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Hi all,
A couple of buddies and I are planning our annual September trip. The route we’re looking at is a loop out of Cedar, with nights on Catfish, Phillips and Radiant. What we’re trying to decide is whether to go clockwise or counter clockwise. I like the idea of the first night on Radiant and saving Unicorn Hill for the last day, but I’m wondering if going up the Madawaska would be a pain. I don’t remember the current looking that ferocious in this season of Mark in the Park, but maybe there’s something I’m missing.
Also, is Sunfish likely to be an issue with lower water?
Thanks,
Drew
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Its definitely doable.
We completed that part of your route counter-clockwise in late August 2017, the year water levels were very high for that time of year. In fact, I believe we paddled by your site while you were staying on Radiant. The entrance to the Madawaska at Radiant for the first hundred meters or so made us believe we made a horrible mistake, but the current eased off enough to be steady, but nothing we couldn't overcome pulling a little extra on our paddles.
We touched the Madawaska the following year going through Hogan and it was a shadow of its 2017 self. We barely noticed a current that was very apparent the year before.
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Clockwise is easier. I would rather go up unicorn hill than up Radiant to Hogan.
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Am I clockwise challenged or is everybody else? Maybe no one uses analog clocks any more! Up unicorn hill on day 1 is counter clockwise; heading to Radiant on day 1 is clockwise.
I suggest going counter clockwise.
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rgcmce wrote:
Am I clockwise challenged or is everybody else? Maybe no one uses analog clocks any more! Up unicorn hill on day 1 is counter clockwise; heading to Radiant on day 1 is clockwise.
I suggest going counter clockwise.
Must be the Radiant pyramid, it makes everything run backwards if you get too close. Why counter-clockwise over clockwise?
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Why counter-clockwise over clockwise?
I think, in general, I prefer to get a climb out of the way relatively quickly rather than a continuous climb over an extended distance. Basically, I am agreeing with Martin (except for whether that is clockwise or counter clockwise.)
I haven't been through Sunfish Lake in a very long time but as I remember it can get pretty clogged through there. But I know I have successfully gone through there in September; it probably depends upon how much rain we get in August.
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Oops, right! We definitely went "clockwise" (Cedar, Radiant, Philip, Hogant, etc)
I think the counter-clockwise (Cedar, Petawawa, Catfish, etc) option would be easier, but not so much that it would stop me from doing the opposite. We intended to do it counter-clockwise thinking about the prevailing winds on the larger lakes but when we were booking it worked out that there were several bookings on each lake if scheduled the one way, and had the lakes all to ourselves going the other, so we chose the quieter option.
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