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I apologize for the length of this message, but I need some help and figure I need to explain as best I can.
In the event the border opens, I'm trying to plan a 4-day trip with the fam for mid-late August. Constraints are making a route problematic. My wife is ok with 3-ish, maybe 4 portages in a day if they aren't bad. Ideal portage for her is under 1,000 meters, not slog entrances or otherwise crazy physically demanding portages. If I had to say look, we've got one unpleasant carry to deal with she'll be ok. My son is never super-enthusiastic about this, but he's ok once we're there, but I need to be able to maintain his interest. He would take a difficult portage as a personal challenge to defeat, but the main thing is I need someplace where an interesting side trip can happen, or maybe a hiking trail is nearby or bass fishing or something like that. My daughter is the easiest, she just likes being there. Both the kids are in high school. Probably won't get another shot at having all four of us on a canoe trip together. For me, I'm just good being there, but some solitude is nice, I don't want to hear highway 60 while in a campsite, and I like to travel enough to keep the mind alive. I like maybe 5 hours of travel, my wife would be good with 3 or 4 on a given day.
And not for nothing, but neither kid has ever seen a moose. Bears yes, moose no.
in 2018, we did Magnetawan-Casey, then Casey-Jubilee, then Jubilee to Daisy (which was waaaaay too long and arduous a day), then Daisy-Magnetawan.
i thought of four routes, I'm not in love with any of them:
Route 1: Day 1 Canoe-Littledoe, Day 2 Littledoe-Sunbeam (via Thomson), Day 3 Sunbeam-Burnt Island, Day 4 Burnt Island-Canoe. The problem here is a lot of walking on days 2 and 3, with pretty long paddles on Days 1 and 4. I've been on maybe a third of these lakes.
Route 2: Day 1 Rock-Pen, Day 2 Pen-Aubrey, Day 3 Aubrey-Echo Bay, Day 4 Echo Bay-Rock. This is a pretty portage-free trip, with one long one thrown in. not a whole lot of travel going on. I've never been on any of these lakes.
Route 3: Day 1 Magnetawan-David or Mubwayaka, Day 2 Stay there a day, check out David Creek, Day 3 David or Mubwayaka-Ralph Bice, Day 4 Ralph Bice-Magnetawan. David & Mubwayaka are pretty lakes with nice sites, and we haven't stayed on a larger lake like Bice before. I have been on all of these lakes, and in the Fall plan to head back in that direction. I'm a little concerned about kind of wearing it out on myself a little, but hey if this is a good route for the family let's do it.
Route 4: Day 1 Farm-Booth, Day 2 Booth-Tattler, Day 3 Tattler-Booth, Day 4 Booth-Farm. Booth is a nice lake, several nice campsites. Fishing ok, and I think on Tattler especially might find some northern pike in addition to bass. Not a lot of challenge to this trip though I can tell you that. Maybe a side trip to McCarthy Creek or just paddling Booth, I dunno.
So....feel free to suggest a route or to agree/disagree with any of the above. Thanks very much for the help, again I'm sorry for such a long message.
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I like the Sunbeam circuit idea for what you’re looking for. You could get to Sunbeam by way of Vanishing Creek if you want to cut down in portages. That being said, that time of year you might be doing a whole lot of walking if water levels are low. You could have the same problem going the Tom Thomson route. The pond in between Bartlett and Willow can dry up making for a bit of a boggy nightmare. Other than that, it’s a nice easy route for everyone with some pretty lakes. Probably going to be crowded though. I was on Joe Lake this weekend and it was busy.
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Why not alter your perspective? You seem to be struggling with pushing everyone's envelope near to the limit but perhaps it is your desire for distance and remoteness that is forcing everyone else to adapt.
Consider this...put in at Achray, do a couple small portages and a few hours paddle to St. Andrews and set up a nice, comfortable camp for a couple nights. Spend one sunny day at the high falls area splashing, swimming and relaxing. Do a day trip out to Opalescent or Cork to catch some bass. Maybe St. Francis instead for a little more solitude.
Mom will love so few portages, everyone will love high falls water slide, nobody is harboring even mild guilt because everyone is happy with the result. Just an option from an observer - do with it as you please!
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PaPaddler that's a good Achray suggestion..........i'd also suggest the other Rock Lake option....Go Rock, Pen, Clydegale, and back out same route. minimal portaging, nice water, history on Rock with pictographs, Booth Mansion remain, and Clydegale has consistent moose sightings.
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Rain to Mocassin/Bandit/Wenona has a bit of distance from the put-in, not too challenging portages.
It also allows for a day trip loop up to the Petawawa and Misty (without all your gear) that allows for some fun exploration.
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Thanks for the replies thus far, all very much appreciated.
Algonquin Lakes: thanks for the tip about the Bartlett Willow area. I was avoiding Vanishing Pond by seeking that route to Sunbeam, but I guess if it is dry, it is dry.
PaPaddler: There have been some posts about Achray that really intrigue me, and one day I'd like to go there, but nonstop that is 7.5 hours from the house. Add a couple of stops and you're at 8.5 hours at least. I don't feel like that is in the cards here.
Lukatch: I have considered that "down-and-back" route. The kids do like a few carries along the way, kind of breaks up the day, and remembering a trip with them in 2017 and one in 2018, the kids prefer a loop. It definitely works for momma, I don't think she cares if the trip is a loop or a down-and-back. I wonder how it would go if we went Day 1:" Rock-Pen, Day 2: Pen-Clydegale, Day 3: Clydegale-Aubrey, Day 4: Aubrey-Rock. That's a pretty lengthy carry, but it is only one. I just read about the portage, seems the hardest thing is finding it.. As long as we don't get pinned down to the southernmost campsite on Clydegale that might make for a nice sort-of-loop.
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MooseWhizzer Dave wrote:
... As long as we don't get pinned down to the southernmost campsite on Clydegale that might make for a nice sort-of-loop.
At least the southernmost site is a nice site, so it will be a little reward if you have to do the extra paddle 
Odds are, one of the two in the north will be available though. They only book 4 of 6 campsites, and people tend to go for the island. So having both north sites occupied before you get there means you'd have to be the third group (of four) to arrive, and neither of the earlier groups chose to go for the island.
Especially if you're coming from Pen the day before, you have a very short travel day... odds are really in your favour to get one of the two northern sites if you want one of them.
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John - sorry I didn't see your note earlier. That is a great area, I do like it a lot, in fact I got stranded on Bandit one night when we got campsite screwed years and years ago and had to finish up a couple of portages when it was almost dark. I owe Bandit kind thoughts. BUT - this follows a good bit of the route we covered as a family in 2018.
Trippy - thanks for the call on Clydegale.
I showed that route to the fam over lunch, and they were down with it, but also spotted a different route worth of consideration.
Route 5: Day 1, Smoke - Parkside Bay, Day 2 Parkside to Big Porcupine OR maybe Little Coon, Day 3 from there to Ragged, Day 4, Ragged-Smoke. These are fairly short jaunts each day, Parkside looks like an RV park there are so many sites, but if we went to Little Coon that would be a lake to ourselves for a night.
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I would choose Big Porc and Bonnechere over Parkside and Ragged personally.
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I would choose Big Porc and Bonnechere over Parkside and Ragged personally.
agree. more scenic and less busy
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So something like Day 1: Smoke-Big Porcupine, Day 2: Big Porcupine to Bonnechere, Day 3: Bonnechere to...say Ragged, trying for maybe the West Bay area, Day 4: Out. I looked at looping that up through Wendingo, but that starts getting more portagey than I think momma would like.
If we did transverse Big Porcupine, it would mark the only time I've ever portaged from one lake to the same lake.
Thread StarterIf I may share my experience, there are tens of thousands of paddlers currently locked south of the border and if (very big if) the border will open in august they will flood nearby parks in Canada like swarms of locusts. My point is, avoid anything off highway 60 this year unless you enjoy Black Friday shopping.
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If I may share my experience, there are tens of thousands of paddlers currently locked south of the border and if (very big if) the border will open in august they will flood nearby parks in Canada like swarms of locusts. My point is, avoid anything off highway 60 this year unless you enjoy Black Friday shopping.
You are probably right! However, with a bit of research a bit of luck you can usually find a quiet corner of the park, even on the busiest weekends.
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...I'm trying to plan a 4-day trip with the fam for mid-late August. Constraints are making a route problematic. My wife is ok with 3-ish, maybe 4 portages in a day if they aren't bad. Ideal portage for her is under 1,000 meters ...
These constraints are very common to many park visitor so you’ll find that you’ll be elbow to elbow (by Algonquin standard) with all these people on your trip. I like PaPaddler’s idea of finding a quiet basecamp and adventuring out from there. Maybe it will be more fun for your family?
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