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3/10/2022 4:06 pm  #1


Rock Lake to Welcome Lake - October 2021

Rock Lake to Welcome Lake (2 Days, 1 Nights)
Total travelling distance = 23.4 km including 6 portages, totaling 5,600 m

While sitting in a baseball diamond parking lot there was a meeting of the minds. Could we all get one day off work on a smidge of notice to sneak into Algonquin Park just one last time in 2021. Spoiler alert, the answer was “Yes, quite easily actually”. We were even able to convince our dairy farmer friend Scott to join. On the videos you will hear us refer to him lovingly as either Scott, Eggy, or his favourite… Big Milk.

The plan was going to be simple. Head in from a HWY 60 access point (we typically avoid these most of the year due to crowds) as early as we could manage, travel somewhere between 10-20 km’s, and camp on a lake we had never been to previously. We had always wanted to see Welcome, Harry, Rence, so we quickly decided this would be the route. For Day 2 we had tossed around the idea of pushing through Harry and Rence and returning to Rock via Louisa, but hangovers and chilly weather ruled this plan out. The following day we would pack up and head back to Rock through Pen again. The classic “There and Back Again”.
I nearly forgot, the most important aspect of this late October trip was going to be staying dry and avoiding any accidents resulting in Evan swimming in a lake. It was calling for temperatures between -8 degrees at night to around 8 degrees during the day, so swimming will have to wait until Spring 2022.

Goals of the trip were the following:


  • Try to find petroglyphs on the P375 from Rock to Pen
  • See Indigenous Pictographs on Rock Lake
  • Break in our friend Scott (Big Milk) to the tripping lifestyle
  • Enjoy the last gasp of wet water travel of 2021!
  • Not get hypothermia

Day 1: Rock Lake to Welcome Lake
Total travelling distance = 11.7 km including 3 portages, totaling 2,800 m

       I am not a morning person, so our plan to meet at my house for 4am was not ideal. It was worse for Rich, who had not packed until the night before, and still had to drive in from Kingston, ON. As hard as a 3am wake up is, the excitement and pleasure of heading out on a trip does give just enough motivation to make it happen. Our usual stop in Madoc for coffee and farmer’s wraps and we arrived at the Rock Lake access point in the dark. We were quite disappointed to find the washroom facilities securely locked. By the time we parked and unloaded around 0730 the sun was just starting to peek over the horizon (unless you are Rich, in which case you think it was the moon…). The temperature was still hovering around 5 degrees, so it was going to be a chilly paddle.

The paddle down Rock Lake (our second time of the year) was one of the coolest (pun intended) experiences we have had. There was a very thick fog covering the entire lake, the sun was rising to our left, and the lake itself was like glass. We kept to the west shore to see the pictographs on the large rock face halfway down the lake. By the time we arrived at this spot the boat with Scott and Ryan was no where to be seen. They had pulled ahead of Rich and I (a snag while fishing was the main culprit) and due to the fog, we actually had no idea where they were. They did not have the map, but they knew the plan, so we assumed they would stay on the west shore until the lake ended.

We located several pictographs, which is always a neat thing to see. They are surprisingly easy to find compared to most locations we have scoured for pictographs. It was weird to be sandwiched between the towering rock on our right side, and a wall of fog on our left. There was very little sound whatsoever… until we started calling out to the other boat to try and locate them. Like two ships in the night, we likely passed each other a time or two, but eventually we were back on track and heading towards the western bay of Rock Lake.

The fog started to lift as we headed towards the P375, and the view down the bay was very nice. We were obviously late for the peak of foliage change, but it was nice, nonetheless. As you approach the portage, you can also clearly hear the water feature you are about to walk around. The 375-meter portage is not hard at all. It does start at a whale’s back landing, which I never enjoy especially when you are trying to avoid slipping into cold water. There are plenty of boardwalks at the start, with a nice spring to the right of one of the last sections. The rest of the trail is a nice walk in the woods on a very wide trail. The hardest part of the entire portage is a steep little drop down to the put in on the Pen Lake side. If you want to keep your feet dry (I gave up on that years ago) you may also need to step across some strategically placed rocks to reach the dock. We are not normally this close to highway 60 access points, so these fancy docks are not our norm. We spent too much time on this portage, walking back and forth close to the shore taking videos of the excellent waterfalls and trying to find some petroglyphs I had read about. We never did find these, and likely a bit more time and research prior to the trip was needed. Whether you find petroglyphs or not, these waterfalls are worth the effort.

The paddle on Pen Lake was uneventful. There was one minor mishap where the lake narrows, and you are forced to paddle between some large rocks (they look like teeth). There appears to be only one spot where a boat can pass, with only inches to spare. Rich and I made it through unscathed, but Ryan and Scott managed to mount their canoe on a submerged rock. Rich and I obviously heckled them from the other side of the obstacle, jokes ensued, relative body weights and intelligence were compared, and we were back on our way with smiles on our faces.
We stopped for lunch at the last campsite on the west shore before you arrive at the mouth of the Galipo River. It is just north of a swampy little bit, and is a basic campsite overall, but the view of the east shore is excellent. It would be more private than some of the more southerly campsites on Pen, but you can likely find better options.

Before long we were staring into the mouth of the Galipo River. The lake is very shallow in this section, with multiple sandbars under the surface. There appears to be multiple ways to access the river through the rushes, but from our experience the only way to get there is to hug the shore on the left-hand side to start. The river is narrow with a strong current as it twists and turns through the rushes. There is at least one beaver dam carry over and we were glad the water levels were high. When you arrive at the portage you are greeted by a pleasant cascade on the right, and a rocky portage landing on the left. Careful disembarking from the boats on this one, the rocks are big, sharp, and the footing is not the greatest.

The P275 is a quick little leg burner of a portage. IT is short but steep and only flattens out once you get to the top. The top end of the portage does have a nice sandy put in though. We single carried to the end, and then returned with the cameras to take in the waterfalls. This set includes a large single waterfall at the top end as well as a gorge that runs the length of the portage down to Pen Lake. Again, this set of waterfalls is worth seeing, and could easily be reached on a day trip.
The section of the Galipo River from the P275 to the P2170 is a nice break for the legs. Nothing particular to note other than a large flock of geese feeding in a clearing. We try not to disturb geese as we pass, ever since we saw a goose dive bomb another boat when entering Tim Lake a few years back. We must have looked non-threatening on this trip, and they graciously let us pass without incident.

The P2170 was actually enjoyable… it sounds crazy but by this time we were all feeling a little chilly from being in the cold weather all day. This portage is long but not difficult, has no real obstructions, and gave us the opportunity to get the blood flowing to all extremities. There is one section on the top end where the footing is extremely muddy, but the trail is wide enough to allow people and boats to pass on the edges to avoid the worst of it. This was only Scott’s third portage ever, and he handled the increased distance very well. Only a little bit of grumbling, and still less than Rich’s usual complaints. The best part of this portage is the epic view once you reach Welcome Lake. This includes the sweeping view of the lake, and the awesome beach you stroll out on to. We were happy to have arrived at our destination lake, and we were all looking forward to settling in and getting warm at our site.

We decided to make camp on the site closest to the portage. We could see it had a beach, and a short paddle around the Galipo River was all it took to get there. It is deceiving, it looks like you can walk the shore right to it, until you swing the corner and see just how deep the river mouth is. In warmer temperatures, and lower water levels, you could probably walk the boats on the sandy bottom to the site. The campsite is decent but not the greatest we have seen. River on the left provides background ambience and the berm on the right provides a nice wind block from that direction. The fire pit area is spacious and would be ideal for tents. For hammocks it would be ok, but we had 4 hammocks, so it was a little crowded on your way back to the thunder box.  The thunder box appears to be a rotting / mossy mess, but once you open it up, she looks structurally sound and gives a pleasant view of the river off to your left. 6 out of 10.

We spent the afternoon walking up and down the beach looking for driftwood (nothing), cutting up some firewood and having some drinks on the beach. Rich and Ryan decided to start the fire early for supper and Scott and I decided to go for a paddle across the lake. In hindsight, that was a poor decision. We got to the far side of the lake and the sky darkened, the wind kicked up, and it started to rain. We had to scramble back to shore with the wind and waves driving us. I was lucky to have brought a jacket, more for wind protection at the time, so I managed to stay reasonably dry.
We hunkered down under a tarp, told some old war stories, and after an hour or so the rain stopped. We were able to enjoy a big roaring fire, some hot dinner, and a comedy special to end the evening. This was Big Milk’s first experience in a hammock, so we went to bed hoping he did not fall into or out of his bear burrito. We all slept soundly.

PART ONE: 



Day 2: Welcome Lake to Rock Lake
Total travelling distance = 11.7 km including 3 portages, totaling 2,800 m

It was a cold night. The wind had stayed constant until around 2-3am. When I rose for the day everyone else was still “sleeping”. It was a cold, calm, beautiful morning on Welcome Lake. I took the food bag down, started the fire, and began making the coffee and bacon and miraculously everyone started to stir from their hammocks. Funny how that works.

We had slept in, around 0830, so by the time we finished our bacon and egg breakfast and finished our pack up it was around 1030. By this time, our calm morning was morphing into breezy day. As we left the campsite to venture back the way we had come, it was promising to be a much harder paddle.

We did not stop to sight see on any of the portages leading to Pen Lake. We single carried and made short work of all of them. The portages were even easier going this direction, especially the steep one into Pen. The paddle down the Galipo was also current assisted, so we were getting a lot of speed (almost too much speed, the river is narrow) on those stretches.

When we finally emerged on to Pen Lake our fears were confirmed. The wind was directly into our face, and it was constant. Somehow the lake had relatively few white caps, but the going was slow. We hugged the east shore on the way back and took a few breaks in the lees we could find.

When we finally made it to Rock Lake, we were tired, cold, and were looking forward to getting to the car. The first stretch of Rock Lake was in the protected western bay, but once we swung the corner into the main body it was a white-knuckle slog. We paddled into the waves, straight to Rose Island, with waves and spray blasting us in the face. We avoided any boat over boat rescues, and neither boat got blown too far off route. We regrouped in the lee of the island and got another great view of the exposed Rock on the west shore. The campsite on the southwest tip of Rose Island looked like a beauty. It has a nice sitting rock facing the pictograph rock and you would get some nice sunsets. However, I bet it is busy during the summer months, and being on an island there is likely not much firewood.

We harnessed our inner Viking, grabbed the paddles, and pushed our way around the island and back to the truck. Other than the one group we met on day 1, and the people on the Rock Lake access point dock when we left, we saw no one else on this trip. We were able to scope out a lot of campsites as we passed and did not need to wait our turn on any portages. I would like to return to Welcome Lake with my children in the summer, they would thoroughly enjoy the beaches, but I think the solitude we enjoy on this trip is not the norm for this part of the park.
 
I guess I will find out then. We are on to 2022, and the trip planning is well underway!

PART TWO: 




Cheers!

 

 

3/10/2022 8:10 pm  #2


Re: Rock Lake to Welcome Lake - October 2021

Enjoyed the TR Evan, thanks!  Always fun to watch some videos as I start planning out the season. 

 

3/11/2022 7:57 am  #3


Re: Rock Lake to Welcome Lake - October 2021

Great vids Evan! Some familiar shorelines and portages there. Looked a bit slippery under all that leaf-fall. And those grey skies had me shivering! 

 

3/11/2022 8:46 am  #4


Re: Rock Lake to Welcome Lake - October 2021

BarryB wrote:

Great vids Evan! Some familiar shorelines and portages there. Looked a bit slippery under all that leaf-fall. And those grey skies had me shivering! 

Those fall portages are a blessing and a curse. No real worry about overheating, and you tend to not dehydrate as fast compared to the summer. Those leaf covered roots and rocks can make it interesting though. 
Most importantly, not much traffic on them in the fall!
 

     Thread Starter
 

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