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Just wondering is it possible for a very experienced paddler to paddle from the Cedar Lake access to the Nadine portage in one day single carrying the portages?
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This is doable, but you will be into the current and possibly the wind the entire way so it would be a long day. With all of the twists and turns of the Nip it will be a mental game halfway through the day... I have always found the P365 to the Nadine portage feels like an eternity. That being said, I have always been headed in the downstream direction.
Either way, it is a spectacular part of the Park.
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Evan Briden wrote:
... I have always found the P365 to the Nadine portage feels like an eternity. ...
And almost nowhere easy to get out and stretch your legs.
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I've done Cedar Lake up the Nipissing all the way to go Gauthier's Dam twice with a partner. We are both pretty experienced trippers. Each time the farthest we made it on the first day was Perly Dam. If you are literally on the water at the break of dawn at Cedar I think it might be possible to get to the Nadine Portage but it would be an incredibly long and difficult day and if you run into any kind of problems I doubt you would make it. My advice would be to plan on taking 2 days to get there.
FYI it's 32k from Brent launch to bottom of Gauthier's Dam. We had no problem going from there back out to Cedar in one day, but it was all down current. You will be going up current with only one paddler.
Last edited by timmu (4/10/2022 1:37 pm)
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Tandem we did High Falls to the big Island on Cedar in a day last year. Started at 9 arrived at Brent just before 4pm. But that was downstream and with good weather. I would add another 3-4 hours to do it going the other way. Add more time to do it solo. Add more time again if water is high. It's a tough day to get from Brent to the Nadine Port.
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Last November I did Nadine to Cedar in a day, with the current. Took about 6-7 hours, no stopping what so ever.
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I think it would be very doable, as people have said above there are many factors to consider but I believe if you are a very experienced paddler you would make it. We have paddled from the downstream end of the high falls portage to the last site before Cedar lake (downstream) and could have easily made it out to Cedar put in. Again as said above it would be a long day but if you are a very experienced paddler I am sure you have had a few of those!
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Not trying to disagree with you, Knox, but he is not paddling downstream, he is paddling upstream and he will be solo not tandem. As others have noted above there is a huge difference going upstream versus downstream, especially in Spring, if that indeed is when he plans to go. The other thing to consider is that there is not a lot of campsites on that stretch of the Nip so if he decides to press on after Perley, he might end up having to bushwack a site in the dark if he doesn't make it all the way to the Nadine portage.
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I am soooo sorry guys I worded the question wrong. I will be tandem not solo.
Again so sorry for that.
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I feel obligated to mention the campsite on the Nip side of the Nadine portage is not the greatest... it is basically an open patch of grass with a fire pit. Also, I don't enjoy people strolling through camp.
don't know if you plan on stopping there or not, just my two cents. It is a nice spot to stop to stretch the legs though. To be honest, not many nice campsites on the Nip in that area... bottom of Perley and Rolling dams would be the best of the bunch IMHO.
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No problem davideves... 
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I'm assuming you're heading into Nadine, hence the desire to camp at that portage? If not and you're continuing up the Nip, I suggest camping at Perley or the Long Marsh site. As Evan mentioned above, the Nip from Perley to Nadine is not only a long way, but can be mentally exhausting also, as it's a series of never-ending oxtongues. It takes much longer than it seems like it should because of that and can get discouraging. The guy I've done that trip with twice swears he'll never go back to that section specifically for that reason. Also, here's a tip: if you want fresh trout for supper, it's possible at the Long Marsh site, regardless of time of year.
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