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My buddy and I went to Potter for a 2 night 3 day trip in August. We couldn't believe how busy Canoe Lake was first off, Holy smokes!
We have been to Potter a few times. It was the very first trip we did 20 some years ago. I will say this was the first time we have seen the lake full.
Our first night a group of young boys rolled into the lake late heading for Brule. It was evident by their weaving back and forth up the lake that they did not have much experience. Needless to say they were not going to make it to their lake before dark so they pitched camp on the Portage across from our site. They were a little rowdier than one would like in the back country but they were excited to be out there.
They took their time getting packed up the next day and were visited by park staff to make sure they were being smart and safe. The Portage was next to the access road.
I've always said when people rent canoes for a trip they should have to take paddling lessons and a course on back country tripping (if it's their first time).
This leads me to mention a disturbing and disgusting thing I noticed at our site. The amount of TP around was shocking. It's as if there was no thunder box at all! The one at our site wasn't marked, but seriously, just dig a freaking hole!
Rant over. The weather was great until Sunday when we were leaving. The night before we were entertained by a lightening show to the west. It decided we should be included after we packed up. We could hear the rain coming through the forest, like a freight train barreling down the tracks. Luckily I was up early from the Thunder and we just managed to get everything packed before the monsoon hit us. With no rain gear or a tarp handy we huddled behind some trees for protection.
Once the worst was over we made a break for it. The rain was nice enough to hold off until we got back to the launch.
Not much in the way of wildlife. A loon family and what seemed to be a resident Bald Eagle.
Another one in the books.
Last edited by BB (9/01/2020 10:50 am)
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Some trips are funny, where you take the good with the bad and the unusual with the...unusual. Last Fall I took a solo trip, and well after dark a group of 4 canoes appeared from.....there's no portage there.....went past my site, up a portage that has one of the most unpleasant exits I've experienced in a while, and disappeared into the night, headlamps a-flashing. It was odd. Kind of reminds me of your kids camping on the portage. On that same trip, an Eagle soared right over my canoe on my last day. Super-cool.
It is fun to find yourself on the edge of a storm sometimes. Better to be the spectator than soaked. My kids and I watched one pass us by on Islet a couple of years ago. 750M or so further south and we'd spend the afternoon getting soaked, but as it was, we just watched dark clouds floating by soaking other people. On Daisy two years ago, overnight I heard a thunderstorm scooting up the shoreline, parallel to the lake, but in that case, all the hoping in the world and wishing it away was not enough to allow us to sidestep it.
Glad you had a good trip!
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Ahh, Potter Lake, my son and I did a nice fall trip there last year up through Canoe, Tom Thompson and over to Potter Lake, then down and out Potter's Creek.........wow, hated coming out down Potter's Creek. it was brutal low water, lots of pullovers, lining etc. What was your route in/out of Potter's? did you have the same "fun" experience?
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Lukatch wrote:
Ahh, Potter Lake, my son and I did a nice fall trip there last year up through Canoe, Tom Thompson and over to Potter Lake, then down and out Potter's Creek.........wow, hated coming out down Potter's Creek. it was brutal low water, lots of pullovers, lining etc. What was your route in/out of Potter's? did you have the same "fun" experience?
The very first trip ever, which was to Potter, we took the creek. That was the last time we did that lol. We carted the road. Cheating, maybe, but saves a few hours trying to navigate that creek.
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Some trips are funny, where you take the good with the bad and the unusual with the...unusual. Last Fall I took a solo trip, and well after dark a group of 4 canoes appeared from.....there's no portage there.....went past my site, up a portage that has one of the most unpleasant exits I've experienced in a while, and disappeared into the night, headlamps a-flashing. It was odd. Kind of reminds me of your kids camping on the portage. On that same trip, an Eagle soared right over my canoe on my last day. Super-cool.
It is fun to find yourself on the edge of a storm sometimes. Better to be the spectator than soaked. My kids and I watched one pass us by on Islet a couple of years ago. 750M or so further south and we'd spend the afternoon getting soaked, but as it was, we just watched dark clouds floating by soaking other people. On Daisy two years ago, overnight I heard a thunderstorm scooting up the shoreline, parallel to the lake, but in that case, all the hoping in the world and wishing it away was not enough to allow us to sidestep it.
Glad you had a good trip!
Being on the edge of the storm the night before was awesome. Watching the lighting illuminate the sky was something I hadn't seen before.
But being in the middle or torrential rains at 6:30am I can do without lol
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