trippythings wrote:

I'm surprised you didn't like the island sites in the south of Maple - when you read that they were amazing, that was probably from my trip reports

I haven't camped on Ratrap, I only passed it from the water as well, but I've heard that the whole site is on a major slope and it's not a great site to camp on.

Reading both parts so far has been like taking a trip back in time to when I did the route just a few years ago - so many similarities to my trip; the route, the sunsets, the way you describe the days/lakes, etc.

Looking forward to Part 3

I think I remember reading about the Maple sites in your reports, as well as Markinthepark.com. I can't swim what-so-ever so sites with extreme drop-offs into the lake don't fit the bill for me. I prefer beachy sites with gradual drops into the lake. :-) It's just personal preference though.
I've heard the same thing about Ratrap but apparently they went in and leveled it out a bit a couple of years ago.. not sure where I heard that though. I think the only way I'd ever book that lake is if the area was extememly busy and I wanted some seclusion. (this weekend maybe?)
I'm really glad you enjoyed the read!
 

Last edited by ATVenture (8/04/2017 2:20 pm)

Peek wrote:

Great report and pics, Andrew. 

Hats off to ya, seriously, I honestly don't think I could comfortably paddle a canoe if I didn't know how to swim. Does it freak you out crossing big lakes? Any plans to learn?

I've tried to learn how to swim a few times now (no life jacket), but for some reason I always just seem to sink. Sometimes it freaks me out in the shoulder seasons when the water temps are cooler. I ALWAYS wear a life jacket though, and I am fairly confident that if I took an unintentional swim in the summer I'd have no issues getting to shore. My biggest fear is camping at a campsite with steep access to the water and slipping while rinsing dishes, collecting water etc. My goal for the next couple of weeks is actually to do a controlled dumping with jacket on to see how I would react. Lucky for me I have yet to have any close calls *knock on wood*
I will admit when I first started canoe tripping I was very paranid about flipping the canoe, but as a result I have formed habbits to keep myself safer. But it's hard to feel uneasy at this point because in the last 8 or so years I have spent over 1000 nights on canoe trips more than likely, so the feelings passed.

I'm glad you enjoyed the read and pictures, Peek!

Last edited by ATVenture (8/05/2017 8:13 am)