This weekend, I took a few days to try out my new kayak on a "Canoe Trip" style backcountry experience.  Some would call it "Yakpacking," but that word just sounds silly, so I don't.

Leaving around 1pm from the access point,  I encountered lots of people on the #401 portage between Canoe and Joe.  We got buzzed by two large military planes.  One person recognized me from my Youtube Channel and thanked me for my video on the Hennesy Hammock.

I made great time, landing at my camp site on the farthest reaches of Little Joe East by 3pm.  The first night, I was in the hammock by 8pm basically bored.  I expected to find very little in the way of firewoord, and that's what I found.

Day 2, I skipped my first two portages, choosing to get my feet wet, but found myself in Lost Joe, rather than Baby Joe.  Wading a little more, I walked up to Baby Joe, where I met another solo kayaker.  It turns out, it was Larry, who I had met with Rob, on Rock Lake two autumns ago.  We quickly surmized that we were on the same loop, staying on the same lakes, on the same nights.  We joined forces for the next two days.  Soon into Burnt Island, my camera batteries died.

We worked our way up to Sunbeam, through Jay, an unnamed pond, and Treefrog.  The portages were challenging, but we made it.  Larry was wheeling and leepfrogging it, and I was double-carrying.  We were pretty evenly matched on each portage.

We took to separate island sites on Sunbeam.  I was visited by a beaver in the evening, which was a hair-riasing experience, as bushes 10m away were shaking and swaying violently.

We met up the next morning and headed to Ashter Pond.  I skipped the 275m portage to Wilow, opting to get my feet a little wet and muddy.  Crossing a total of 3 bever dams, a log, and some shalows, I made it to the end of the portage by the time Larry made his first trip across.  He reported the portage had a 9m rise in the middle.

We paddled Willow, and portaged to Kooy Pond, which we renamed "Gooey Pond"  The water was almost gone, and we couldn't get to the water through the mud.  We stopped for lunch, portaged around Gooey pond, and portaged to Bartlett.  

The wind was up - way up - on Bartlett, and Tom Thomson.  The Kayaks didn't mind one bit.  8-12" waves broke on the bows, but we carried on easily.

A large bever dam dropped us into Little Doe.  I set course for ramming speed and shot the dam.  A quick hang up, and a couple scooches and I weas over.  Larry followed and we were off.   Little Oxtongue river was just as windy, but we made it to the southernmost sites.

We parted company as he set up camp, and I carried on, across Tepee L to Arowhon Camp, hoping to find a cantean where I could possibly get some batteries.  After a brief altercation with someone there, I carried on, whithout batteries to a site on the narrows between Tepee and Joe.

I had a bad feeling about the site, and just couldn't settle.  I ate supper, packed up and set off for the access point at 6:30.  The skay was clear, the full moon was about to rize, and the water was calm.  No problem.  I had read of people enjoying night paddling.

By the time I got to the portage to Canoe, it had clouded over, making it darker earlier, and the wind and waves were up.  And did I mention it was dark?

A nervous hour or so later, I arrived at the access point at 9pm.

I'll post a video, and full trip report later, but I wanted to drop in here first.