Well ,we attempted the 2 hardest Meanest Link Legs last week. OP-Brent/ Brent-Huntsville. Counter clockwise. We put in on  glassy Opeongo just after 7 am June 25. Paddle was uneventful to Dixon/Bonfield and we made it to Swifty site on Lavielle around 3 pm and called it  a day. Friday we paddled on and made camp on Francis L beach site  that night. A shorter day but littered with portages down the Crow R. From there we headed up the Pet, across a mirror smooth Radiant lake and on to Cedar L for a stop/ tour and chat with Jake at Brent store before camping on the 930m portage site on the Nip. We crossed paths with Chris and Kim the morning of day 4 prior to Leaving camp. They had Left Oxtongue Lake the day before we left Opeongo. They were moving pretty quick however passed on rumours of another team hot on their heels having left Oxtongue Saturday and camped on Mcraney that same night with their sights on Brent Store Sunday. Impossible, or so we thought. Day 4 was the day it started to fall apart for us. We underestimated upstream travel on the Nip and made it to high Falls portage  campsite that night. This is where we met Bill and Connor on their way to Brent Store having left Oxtongue Saturday morning.  Just insane. For us, the realties of portages, pull overs , extreme heat , age and long days started to settle in. Monday was more of the same and we made camp at the extremely overgrown and rustic  Wolfland Creek Marsh campsite. Oddly enough this site boasted an almost new Thunder Box. Tuesday we continued with the pullover / Log Jam theme then encountered ALDER HELL... It's just that. Hell, and was Hot as Hell  as well. Another long ,  slow day but made worth while with a huge bull moose at the put in at the 90m  Nipissing Marsh portage. 9 moose total along the Nip. I found the Nipissing Marsh beautiful. We did almost miss the portage to Big Bob where we would spend night 6 and ride out a great Algonquin Thunderstorm. Finally,  a lake to swim and bath in.  We left Big Bob Wednesday morning with hopes of making it to Ralph Bice. As we entered Tim Lake the reality of having to hold short of Ralph Bice became more evident. Unsure of availability of campsites before Mubwayaka we decided to hold up on Tim Lake and eventually made the decision to call it a trip there.  We contacted a family member and made arrangements to be picked up at Tim river Access Thursday morning as we felt we did not have time to finish our intended loop to Huntsville. We spent a beautiful night 7 on Tim Lake Island , weathered a second T-Storm that lead to a beautiful clear night for camping.  Despite having to cut the trip short it was amazing  and got to see allot of new to me park areas. Roughly 170 kms over 6 days of travel through some remote areas. Although not in a hurry to revisit the Nip,  I did see some beautiful spots and campsites I wouldn't mind spending some time at once I find an easier route in  LOL! The campsite east of Grass Lake and the south site on the 360M portage at High Dam Rapids look to be amazing spots. Once the bug bites heal I can't wait to get back into the park. 

Last edited by Shayne74 (7/08/2026 11:23 am)