For those familiar with Lake Lila: What is the 0.3 portage trail (from the lot to the lake) like? Is it cartable? Steep? Crazy to do with a 65lb canoe? Thanks in advance!
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Lila Portage Trail
- Thread starter alsg
- Start date
alsg,
l have never carted, but that carry is pretty easy except I recall a rocky section with roots about 1/2 way or 2/3rds down that may be an issue with a cart. I wouldn’t hesitate to do a double carry with one trip being a 65lb. Canoe. It may very well be less hassle to double carry than rigging up/down the cart at either end for all the longer it is. Beautiful lake.
Barry
l have never carted, but that carry is pretty easy except I recall a rocky section with roots about 1/2 way or 2/3rds down that may be an issue with a cart. I wouldn’t hesitate to do a double carry with one trip being a 65lb. Canoe. It may very well be less hassle to double carry than rigging up/down the cart at either end for all the longer it is. Beautiful lake.
Barry
G
Guest
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I did it in September 2019. It is a good carry trail, very well maintained, no fallen trees blocking, relatively wide. However, there are ups and downs, rocks and rills, roots and ruts. If you have two people to lift it up from the ends early and often, maybe, but, really, carting it would absolutely not be worthwhile, in my opinion. It would be counterproductive.
As Dave and Barry said, it's a short carry, just not wheel friendly. A very gentle downhill from the parking area,
Have you been there before? Be sure to carry over to Harrington Brook and also paddle Rainer Brook. And the Shingle Shanty should not be missed. Oh, and there's a stretch of the Beaver River too, really nice there.
How about a short bushwhack up that unnamed peak a bit NE of Frederica? Great views from there...
While the original question regards the Lila portage trail, I'm all ears to comments/suggestions about Lila and the surrounding area -- favorite campsites, etc.. I'm hoping to get up there for 3 nights before the end of the month.
Somehow I always end up on the tennis courts...they're so grown in now that most folks have no idea what's underneath!!
Sites around the side where the Shingle Shanty comes in are quieter, better sunsets too.
You'll have time to climb both Frederica and the unnamed knob.
The spring that used to be plumbed to the lodge still trickles, up in the woods from the road crossing.
The carry to Harrington is quite rough, might be a bit much for your 65 lb burden, but its a worthy side trip.
Oh, and I almost forgot, a walk down the tracks to the old train station is a must, even though it is now collapsing. (I've been in the train station when it was still sound, as well as the lodge when it was still standing)
Sites around the side where the Shingle Shanty comes in are quieter, better sunsets too.
You'll have time to climb both Frederica and the unnamed knob.
The spring that used to be plumbed to the lodge still trickles, up in the woods from the road crossing.
The carry to Harrington is quite rough, might be a bit much for your 65 lb burden, but its a worthy side trip.
Oh, and I almost forgot, a walk down the tracks to the old train station is a must, even though it is now collapsing. (I've been in the train station when it was still sound, as well as the lodge when it was still standing)
I "stumbled" upon the lodge while it was still standing, decades ago during my solo explorations of the region from Stillwater. Did not go onto the grounds though, as there was human activity and I thought best not to make my questionable hiking travel presence known in the area. Years later, after the state acquired the property, my wife wanted to take a trip in to see the Great Camp. We set our trip for the following spring. Two weeks before our trip we learned that the state burned the whole place down, on purpose. The access road from the Sabattis loop road was not yet open to the public for vehicle access, so we backpacked in the entire distance to spend a night. We found a recently smoldering mess, with about a dozen stone chimneys still standing, with a fireplace on each former floor. Those were taken down shortly after and all bulldozed to what became a smooth grassy field the next time I visited.
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I haven't been there yet. I would like to know if it would be worthwhile to use a cart with an empty boat and two people to help it along. I figure if you take the boat first you can bring the cart back to leave it in the car when you go back for your packs. On the way out, take a load of packs first and grab the cart for the return to the put in. The boat I'd like to take is a w/c at over 90 lbs.
That was exactly my though process.
I'm thinking of going to Lila sometime in late August. Never been there. I'm not sure how much or how far I can carry anything anymore. If I carted from the parking lot to the lake -- assuming it's cartable -- I'd put the cart in the canoe and take it to my campsite. And just leave the cart at the campsite as I daytripped from it.
How heavy is your canoe? I don't think you are taking a rubber boat . It is .3 mile. It is not gnarly. How far are you OK with carrying your canoe around home?
I hate tot be a debbie downer but the ethics of folk paddling in the Daks this year is not great. There have been thefts that I have heard of from Facebook ( not in person). If you bring anything make sure if you leave it in camp it has a lock.
Camping has become the new escape for those that perhaps lack wilderness ethics in this day and age.
I cart the portage to Lila as an SOP.
I put my barrel in midships for balance with the straps to the cart on either side. Then I throw PFD's and fishing poles and other light stuff in and of I go. There are a couple of rooty areas, and a couple of drops but nothing bad at all. I do it this way solo or tandem. The first time I went I brought the cart with me in the canoe - on another I was wasn't sure I locked my truck so I went back to check and brought the cart back to the rig.
So now I cart the boat down, return to the truck with the cart and get the next load. When I return, I bring up the packs, grab the cart and go get the boat and barrel. A fully loaded canoe might not be as much fun, but doing it in two trips is easy, even solo.
I put my barrel in midships for balance with the straps to the cart on either side. Then I throw PFD's and fishing poles and other light stuff in and of I go. There are a couple of rooty areas, and a couple of drops but nothing bad at all. I do it this way solo or tandem. The first time I went I brought the cart with me in the canoe - on another I was wasn't sure I locked my truck so I went back to check and brought the cart back to the rig.
So now I cart the boat down, return to the truck with the cart and get the next load. When I return, I bring up the packs, grab the cart and go get the boat and barrel. A fully loaded canoe might not be as much fun, but doing it in two trips is easy, even solo.
I guess if you plan to take the cart with you no reason not to load everything in the boat and just unload and carry over any rough spots if necessary.
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