Algonquin Adventures / September solo out of Kiosk

**Posted by Pete911** 8/20/2024 10:30 am

Planning for a solo in September out of Kiosk, and looking for your input on route and days. 1st time in this part of the park.
Current plan is Kiosk to Erables (night 1) - Nadine (2,3)- ½ way down Nip – Perly Dam or Rolling Dam (4) - suggestions? Top end of Cedar (5) Mink (6), Kiosk (out)
Could add a few days if warranted. Will be fishing Nadine and Nip ++
Day 1 and 2 are heavy portage days. I will double carry. Add a day? Ie Kiosk to Maple, Maple to Skuce, Skuce to Nadine?
What about 3 days on Nadine?
Any reason to go clockwise instead?
Any input, advice appreciated.
thanks in advance

**Posted by keg** 8/20/2024 2:44 pm

The potages from Erables to Nadine are work. When I last did that area, I did Erables to Little Osler then Little Osler to Nadine.

In terms of which direction, counterclockwise you get the benefit of the Nip's current but you'll likely have to deal with the prevailing winds from Cedar to Kiosk in your face the whole way. You could get lucky though.

Love that area of the park.

**Posted by Dwight** 8/20/2024 3:20 pm

Great route! Your planning looks good. No day looks really difficult. Have solo paddled a canoe with a double blade/kayak paddle from Nadine to Cedar a few times, usually takes around 8 to 9 hours, taking breaks along the way. Nadine and the Oslers is a nice area as is the Nipissing River from Nadine to Cedar. Hope you see a moose! Done this route going both directions. Always some sections are done easier in one direction than the other. Personally like to avoid going UP Maple Creek, going down is much easier. That being said also like to avoid paddling up the Nipissing against the current. Prefer to avoid the crazy steep Heart Attack Hill going UP from Little Nadine to LIttle Osler. You should have an awesome trip no matter which direction you travel. Enjoy the spring water halfway between Olser and Nadine, and second spring near the Nipissing River end of the Nadine/Nip portage.

Last edited by Dwight (8/20/2024 3:40 pm)

**Posted by Bampot** 8/21/2024 7:47 am

Kiosk to Erables is uphill / upstream on Maple Creek. Also, being your first day you will have more food weight on those portages. I recommend doing this section the other direction at the end of your trip with less food weight.

In early August I was on Whiskyjack with plans to spend the next night on the Nipissing. However, every campsite I passed on the Nipissing was poor to extremely poor. The campsites were so bad that I decided to travel 40+ km back to Brent instead of camping on the river the last night. If you do plan on camping along this section of the Nipissing, the best campsite by far is the one at the end of the 350m portage at Perly Dam Rapids. However, it is literally right on the portage and there are no suitable trees to hang your food easily anywhere in that area.

If you are looking for a longer trip out of Kiosk, I would recommend:

Day 1: Kiosk to Mink
Day 2: Mink to Little Cauchon
Day 3: Little Cauchon to Cedar
Day 4: Cedar to Catfish
Day 5: Catfish to Burntroot, Robinson, or Whiskyjack
Day 6: Burntroot, Robinson, or Whiskyjack to Nadine
Day 7: Nadine to Maple
Day 8: Maple to Kiosk

**Posted by Shanny G** 8/22/2024 5:22 pm

Thanks for the info, I’ve been wanting to do a trip out of Kiosk for awhile!

Bampot wrote:
Kiosk to Erables is uphill / upstream on Maple Creek. Also, being your first day you will have more food weight on those portages. I recommend doing this section the other direction at the end of your trip with less food weight.

In early August I was on Whiskyjack with plans to spend the next night on the Nipissing. However, every campsite I passed on the Nipissing was poor to extremely poor. The campsites were so bad that I decided to travel 40+ km back to Brent instead of camping on the river the last night. If you do plan on camping along this section of the Nipissing, the best campsite by far is the one at the end of the 350m portage at Perly Dam Rapids. However, it is literally right on the portage and there are no suitable trees to hang your food easily anywhere in that area.

If you are looking for a longer trip out of Kiosk, I would recommend:

Day 1: Kiosk to Mink
Day 2: Mink to Little Cauchon
Day 3: Little Cauchon to Cedar
Day 4: Cedar to Catfish
Day 5: Catfish to Burntroot, Robinson, or Whiskyjack
Day 6: Burntroot, Robinson, or Whiskyjack to Nadine
Day 7: Nadine to Maple
Day 8: Maple to Kiosk

**Posted by hiker72** 8/24/2024 11:48 am

keg wrote:
The potages from Erables to Nadine are work. When I last did that area, I did Erables to Little Osler then Little Osler to Nadine.

In terms of which direction, counterclockwise you get the benefit of the Nip's current but you'll likely have to deal with the prevailing winds from Cedar to Kiosk in your face the whole way. You could get lucky though.

Love that area of the park.

Agree 100% - amazing area! We covered this route as part of an epic trip, also staying on Erables, Little Osler, and Nadine (with an awesome rest day on Nadine). IMHO, going from Erables to Nadine in one day would be a really tough grind, especially so when factoring in double carries and shorter daylight in September.

Last edited by hiker72 (8/24/2024 11:52 am)

**Posted by Pete911** 8/27/2024 9:49 am

REVISED PLAN
thanks for the input and suggestions re: maple creek, heart attack hill etc.
I will run this loop in reverse (clockwise) and a slightly more leisurely pace.
Kiosk jump off (night 0), Little Cauchon (1), Lower Nip (2) Perly Dam (3) Nadine (4,5) Skuce (6) Maple (7) Kiosk (8)

**Posted by shaggy** 8/27/2024 2:42 pm

I feel like the "Long Marsh" campsite just up-river from the Perly Dam portage and campsites was better, if only because it wasn't on the portage trail. There were a few logging artifacts laying about, was fairly level/flat. It wasn't super open to the river, though.

**Posted by Pete911** 8/27/2024 7:55 pm

shaggy wrote:
I feel like the "Long Marsh" campsite just up-river from the Perly Dam portage and campsites was better, if only because it wasn't on the portage trail. There were a few logging artifacts laying about, was fairly level/flat. It wasn't super open to the river, though.

Thanks Shaggy,. Long Marsh booked instead..

**Posted by Roman_K2** 8/30/2024 5:41 pm

I can't imagine paddling on Kioshkowi alone.