These are basically my in the field notes as I recorded them from my hammock each day and/or night for this epic 100km loop.  The route was from Oprongo, Happy Isle, Merchant, what would have been Red Pine Bay, then Lac La Muir, Hogan, Big Crow, Little Crow, Proulx, and back out Opeongo.

Day 1:
Opeongo was a bear but I made good time, making it to the site nearest my Portage by 5pm. Wind started from the south but waves from behind were still too much to be safe. I kept to the northern edges of short lines as much as I could. Once I got north of Bates Island, the wind changed to coming out of the east. That made the track along the Western Shore very difficult

Decided to stay there because my scheduled 2.5hr Portage would put me on my lake aroung 7:30pm. It was a G
Good site, and enjoyed kabobs for dinner. My hammock got wet in rain overnight. I didn't have the tarp quite right.

Day 2
I woke at 5:00, left at 6:30. It was a quick calm paddle to the 2235m Happy Isle portage. My longest to date. Other than being long, the portage was unremarkable. Happy isle was dangerous to be on. I ended up ditching one campsite before my next portage. I broke for lunch and to dry out stuff while waiting for the winds to calm. 90min total stop.

Quick 340m Portage to Merchant which I planned much better, hugging the western shore the whole way north to the Big Trout portage. The 1840m portage felt longer than the 2235m portage from the morning. Wind was straight into me on Big Trout. Landed at a site on a point exhausted at 6:30. I had a steak for supper but skipped the instant mashed potatoes. In bed by 9pm, feeling dismayed.

Day 3.
Woke once in the night. Stars were incredible. Woke at 5:30 and hit the water right away. Managed to get to the big island despite moderate wind and waves. Took the 2590m Portage into Lac la Muir. Met 2 park wardens on a campsite where I stopped for lunch. Asked them to call a water taxi for me at Friday 5pm at the Proulx Portage. Given the state of the large lakes, any west wind will make Opeongo impassable. They used their radio to ask a park staff at the opeongo access point to ask algonquin outfitters across the lot. They told me its arranged for 5pm but it's likely they will be taxiing all day given it's the Friday of the long weekend.

I left their site and got wind bound shortly afterward.

Wind bound on another site on the same lake. May not make it to Hogan tonight. With water taxi booked, it allows almost an extra day to get to opeongo.

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Alternate itinerary: Wednesday lac la muir instead of Hogan. Thursday big crow instead of proulx. Friday paddle crow river and proulx instead of all opeongo.
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Left that campsite on Lac La Muir at 4pm. Water was rough but manageable. Took the 685m Portage to a wetland channel that was more meandering than my reading of the map indicated. Saw a young bull moose, who retreated into where I needed to go. He did eventually leave and head into the woods. Saw a cow and calf later who didn't come into the water. Made it to Hogan campsite around 7:30pm. Dried clothes by tying to trees with my existing webbing straps once hammock was hung. (Because I dodnt pack a rope for clothesline.

In bed by 9pm right at sunset feeling better than yesterday.

Day 4
Woke once to a star filled dark sky. Woke at 5:00 to a silent lake. Left the site at 5:30 for a peaceful paddle from the island on Hogan to the Big Crow Lake Portage. Ate breakfast at the beginning of the 3750m Portage trail. This would be a third record length Portage for me. I took the trail one leg at a time using the cart trail crossings and the logging road as indicators of my progress. I stopped for a break at each point. Portage started terribly. Hard up hill 80m rise for about 1km. Got a little better after the first cart trail crossing. Portage got still better as I crossed the logging road and it was mostly down hill to where the Portage joins the cart trail. Drink was getting low but I found a running water source. I drank the rest of my coffee and filtered the water to refill. Cart trail was easy, flat and mostly even with a bit of a down slope to the lake.  Inwas right about 4hrs on that Portage with breaks and other stops.


A total of 3hrs to paddle Big crow, little crow, both of which were cooperative. The crow river was nice. Gentle wind at my back but it was hot. Passed two canoes where a paddler was very impressed I had started at Hogan this morning. They alerted me of moose ahead at the end of the river (their start) I did spot two moose that appeared to be female eating together. They were disinterested in me. I made it out of crow river and onto a site at Proulx by 2:30. All camp setup and chores done by 4:00. Took a rest in the hammock.

Supper was the bacon I didnt eat the last two breakfasts. I had some time to play with the fire and to do a little kata (karate). I had the site cleaned and mostly packed for the morning. I was in the hammock at about 8:00 with the sun starting to set behind me. Tomorrow... up and out. Or up and wait. It depends on the water taxi.

Day 5
Woke at 6:30 after sleeping solidly from about 9:00pm. The water was still, so I packed up and headed across the rest of Proulx to what I remembered being a rather insignificant Portage to opeongo from my big crow loop a few years ago.
But that's still a 1.3km track and so took about an hour and 20 mins.

I ended up at the dock on Opeongo by about 9:15 where I made a breakfast of an dehydrated hot apple and oats meal. I used my phone's last 12% of battery to call the outfitter on 2 bars of service to confirm my 5pm pickup and let them know I'm there about 8hrs early.

Opeongo outfitters water taxi had dropped someone off on another dock in opeongo north and swung by to pick me up by about 10:30.

It's always a gamble because opeongo was a sheet of glass as we planed along at cruising speed but with my luck, I'd get half way along the eastern edge of the north arm and the west wind would pick up 2' waves and throw them at me.

I was disappointed they still charged me the full $95 to go back on what would have otherwise been an empty trip but as I drove out of the park into a violent lightning storm I'm glad to have paid it rather than risk opeongo.


In conclusion, I don't know why I keep doing these trips. I have the most miserable times and yet I feel good when they're over. I swear it's a form of masochism. I think I just need to start booking 4hr travel days rather than 6hr and 8hr days. I'd like to try morning travel, afternoon camp setup, and evening relax and fishing. This might work better than wake up early to avoid the winds, go against ridiculous wind and waves and epic Portages until evenjng when I basically crash and do it all again tomorrow.