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3/06/2017 2:23 pm  #1


9-day Spring solo - now reworked to be even worse!

I already have a Spring trip planned and booked based on a thread here a few weeks ago, but one thing about that trip is really bothering me: Lake Opeongo. I'll be heading in within a week or two of ice-out, and Opeongo will be a dangerous piece of water at that time. I don't want to pay for solo water taxi prices in both directions, so I've done a rework of my trip to avoid Opeongo entirely. But that means a lot more travelling distance in the same number of days, and I'm wondering if I'm pushing it. Also I could use some advice/information about the new stretches I've added. 

The new route has me going through the Shall Lake access point instead, with nights on:

Round Island
White Partridge
Francis
Philip
Big Crow
Lavieille
Animoosh
Shrew

... for a total of 128 kilometers of paddling and 46 kilometers of portaging over 9 days. No rest days, no short travel days (with the exception of the last one). 



So I'll be going down the Crow River from Big Crow to Lavieille on this version of the route. I've been down there before but not for years, and not in a kayak - it was one of my few canoe trips in the park. Any words of advice from anyone about this stretch? Next is the section from Cisco Bay to McKaskill. How are those portages? I know Animoosh itself isn't supposed to be a terribly exciting lake to camp on, but I figure it's safest to have a relatively short day planned given that I have to paddle Lavieille and Dickson. If it's rough/windy I'll be skirting the edge the entire way for safety, which could add hours to my paddle time. 

I haven't actually rebooked my trip yet, but I'm strongly considering it. Any advice or feedback of any kind is appreciated!

 

3/06/2017 2:45 pm  #2


Re: 9-day Spring solo - now reworked to be even worse!

I can't speak to this route specifically but a few concerns come to mind to me. Maybe you've already considered them, in which case ignore:

1. Daylight hours. This trip in the summer would be more feasible because you have a lot more travel time during the day. This will have you pushing hard with shortened days. As you say, the wind on Dickson or Laveielle could add hours to your day which may put your arrival after dark. 

2. Cold temps and high potential for rain. Maybe it's just me, but I might have a hard time staying motivated on such a long day if it's cold and rainy (which is a definite possibility this time of year). The combo of a long, hard travel day, cold and rain would probably push me past my limit if I didn't have a few rest days to look forward to.

All that being said, it doesn't take much to have more fortitude than me! 

One idea: book the trip and plan on completing it. But map out a few shortened alternatives if your energy starts wavering or if the weather doesn't cooperate. Be prepared to forgive yourself if you have to take the shortened route. 

 

 

3/06/2017 3:42 pm  #3


Re: 9-day Spring solo - now reworked to be even worse!

Thanks Claire. Daylight hours shouldn't be an issue. Even in early May there's a good 14 hours from sunrise to sunset, and my longest travel time in a day is 8 hours. That's based off Jeff's map, and I'm usually a good deal faster than his time estimates. But then shortly after ice-out the portages will have blowdowns or even snow (I ran into both last year) so I figure they'll even out and his times will be pretty close to my actual. Aside from that one 8-hour day, the rest are 7 hours or less, so I'm not really worried about completing any given day's route, just the cumulative effect of them, if that makes sense. But on the other hand, I've been running 50 kilometers a week for the last four months and expect to continue that, so I should be in the best shape I've ever been in for a camping trip. We'll see if running translates to easier portaging, however ;)

Paddling on a cold and rainy day isn't fun, you're absolutely right. But honestly the thing I hate most is having to take down camp in the rain. There's something about crawling out of a cozy, dry tent into a miserable day, knowing you have to pack everything up and go face it that I find really hard. But once I get out on the water I'm usually okay. Good gear and a good attitude go a long way. 

There aren't many 'shortened alternatives' I can take on this particular route. While I've ended trips early by blowing past my destination lake and carrying on to the car, I've never actually changed or shortened a route mid-trip. I'm stubborn like that. But yeah, this extended version of my already planned route is just for the sake of skipping Opeongo, so I'm not entirely sure it's worth it. Maybe I'll just suck it up and pay for the water taxis. 

 

     Thread Starter
 

3/06/2017 5:26 pm  #4


Re: 9-day Spring solo - now reworked to be even worse!

Wow!  This looks like one heck of a solo mission!
I look forward to seeing pictures and hearing a report but please be safe and as cautious as possible.  Its a dangerous time of year to be alone in the park if anything bad should happen.  That being said, you will have an unforgettable experience I am sure.
Good luck!

 

3/06/2017 5:55 pm  #5


Re: 9-day Spring solo - now reworked to be even worse!

Uppa wrote:

... for a total of 128 kilometers of paddling and 46 kilometers of portaging over 9 days. No rest days, no short travel days (with the exception of the last one). 

I don't have any experience with this particular route, but any 9 day route with no buffer time isn't that smart in my opinion... especially in spring, crossing some large lakes, with an intensive amount of paddling/portaging. It's a route readjustment waiting to happen... and it doesn't look like this route even offers many (beneficial) readjustments once you're past day 3. All it takes is one crappy day with strong headwinds, blow downs, or stormy weather, and your intended route gets ruined.

I personally wouldn't take the chance, but it's up to you.


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3/06/2017 7:18 pm  #6


Re: 9-day Spring solo - now reworked to be even worse!

You're absolutely crazy, and I love it. In a Kayak to top it off!

Not to derail this thread, but how do you even ration food for 9 days in a kayak, are you relying solely on dehydrated? 

 

3/06/2017 8:31 pm  #7


Re: 9-day Spring solo - now reworked to be even worse!

I did the lower loop in your figure-8 a few years back.  I found the first day into Round Island a harder day (it was incredibly hot).  The site at the south end of Animoosh is not too bad.  It's right on the portage, but there was no traffic when I was there.  It was good for baking in the sun (which might not apply to a May trip).  Otherwise the lake isn't terribly interesting.  Animoosh is definitely better than staying on Hidden Lake.  I was supposed to stay on Shrew as well, but the weather was terrible and the site didn't seem fantastic so I just kept on going back to the access.

The portages from Cisco Bay to McKaskill are just long, but they're pretty gradual climbs and descents.  The portage from Dove to Shrew is probably the worst in that stretch.  It's a steady uphill climb, but by then you'll probably have eaten most of your pack weight.

Your trip is ambitious, particularly for the time of year, but doable otherwise.  You know your skills best, so it's really up to you.  On a trip of that length you're pretty sure to get a few bad days of weather.

 

3/06/2017 10:57 pm  #8


Re: 9-day Spring solo - now reworked to be even worse!

LOL! You are the man! Looks like an awesome route. I will live it vicariously through you!

FWIW I've solo'd the taxes twice and I didn't pay the full fair. Both times AO quoted me the full ride but OO managed to team me up with other paddlers. Lots of folks use the taxi that time of year.

 

3/07/2017 9:33 am  #9


Re: 9-day Spring solo - now reworked to be even worse!

Thanks for the feedback folks. Heavy wind is more of an annoyance in a kayak than a showstopper (and this is mostly a river trip anyway), but yes - the big wild card in the equation is the state of the portages. If I were to encounter portages littered with fallen trees, I could definitely fail to keep to my schedule, and have no easier days to claw that distance back. 

'State of portages in the Spring' seems like a good topic for a new thread, so I'm going to post it. Would like to hear some horror stories of the worst you've encountered. 

@basil: Aside from the first night's dinner I eat nothing but dehydrated, yeah (and snacks, trail mix, etc). No fancy cooking for me. I boil water on a twig stove, that's it. I can fit 9 days' food in my bearvault (with very careful packing). Well really it's more like 7 days' food, since the first night's dinner is eaten before I ever toss that into the bush, and the last morning I'm probably just munching on whatever happens to be left before heading for the exit. 

@Martin: good to know. I've only used AO up until now for some reason, not sure why I've never given OO a try. 

@UpTheCreek: thanks for the info. I was in as far as McKaskill last Spring so I know the Dove/Shrew portage (walked it both directions). It's definitely harder on the way back, yeah. 

     Thread Starter
 

3/07/2017 6:00 pm  #10


Re: 9-day Spring solo - now reworked to be even worse!

Looks like a great trip. 

As already mentioned, the first day into Round Island might be tough. There's a couple ups and downs on some of the portages, and I remember there being a few rocky stream-bed-like areas as well, which may or may have water in the spring. The one portage along the way is indeed washed out as noted on the Jeff's map.

Big Crow to Lavieille should be quite nice for you. You'll be going with the current and the water should be plenty high enough. In my experience the winds on Lavieille and Dickson typically blow in the direction you're travelling, so unless there's some crazy storm going on, you should have a nice time through there.

Lastly, in case you haven't traveled from Hogan -> Big Crow before, the portage begins with a fairly decent uphill hike.

Should be a great trip. Good Luck!    

 

3/08/2017 12:04 pm  #11


Re: 9-day Spring solo - now reworked to be even worse!

Hrm. I was checking out the possible route change on the online booking site, and aside from the usual "beyond a reasonable travel time" nonsense that means I can almost never actually use the online booking option, I just noticed that Lavieille is unbookable on any date (along with Dickson). I guess the blue-green algae spread, or perhaps they're just playing it safe? 



In either case, I'm not going to bank on a route I may not be allowed to book, so I'll stick with my originally planned route (which is similar to this, just out of Opeongo instead and doesn't involve Lavieille). 

Thanks for the help folks!

 

     Thread Starter
 

3/25/2017 9:41 am  #12


Re: 9-day Spring solo - now reworked to be even worse!

Uppa, I'm curious.. do you plan on fishing at all?
And I assume you are sticking to the original plan in the first post now that Laveille has available sites?

Last edited by token (3/25/2017 9:43 am)

 

3/25/2017 10:02 am  #13


Re: 9-day Spring solo - now reworked to be even worse!

token wrote:

Uppa, I'm curious.. do you plan on fishing at all?
And I assume you are sticking to the original plan in the first post now that Laveille has available sites?

Fishing is what originally got me into kayaking, and then to interior camping (better fishing spots). But the way I book most of my trips (on the move every day with many long travel days) I found I had little time for fishing. It's been a few years since I've brought a fishing rod on a camping trip, and I don't intend to for this one either. 

No, I decided this route was pushing it a bit too far. Bad weather, bad portages... there's no real chance with this route to catch up if I fall behind. I'm sticking with the slightly less ambitious route through Opeongo. 

Edited to add: Also I'm bringing along 2, if not 3 cameras and a ridiculous number of batteries for them. I'd like to have some time to take videos and pictures along the way, so I think I'll enjoy this version of the route more. Undecided on the water taxi front yet. Early May is a dangerous time to gamble with the conditions on Opeongo though, so I'll probably end up taking a water taxi in and out. 

Last edited by Uppa (3/25/2017 10:22 am)

     Thread Starter
 

3/25/2017 1:59 pm  #14


Re: 9-day Spring solo - now reworked to be even worse!

That's a nice looking trip. Have fun. 

 

3/28/2017 5:59 am  #15


Re: 9-day Spring solo - now reworked to be even worse!

Your trip to Round Island Lake is totally uphill, and I mean uphill.  From there to Dickson Lake isn't bad at all, just long, and a steep descent at the end to Dickson.  From here to White P Lake is good for you as you will be going downhill.  Down White P Creek to the forks (where the Crow R meets White P Creek) could be a problem as there could be a lot of bushes getting in your way.  Once past the forks you will have an downhill trip to the Petawawa and onwards to Radiant Lake.  Instead of going up the Little Mad River, there is a road at Odenback startion that takes you to the dam on the Little Mad R,  There is a small road off of the main road that takes you to the dam.  From here to Phillip Lake and onwards to Hogan is pretty good.  A nice road to follow from the Little Mad River to Phillip Lake.  From Hogan to Big Crow, the portage starts with an uphill climb and then pretty much downhill the rest of the way to Big Crow.  No problems with going down the Crow River to Lavieille.  The long portage on this river is relatively flat.  The last few portages you should be able to run and/or walk down.  From Lavieille to Dickson and onwards to Animoosh is no problem.  The long portage from Dickson to Animoosh is pretty well flat.  From here down to McKaskill, through Fairy and Hidden Lakes is basically downhill.  From McKaskill to Shrew Lake is one bit** of a portage.....many ups and downs no matter which way you go.  From Shrew down to Shirley, no problem whatsoever.  From Shirley, you basically walk on a flat road all the way to Crotch Lake and then a leisurely paddle and you are back at your starting point.


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3/28/2017 9:54 am  #16


Re: 9-day Spring solo - now reworked to be even worse!

Thanks for the info Bo. I ended up going with a slightly less aggressive version of this route, but most of what you wrote about is still relevant. 

Holy... not sure how I missed that 80 meter elevation climb on the first portage out of Booth heading towards Round Island. Looks like that's going to be quite the climb. That day (day 2) has me going all the way from Annie Bay into Booth and back up to Round Island - with 8 days' worth of food to carry. I'm thinking maybe I'll water taxi to Annie Bay and then get into Booth for night 1, because otherwise that second day is going to be a doozie. 

I've watched a Youtube video of WP creek travel - I know it's going to be entertaining. My biggest worry is running into creek-blocking obstacles in places where it's too narrow for me to turn my kayak sideways. Not sure exactly how I'll handle that, but I guess I'll have to figure something out. 

Road from Odenback station: Yeah, I watched a video (Larry Hyett) where they took this road as well. I can see how the road would be better than that 3.6 KM portage, but I don't understand why it's advantageous to take it all the way from Radiant, which is adding at least another kilometer. Based on the map it looks like I could paddle up the Little Mad to the portage, take that portage about 700 meters, and it's going to intersect a road that will take me to the other road for the rest of the portage. That's my tentative plan unless someone gives me a reason it's a bad idea. Meaning this, basically:



I've portaged between Hogan and Big Crow many times, and it's out for my blood I swear - I slip once or twice every time I'm on it. The route I ended up with won't take me through McKaskill, but I walked that portage in both directions last Spring and didn't find it too bad. 

 

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3/28/2017 10:15 am  #17


Re: 9-day Spring solo - now reworked to be even worse!

You are right re what you say about going up the Little Mad to the portage, etc.  I mistyped what I said earlier.  I was thinking Odenback all the way to the dam IF YOU HAVE WHEELS.   This is the best way to get a canoe to the dam if you do in fact have wheels, which you do not.  So again, what you said is correct.  When I came out from the dam back to Radiant, I took the road and it comes close to a bridge and then I took a portion of that long portage, I believe, and ended up at the beginning of the portage going the other way.

Last edited by boknows (3/28/2017 10:16 am)


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