Anyone anyone done a solo trip on the upper Bloodvein? Where did you put in and take out? Any recommendations would be appreciated, including outfitters, float plane services.
-
Happy Scream Day! 😱
Upper Bloodvein Solo
- Thread starter Black_Fly
- Start date
What part do you consider the "Upper Bloodvein"?
My only trip on the Bloodvein started from Artery Lake, I went "upstream" (lakes with short rapids inbetween) for 3 days then turned around and paddled the full river to Lake Winnipeg/Bloodvein Village.
Bluewater Aviation is your best bet for fly-in service, they fly out of Bissett and can do a vehicle shuttle to Bloodvein Village.
You should check with them but my understanding is that only their Otters are certified for external loads, that a big (and expensive) flight for a solo so you should try combining with others. Bluewater may be able to help in that regards or you can do as I did and hook up with another party online (during the peak summer months there are groups flying in almost daily).
You can also access the headwater lakes from Red Lake (overland or by air), the issue with that choice is the VERY VERY long shuttle.
There are also some overland access routes from Wallace Lake (east of Bissett) that can get you to the Bloodvein if you don't mind a bunch of portaging.
My only trip on the Bloodvein started from Artery Lake, I went "upstream" (lakes with short rapids inbetween) for 3 days then turned around and paddled the full river to Lake Winnipeg/Bloodvein Village.
Bluewater Aviation is your best bet for fly-in service, they fly out of Bissett and can do a vehicle shuttle to Bloodvein Village.
You should check with them but my understanding is that only their Otters are certified for external loads, that a big (and expensive) flight for a solo so you should try combining with others. Bluewater may be able to help in that regards or you can do as I did and hook up with another party online (during the peak summer months there are groups flying in almost daily).
You can also access the headwater lakes from Red Lake (overland or by air), the issue with that choice is the VERY VERY long shuttle.
There are also some overland access routes from Wallace Lake (east of Bissett) that can get you to the Bloodvein if you don't mind a bunch of portaging.
I was thinking of takeout at Artery, fly-in from Red Lake.
On my last trip to WCPP, Beavers could only shuttle one canoe.
On my last trip to WCPP, Beavers could only shuttle one canoe.
It's easy enough to drive to the put-in at Johnson Lake and 2-3 days of paddling and portaging will get you to the Bloodvein.
Is there any particular reason you want to do the upper Bloodvein? It's a nice trip but if I was going for a trip in that area it wouldn't be at the top of my list. It certainly doesn't resemble a river in WCPP and the large lakes all have fishing boats and fly-in camps. It's not like it's crawling with boats and it didn't really bother me but I'd have preferred smaller lakes and fewer fishermen.
Alan
Is there any particular reason you want to do the upper Bloodvein? It's a nice trip but if I was going for a trip in that area it wouldn't be at the top of my list. It certainly doesn't resemble a river in WCPP and the large lakes all have fishing boats and fly-in camps. It's not like it's crawling with boats and it didn't really bother me but I'd have preferred smaller lakes and fewer fishermen.
Alan
Yeah, I was not sure about the quality of the wilderness experience, which is why I asked. Red Lake is closer to me, so taking an eastbound flight from Winnipeg seems more daunting, expensive. Larus Lake to Artery Lake was my area of interest. If it's full of boats and cabins I'm not interested.
The upper Berens any better?
Last edited:
One man's full can be another man's few. Full isn't the word I'd use for it but they're on all the decent sized lakes on the Bloodvein (and Gammon) systems in WCPP. I maybe saw 4-5 boats at most on the most populated lakes. At least they're just the little fly in aluminum boats with small motors. I hardly saw any of the cabins on my route.
They really don't bother me but I'd like it better if they weren't there. I know some people really don't like seeing any fishing boats.
I don't know. Might find out this year.
Alan
Talk to Goldseekers they have a trip that starts up South Bay road on the Shabumeni River I believe.
goldseekers.net
goldseekers.net
I have spent a lot of time in Woodland Caribou and agree with Alan Gage on those big lakes of the upper Bloodvein. Actually the Bloodvein from Artery and west is getting so much use that Manitoba has taken notice. So much paddling in those areas without spending it all on the Gammon or Bloodvein Rivers. Look at my and others reports for Atikaki next door in Manitoba. You will find no current usable map for canoeing in the area but I have quite a bit of info in GPS files that I can provide or simply download from these links. The Boy Scouts travel this area from early June to early August and there are outpost fishing camps on a few lakes but these are usually empty by August. Bluewater is who you want to contact even if you are heading to western WCPP. Our round trips costs for the Otter with two canoes on the floats has been around $2400 US. Remember that is in and out. Many opions to fly in and paddle right back to your car at Wallace Lake (maybe a $50 shuttle handled by Blue Water. Divide that $2400 by as many as you can round up. Some 14 foot canoes will fit inside the Otter and the duffle containing a Pak Boat would allow 6 to share the costs if all are tandem.
https://www.myccr.com/canoeroutes/441/canoeroutes
https://www.myccr.com/canoeroutes/441/canoeroutes
Last edited:
