Set off on Beaverhouse about 9am with gentle NE breeze. Met canoe with 2 park rangers halfway to the Quetico portage - first time every running into rangers in an Ontario park - glad to see them active. They just wanted to ensure we'd registered & had our trip permit, we knew where we were going, and knew the fishing regulations. Was surprised at the strength of the current coming out of Quetico River before the portage to Quetico - ended up getting out and walking the canoe up the riffles. Chose the 2nd landing as less mucky. Portage is fairly easy, although it was busy with 2 other groups moving through.
Once on Quetico Lake, we headed North. Had some rain. Once we got to the North end we planned paddling along the north shore over to site 48. But while making the crossing of the bay with portage #5117, the NE wind picked up - went from flat water to white caps within 30 seconds. We had no choice but to head with the wind/waves - it blew us south past the little island with campsite 3C on it and into the little bay on the west side of Eden Island before the wind dropped and we could resume going north to the chanel the over to site 48. Spent the night at site 48 - decent site but a very busy area. Must have seen 6 or 7 groups go by. In the morning we walked the canoes north up the narrows then paddled to the east portage #5111 - nice easy portage.
Paddled into Cirrus - was aiming for site 3J to stop for lunch but was taken, so went to 3F on the island beside it. This site didn't impress us much as it has a long, steep rise up from the landing. Didn't really seem to have a flat spot on the site but we didn't explore it very much.
Carried on north and east - checked out site #352 - it'd be ok in a pinch but with a 4 person tent, there wasn't a lot of space for it - the site isn't very well used, which is nice, but it'd be more suitable for 2 people given it's small size. We went further east to site 4Z - it was similar to #352, but with a larger tent pad. Nice little site but could just squeeze a 4 person tent in - wasn't able to pitch the fly tight so could be problematic in the rain. Had some success fishing out in the channel.
Did a day trip up to site 8A at the narrows. Nice place to stop for lunch. Would be a good spot with a larger group, although it is fairly well used and open site - some TP bombs around. Great fishing and swimming off the rocks at the site.
A day later we paddled back west on Cirrus, aiming for site 3J but was again already taken, so we carried on going west to site 2Z. It's a big, open site with large flat tent pads. But it's big and open and very well used like what you'd find going car camping. Several trees have been cut down, most lower branches have been broken off of the trees, a numer of TP bombs around. If it's windy, having a fire on the point is very challenging as it's quite an exposed point.
We paddled west to the portage from Cirrus to the unnamed lake - this is a nice area to paddle as the lake narrows. The 1st portage was easy and short. The 2nd portage that takes you from the unnamed lake to Beaverhouse was the easiest 600+ metre portage I've done as it's wide and flat, with only a short steep spot just before it ends at the east. A short little paddle on Beaverhouse and you're back at the portage to the cars.
