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12/20/2021 9:13 am  #18


Re: Tim - Magnetawan: 6 Day Loop down the Nipissing

campin4life wrote:

Unreal. Great job. Thanks for sharing!

We should have the final video on You tube this Thursday, and I will add the write up here as well.
Glad you are enjoying

 

12/23/2021 11:13 pm  #19


Re: Tim - Magnetawan: 6 Day Loop down the Nipissing

Day 6: Misty Lake to Magnetawan Access Point

Waking up at 4am is never fun. Waking up at 4 am on day 6 of a camping trip is worse. Waking up at 4am to prepare food and pack up gear by the light of a headlamp, challenging. No use complaining, the decision was made the night prior. With many grunts, groans, and mumbled good mornings we were up and moving around like zombies by quarter past 4.
         
 Breakfast of oatmeal and several coffees, something easy to make while packing. We all separated off to our little corners of the site and silently stuffed our gear away, double and triple checking the ground to make sure nothing was being left behind.
            In short order, we were packed and ready to go but the sun was not. It was a pretty surreal feeling, sitting on the rocky shore with our boats half in the water, watching the sky lighten and the moon and the stars fade. We got some nice night photos of the moon over the large island. Since we couldn’t go anywhere, it was nice to just sit there and quietly chat.
           
Shortly before 6am we had enough light to depart (it looks much brighter on camera, it felt much darker in person). The lake was like glass, with the remnants of stars reflecting in the water. There was a thick fog that was starting to lift as we made our way towards the first portage. The small island, with the lonesome tree, was a picturesque image as it emerged from the fog. I hate early mornings, I cannot stress this enough, but there is something magical about those calm morning lakes. It is almost enough to convince me to wake up early more often… almost.
The first portage starts at the end of the western bay of Misty Lake. The approach is straight forward, with plenty of lily pads and the occasional log to avoid. The view at the end of the bay is quite nice looking up a tiered water feature. The P935m is not overly difficult, but it does start with a quick little up hill from the Misty end and does have some mud filled sections. The trail is wide though, so you can usually find solid footing to make your way around the mud. I warned the others of the root mine field on the Little Misty end of the portage, but by the time we reached the lake there was more light to see by.
           
The paddle on Little Misty is one I won’t soon forget. The lake was still mirror calm and when we were around the campsite the sun erupted over the treeline behind us. The warm rays of light, and the splash of colours on the treetops ahead of us was just what we needed. This is the soul filling feeling we long for. The campsite was occupied on Little Misty but not a creature was stirring.
           
The section of the Petawawa River between Little Misty and the P450m is nice. It is wide so the current is not very noticeable, but it does have a few beaver dams to pull over. We passed the portage to Addison’s Lake * and started the section that is more winding. We saw several moose in this section, and Rich was able to catch the back end of one on camera. We had discussed this scenario earlier. This was my fourth time being on Misty Lake and I had never been on it without seeing a moose. After being skunked the day before, I was really hoping to see one on the way out. We agreed to be as quiet as possible to increase our chances. We nearly got close, but they must have caught a whiff of 3 smelly campers almost a week since their last shower. We also paddled by a big pile of geese who did not even stop their breakfast to give us the time of day.
           
The P450m and P135m are both very simple. On the upstream end of both the landings are good. In short order we were on Daisy. At this point we did have a decision… take the P1455m north into Ralph Bice or paddle the entire lake and portage through Acme. I have done the later many times, so a big piece of me wanted to see Ralph Bice for the first time. In the end, due to Rich’s ankle, we just kept paddling.
           
The only empty campsite that we passed was the first one, on the left-hand side, as we entered the main part of the lake. All the other sites had tents, boats, and people finally stirring from their beds. We did not know it yet, but things were going to become much louder and busier.
           
To get to the P420m portage into Acme L you travel up a narrow river section. Things start to get shallow, and there is a decent sized beaver dam to pull over. As we were approaching the portage, and the dock that lets you access it, we heard a loud BANG ahead of us. When things are dead quiet in the morning, all sounds are amplified, but this sounded like someone really smacked a canoe on a rock. We arrived at the dock but all we saw were some gear bags. We carried the portage, looking forward to seeing another early bird out and about! We passed a man and his dog about halfway through the portage, exchanging good mornings. I am usually a good judge of character, and once I saw his canoe, I knew that this guy has fine taste. Very rarely do I see a Langford canoe that is a near perfect match to mine, very nice canoe good sir.
           
We quickly passed through Acme Pond, not much to see here. We discussed then pulled off the “Skip in HW” option on the P55m portage. Just a few new scratches on the boats.
           
Once we were on Hambone, the feeling of peace and solitude that we had enjoyed on most of this trip was quickly torn from us. We turned the corner to the main body and were greeted by 4-5 fully loaded canoes. It was a Thursday, so these people were getting a good jump on the weekend. I hope they had as good of a trip as we did. The water of Hambone is extremely clear, so paddling along the shore and seeing the submerged deadfall is really nice.
           
Surprisingly we did not see anyone on the highway that is the P135m into Magnetewan. This might be the first time I have hiked this portage without plenty of gear bags and boats dotting the edge of the trail. We knew the access point might be a bit of a gong show, so we treated the P135m as the end of the trip. We high fived and briefly discussed the highlights and lowlights.
           
The 5-minute paddle to the Access point was spent staring into the camping version of chaos. Bear in mind, we had not been around people for about a week. There were around 15 people on the access point dock, with most of them being children under the age of 15. There were hundreds of canoes, cars, bags, animals, and people going hither and thither. We quietly paddle up to the left of the dock and carried our gear and boats in one shot right from the access point to the truck in the packing lot.
           
This is the end of the trip, and what a magnificent way to spend a week of holidays. The gentlemen that I trip with are amazing. They don’t complain often (well Rich does), they are experienced trippers, and we genuinely have a lot of fun together. It was an excellent route selection. We were able to quickly escape the crowds and enjoy some really nice parts of the park.

I don’t enjoy access points that have large crowds, or lakes that are slammed full of people. However, I do enjoy seeing all the children, with paddles in their hands, and smiles on their faces, waiting to go on a camping trip. This is where memories are made, and the seeds of curiosity and adventure are planted.
My hat is off to the parents/chaperones of these groups though, not all heroes wear capes.




Total travelling distance = 17.2 km
Portages (Distance) = 6 ( 2,130 m)

Last edited by Evan Briden (4/12/2022 2:57 pm)

     Thread Starter
 

12/24/2021 11:08 am  #20


Re: Tim - Magnetawan: 6 Day Loop down the Nipissing

Evan, this six-pack video series is the perfect treatment for anyone suffering from Algonquin withdrawal. This sixth installment is a great Christmas gift! Thanks!

Merry Christmas.

 

12/24/2021 11:11 am  #21


Re: Tim - Magnetawan: 6 Day Loop down the Nipissing

BarryB wrote:

Evan, this six-pack video series is the perfect treatment for anyone suffering from Algonquin withdrawal. This sixth installment is a great Christmas gift! Thanks!

Merry Christmas.

 
I assume everyone else is feeling the same way as we are. Editing footage helps ease the ache, and sharing as well.

Merry Christmas and Happy new year all!

Cheers,

     Thread Starter
 

12/27/2021 1:31 pm  #22


Re: Tim - Magnetawan: 6 Day Loop down the Nipissing

A little late Evan but I wanted to wait until the end of the 6 part video series......and what an AWESOME video series and write up it was.

I did this trip over 45 years ago except for Big Bob to Grassy Bay.  I went from Tim L down the Tim River to Rosebary and then through Floating Heart and onwards to the Nip.  So much has changed over the years, especially all of the beaver dams, more campsites and loads more people.  Mind you my trip was in May so maybe the beavers were still working on their itinerary.

Thanks for bringing back fond memories which never die.  But it sure is nice to have them renewed from time to time.

Once again, well done Evan!  It was an Algonquin Trip you can talk about for many years and be proud of what you and your friends accomplished.



 


CAMPING IS WHEN YOU SPEND A LOT OF MONEY TO LIVE LIKE A HOMELESS PERSON!
 

12/27/2021 8:43 pm  #23


Re: Tim - Magnetawan: 6 Day Loop down the Nipissing

Thanks for watching and the kind words Bo. It was an amazing trip, and it would have been better fishing in the spring. The swim in white trout would have been less fun though.

Cheers

     Thread Starter
 

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