Minnesota – Bearskin Lake Portage

in canoe on August 31, 2023 August 31, 2023

Jason and I attempted a portage of our canoe at the first lake we paddled, but it was really just practice for today’s trip. Our plan was to put in at Bearskin lake, paddle across it, portage the boat into Duncan lake, paddle across that, and then do a small hike up to see Rose falls! If we were traversing the entire Boundary Waters area we could bring our canoe with us to the falls and carry it down the treacherous looking steps into rose lake itself, but that’s too far of a paddle for one day! (and our canoe is heavy, so we don’t want to carry it any more than we have to!)

We saw 3 foxes lounging in the sun on the drive in (the third ran off, but i promise he was there!)

Entrance to the lake from the parking lot

kind of an awkward entrance

It was smoky from wildfires today

super calm water

Love the smoke and the flat water

That looks like the portage trail!

We have arrived

I can’t carry the boat myself but I can take pictures of Jason’s struggle

at least there are steps?

Beautiful campsites along duncan lake

At the end of Duncan lake

nice protected shallow area

of course we hiked all the way to the top! The view would have been amazing but there was so much smoke!

Rose falls!

we didn’t want to carry our boat down that. This is just the beginning.

waterfalls were definitely worth the effort!

Almost back to the lot. This group was camping for the night somewhere else.

Jason is a majestic princess