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Later this week I will be in the area and only have time for a quick 2 day, 1 night solo trip. My plan is to paddle 6 or 7 km hugging the eastern shoreline of the south arm, but I am wondering if this is relatively safe for a solo paddler? Thanks for any insight/advice.
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Depends on the weather, wind, your abilities, skill, etc. etc. You never know, you may have to hug the western shoreline, so be flexible and watch the weather.
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I know one of the most appealing aspects of Algonquin is the tranquility experienced once you have gotten into the interior. I don't think you'll feel that when on one of the larger access lakes like Opeongo. Since there are many motorboats speeding around and the campsites get heavily used, there is a distinctly different sense or experience one gets in that lake vs. some of the alternatives. It's not black and white, and they certainly are doable, but you may find some better alternatives with a little 'tweak' to the plan.
Additionally, the concerns you identified with a solo boat on a large body of water can certainly come into play. Perhaps you should consider some smaller access lakes like Smoke, Canoe, Farm, etc. I know that some of these also allow motors but they typically don't see the density and use that Opeongo does. Putting just a single portage between you and the dock will also make a big difference with a relatively small physical investment.
Good luck and enjoy!
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Folks solo paddle on Lake Superior so yes it is possible to safely canoe trip on a big lake. Yes you should plan ahead.
That said, I wouldn't necessarily pick Opeongo for a short overnight trip because if the weather is bad you will probably feel pressured to try and paddle out anyway. Part of safely paddling larger lakes is understanding that you are at the mercy of the weather and waiting it out when you need to.
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Ope is the most dangerous when it's cold, but the wind can be heck. If it's where you're gunning for it'll be fine as long as you stay calm and safe. From what I've seen in your posts there's nothing there that would a hinderance. Bates island is nice, but haunted.
As others are saying, Ope is not a great overnight destination for a plethora of reasons. I love Cache and Source/Canisbay lake as a starting point from Hwy 60. Longer, but easy, portages keep away the more destructive campers that frequent Ope and the Joe lakes but keep travel times to quality sites to less than 2hrs over calm waters (vs Canoe/Smoke/Rock). If I just have a night and I'm on 60, that's where I start trip planning.
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Tim Lake is a nice alternative. No portage, only a 45 minute paddle to the island, far enough off the beaten path to get a real backcountry feel.
I realize it's a bit farther away than highway 60 but for a little extra travel time it's worth it!
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depending on how far you travel,, for the early morning misty, foggy travel, in a attempt to beat the winds ,, a compass might be handy along with a map,,
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Thank you for all the responses. Confirms my suspicion that whether it was safe/enjoyable depends far too much on the weather. I have started trips from most other access points along Hwy 60 except for Opeongo which is why I was hoping to give it a try. However, I will likely plan something else for this one-nighter.
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If you’re looking for an easy and secluded one nighter, I suggest heading into Kenneth lake from Cache. Quite a pretty little lake and feels much deeper into the interior since it’s a dead end.
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TripperMike wrote:
If you’re looking for an easy and secluded one nighter, I suggest heading into Kenneth lake from Cache. Quite a pretty little lake and feels much deeper into the interior since it’s a dead end.
Thanks for the suggestion - but I had just booked one night on Booth instead before seeing this. Good to know for next time!
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Depends on the weather, wind, your abilities, skill, etc. etc. You never know, you may have to hug the western shoreline, so be flexible and watch the weather.
I want to make sure I am on the same page regarding when you would hug the western shoreline. In the diagram below, if I am paddling solo in a northerly direction in a west wind, I should hug the western shoreline, lean canoe to the right slightly, and paddle predominantly on the right side - correct?
Last edited by Bampot (7/10/2023 4:53 pm)
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Yes, that is correct. Although the lean of the canoe makes little difference. The key is that you are working/paddling in the "lee" (leeward vs. windward side) of the landmass/vegetation.
Wind is such an important factor when canoeing...although it only becomes a substantial factor when it achieves a certain minimum speed (2kph wind will likely never be an issue) and can be greater in significance when the wind can blow unobstructed over a longer length (known as the "fetch"). So you need a strong wind (perhaps over 10-15 kph) and it is further complicated by that wind blowing over a longer stretch of open water.
That's why the big lakes can be a concern - wind blowing over a long fetch of open water creates substantial waves. The longer it blows (longer time-wise and length-wise) the larger the waves can become. I once paddled from the east arm of Opeongo down to the dock with a following north wind and, as we progressed through the south arm, the waves continued to grow until we were in 2-3' rollers. They were manageable and very structured so we weren't getting surprised by anything unexpected (my head was on a swivel) but if we needed to get out of the wind, we would have sought out a protective point (like Windy Point) and gotten behind (leeward) of it to get out of the wind and waves.
The wind is typically an issue when it is in your face or against your direction of travel - since that's when it makes your job harder to continue forward movement or maintaining course. One very important point for a solo canoeist is to properly trim your boat (so that the bow is slightly higher, stern slightly higher or perfectly level) with you and your gear. If you are heading directly into the wind and your bow is higher than your stern you will find the wind grabs the bow and pushes (spins) it downwind. But if your stern is slightly higher, the wind tends to treat your boat like a weather vane and any time the angle of the craft gets 'cross-winded' you will notice it helps to straighten you out and keep you pointing in the wind. If the trim is level, you can adjust the trim while paddling by shifting your weight a bit forward or aft.
Last edited by PaPaddler (7/11/2023 6:49 am)
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Depends on the weather, wind, your abilities, skill, etc. etc. You never know, you may have to hug the western shoreline, so be flexible and watch the weather.
I want to make sure I am on the same page regarding when you would hug the western shoreline. In the diagram below, if I am paddling solo in a northerly direction in a west wind, I should hug the western shoreline, lean canoe to the right slightly, and paddle predominantly on the right side - correct?
Have you read the book Deep Waters by James Raffan? ( )It's a detailed account of the Lake Timiskaming tragedy. One of the takeaways from that event was that the safer route is to paddle on the down wind side of the lake - so in your diagram with the wind coming from the west you would paddle along the eastern shore.
The reasoning is that in the event of a capsize, you would be blown into shore instead of away from shore. Part of what happened in the Lake Timiskaming tragedy was that the capsized canoes and kids were blown further away from the shore they had been paddling along, making each rescue trip that much longer and more exposed. The victims were wearing life jackets and died of hypothermia. The bodies were recovered along the down wind shore.
Needless to say, at least in hindsight, they shouldn't have been on the water at all that day.
The counter argument to paddling the downwind shore is that if you stay along the upwind shore you are sheltered from the wind, you won't be exposed to the bigger waves that have built up over the open water, and it will be easier paddling so you are less likely to dump in the first place and you will have more control. However, if you start drifting out, then rather than the situation getting better - by being blown into a nearby shore - the situation will get worse as you get blown away from shore and the waves get bigger and bigger.
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Well that is interesting. When Gord B says "hug" the shore I would take that pretty literally, like right along the shoreline. In that case the wind should not have a chance of blowing you offshore as there should be little to no wind and the shore should be very close by. This would always be my approach in this situation where possible. Since I can't recall a time where I've dumped in such conditions I would say chances of dumping are very very low. On the other hand, paddling along a windblown shoreline I would say my chances of dumping are really really high. Based on the drawing you'd be letting waves hit you broadside constantly and in a large lake I'd put my chances of dumping or at least getting completely soaked at 100%. It does not seem like good advice to paddle on a windblown shore. I would guess the right answer here is build a fire and wait it out if conditions are a concern.
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Very similar to your situation, I have done several quick two day, 1 night to Opeongo trips. Sure I'd like to go off the beaten path backcountry a minimum 4 days, but free time is scarce & I need to get in a quick fix in. My opinion, is go for it. Opeongo has benefits of easy in/out, no portage & cell phone access for a good part of South arm if you need it.
Of course one needs to be aware of one's skill level & also weather conditions on bigger lakes, particularly when water & air temperatures are low. Having said that, for all the days I have been on Opeongo approx 20 days over multiple trips (maybe not statistically significant...), but there was only one day I would say was a "windbound" day, in my experience you're much much more likely to have great weather.
Later this week I will be in the area and only have time for a quick 2 day, 1 night solo trip. My plan is to paddle 6 or 7 km hugging the eastern shoreline of the south arm, but I am wondering if this is relatively safe for a solo paddler? Thanks for any insight/advice.
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... I would guess the right answer here is build a fire and wait it out if conditions are a concern.
I completely agree. I have always figured that the most important decision you make is whether or not to even leave shore.
It might sound better if it's worded as "if you aren't comfortable paddling on the down wind shore, then that's a good indication you should stay put." In the case of the St. Johns School tragedy on Lake Timiscaming, even after making the bad decision to paddle that day, if they had stayed on the down wind shore then the kids could have been pulled from the water before they died of hypothermia. Notably, none of the deaths were due to drowning.
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Before today, I hadn't heard of the St. John's school tragedy from years ago. Some brief reading on the matter showed the primary conclusion of a lack of skill, knowledge, preparation and virtually no safety precautions were taken. I don't believe for most circumstances that the guidance should be 'paddle on the furthest windward location' to facilitate less time spent in the water after inundation. I believe the proper guidance should be - take all precautions to prepare for and avoid inundation...which would include paddling in protected leeward areas where possible.
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