What is there to do in Algonquin Provincial Park? Perhaps the shortest, and most direct answer could be the following:
“Algonquin Provincial Park is a semi wilderness area, offering many opportunities to anyone who enjoys being outdoors in nature”.
For the long answer…… It really depends on what you are looking for. If you want comfort, a stay at one of the lodges just off of the highway 60 corridor may be what you desire. If you are looking for front country camping with electrical sites/showers/laundry, the park boasts 8 separate campgrounds just off the same highway. If backcountry camping is more your style, you have plenty of options from overnight to multiple days/weeks worth of lakes and portages to cross. For a nature walk or hike, you have your choice of over 20 trails, including those with overnight backcountry camping. If you are a cyclist, there are 3 bike trails within the park. For the angler, Algonquin offers some great trout fishing, especially in more isolated waters. As for the winter enthusiast, you have winter camping, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and dog sleighing just to name a few activities. If you enjoy human history, the Algonquin Provincial Park Visitor Centre, and Logging Museum are both worth the visit. If you want to explore on your own, the remains of human settlement and activity are scattered throughout the park’s 7,635 square kilometres. Algonquin Provincial Park has all this and so much more for anyone who enjoys the outdoors. Even if you live in another country you can watch a live webcam of the bird feeders in the winter, and the view from the deck at the Visitor Centre from the comfort of your own home.
For us we enjoy Algonquin Provincial Park for the hiking trails, backcountry camping, and looking for ruins and signs of human activity from the early to mid-20th century. Much of the settlement and activity within Algonquin Provincial Park has been extensively documented, and with a little bit of research beforehand you can find remnants of the logging industry, hotels, an airfield, World War II POW camps, cemeteries, farms, and even areas where entire communities once stood! Of course, we also love observing the wildlife of Algonquin, especially when we get to see a Moose!
This year we had 14 and a half days of canoeing/portaging in the park. To avoid the potential bumper to bumper canoe traffic from access points near highway 60, we decided to start our trip from the north end of the park. We bounced back and forth as to which access point we wanted to launch from as we wanted to explore some new areas, while also revisiting familiar lakes we enjoyed on previous trips. In the end we decided to launch from Wendigo Lake, and complete a loop that traversed 21 lakes, 53 portages, and 4 different rivers.
Total Days: 14.5
Total Kilometres: approx. 160 kilometres
Total Portage Length: 30,060 metres (approx. 30 kilometres)
Longest Portage: 3570 metres (up the Little Madawaska River between Radiant Lake and Philip Lake)
Average Daytime High: 20.9 Celsius
Average Nighttime Low: 10.8 Celsius
Route: Wendigo Lake – Allan Lake – North Depot Lake – North River – Clamshell Lake – Shoal Lake – North River – Radiant Lake – Little Madawaska River – Philip Lake – Little Madawaska River – Hogan Lake – Little Madawaska River – Lake La Muir – Big Trout Lake – Merchant Lake – Happy Isle Lake – Redrock Lake – Crow River – Little Crow Lake – Big Crow Lake – Crow River – Crow Bay – Lake Lavieille – Crow River – Mallic Lake – Crow River – Lavaque Lake – Crow River – Petawawa River – Kildeer Lake – Francis Lake – Petawawa River – Plover Lake – Mudcat Lake – Snipe Lake – Radiant Lake – North River – Shoal Lake – Clamshell Lake – North River – North Depot Lake – Allan Lake – Wendigo Lake
Maps Used: Chrismar Maps – Algonquin 1, and Algonquin 4, Maps by Jeff – Central Algonquin, and North Algonquin
DAY #1: Wendigo Lake Access to North Depot Lake
Weather: Rain and drizzle with a slight breeze. High: 9C Low: 4C
After staying the night before at the Welcome Inn near Mattawa, we were soon on the road in the light rain as we made our way east on highway 17. It was after driving through the town of Mattawa that we realized we forgot to return the room key (DOH!). We turned around and made our way back, though not without one last coffee before heading into the backcountry.
Shortly after turning down the Brent Road we stopped into the Ontario Parks office to get our yellow plastic Ontario Parks garbage bag (they’re back!). The Brent Road is an unpaved road that is also used by those in the forest industry, and despite what you may have heard, almost any sized car can manage it. The road has some rough patches, the odd small washout section, and you do have to keep in mind that logging trucks also use the road. Attached to the Brent Road are smaller, even less maintained forest roads including the one we took, as we made a left turn and found ourselves going down what was more like a long one lane driveway towards the access point.
The Wendigo Lake Access Point (Access Point #25) had 6 cars in the small parking lot when we arrived, which made it about half full. Wendigo Lake sits on crownland and is just outside of the park’s boundaries. After double checking to make sure we had everything, we launched in a misting rain at 10:20am. Luckily it wasn’t that cold out, and we made pretty good time paddling south down the lake.
Looking at a map of Ontario you may find that there are a few “Wendigo Lakes”. The Wendigo is an evil spirit of Algonquian lore, and perhaps the most feared as it is associated with winter, famine, starvation, and cannibalism. Though central and northern Ontario can be stunningly beautiful, the winters are incredibly harsh, and survival for some may have led them down some dark paths.
We only had two small portages today, a relief on a rainy day. The first, at only 180 metres, had one small steep rocky section. Paddling into Allan Lake we entered into the park proper, though you would never know it unless you looked down at your map as there was no signage. Rain was a bit heavier on Allan Lake and we observed someone’s tent and canoe at a site on the eastern shore. No doubt they were either in their tent or shelter staying dry.
The 260 metre portage into North Depot Lake was pretty flat and goes around some small rapids. The rain let up a little bit as we paddled on North Depot Lake. Before rail was layed in the north end of the park in the early 20th century there was a supply depot on this lake for the lumber camps. Supplies arrived from the communities along the Ottawa River to the north and were transported down via a wagon road to Wendigo Lake, North Depot Lake, and Radiant Lake.
According to the Ontario Parks reservation system’s website, North Depot Lake was supposed to be fully booked tonight. Continuing south down the lake however we didn’t see a single site occupied. After paddling past 2 vacant sites on an island we pulled up on a nice sandy beach on the western side of the lake to check out a site. Marianne got out of the canoe and hiked up to see if it checked off all the boxes. Flat spot for a tent (check), good seating area around firepit (check), easy take out and put in (check), sheltered with trees to tie up tarp (check). This will do quite nicely!
Though it was lightly raining the towering Red Pines acted as a nice umbrella, so we barely got wet as we put up the tent. Right after the tent it was time to put up the tarp, followed by probably 15 minutes’ worth of readjusting the tarp until we were satisfied with its placement above the tent. Slightly chilled we had hot soupy spaghetti and a pot of tea under the tarp. After pumping water at the lake, thus getting our immediate chores done, we hid in the tent out of the rain. By this time it was 4pm and still not even a single canoe paddled by our site. Perhaps the rain deterred people from heading out today.
No campfire tonight so we decided to break into the trail mix for a quick supper. The rest of the evening was spent listening to the light rain hitting the tarp, along with the sound of a nice calm breeze blowing through the Red Pines.
Besides buying a new tent this year we also purchased another new item, a pair of personal alarms, the same kind you would attach to your purse. The alarms are attached to the ropes we tie our packs up with when we stash them under a tree or bush for the night. If something large was to pull on our packs the alarm would go off, and boy is it loud!
After securing our packs we settled in the tent for our first night under gloomy skies in Algonquin Provincial Park. Not a bad day for only a two hour paddle!
Wildlife Sightings: Ruffed Grouse, Eastern Chipmunk, Red Squirrel, People, Common Loon, Blue Jay, Dark-eyed Junco, Canada Geese, Great Blue Heron.
Remember to: In order to keep our paddling gloves completely dry, put them in a plastic bag before putting them in the waist pocket of our packs
DAY #2: North Depot Lake to Radiant Lake
Weather: Cloudy with some misty rain. Breezy. High: 11 C Low: 6C
Not the greatest sleep last night with the rain hitting (and dumping) off the tarp. We were up at 7am to the sound of some misting rain. Our tarp did the trick though and our tent stayed dry.
Breakfast was a quick meal of oatmeal with some walnuts, rehydrated apples, and brown sugar. Of course we had to have our “Morale Tea” (Twinings Irish Breakfast Tea). We prefer tea over coffee on our canoe trips, as it warms you to your core and doesn’t seem to give us acid gut like coffee sometimes does. Some outdoor survival gurus even recommend stocking tea in your backcountry first aid kit.
Around 9:20 am we were back in the canoe, slightly chilled even with our rain gear on. The light misty rain continued as we headed south down the North River. There was a breeze this morning, but by sheer dumb luck we managed to avoid it for the most part while out on the water. We had a series of portages today (6 in total) that went around falls and/or rapids. Almost all of the portages had sections of wet slippery rocks and/or roots where extra caution was warranted. We met only two other people along these portages.
As we entered a very shallow Shoal Lake, we had to negotiate around some mud flats so as not to get stuck in the muck. The breeze was really starting to pick up now and we were a little bit nervous as to what the open waters of Radiant Lake would be like. It was also around this time a helicopter was circling back behind us very low over the trees. It actually came around a few times, almost like they were looking for someone! As we rounded one last corner the waters of Radiant Lake immediately opened up before us, and we were pleasantly surprised (and relieved) that there wasn’t much wind at all! Whoot!
Radiant Lake is one of the more popular lakes at the north end of Algonquin Provincial Park. Oval shaped with the Petawawa River running through it there are 7 sites in total for backcountry reservations. The most popular are the beach sites on the north shore of the lake. The Bissett Creek Road runs along the east and south side of the lake and is an access road for lucky leaseholders, as well as those in the forest industry. Boat motors of 10 horsepower or less are allowed on the lake. If you think that seeing four cottages and the sound of boat motors spoil the whole “wilderness experience”, then hop in your time machine and step back to the events of the early 20th century. Completed in 1915, The Canadian Northern (later National) Railway ran along the south shore of Radiant Lake, with two stations along the lake that included Radiant, and Odenback Station. Along this section of the lake there were once logging camps, sawmills, and even depot farms that supplied the neighbouring logging camps in the early half of the 20th century. Add tourists and leaseholders to this mix and Radiant Lake must’ve been quite the busy place! To view some historical photographs of Radiant Lake, including images of the Gilles Depot, Hawkesbury Depot, and some leaseholds, please click on the link below from the Algonquin Park archives: (there is even a photo of a cow!)
As we all know, nothing lasts forever. The last train to go through Algonquin Provincial Park was in November of 1995, and a few decades before that many of the depot farms were abandoned. Today Radiant Lake has four remaining leaseholds, and only a bed of slag where the train tracks were. As mentioned earlier the Bissett Creek Road runs along the east and south side of the lake. Odenback Station was once the site of a sawmill and today the area is still used as a permanent work camp and concentration yard for selective lumbering in the park. As for those Depot Farms that had the surrounding land cleared, they are now completely overgrown. If we had GPS coordinates it would have been fun to bushwhack to search for possible remains of these historical locations. Maybe someday we will be back.
We decided to forego the beach sites on Radiant Lake, as they were located on the opposite shore of where we would be heading tomorrow. We paddled over to see if our old site from 2013 was vacant, near where the Petawawa lazily empties into Radiant Lake. We paddled past two cottages, the narrow opening of the Petawawa River, and one last cottage before arriving at our site which was not occupied! Hooray!
This site lies on a peninsula on the western shore of the lake. Getting in and out of the canoe can be a bit tricky here as there are just large slabs of rock. After climbing up on a small ledge it’s a brief hike up to the site which has multiple flat spots for a tent, though keep an eye out for the few window makers. The seating area is at the top of the site which offers a clear view of the lake. One item that was a pleasant surprise, and was not here on our last trip, was a wooden bench! WOAH!!
A brief shower of light misting rain ended just in time as we set up the tent and tarp. We had a late lunch/early supper of Chili, which was complemented by blue Gatorade crystals mixed in a bottle of lake water. During the afternoon some canoeists paddled by our site, which included a pair wearing helmets. We figured they must be running rapids down the Petawawa River, which is something us strictly flatwater canoeists can only dream about. We also observed a guy in a boat with an outboard motor go from one cottage to another. We’d like to think that they were a couple of buddies meeting up for some afternoon beers 🙂
One ritual we always like to perform when arriving at any site is to check the thunderbox. This isn’t some weird fetish, but to see if anyone “dumped” their food scraps inside which may attract unwanted wildlife. The thunderbox here was a little bit of a hike away from the site which is always a plus. However, when Marianne looked into the thunderbox she was shocked as she has never EVER seen one so full of poop and toilet paper! Like it was getting close to the top!! Hopefully by next year this thunderbox will be moved to a new spot, which in our experience is usually right next to the old one.
As evening set in the breeze died down completely and we had a small fire. We also had our first visit from the local mosquito and blackfly population, but they were only a minor nuisance. The sun also made a brief appearance, though only of five minutes, before it tucked in behind a blanket of grey clouds. Retreating to the tent for the night we heard the little pitter patter/scurrying sounds of a few mice. We hope they stay out of our packs.
Wildlife Sightings: Common Loon, Great Blue Heron, Northern Flicker, People, Red Squirrel, Eastern Chipmunk, Hooded Merganser, American Pipit, Deer Mouse
Remember to: Re-apply gelcoat to the bottom of the canoe before our next trip
DAY #3: Radiant Lake to Philip Lake
Weather: Brief sprinkle in the morning, with a mix of sun and clouds for the rest of the day. High: 17C Low: 8C
Got up around 6am this morning. Luckily no mice got into our packs last night. While enjoying a bowl of Pumpkin Flax Cereal with a side of tea we heard the distant sound of heavy machinery, most likely that of nearby forest operations. (We later learned that this area was scheduled for fall forestry management.) It may be a surprise to some, but forestry does continue to this day in Algonquin Provincial Park, though this is done in a more sustainable way. Gone are the days of clear cuts, chip yards, logging runs, and onsite sawmills. Today tree harvesting is performed with less machinery, and with minimal impact on the forest (around 1% of the park per year). Forest management also tries to mimic the natural succession of fire, critical to a healthy forest, that is suppressed in the park. Though the park was founded in 1893, logging in the area began way before that in the 1830s. Though many of us today are familiar to the theme in the news and media of “deforestation vs. environmentalism”, the loggers of the area that would become Algonquin Provincial Park actually welcomed and pushed the idea of the area being a Forest Reserve and Park! This would mean that their timber limits and the headwaters that lay within the area would be preserved from those that would rather see it cleared for settlement. If it wasn’t for those in the logging industry, “Algonquin Park” may have become just another extension of cottage country, with all privately owned land, resorts for the rich and famous etc…..Who knows what may have been?
Though the sun was up when we first crawled out of the tent, clouds started to roll in during breakfast, and a light rain started to fall just before we left our site at around 8:50am. Today we were traveling up our second river for the trip, the Little Madawaska River. Paddling towards the river we passed a couple of cottages, and even some trailers. The Little Madawaska River was barely noticeable where it empties into Radiant Lake, as there was barely a visible current. Flanked by trees on both sides, we had a short winding paddle up the river as we approached the old CNR rail bridge.
As we paddled under the rail bridge, the faint smell of creosote hovering in the air, we brought the canoe ashore and climbed up to view the railbed. Now only a bed of slag we walked down the railbed to where Odenback Station used to be. In the slag we observed a few predated turtle nests, only their eggshells now remained. We also found old dried up animal scat, and a single railway anchor.
Soon the Bissett Creek Road came up beside us, along with an open field where Odenback used to be. During the early to mid 20th century Odenback Station used to have a logging camp, some sawmills, and a staff house to name a few structures. Today the area of Odenback may still be used as a concentration yard for forestry. We wanted to explore the open area a bit but there appeared to be some people working up the road a ways, so we chose instead to make our way back to the canoe and continue on as we had a very long portage ahead of us.
Back in the canoe we continued up the river until we arrived at our first, and unfortunately, longest portage for the trip at 3,570m. Unfortunate because it’s only our third day of the trip, our packs were still very heavy, and we haven’t yet achieved that natural paddle/portage groove yet. It’s usually around day five that we get into that natural rhythm where everything becomes second nature, so any trip less than 5 days never feels like a real canoe trip. Added to this is we always perform a double carry on almost every portage, so this one will be a total 10,710 metres! That’s almost 11 kilometres! Luckily we have done this portage in the past, so we know that it’s relatively flat.
Aaron’s pack felt unreasonably heavy along the portage, while Marianne’s was lighter than usual. Even after this realization, Aaron refused to give up some of the weight in his pack. With a double carry the portage ended up being a four hour slog, with a few nuisance mosquitoes along the way. At the end of it all, Aaron carrying the canoe, and Marianne with the day pack, we collapsed on the ground to rest beside the put in. We shared an apple, some beef jerky, an energy bar, and some much needed water! It was now 2pm and Marianne was wondering how things were back at home as there was a memorial for a couple of her relatives at this very moment. Wonder what they would have thought of these two sweaty people trudging 11 kilometres in the bush with packs and a canoe? Hopefully they would’ve been happy that we were doing something we enjoyed…though even we had to admit this portage kinda sucked!
After drying off a bit it was time to continue up the Little Madawaska River. River travel in a canoe, especially a calm marshy river, is a treat as the opportunities for viewing wildlife outweigh that of what you would see on larger lakes. Waterfowl, herptiles, beaver, and if you’re lucky you may even encounter a moose! However, it’s the rivers that are ever winding, to the point that you feel like you aren’t making any headway whatsoever that can be a tad annoying. This is especially true when you only have so many hours of daylight left. This stretch of the Little Madawaska River, at just over 4 kilometres as the crow flies, was a two hour winding river paddle. There were three beaver dam liftovers, including one that was one of the larger beaver dams we have encountered thus far on any trip. Along the river we observed dragonflies, geese, ducks, and cormorants, while to the distance in the southeast we saw some beautiful cliffs adorned with what looked to be a mix of both pine and spruce. As we paddled towards our last portage we heard three vehicles go down the forest road beside us. Perhaps they were done work for the day out in the bush.
Our final portage of the day was at 1080 metres. This included crossing over that same forest road where we heard the vehicles, so of course we looked both ways before crossing. As for the portage itself it looked like a long abandoned forest road, which may still be used for 4 x 4 vehicles? It was flat for almost the entire way with barely any elevation change, or rocks/tree roots to negotiate. It was along here that we flushed a Pine Marten, a mammal in the weasel family, that climbed up a tree to about our height and looked back at us.
It was around 5pm when we arrived at the end of the portage. There is a campsite located here, but unless you are in a situation where you absolutely have to, we wouldn’t recommend it as it had the appearance of being cleared recently by some sort of machinery.
We soon entered the last leg of the Little Madawaska River, which included paddling near an old, decommissioned bridge, and an old dam. Before the Algonquin Park was established, and continuing into the early 1890s, the Philip’s Depot Farm was a major supply location for the logging camps. The ruins of this depot farm are just to the north of where we were now paddling. It would have been neat to go explore and locate what’s left. From what we have seen online it looks like there are some ruins/relics still remaining, along with a lot of bramble bushes that have moved into the area that was once cleared, now abandoned. Unfortunately, time was against us this trip to go explore this area, so we continued on our current path.
We finally entered Philip Lake, a neat little lake, and we were pretty sure we had it all to ourselves. We paddled passed the first beach site that we stayed at back in 2013, and then around a point to the next site that also had a nice beach. As we approached the shore we flushed a Bald Eagle that was using the beach as a spot to have its evening meal. It was around 6pm now and we were tired and sweaty. After unloading the canoe we stripped down and ran down the soft sandy beach and into the lake for our first bath of the trip, and man does it feel amazing!
With only a couple of hours of daylight left we didn’t have much time to relax in the sun, as we still had to set up the tent and make supper. Our site included a flat spot for the tent, an okay seating area, and a descent fire pit. However, one thing that this site had was rodents, in particular this one annoying chipmunk! As soon as we placed our yellow day bag on the bench this little bugger was up, then on, and then INTO it!! Luckily Marianne caught him in the act before he ate through our smell proof bag to get at our trail mix. This particular chipmunk was clearly fed by people in the past, and as such has learned that people + packs = food. It took both of us to swipe at it a few times before he buggered off, and we even had to hang the day bag up in a tree while we were setting up camp.
Tonight’s supper was macaroni and cheese with tuna and rehydrated broccoli. We had a quick fire tonight, and as we gathered up our stuff around the firepit we observed a couple of mice scurrying around. This site clearly has a rodent problem!
Just after dark we were finally in the tent. Lying flat on our backs felt amazing after a very long day of what should be our hardest day of portaging and paddling for the entire trip. As we drifted off to dreamland we heard some migrating Canada Geese, while a distant Barred Owl announced that the night shift has started.
Wildlife Sightings: Broad-winged Hawk, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Blue Jay, People, Pine Marten, Eastern Chipmunk, Red Squirrel, Canada Geese, Duck species, Black-capped Chickadee, dragonfly species, Northern Raven, Song Sparrow, Common Yellowthroat, Pileated Woodpecker, Double-crested Cormorant, Barred Owl
Remember to: Replace the water bladder….it now leaks.
DAY #4 Philip Lake to Hogan Lake (Parks Bay)
Weather: Fog with sun in the morning, along with sunny skies and a breeze in the afternoon. High: 18C Low: 4C
We had a really good sleep last night. This was probably due to the fact that we were exhausted from yesterday. When we unzipped the tent we were met with a heavy fog out on the lake. On a rock just offshore from our site perched a group of Double-crested Cormorants, along with a few Hering Gulls. Like us they were hanging out until the fog cleared.
A few years ago we got into the habit of placing the next day’s breakfast in the yellow day bag right before going to bed. This is super convenient as we just have to grab this small bag the next morning instead of digging though both our main backpacks looking for ingredients. Unfortunately, as we began the last stage of packing up this morning, by stuffing everything into our backpacks, Aaron noticed that a critter got into the bottom compartment of his pack. Further investigation revealed that it got into one of our freeze dried meals (Mountain House Beef Stew). We then had to empty everything out of his pack, shake it out over the fire to burn the spilled food, and clean his pack with water. This delayed us a bit and we finally got on the water by 10am. By this point the fog, along with the gulls and cormorants, were long gone when we pushed the canoe off the sandy beach under bright and sunny skies. We said “goodbye” to our site and wished the critter that went into our pack a happy life of sodium overdose.
After a leisurely paddle across Philip Lake, which we still had all to ourselves, we had a short paddle back up the Little Madawaska River as we approached our first portage of the day at 1510 metres. This portage felt long and had some elevation to it. After dropping off the packs at the end of the first carry, the walk back for the canoe and day pack felt like a nice walk in the woods. Also a nice treat was the lack of blackflies and mosquitoes along this portage.
Back onto the Little Madawaska River we approached what would be an easy 110 metre portage, though the put in was a little bit of a rocky mess. After another brief paddle on the river, including a couple of lift overs along the way, we arrived at the 220 metre portage that included an old dam. It was also somewhere between these two portages that one of the two thwarts blew out the bolt holes that attached it to the canoe.
We now entered Hogan Lake, more specifically Parks Bay, at around 1pm. Initially, we considered paddling to the end of Hogan Lake, but with that unexpected late start we were now hungry, and Aaron wanted to “Mcgeyver” the thwart with what few items we had. We paddled to the first available site to check it out.
Another small sandy beach greeted us. The site was okay with a great firepit, though there were a few fallen trees. We managed to find a flat spot for the tent between the firepit and the lake. After a quick lunch of Backpackers Pantry Pad Thai, Aaron went to work on the thwart and fixed it with some cordage. We just relaxed for the rest of the afternoon, and when the breeze died down we bathed in the lake. Supper tonight was Sheppard’s Pie with stuffing.
We didn’t see any people today. There was a large flock of around 100 Double-crested Cormorants quite a ways out towards the opposite shoreline. In the calm of the evening we heard them calling to each other in a series of grunts, croaks, and gargles. We also thought we heard what may have been people, including someone singing, in that general direction as well??? Scanning with the binoculars we failed to observe any signs of people. Could it just be the cormorants??? What was in that Sheppard’s Pie???
Wildlife Sightings: Herring Gull, Double-crested Cormorant, Common Loon, Northern Flicker, Great Blue Heron, Frog species, Dragonfly species, American Toads, Black-capped Chickadees, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Hairy Woodpecker, Fish species, Eastern Chipmunk, Red Squirrel, duck species, flycatcher species, Northern Raven, American Robin.
Remember to: Replace thwarts on canoe when we get home
DAY #5: Hogan Lake to Big Trout Lake
Weather: Sun and clouds with a slight breeze. High: 20C Low: 10C
We were a little behind where we wanted to be, so we set the alarm for 5:15 am and got on the water under bright calm skies at 7:20am. Luckily no fog covered the lake this morning as we had a couple of long paddles/portages today. We paddled the whole length of Hogan Lake and passed one other site that was occupied. On Hogan’s calm waters we observed both Common Loons and Double-crested Cormorants. As we approached the end of Hogan Lake the water got marshy and very shallow as we entered a small portion of the Little Madawaska River again. Luckily the water got a little deeper as we neared the portage.
At 690 metres this portage started off steep, and towards the end it split into two sperate trails before joining together again. The most interesting feature was right before the end of the portage where it transformed from your typical rocks and roots into a nice boardwalk that lasted for about 50 feet in length. This was the perfect spot to take a break, and we relaxed for a bit before entering the Little Madawaska River one last time.
It was a slow go on the Little Madawaska River as it was both shallow and wide in this section of the river. We even met a couple coming from the opposite direction that described it as “paddling in molasses.” We couldn’t have said it better ourselves! What was with this stretch of river?!
Once we entered the deeper waters of Lac La Muir we felt like we were making headway again. We observed a few canoes, and even a boat with an outboard motor which is allowed on this lake. We took a quick lunch break at the last site before the 2590 metre portage, and before getting back in the canoe we made sure to pump enough water for the long walk ahead.
The 2590 metre portage had a good take out, and while the portage was really long, the majority of it felt flat. There were some boardwalk sections, an old beaver dam, and there were some sections that felt like it could have been part of a long abandoned forest road. Yellow Birch was one of the dominant tree species along the portage. This is one of our favourite trees we encounter on our canoe trips. Though the Yellow Birch doesn’t catch your eye as much as the White Birch, in our minds they seem to have more character. The ruffled/tattered looking bark gives older Yellow Birch trees more of a “scruffy backwoodsmen look”. As a hardwood tree, the Yellow Birch is an important tree for both animals, birds, and people. During the early 1940s Yellow Birch in Algonquin Park was harvested and shipped to England to build De Havilland Mosquito Bombers during World War II.
Along this portage we also met a group of 4 canoeists, all of whom had European accents. Though we exchanged pleasantries, they like us were on a mission, and we didn’t stop and chat, though we did see them give each other all high 5s when they got to the end of the portage. For us we still had the last carry of the canoe and the day pack before we arrived at our final lake for the day, the beautiful Big Trout Lake. We were a sweaty mess when we reached the end of the portage, and a clear view of the skies at the lake revealed grey clouds coming in that threatened rain. Luckily we only received a light sprinkle as we loaded the canoe after a much needed break and drink of water.
One of our maps (Maps by Jeff) indicated that there may be the remains of a logging camp at the first site located on a peninsula, so we went to check it out. We wandered around the site and we couldn’t find anything that remotely looked to be the remains of anything at all! The site itself was large with part of it being cleared, so perhaps that was where the logging camp used to be? Or maybe this was just your typical overused campsite? Regardless, this site definitely ticked off all the boxes to be worthy of a 2 day stay, so we brought up all our gear and started to gather firewood for supper over the fire. Tonight’s supper was a new one for us being ‘Mexican’ Couscous. We are getting tired of the Sheppard’s Pie so this may be its replacement.
Though we had some light sprinkles of rain this evening there was a lot of tree cover at this site (mainly hemlock) so we barely noticed any rain. However, with all this tree cover it also got dark a lot sooner, and already by 7:30pm we had our headlamps on. We wanted to be out a bit later tonight to enjoy a fire, but the rain intensified and the no-see-ums found us, so we retreated to the tent a little earlier tonight. That’s okay because we have all day tomorrow to enjoy our site!
We are now on day five of our trip, the day when we find ourselves getting into a good rhythm. Everything from here on for the rest of the trip becomes second nature, while the stress of the world back home slides off your once tense shoulders like water off a duck’s back. Nature doesn’t care about human interests, and when humans change the landscape, nature adapts in what way it can with what resources still remain. We are on nature’s time now, and we just adapt with what resources we have and what we carry with us.
Wildlife Sightings: Double-crested Cormorant, Herring Gull, Common Loon, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Black-capped Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Northern Raven, People, Eastern Chipmunk, Red Squirrel, Frog species, slugs, fish species, Belted Kingfisher, duck species, no-see-ums.
Remember to: Install Garmin App on our phones when we get home.
DAY #6: Big Trout Lake
Weather: Sunny with some clouds. A slight breeze. High: 22C Low: 14C
After that unexpected critter encounter in one of our packs, we had the brain wave before we went to bed last night to set our packs with the rain covers on inside the canoe which we turned upright. Unfortunately, we woke up to the sound of rain last night, and if you’re in a tent that is below the trees like we were, you really can’t tell how hard it is raining vs. what is dripping off the trees. Fearing that the bottom of the canoe may become a puddle, we put on our headlamps and went to check out the situation. There was no sign of a puddle, and we threw the tarp over the canoe….which in hindsight would have been a good idea to begin with…Derp…
Today was one of two scheduled rest days for the trip so it was nice to sleep in a bit. There was a heck of a lot of Red Squirrels at this site, and by 7:30 am they dropped hemlock cones like little torpedoes, including those that hit the tent. The Red Squirrels seemed to have a morning routine: wake up and chatter, drop cones from the trees, and collect them. Luckily the squirrels ignored us as they went about their daily ritual, though some of those dropped hemlocks seemed personal.
We rolled out of the tent at around 8:30am to a mix of sun and clouds. A very brief sprinkle of rain passed over, but our umbrella of hemlocks protected us completely. Breakfast this morning was what we always look forward to the most on any backcountry canoe trip….Pancake with peanut butter & jam!
We put up a clothesline to air out the stuff from the tent, took a bath, did laundry, gathered wood for a fire, and just relaxed at the site. We spotted a few canoes out on the lake, while way across the lake we saw that we had some new neighbours. Sites on Big Trout Lake are spaced out really well, so our new neighbours were barely audible from our site, and only visible with a pair of binoculars.
Very calm waters this afternoon. Marianne explored around the site, desperately trying to find any signs of it once being a logging camp, but she couldn’t find anything.
Bannock was for supper tonight with our homemade black bean hummus from black turtle beans grown from our garden.
We had a nice fire tonight with supper and relaxed for the rest of the evening. Off in the far distance, across two separate sides of the lake, we observed the faint glow of head lamps from other campers.
Wildlife Sightings: Eastern Chipmunk, Red Squirrel, Common Loon, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Blue Jay, Northern Raven, People, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Herring Gull, dragonfly species, Pileated Woodpecker, Sharp-shinned Hawk
Remember to: No remember to today!
DAY #7: Big Trout Lake to Redrock Lake
Weather: Clear and sunny. High: 24C Low: 15C
We actually woke up feeling too warm last night, which doesn’t happen very often on any of our fall trips. The alarm was set for 5am (Vacation yay!) as we had around 17km of travel, which included a couple of longer portages. We managed to get out on the water by 7am, and right before the torpedoes started to fall which was an added bonus.
We launched on a calm mirrored lake, along with a sun that was a perfect orange circle you could almost stare at. Yesterday’s evening sun was similar, along with last night’s moon when it was lower to the horizon. Though we weren’t certain, this seemed to be the telltale signs of smoke in the atmosphere from wildfires. Wildfires are becoming more common in the summer in our country, and smoke can travel hundreds of miles away from its source.
Silently we paddled east across Big Trout Lake. Right after sunrise is a great time of day to paddle, as many animals now begin their morning routine. Within the first half hour of paddling Aaron spotted a cow moose along the shore, her possible suiter calling just out of view behind her.
Towards the eastern end of Big Trout Lake the water got shallow and marshy. The sun was now angled in the sky just right to see the morning dew all aglow on the countless spiderwebs on the reeds and any other plants sticking up out of the water. It was literally like we were paddling through a spiderweb city! There were webs just above the water, and even some webs high above the water on the trees. We wondered which spiders had the more desirable location for catching a meal among all these condominiums. Do the spiders have a class system where the more aggressive spiders have their webs in the better locations, while the weaker spiders are pushed to the areas with the less desirable real estate? One thing is for sure, if you have a fear of spiders, you probably wouldn’t want to paddle in this spot after dark!
Soon we arrived at the 1830 metre portage leading into Merchant Lake. It was your typical longer portage with some elevation to it, along with a little tricky put in at the end. Merchant Lake was like glass, which has its advantages and disadvantages. Advantages include that it makes for an easy paddle, and a calm lake is just so serene. The disadvantage is that being out in the sun without a breath of wind can get hot! Here on Merchant Lake we crossed paths with our first paddlers of the day and we both exchanged smiles and salutations.
Along the 330m portage into Happy Isle Lake we observed a group of paddlers, their two dogs, and for some reason they had to have music playing while crossing the portage. I guess some generations just can’t disconnect. We were now in an area nearer to the access points off highway 60, so we may be entering into the realm of where the weekend warriors and backcountry diehards connect….or clash…you decide.
Happy Isle Lake, like Merchant Lake, was like glass with barely a ripple to be seen except by the blade of a paddle. We passed by two occupied sites as we paddled along the northern shore and waved to a couple sitting out on lawn chairs enjoying the morning sun from their site. Up in the sky a couple of Monarch Butterflies took full advantage of the calm air to migrate over the lake. As they flap and glide with their delicate wings, these two tiny creatures have nearly 3,500 kilometres more to go before reaching their wintering sites in Mexico…..and here we were earlier complaining about a 3 kilometre portage!
It was around noon when we arrived at the 1330 metre portage to Redrock Lake which had a nice beach take out. We had a quick lunch of Mountain House Pasta Primavera, while taking advantage of the shade to cool off. Though long, the portage was mainly flat, and we caught a glimpse of a Garter Snake and some American Toads. For herptiles it’s a great day to soak up some sun!
All we could think about while we paddled on Redrock Lake was to just get to a site, strip down, and get into the water as we were warm! We arrived at the site on a large peninsula on the southern side of the lake at around 2:30 pm. The site had a good flat spot for a tent, good seating area, and a good spot to bath. The one let down is that the site was probably in better shape 10 years ago as it now looked pretty worn out. Though the seating area was good, the firepit was meh at best. As soon as the tent went up it was naked time with a quick bath in the lake which felt amazing! After this it was time for some much needed rest in the shade. Aaron had a nap while Marianne explored the site.
We were now at the most southern part, and therefore halfway through our loop, as we would now be slowing making our way back to the access point. So far on this trip we have yet to see a high water mark on the rocks on any of the lakes we have travelled. High water over low water levels is always appreciated.
Another calm evening tonight. As we pumped water we heard our neighbours a fair distance away from the other site across the lake. They were out fishing earlier and were just returning back with cheers of joy. Sounds like they caught a whooper!!
Wildlife Sightings: Common Loon, gull, Red Squirrel, Moose, Common Mergansers, Blue Jay, Sharp-shinned Hawks, People, Dogs, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Winter Wren, American Toads, Garter Snake, Ducks, Wood Duck, Pileated Woodpecker, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Canada Geese, Northern Raven, Hairy Woodpecker, Monarch Butterfly, Barred Owl
Remember to: No remember to today! Woot!
DAY #8: Redrock Lake to Big Crow Lake
Weather: Sunny with a few clouds. High: 24C Low: 15C
Under another calm morning of mirrored lakes we said “farewell” to our site on Redrock Lake at around 7:20am. We were both well rested from a good night’s sleep, even after a late night visit in the form of a Barred Owl. It called “WHO…WHO COOKS FOR YOU ALLLLLLL!” right above our tent.
We paddled to the end of the lake and arrived at our first portage for the day at 3,080metres. Though this portage was long with some elevations, we now were in a rhythm of paddling and portaging, and our packs were beginning to feel a lot lighter as we slowly depleted our food.
As each day now rolled by it has been getting noticeably warmer, and by the end of this first portage we were in need of a rest, water, and to cool off. It was also time to head down our third river for the trip, the Crow River. This particular section of the Crow River lazily cuts through a wide marsh which is supposed to be good spot to see a moose. We doubt we would see one as it was already past mid morning and quite warm out. What also didn’t help was that when we entered the Crow River we observed three kayakers coming up behind us playing music on some sort of device. Luckily, we stayed in front of them as we paddled through what is arguably the most scenic section of the Crow River. There was a beautiful hill in the distance to the west which had fall colours at around 10% leaf change. We ended up Mooseless as we exited the Crow River and enter Little Crow Lake.
Canoe traffic picked up as we met two canoes heading in the opposite direction, and as we entered Big Crow Lake we saw even more canoes and even some kayaks. It was now time to for us to find another site to stay at for the next two days, except now it’s on a weekend within a day’s paddle of the Opeongo Lake access point. There better not be any squatters on this lake! If you like the privacy of backcountry camping like we do then this is NOT where you want to be. The reason we chose Big Crow Lake is because we wanted to check out Algonquin Provincial Park’s last standing fire tower (minus the cupola) which we missed out on when we were here last back in 2017. No doubt Big Crow Lake would fully booked for tonight, and the possibility of a squatter is always something to consider in the back of your mind. This has happened to us twice in Killarney Provincial Park, and it’s a pain in the butt when people stay on a lake they did not book….aside from injury or dangerous winds/weather, there’s no good reason to do this.
The first site we checked out on the south shore did not have a place to bath, while the site we had the last time was already taken. The site at the base of the hill to the fire tower was mediocre at best, so we took our chances and headed towards the far southeast end of the lake which had one lone campsite. As we paddled towards a small bay and small sandy beach we could see that it wasn’t occupied. Hooray! The site itself was okay and better than the other two we just checked out. There were multiple flat spots for a tent, good seating area, and a massive firepit. The small sandy beach to launch from was also just the right size for bathing. We had a few mosquitoes at this site, but no bug spray was needed.
After lunch we relaxed at our site and observed the canoe and kayak traffic on the lake. Algonquin Provincial Park has 14 ranger cabins you can rent (both front country and backcountry) and the Big Crow Lake ranger cabin’s dock is barely visible from our site. All afternoon we observed people in canoes arriving and departing from its dock. Behind the ranger cabin there is the trailhead to hike up to the fire tower which will be our destination for tomorrow morning.
By mid afternoon we were eager for a bath but now an oily layer of film was on the surface in the shallows at our tiny beach, which made us forego bathing for a while. We decided instead to hop into the canoe and pump water away from shore. A nice feature on this end of the lake is a small rocky island that is about a 5 minute paddle from our site, while a collection of guano painted rocks towards the opposite shore west of our site seemed to be the local Cormorant hang out. By 5pm the oily film at our tiny beach went away and we had the most glorious bath in the lake, feeling like a million bucks after drying off. Around this time we observed a group of paddlers arrive and unload their stuff at the distant dock where the ranger cabin is. They were clearly the group that reserved the cabin.
After cleaning up around the site we decided to enjoy some time around the firepit. We didn’t stay out too long as the mosquitoes here were a bit annoying. Soon it was into the tent and a long game of cards before we finally tucked ourselves into our sleeping bags.
Wildlife Sightings: Barred Owl, Red Squirrel, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Double-crested Cormorant, Common Loon, White-throated sparrow, Lots of people, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Green Frog, American Toads, Dragonfly species, American Robin, Northern Parula, Winter Wren.
Remember to: Glue the bottom of the paddles as they are filling up with water. Add powered potato and parmesan cheese to our homemade Tomato Egg noodle as a thickener.
DAY #9: Big Crow Lake
Weather: Sunny skies. High: 24C Low: 14C
Sunny skies and a lake of glass were on repeat this morning as they have been for the last few days. After a breakfast pancake we loaded up the canoe with our daypack of water, snacks, and a first aid kit. Soon we were on the water as we paddled over to the ranger cabin to climb up the hill and visit the old fire tower.
Lucky for us the four gentlemen that were renting the cabin were out on the deck enjoying their morning coffee (or tea? or booze?) when we asked them (as is customary) if we could pass through the site to access the trail. We didn’t get any photos of the Ranger Cabin, which was built in 1956. Here are a few photos, including inside the cabin, from Tour du Park’s website:
http://www.tourdupark.com/big-crow-cabin.html
The trail head is just behind the ranger cabin and though it is a short climb (maybe 20 minutes?) there are a few sections that are quite steep. As you may have already guessed, the cabin was for the fire ranger manning the tower. Steel fire towers were used to detect forest fires in Algonquin Provincial Park in the early 1920s to the mid 1970s. Though not as romantic, planes were also used during, and after this time period as well. There were a few fire towers scattered throughout the park, but since their dismissal from service they have been dismantled. Known as the Freswick Tower, the fire tower on Big Crow Lake was spared the fate of all the other fire towers and remained to stand tall high on a cliff overlooking the lake. Since its abandonment the bottom rung of the 80 foot steel tower has been removed to deter people from climbing up to the cupola, though it wouldn’t surprise us that those determined still get to the top. However, even the proud looking steel fire tower, which has stood up to the elements since the 1950s, was no match when it was struck by lightning in 2011. The wooden cupola burned completely, leaving only the metal structure. Now a former shell of itself, the lonely tower continues to prevail, proudly standing on its four bolted feet. Perhaps one day it will be dismantled, possibly due to its structural integrity as a safety concern. We hope not.
A short path goes behind the tower to a lookout over a cliff. What a beautiful view as we gazed out over the blue waters, and the start of the fall colours that stretched all the way to the north end of the lake. We also observed a couple of teeny tiny canoes below us on the lake. Our Garmin indicated the elevation at 1759 feet. High points are great for getting a phone signal and we managed to get two bars on Marianne’s phone to check the weather forecast. Looks like great weather for the rest of our trip with only a 30% to 40% of showers this coming Wednesday.
We arrived back to our site before noon and had another bath (it never gets old on this trip), washed a few clothes, and hung them to dry. A nice light breeze kept the mosquitoes away, and in the distance we could just make out melodious grunting and croaking of our cormorant neighbours on their rocks. Canoe/kayak traffic was a little slower today as well.
As on Big Trout Lake, the local Red Squirrels harvested hemlock cones and proceeded to drop them like little torpedoes around our site. Luckily neither of us were ever in the direct path as a green hemlock cone to the noggin would probably hurt at least a little. Aaron took a nap this afternoon, while Marianne tried to stay awake by looking over maps, collect firewood, and moved our drying clothes around the site to ensure they stayed in the sunlight.
Another Bannock over the fire tonight. We also went for a nice evening paddle on the lake to pump some water for tomorrow. Another beautiful calm evening in Algonquin Provincial Park, and to think that over a week ago our first day was chilly with rain. It feels so long ago now!
Wildlife Sightings: Black-capped Chickadee, Common Loon, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Red Squirrel, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Black-throated Blue Warbler, People, Purple Finch, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, gull species, Green Frog, dragonfly species, Double-crested Cormorant
Remember to: Bring a different radio next rip. This radio fades in and out, which might just be the reception out here.
DAY #10: Big Crow Lake to Lake Lavielle
Weather: Sunny with a few clouds. Some breeze. High: 27 C Low: 15C
We set the alarm for 5am today. Today would consist of paddling and portaging the Crow River, and it’s hard to figure out how long it should take to traverse a winding river by just looking at your map. Sure, you can go on Google Maps and plot out the distance, but there may be some additional obstacles such as swifts, beaver dams, and even the possibility of getting out and lining (or dragging) the canoe depending on the water level. We also wanted to get to our next site before it got too hot, a theme which has been playing out the last few days. In fact, we even had moments where we ACTUALLY wished for some head winds to just cool off!
We slid the canoe into the calm waters of Big Crow Lake at 6:45 am and paddled towards the Crow River. We silently drifted by two occupied sites just before the Crow River and it seemed that no one was awake yet at either site. Immediately upon entering the Crow River the temperature dropped significantly and we were chilled. After a brief paddle we soon arrived at the 240 metre portage. Getting our gear out of the canoe we soon explored around the area and located the remains of an old dam.
The remnants of a McLachlin Brothers logging camp is located right along the portage. We couldn’t find any of history of this particular logging camp, and besides some items (metal rings) that people hung on some trees along the portage, you would have no idea that there were ever any structures here. Marianne bushwacked off the portage and located some old wooden foundations, now almost completely swallowed up by the earth. Also near this location is a side trip to hike to a stand of old growth white pines that were protected from logging back in the 1930s. Some of these trees are over 300 years old. We forego the hike.
Back on the Crow River we scrapped the bottom of the canoe in a few areas of low water. Any shallower and we woulda had to get out and drag the canoe.
Today was a portage/paddle/portage/paddle kind of day and we’ll spare the details of all 7 portages, which totaled 2.5 kilometres. Surprisingly, there was only a single beaver dam along this whole stretch of river! There was also a section where we saw some Jackpine, the only ones we noticed on our whole trip. Portages varied with some takeouts/put ins being easier than others, with the 1220 metre portage along the Crow River included going over a forest road. It was the very last portage of the day which gave us a bit of a problem. We took out at the portage sign and as we started the first carry with our packs, the trail just disappeared….?….We wandered around trying to find the real portage, and Aaron caught his leg and took a tumble, with a now hurt thumb and ripped pants. We eventually ended up locating the portage and walked back to the canoe. It was then that we noticed the faint arrow drawn on the portage sign that pointed to the location of the real portage. We were clearly not the first individuals to make this mistake, as the real portage is just out of view of the put in.
Back on the Crow River we continued to paddle in the bright sun and it was getting quite warm. Marianne leaned back on her canoe seat to pass Aaron the water bottle, and with her weight no longer in the centre of the seat there was a “CRUNCH” and the seat shifted a bit. Now we might have a thwart and a seat to fix when we get home. As we entered the open waters of the Crow Bay we had a welcomed breeze in the form of a headwind.
Our original plan was to paddle into Lake Lavielle and find a site, but it was already close to 2:30pm and we were warm and ready to chill for the rest of the afternoon. We ended up at a site up on a huge rocky peninsula where the land pinched right before it opened up into the wide expanse of Lake Lavielle. Our site is located on the north peninsula with a good put in/take out, good seating area, and a good flat spot for the tent. We also saw a trail which we originally thought was to get a better view of Lake Lavielle. As we followed the trail, flushing a pair of Ruffed Grouse in the process, we soon discovered that this was actually a double site! This site was also not occupied and had a way better spot to bath, so we went back down the trail to our site to grab everything we needed to take a bath. We were almost halfway done stripping down when we heard voices, and we had just enough time to put our shirts back on when two people in a canoe came around the peninsula. We waved to each other and waited for them to get a fair distance out on Lake Lavielle before it was naked time again. After putting on “clean” clothes we walked backed to our site which had the afternoon sun, along with a much needed light breeze.
Under the Algonquin Park Management Plan there are 7 different zones of management within the entire park. At 90,475 hectares, one of these zones is known as the “Wilderness Zone”. There are 4 areas in the park that make up this particular zone with Lake Lavielle, along with Dickson Lake to the south, comprising of 25,365 hectares (28%) of this zone. Wilderness Zones are managed to protect the ecological state of an entire landscape, with no logging, no rail lines, no power lines, and no buildings. In particular, the Lavielle-Dickson Wilderness Land Zones has some of the best remote backcountry camping in the entire park, with the land being undisturbed (apart from portages and campsites) for over 70 years! 21% of the park’s old growth Red and White Pines are in this area. From our site we observed some nice red and white pines, and way across to the other side of the lake we could see the odd White Pines towering above the rest of the trees. If all of Algonquin Provincial Park was like this it would be fantastic!
We had a late supper of spaghetti tonight over the fire. The rehydrated tomato sauce is incredibly rich so it’s great to have some Gatorade to compliment it. We had a full moon tonight which is always nice in the backcountry! It was quite warm tonight as we crawled into the tent.
Wildlife Sightings: Black-capped Chickadee, Pileated Woodpeckers, Common Loon, Red Squirrel, People, Beaver, River Otter, American Toads, frog species, Red-breasted Nuthatch, American Robin, dragonfly species, fish species, Great Blue Heron, Wood Duck, Black Duck, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Barred Owl, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Ruffed Grouse, mosquitos, hoverflies.
Remember to: Stop in at Swift Canoe on the way home in regard to the repairs we now need on the canoe.
DAY #11: Lake Lavielle to Lavaque Lake
Weather: Sunny skies with a few light clouds. High: 23C Low: 13C
With a shorter travel day of about 11 kilometres, we slept in a bit this morning and enjoyed a nice relaxing breakfast at the other site which offered a beautiful view of the sunrise. We had another clear and calm morning which never gets old!
While pumping water Aaron spotted a huge leech in the water. It was the biggest leech we have ever seen in our lives! Patrolling the rocky shoreline, it was around 4 inches long!
We launched at around 8:50 am and paddled across the wide, and thankfully calm waters of Lake Lavielle. We definitely felt like we were in a more remote section of Algonquin Provincial Park. There are a few islands on the lake, the largest has a stand of old hemlocks that are said to be over 250 years old. We observed a few of these hemlocks from the canoe, though they are not the towering giants like a Red or White Pine of the same age. The rest of the paddle across Lake Lavielle was peaceful, and we didn’t see another soul.
The rest of the morning and into the afternoon consisted of paddling and portaging as we connected to the Crow River again. We had 8 portages along the Crow River today, totaling about 4.5 kilometres. The first, at 190 metres, had a modern day dam at the end of it, complete with large red warning signs and buoys. A solar panel was also located nearby. Perhaps there is a monitoring station here?
Take outs and put ins varied today, and most consisted of rocks that required some fancy foot work. We were approaching the most remote section of our trip now, and with nothing but river travel for the next couple of days we just took our time at these portages. Due to a series of shallow rapids there was an extended trail at the third 90 metre portage, and at the takeout at the fifth portage we had to get out the rope and tie it to the canoe as it was a very rocky takeout, along with a strong current and rapids right beside us. This was our first day where we had to contend with low water levels, and we saw some of our first high water marks for the whole trip. Perhaps it had something to do with the dam earlier? The last portage at 580 metres was an interesting walk as it went from almost strictly coniferous trees to an immediate change of just deciduous trees, and then right back to coniferous trees again. For a moment you felt like you were teleported to a different park!
At the end of the portage we reached Lavaque Lake, and we could see and hear the Crow River beside us as it emptied into it as a light babbling stream. There is a campsite at the end of the portage, but it was mediocre at best as it was only a wide patch of cleared ground, a firepit, and no seating area. One of our maps stated that the two other sites on this tiny lake were supposedly overgrown, so we contemplated to just set up camp here. Portages are not only used by people, they are also used by animals, and even with the white noise of the river at night we didn’t want to hear anything walk by our tent. We decided to drop our packs, hop in the canoe, and quickly check out the other two sites on this very small lake. The first site was at the top of a small hill, with a spot just wide enough to put a tent, and two tiny stumps to use as stools. The second site was taken over by a family of beavers with their lodge hugging the shoreline. We decided on the site up on the small hill, and after a short paddle back to the portage to grab our packs, we arrived and were set up by 2:00pm.
It ended up being a cozy little site. Aaron improved the put in a bit at the shoreline to make it easier for the next person to bring up a canoe. Bathing at this site was a challenge as this was a shallower, marshy lake. We worked things out by taking turns standing on a rock at the shoreline, while the other passed the pot full of lake water back and forth. The rest of the afternoon was spent trying to stay cool as it was yet another warm day. We dragged the canoe up to the top of our site, flipped it upside down, and placed our stinky clothes and sweaty socks on it to dry off. A pair of Canada Geese fed along the shallows right beside our site, not caring in the least about our presence. A Great Blue Heron also stalked the shoreline in search of a meal. Today was the first day on our whole entire trip that we didn’t see another person, unless you include the helicopter we saw fly over earlier in the day.
Supper tonight was Sheppard’s Pie, and we both groaned in dissatisfaction when we pulled this particular meal out of the pack. Not sure if it’s the texture of the rehydrated powdered potatoes (which we improved on recent trips by adding instant stuffing), but we now find that we don’t enjoy it anymore as it leaves you both full, and somehow empty, at the same time.
After sunset the pair of Canada Geese took flight to go find a safe place for the night. Another full moon is on the rise though we don’t stay out long tonight. The shallow waters of Lavaque Lake bring with it a local population of mosquitoes, and we don’t feel like putting on bug spray tonight. We haven’t yet this whole trip!
Wildlife Sightings: Pine Warbler, American Pipit, Common Loon, Song Sparrow, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Gulls, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Common Mergansers, Canada Goose, mosquitoes, no-see-ums, Red Squirrel, Double-crested Cormorant, North American Medicinal Leech, fish, dragonfly species, hoverflies, Great Blue Heron, Belted Kingfishers
Remember to: Consider replacing Sheppard’s Pie with something that doesn’t leave us empty inside.
DAY #12: Lavaque Lake to Kildeer Lake
Weather: Sunny skies. High: 27C Low: 10 C
The full moon was still out when we rolled out of the tent at around 6am. After some cold pumpkin flax cereal and a pot of morale tea, we were back on the water at 7:45 am.
Saying “good morning” to the pair of Canada Geese, it was a brief paddle before our last long portages of the entire trip. This consisted of a 1200 metre and a 2460 metre portage that were back-to-back along the Crow River. The 1200 metre portage had some incline to it, but with the cool morning air, and our packs being a lot lighter, it was a nice walk. At the end of this portage we arrived at “The Forks”, where the White Partridge Creek joins the Crow River. Here we had a very short 30 foot paddle before the next portage. It actually took us longer to get in and out of the canoe than to actually paddle! Where’s a bridge when you need it?
The 2460 metre portage was long and felt longer than what’s labelled on the map. Thankfully it was pretty flat as we traversed right beside the Crow River. Though the river has been calm and meandering for the most part during our travels, here we had a section that also included a rushing torrent. It was also along this portage that Aaron bumped the end cap off the canoe, which we conveniently placed in the day pack. That’s now three repairs……Everything only happens in threes, right?
It was around 11:30 am that we were already hot and sweaty when we arrived at the end of the portage. We took a good break here and looked at the put in. It was shallow….too shallow. We had to take off our hiking boots and get on our closed toed sandals to wade with the canoe until the water was deep enough to get back in. Though a minor annoyance the cold water felt great!
Continuing our paddle down the now calm Crow River, we arrived at the 30 metre portage which we actually considered skipping with the intent of just wading through the rapids with the canoe. In the end we decided to just suck it up and get out of the canoe for a brief portage and to stretch our legs. This was probably a better idea over unnecessarily scrapping the bottom of the canoe….or stub a toe.
After a very short paddle we arrived at our next portage at 510 metres, but due to low water levels it was extended a little longer past the original put in on the river.
As we neared the end of the Crow River the forest changed from what was once dominantly coniferous trees to more deciduous species. The next portage at 140 metres took us around some medium sized cascades that include the picturesque Blueberry Falls.
The last leg of the Crow River consisted of some twists and turns and soon we found ourselves in a race against some freshly fallen maple leaves that quickly flowed downstream. Some of the leaves got hung up on some fallen debris in the river, while others avoided the obstacles altogether and made it to the finish line, the Petawawa River. We entered the Petawawa River as well, our fourth and final river of our canoe trip, unitl we rejoin the North River again on our way out in a few days.
You would think that there would be a drastic change in the flow of water as one exited, and then automatically entered another river, especially the mighty Petawawa! However, the Petawawa River is lazy here, and as we paddled upstream, we barely felt a current.
After a brief 170 metre portage we arrived at the small Kildeer Lake. Though clearly there are two separate sites on this lake, the Ontario Parks reservation system only allows for one, so we had our pick. Both sites are not great as they are on bare rock with barely a tree. We chose the site on a rocky peninsula with a flat spot just wide enough for our tent, a poor seating area, and a fire pit on a rock. Just off to the east is the now abandoned CNR railbed lined with birch trees.
It was hot all afternoon and we wanted to bath. The rocks at the shoreline were really slimy/slippery so once again we took turns and assisted each other in taking a bath using our pot. It felt amazing getting drenched by the cool water of the Petawawa River! We hung up a clothesline to dry out our clothes which we also sloshed around in the water to get some of the stink out.
A portage sign is visible from our site, and we saw a group of three guys enter the lake and paddle past our site. Good thing we timed our bath right or they would’ve been blinded by the bright reflection of the sun off of two very white naked people.
By evening it began to cool off. We had a fire and made some mac & cheese with tuna and broccoli for supper. As we started the fire a mouse ran out from underneath the rocks, while a Sawyer Beetle munched away in the pile of wood left over from a previous camper. Turning over the wood we observed the little piles of sawdust underneath, so we left that particular piece of wood alone.
No mosquitoes out tonight as we enjoyed the evening fire and the cool air. A Whip-poor-will called from the opposite side of the Lake. Tomorrow’s destination is Radiant Lake where we will complete our loop before heading back up the North River. Hard to believe our trip was almost coming to an end. Tonight our site is bathed in the light of a full moon as we drifted off to sleep with the calming white noise of river rapids in the distance. We would be portaging around these tomorrow.
Wildlife Sightings: Red-eyed Vireo, Herring Gull, Canada Geese, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Hairy Woodpecker, frogs, dragonfly, Belted Kingfisher, people, Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Whip-poor-will, mouse, toad, fish – looked to be bass.
Remember to: Replace brown string on the tent – Aaron broke it with just using a rock to anchor down the tent. Seems to be of poor quality.
DAY #13: Kildeer Lake to Radiant Lake
Weather: Sunny. High: 24 C Low: 12 C
We were met with fog and a wet tent as we climbed out this morning. After a breakfast of oatmeal and tea, we pumped some water and were back on the Petawawa River by 7:55am. After only a few short strokes of the paddle we arrived at the 140 metre portage that went around the series of rapids visible from our site. At the end of the portage is Francis Lake. As we paddled the length of Francis Lake we think we would have preferred these sites over what we had last night on Kildeer Lake.
At the end of Francis Lake our map stated a 180 metre portage around some rapids, but we didn’t see them, or even a portage sign. After a short paddle, the railbed now visible to our right, we reached the 500 metre portage on our left. This portage was very rocky and had a couple of wet spots. When we got to the end of it we could tell that most people “took the train” instead. You could clearly see a trail up to the railbed. Wish we thought of that!
After a brief 70 metre portage around some small rapids, we reached our longest portage of the day at 700 metres. At the beginning there is a small climb up a hill to go over the rail bed. Here we placed down the canoe and hid our packs underneath it. We then walked down the railbed, camera in hand as it was only a short walk to a rail bridge over the rushing waters of the Petawawa River.
Rail was first laid down in Algonquin Provincial Park in 1895. The first railway to go through the park was known as The Ottawa, Arnprior and Parry Sound Railway, created by the great Canadian, John Rudolphus Booth. The last section of this track was used in 1959. Logs, tourists, grain, deer meat, and soldiers during World War I are just a sampling of the items and individuals that traveled through this section of rail. Visitors to the park today can still locate remnants of this line just off the highway 60 corridor, and along the Track and Tower Trail. The Old Railway Bike Trail from Rock Lake to near Cache Lake is also part of this old line. The bridge we were now standing on over the Petawawa River is that of a separate northern set of rail that went through Algonquin Provincial Park. The Canadian Northern Railway (later the Canadian National Railway) was completed in 1915. Both passengers and freight used the line from Pembroke to North Bay. Within the park’s boundaries, was a stopover and division point at a site called Brent. Brent, and the neighbouring site known as Kiosk, became communities whose populations peaked around the mid 20th century. Both towns had a train station, sawmill, post office, a school, and hydro to name a few services. The last train to go through the northern section of the park was in 1995. The track was promptly removed two years later with only the slag and rail bridges remaining today. As for the communities of Brent and Kiosk they too are gone, now turned into The Brent campground and the Kiosk campground. Both campgrounds have no cellphone service and no electrical hook ups. If you enjoy the history of ghost towns, a little bit of research beforehand is all you need before going out to explore either of these campgrounds. As you walk around them it will not take you long before you find the remnants of a not too distant past. The campgrounds are also a lot more peaceful than those along the highway 60 corridor.
After getting some photos we walked back to the canoe and traversed the rest of the portage. It was nearing 11 am by this point and, as it has been the last few days, we were getting hot.
After our last portage for the day at 240 metres, it wasn’t long before that we observed a bridge that’s still being used today as part of the Bisset Creek Road. After paddling under the bridge, we entered a sharp little pinch in the Petawawa River. With barely a current to be seen in the water we arrived back at Radiant Lake. It was quite shallow at this end of the lake, and for a short time we even had to dig our paddles in the sand and push to get any forward momentum. We headed to the south side of Radiant Lake. It was time to do some exploring!
There is one site at the southern end of the lake, and man it is a mess! There’s a fallen tree right into the site, and if you like the sound of traffic, you could hear it on the Bissett Creek Road from here. The vehicles we heard this afternoon sounded pretty large, like they were hauling something. After a shared lunch of Mountain House Beef Stew and some GORP, we walked along the beach with our GPS to find the location of a logger’s grave site. There is a rock with some old tools on top that were dragged out of the bush. There is also a plack attached that reads the following:
“In this enclosure are buried the bodies of more than twenty riverman drown in the nearby waters before 1916, when the railroad was completed. To designate this spot as their final resting place this tablet is placed here in loving memory of F/O Donald Mervyn Eastman, killed overseas. 9th June 1945.”
Walking a faint trail into the bush we came to an area where it was not as closed in with trees, though we could not locate any other markers that would indicate a grave site. We also found what may have been some animal trails, and we located an empty drum. The Gilles Brothers Depot Farm is supposed to be nearby, but we didn’t go bushwhacking in an attempt to find it. If we had GPS coordinates it may have been worth it, but seeing how it was abandoned in the 1930s, it could have been a very hard find, perhaps surrounded by trees with very little left to even see.
There was barely a breadth of wind when we returned back to the canoe and onto to Radiant Lake. We observed someone in a boat with an outboard motor, and a couple of red canoes that were heading towards the beach sites along the north shore. We made a bee line to the site we stayed at over a week ago, the one on a peninsula with that awesome bench! As we made our way across Radiant Lake we heard more large vehicles in the direction of the Bissett Creek Road, and we could see clouds of dust rising from the trees in the distance. We guessed that today must be the day to haul logs out of the bush after harvest.
We were glad that our site wasn’t taken when we arrived in the heat of the day at around 2:15pm. Someone has definitely camped at this site since we were last here, as some cigarette butts were littered around the site. After cooling off in the lake Aaron retreated to the tent while Marianne relaxed on the bench at the top of the site and gazed out over the calm lake. Towards the general direction where the Little Madawaska River empties into Radiant Lake the fall colours have progressed a little since we were last here.
Supper was chili and Gatorade which is always a great combo! We pumped water a little later than usual this evening, and the mosquitoes and no-see-ums were the most annoying they have been the whole trip! We quickly retreated to the tent that night.
We have now finished the loop portion of our trip. As we stepped out of the tent at around 10pm we observed another full moon as it lit up the whole area around the lake, while the reflection of the moon twinkled off the water. Tomorrow we were to head back up the North River for one last night in Algonquin Provincial Park. Where did the time go?!
Wildlife Sightings: Common Merganser, American Crow, White-throated Sparrow, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Great Blue Heron, Red Squirrel, Hairy Woodpecker, Toad, Bald Eagle, Pine Warbler, People, Fish, Ducks, Canada Goose, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Red-eyed Vireo, Purple Finch, American Pipit, Belted Kingfisher, Double-crested Cormorant, Brown Creeper, Dark-eyed Junco
Remember to: Get longer side tie down ropes for the tent
DAY #14: Radiant Lake to North Depot Lake
Weather: Heavy fog in the morning with sunny skies and a slight breeze in the afternoon. Clouds moving in by evening. High: 23 C Low: 11C
At around 6 am we already heard the sound of vehicles going down the Bissett Creek Road, which changed into a constant distant noise of heavy machinery while we had breakfast. Wonder what the surrounding cottage owners think of it all?
Another thing that greeted us this morning was a heavy blanket of fog. It didn’t matter to us as we were heading out fog or no fog! At 7: 50 am we paddled the short distance across the lake and then hugged the shoreline. Eventually we found our way out of Radiant Lake and back to the portages we visited two weeks ago. This time we would be going up stream on the North River.
It was still foggy when we got to the 20 metre portage into Shoal Lake which was just as shallow as it was two weeks ago. There were the mudflats to negotiate around, and we flushed up some wading waterfowl. It was also still foggy when we arrived at the 150 metre portage into Clamshell Lake. The single site which we heard was supposed to be nice (and also includes a rope swing) didn’t appear to be occupied.
When we returned from our first carry over at the 330m portage we met four people in two red Swift canoes. They were the 2 same canoes the day before on Radiant Lake that we observed heading towards the beach sites. We had a nice chat as they were heading out of the park after a 4 day trip. It seems that most of the people we talk to in Algonquin Park usually have trips that last at most 4 to 5 days.
Soon we arrived at the 330m, followed by the 370 m portage that go around small cascades and falls, though this time we feel like the water flow is down. By the time we got to the 770 metre portage it was mid to late morning, and we were getting our sweat on. At the end of this portage we met a couple out for 4 days. Today was their first night in the park, and they were looking forward to a campfire with a nice steak!
Not a breath of wind as we entered North Depot Lake. We decided that we would stay at the site we had on day one, as it was sheltered and had a decent sized beach to bath in. As we approached the site we were happy that it wasn’t occupied. Just within view to the north is an island that has two sites on it. We could barely make out the sounds of children playing in the water. We could also just make out something bright pink in the water with them. With the aid of binoculars we saw that it was a blow up pink flamingo floaty.
After setting up camp and pumping water we went for a bath in the lake. We attracted the local little fish and they nibbled at our toes and ankles. The rest of the day was reserved for just relaxing. As the breeze picked up the surrounding Red Pines swayed gently and dropped a few needles. As Marianne went to the thunderbox she caught a glimpse of something sticking up from the ground just beyond it. Unfortunately, it was junk in the form of abandoned camping equipment that included pots, camp chairs, and coolers. Probably campers that couldn’t be bothered to drag out what they portaged in.
We had a smokey fire tonight to keep the mosquitoes away as we enjoyed our last evening in Algonquin Provincial Park. Clouds were in the sky tonight for the first time in days, and it felt like a change in weather may finally be on the way.
Wildlife Sightings: Common Loon, American Crow, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Black-capped Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Blue Jay, People, fish, toads, Canada Goose, Common Merganser, Red-eyed Vireo, Red Squirrel
Remember to: Bring the Pelican Case (which has our car keys/credit cards) into the tent at night. All these years we have been leaving them in the packs outside the tent.
DAY #15: North Depot Lake to Lake Wendigo access point
Weather: Cloudy in the morning. 16 C
We got up at 5:15am and thankfully there was no fog as it was cloudy. In the predawn light we had our last breakfast of pumpkin flax cereal, a spot of tea, and took down camp one last time. We launched at 7am under cloudy skies and we hope it doesn’t rain.
We paddled quietly, barely saying a word as we passed by the island site. It appeared like no one was awake yet. The pink flamingo floaty was still in the water, now accompanied by a yellow duck floaty. I guess they are buddies.
The 260 metre portage into Allan Lake was easy going. While on Allan Lake we observed a few people including a soloist fishing from their canoe, and another family just breaking camp. One last portage of 180 metres and we entered Wendigo Lake and thus exited Algonquin Provincial Park. It was still cloudy at this point and we had a nice light tailwind. By 9am we arrived at the launch and it’s a busy place! There were people out on boats with outboard motors, and around 15 cars were in the parking lot, a stark contrast to the only 6 cars when we launched from here just 2 weeks ago.
After taking out the canoe it was time to unlock the car, and oh boy just like that it was plain to see (and unfortunately smell) that we caught two mice in our traps. Maybe we will rethink this strategy next year. We also met a gentleman from Alberta who was just ready to start his own two week trip. At around 10:30 am we were ready to roll and made our way back onto the Brent Road, followed by a left onto highway 17. Now began our drive back home to boring old southwestern Ontario. The fall colours were probably around 30% leaf change as we drove down highway 17.
This was our seventh backcountry canoe trip in Algonquin Provincial Park. Even though we have now paddled/portaged around 800 kilometres within its borders, there are still A LOT of new lakes to paddle, new portages to traverse, more flora and fauna to observe, and new historical sites to explore! We’ll be back Algonquin!!
Wildlife Sightings: People, Common Loon, American Toads, Red Squirrel, Amercian Robin
Remember to: Rethink setting mouse traps. When we got home there was even a mouse that was starting to build a nest in the cabin filter. If anyone has any ideas in how to make a car mouse proof, please let us know!
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