as any recollections of water levels during your trip? Thanks.

BTW, I recently made a post about traveling the far eastern Q but have decided to do that trip another day. My solo trip will be out of Lac La Croix and into McCree then to the hardest to reach places I can get to. Thanks!!

Tom

I used to do this creek often and really enjoyed the trip. However there was a drought in Quetico about 5 to 10 years ago and the creek dried,up and the beavers left. No one that I know of has done it easily for several years. The park ranger did it two or three years ago and had to drag for about a mile. I asked him about it this year and he said he wouldn't try it if the water was low.

It is really a shame because I enjoyed Wink & Poobah but I want to get out without killing myself. I tried to convince the ranger to put a new portage from Allan to Hoare to Camel. Apparently from Camel to Hoare is doable and it wouldn't be difficult to do the last bit. But unfortunately the ranger just doesn't have the resources.

If you want a rough trip you could chance it otherwise avoid it. Maybe someone will try it before your trip and update this board.

I have been in and out of Hoare a couple of times in the late 70's.

~ Twice in from Camel and back out once and out the other time out via Allan, Berniece and Poobah, "Memory Lane" portages

A guy on another board claims to have done Camel to Hoare in 2010. He had some interesting comments about the change in conditions since I have been through.

If you really want to know more. Email and I would be happy to share what I know.

I personally would love to go back into that area, extremely remote and seldom visited. But, I'm not sure I have the Mojo anymore for a trip like that....

Adding to Bojibob, the bushwhack into Hoare from Camel is doable, but very tough. The twosome who did it last said it took about 6+ hours from Camel to Hoare. I walked in and back from Camel several hundred yards without pack or canoe last August in little less than an hour. Being solo, decided not to try it. Maybe in the future, but I'd have to get really psyched up to attempt it...can't speak for the creek from Hoare to Fred, but that looks really gruesome as well...

Poohbah via Allen Creek is on my bucket list for this summer. Hopefully, we'll get a decent amount of snow in March/April and ample rains after that.

quote bojibob: "I have been in and out of Hoare a couple of times in the late 70's.


~ Twice in from Camel and back out once and out the other time out via Allan, Berniece and Poobah, "Memory Lane" portages
"

Man, that's messed up. I'm ballzy but I don't know if I want to try bushwhacking from Hoare to Camel alone as I'm doing this trip solo. I've only bushwhacked a few times in my life and it is pretty scary.

Don't get me wrong, I really admire you guys for doing this stuff. I hope to find the courage to do it too. I assume you have to bushwhack from Allan to Hoare too? However, it probably is no worse than trying to navigate Allan creek if it dried up. Without some moving water there is just no way to know where to go. And it's a few miles so I could end up dying out there before getting out.

I just missed getting to Poobah last year and this year I'm doing the Delehay death march so I really should try to get into Poohbah this year. I would prefer to do it as a loop and that's why I have to get into Allan. Gosh, this sounds like fun!

Thanks, guys for all the info. It's golden.

Tom

A few more comments. When I went to Hoare from Camel in 1978 & 1979 the first 1/3 was a burn area from a few years prior so the first part was pretty thin and open. It has now had 30+ years to thicken up.








We always started a few hundred yards north of the creek and headed to high ground and worked our way back down to the creek which was bone dry and had a lot of dead falls so it was alot of in and out of the dry creek. But this area was untouched by the fire and I assume it's pretty much the same today.

The bushwhack out of Hoare into Allan wasn't that bad except we got lost for an entire day, but we were 18 year old kids with so so navigational skills. Today I would use a GPS. The terrain wasn't real thick for the most part, but again this was 30 years ago.

The portages from Allan to Poobah are very seldom used and if memory serves me you rub trees or branches with every step. I remember they weren't tough, but also weren't easy and the thick part sticks in my brain.

Here is a map of the trails we took in 1978 and 1979 as an FYI.





The south shore of quetico has some of the oldest trees in Quetico and on the island is a Message Cache. If anyone gets there please photo the old messages it would mean a lot to me.

a few picture of Camel and the Burn

Bojibob,

Well that sounds like a challenge. You want me to find the message jar? OK. Deal.

My problem was the worries of not being able to paddle Allan Creek which I needed to do to finish the loop. After what people have written about it and a look on Google maps that shows a dry stream bed, I am forced to bushwhack to Hoare. At first I thought it was a crazy idea but the more I think about it, the more intriguing it is. I plan to use a compass but will also bring a GPS as a back-up. My intent is to go where people don't go so this route is perfect.

I found a post from you in 2009 talking about the trip to Hoare. I will PM you for any other info. I would like to talk to the people that did the bushwhack last year too. Wish me luck. I'll look for the message jar and take photos of the notes. I leave June 8th from Nina Moose and head up to Conmee then Poohbah, Berniece, Allan, Hoare, Camel and loop back around through Delehay. I will exit through Sarah and points south coming out at Wood Lake east of Ely.

Tom

Tom

If you do make it from Allan to Camel via Hoare in June please post your experience here as I have been debating it for August

John,

Send me an email and I will put you on a short list of people I will keep informed of my trip. I feel Hoare lake waits for those who truly want to see the place. For the sake of the lake I'll keep my post trip reports on the down low.

My email is tjniesen the 'at' symbol hotmail dot com.


I am definitely going to be on the lake in June and I'll let you know what happens.

Tom