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I know this is early....some of you might have seen my post about fracturing my fibula in September. I'm on the mend post-rod-insertion-surgery, PT continues, but a good way to go yet.
I missed both my 2025 trips this year (one due to work, one due to injury), so I'm really hoping for a Spring 2026 ice out trip. I'm nervous about it for two reasons. 1) My wife gets nervous when I take canoe trips, and this injury won't help that, and 2) My last trip was the Fall of 2024, that's a long time between trips, I'm 60, and I'm coming off a significant injury.
Short version, I think I need this trip to be pretty gentle, especially in terms of portaging. By May, I should be doing just fine, but I want to kind of go knee deep rather than neck deep with this trip. The ankle will be fine, but a simple trip will help with points 1 and 2 above. Any thoughts along Highway 60 or the western side of the park? Would prefer a loop, but a down-and-back works too. Here are a couple of areas, just to give the idea of what I'm thinking.
Canoe-Joe-Tepee-Fawn-Littledoe, maybe Tom Thomson. I've done that before, it is all paddling except for the easiest portage you've ever seen....I like to think I can handle more than one portage.
Tim River to Rosebary? Not familiar with that part of the Tim. Guessing there are a lot of beaver dams.
Farm to Booth? I've done that a few times. There are a couple up-downs on the Kitty-Booth portage that presently make me nervous, but probably won't by May.
My usual areas - starting from Magnetawan or Rain - there are some pretty good ups/downs with some of the portages in those areas. I've been giving it some thought, but as an example, the portage into Daisy when you start from Magnetawan...that's steep. Going from Rain Lake to Hot Lake up that flight of stairs...that's steep...think flat, and gentle, like almost cart path.
I hope some folks can offer some thoughts. Honestly, this is as much about me rebuilding my confidence as it is taking a 4-day canoe trip. Maybe my confidence will be better by then, it should be! Right now I'm still limping around the house using a crutch and sometimes a boot. But you can't believe how easy it was to snap my ankle, and it makes me second guess myself. All it takes is one second of falling down with your foot in a compromised position, then "crunch", and that's it.
Last edited by MooseWhizzer Dave (11/03/2025 5:20 pm)
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Tim to Rosebury isn't full of dams. Pretty easy trip.
You might consider something out of Cedar, Kiosk, or K-mog; all have some easy options. My last recovery trip was Cedar to Cauchon. Almost no portages, just have the prevailing winds to worry about.
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A pretty easy one is Grand Lake through Stratton, High falls and down the Barron Canyon. Portages are fairly short and moderate. After hernia surgery I did this route taking it easy and arranged to have my car moved to the end of the Barron canyon for a pretty leisurely one way trip.
The bonus is finishing off with the spectacular canyon!!!!
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If you decide to leave from Tim River access there are a few beaver dams but as others have said it's pretty easy overall. The far site on Longbow is beautiful and worth the extra travel time to get to in my opinion.
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oldboyscout wrote:
A pretty easy one is Grand Lake through Stratton, High falls and down the Barron Canyon. Portages are fairly short and moderate. After hernia surgery I did this route taking it easy and arranged to have my car moved to the end of the Barron canyon for a pretty leisurely one way trip.
The bonus is finishing off with the spectacular canyon!!!!
You could always turn right at St Andrews and check out Tarn Lake (JK - don't do that. 
)
Last edited by scratchypants (11/04/2025 1:08 pm)
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We're all getting older but just tailor your expectations to your ability. You can cover a lot of area without having to portage and still get in to the backcountry. Checkout putting in at Kawaywaymog (Kmog). Pretty area, lots of options, and you can portage, not portage. You could plan not to portage and just hike a portage for a day trip, with/without gear, to see how your feeling. I surprised myself by how much I enjoyed this area and how easy it is to get in/out. Not a fan of Tim/Rosebary. Painfully winding river, endless switch backing, not much to see in terms of landscape. That's just my experience. I think we pulled over about 6 or 7 beaver dams when we went through but that is a seasonal issue.
Last edited by FredForest (11/05/2025 10:21 am)
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The lone portage for Tim - Rosebary was a pain in the behind, many years ago, due to the poorly executed steps on the "down" side. I found it easier to just carefully walk down the steep slope.
Not sure you would want to do it while carrying anything.
I wouldn't attempt it nowadays without my hiking poles.
Barbara
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i agree with freddy ,, north tea is a great spot,, beware of weekend warriors
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Thank you all for your suggestions and comments. I really appreciate it.
My favorite Tim memory comes from scouting days in the 80's. We had just started our trip, were winding down the Tim, when something large and in charge gave with a super-menacing vocalization from just beyond the small brush on the shore. It was hidden from view, so we never saw it, we just heard the sound. None of us could tell if it was a bear or a moose, but whatever it was, the warning was well taken, and we set a speed record paddling for the ensuing minute.
I'll take a look at all these areas. One other I had considered was the Rock/Penn area, because that's long on paddling, short on portaging, but I've never been to that area before so I don't know the brutality level of the portages.
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rock to penn ,, again my friend,, beware of weekend warriors
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I'm with Swede.. anytime, in the last ten years, that I have put in off 60 I promise myself it will be the last time (motorboats, crazies, put in/portage pandemonium) but Rock/Penn checks your boxes.
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FYI It's never too early. I'm usually thinking of my next trip before the current one starts.
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Dave,
With you just getting back on your feet, have you given any thought about doing a "hub and spoke" trip, making a base camp and doing daily trips out and back? That would give you a lot more options to explore and not put you into any "over extensions" as you get back into the your previous routines in the park. Just a thought.
Andy
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I'm big on base-camping or 'hub and spoke'. The amount of time it takes to tear down, pack up, travel and set up camp again is better used having a coffee, casting a line, reading, paddling and seeing the surroundings with a light load.
I have been quite pleased with my route 60 experiences - from Canoe lake north to Burnt Island and south thru Ragged to Bonnechere were both beautiful areas and while there are more folks around, that's not a bad thing when you would like a safety net nearby.
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A couple more thoughts on this. Bruce Lake is a great spot with one easy 500 m portage. Single site lake for privacy however you can hear boats on source lake. Also Fork or Norway. With a few dams and one 5m pull over it's an easy trip with nice rewards.
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Thank you all so much for the suggestions. I'll be pouring through all these recommendations (since I've nothing better to do!).
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