Offline
This is my first back country trip in Algonquin and I bit off more than I could chew but I learned a lot and have already booked two trips for this year.
I started off from the Shall Lake Access Point and went up to Booth then over to Godda Lake via Ryegrass and Rumley. My intentions were to go down to Boot Lake but that didn't happen so I stayed two nights on Godda then one on Booth at an amazing island campsite.
Check it out
Offline
Thank you for your trip report. It was a great read, and the photos are awesome!
Last edited by Dwight (2/26/2025 5:57 pm)
Offline
Every trip is a learning experience, the early ones of our tripping careers tend to offer a high density of learning (what some folks call mistakes) ;-) I had a similar learning opportunity early in my adult tripping career and carried a 17 foot aluminum Michicraft over the Dickson-Bonfield. I've since migrated to Royalex and finally kevlar which has alleviated much of the portaging challenge.
I'm surprised Booth didn't deliver any fish for you...the warm water species typically are quite active in the autumn months...but that's why it's called 'fishing' and not 'catching'!
A trip to the logging museum of Algonquin could be an enlightening experience - it includes a background of the establishment of the park to prevent development and preserve vast tracts of land for multiple purposes in a mostly harmonious manner.
Your photos are quite nice. Thanks for sharing!
Offline
Great write up and great pictures. I did a similar loop this past fall and had many of the same thoughts regarding the sites on Godda and Mole. We stayed on that cliff view site you checked out on Booth, loved the view from up there. Looking forward to reading more of your trips
Offline
Iain - that was a really enjoyable read. And great photos. Also enjoyed the portfolio of pictures on your blog site. Jim
Offline
A heads up for anyone considering this route at the moment, Ryegrass is currently at a low water level, seems like the beaver dam on the creek has broken and the one on the lake isn't holding up well either, I had to wade through muck up to my waist to get through it and then line my canoe up then inlet creek from the swamp grasses, hopping a few creeks to the Rumley portage, then drag/shove it up some logs at the end to get to the portage.
It worked, but it was definitely more than I bargained for this weekend. On the plus side, all three beaver dams after the Mole lake logjam were completely flooded over and I didn't need to get out for any of them.
Ryegrass outlet creek (end of portage from Booth to Ryegrass): 
Ryegrass inlet creek (start of portage from Ryegrass to Rumley): 
Last edited by dfil (5/28/2025 8:19 am)
Offline
Great trip report - thanks for sharing. Getting to Boot is on my bucket list.
My own experience on Godda was a little different than yours. I was with a friend on that same westernmost campsite. My friend was on his first camping trip. We got on that site, and had a hard time getting the tent staked in because the the ground two inches of pine needles covering rock. It was a beautiful day, and then...behind us, over the top of the hill, came a mass of very dark clouds. It was blue sky being consumed by dark as evening came, and it didn't take long for things to get cooking. Massive thunderstorm, and we were right under it, in the tent, getting illuminated and feeling the concussions of thunder all around us. Robert asked if we should get out of the tent and into the woods, and I told him I figured we were as well off in the tent as we were in the woods, but I wasn't sure that was true. Good times.
Relative to the aluminum canoe....I did the Dickson-Bonfield portage under a 78 pound Grumman....but I was 16 and more fit than fat. Still, it was like walking through the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance.
The last time I portaged an aluminum canoe was in the 90's as well. The stern deck got clogged with mud, so every time I picked up the boat, water was getting trapped in the back end, under the deck. Took me several portages to realize why the boat was so heavy and imbalanced.
In spite of having a change of plans, your trip sounds like it was a successful one, and you sure had some nice weather for it. BTW, your photos were fantastic. Your photo of the heron was a dandy. With so many great photos, that one stood out to me. The reflection was really well-captured, and isn't something you always notice at the time.
1 of 1