Maniwaki Lake
A 140 rod portage extending north to Screamer Lake is shown on the Fisher E-15 map. This old portage is not shown on the 2001 Fisher F-5 map. A campsite is still shown on the 2001 Fisher F-5 map on Maniwaki Lake’s largest point in the northeast part of lake. The name 'Maniwaki' seems to have a Native American origin from the region that is now modern day Quebec, Canada.
This area was scorched by the 2011 Pagami Creek Fire that burned much of the southwestern part of the BWCA and was the largest fire in recorded history at about 100,000 acres (almost 10% of the entire BWCA).
There was a large fire in this area around 1863-1864. This fire is known as the North Kawishiwi River/Alice Lake/Cypress Lake/Saganaga Lake Complex. This burn began south of the current BWCAW's southern boundary near the town of Isabella, Minnesota (Heinselman, 1999).
All of this area was heavily logged beginning in the 1940's. Most of the logging was for pulpwood (Rom, 1987).
References:
Heinselman, Miron, The Boundary Waters Wilderness Ecosystem (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1999), 166, 167, 179.
Rom, William N., M.D., Canoe Country Wilderness (Stillwater: Voyageur Press, 1987), 40, 123.
Approach to Maniwaki Lake
The most likely approach to Maniwaki Lake will be from the west for paddlers coming up Hope Creek from Hope Lake. This route initially begins at Lake Insula where the mouth of Hope Creek is located.
Bushwhack to Maniwaki Lake
This bushwhack involves paddling Hope Creek from South Hope Lake or using the vestiges of the old portage that used to exist along this route. There used to be a maintained portage along the north bank of Hope Creek between South Hope Lake and Maniwaki Lake. This portage used to be bisected by a gravel road near the midpoint between the two lakes, that was used by the logging industry. The road was still in good shape in the 1960's (Rom, 1987), but likely hard to find now, especially after the 2011 fire. The status of the portage is in doubt after the 2011 Pagami Creek Fire. The portage is 140 rods long and was depicted on the 2001 Fisher F-5 map. This portage is not shown on the 2010 McKenzie #19 map for Isabella Lake. Note that 2010 was before the big fire occurred.
Exploring Maniwaki Lake
An old logging road used to terminate on the east shoreline of Maniwaki Lake at the small point that sticks out there. It is at GPS point: 47.877134, -91.198843. See if you can find it still. It is still visible on satellite images that were taken after the 2011 Pagami Creek Fire. This road can be traced all the way back to the north tip of the very long arm of Baskatong Lake. The road can even be followed further east to the Kawishiwi River about a half mile downstream from Kawasachong Lake.
A U.S. Geological Survey benchmark lies along the north shore 70 feet east of the start of the old portage trail that used to lead to South Hope Lake. This is just to the east of where Hope Creek flows out of Maniwaki Lake. The benchmark is on top of a 7 foot x 5 foot x 4 foot gray, pitted boulder.
The lake has a couple tiny islands and some rock shoals (maybe good fishing spots if something other than white suckers swims in the lake).
|
