Mapping, tracking and tripping vicariously the Marshall Loop, Ontario

In my wrap-up from my BWCA trip, I'd stated that I'd share the inReach link next trip so people could follow along at home if they wished. I, of course, didn't do that last year when I did the Steel River loop but as Glenn suggested in this thread, I will do so on this year's trip. (Glenn: if there's a better place for this post, feel free to move it)

This Sunday morning, I'm headed for Memaquay's backyard again and I'll be taking a very leisurely trip on the Marshall Lakes loop. I'm told that it's typically done in 5-7 days but I'm planning on taking my time, doing a lot of fishing, exploring every campsite or other point of interest that I find and turning it into a 10-12 day trip (including the side trip into Faulbert where I might take a layover day, except that it's pretty early in the route). I'll post the 1st page of Mem's map set but I'll allow him to share the rest as he wishes.




As recped did for his Paddling in Circles thread, I've switched the mapshare feature on my inReach to "public" so that anyone interested can follow along without a password. I don't think you can message me but, if I'm wrong, I ask that you please don't. With the plan that I'm on, I get 40 free messages and I know, going in, that one each day will be used by my dad (which, at 87, I'll gladly allow) when he sends an "ok, thanks" response to the nightly "all clear". (I have no idea what additional messages cost but I'd rather not find out)

If you're wondering what friends & family see when you're in the woods and they're at home, you can check the mapshare and see what the inReach provides them. If you carry a Spot or Zoleo and care to share the tracking, I'm ok with you doing it on this thread or starting your own (I'm curious to compare the others)

Here's the link to mine: https://share.garmin.com/YOEM6 (in case you're curious, the "YOEM6" has no significance... Garmin assigned it & I let it be)

My protocol is to turn on the device in the morning, just before I break camp (sometimes takes a few minutes for the tracking to start), leave it on & tracking all day (it reports my whereabouts every 10 minutes) until I'm done traveling. I send an "all clear" to those at home before I hit the sack and it then gets turned off to save the battery and recharge.

One further request: I tend to drive rather quickly and would appreciate it if nobody calls the highway patrol and tips them off that "there is an old, multi-colored Ford Ranger with a canoe on the roof that's haulin' butt around mile marker _____". Thanks in advance.

Gamma, since this topic is the precursor of a trip report (in this thread or another), I moved it into the Canadian Trip Reports forum. I also added "Marshall Loop, Ontario" into the title so it would clear from the title where the tracked trip is.

Good fortune and fun on your trip! Which of your newly made set of paddles are you going to take?

I'll take all 4. I don't have a lot of confidence in my handiwork not breaking and I'll need 2 to make the complete circuit (or 1 and a stick) since I use paddles instead of a portage yoke.

I'll start another thread for the TR as I'm hopeful others will post their mapshares to this thread or another that they start.

Gamma1214 said:

I'll start another thread for the TR as I'm hopeful others will post their mapshares to this thread or another that they start.

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Oh, I didn't catch that was your intent from the OP. If people want to post their own tripping mapshares, I anticipate that they'd do so in their own threads. I suspect in this one folks might comment on how they are interpreting your track, why you're moving so fast or so slow, or why you've gone somewhere unexpected.

After we see what actually happens in the thread, I'll reconsider about whether it still belongs in the Canadian Trip Reports forum or move it back to the Navigation and Communication forum. Good idea, in any event, and I'm glad you're doing it. All my trips are vicarious these days.

Looking forward to this TR Gamma. Take plenty of pics, including some thoughts on using each of your paddles.

We are in the middle of a heat wave, you will have an excellent trip. Water levels are still very good.

I've been watching your weather and "heat wave" is relative. Looks like I'll miss some 100 degree (F) days here next week.

(won't miss them at all, really)

Looking foward to seeing your progress. I have looked at Mems maps for this route before, what's the parking situation? I had to laugh, my 86 year old mother replies to every single OK message. Even after I explained the additional cost of extra messages she still responds to every one. Even when my message says "don't respond to this message", I get a last "OK" message. I can't win, but it does give me a good laugh when I'm out there alone.

Mark

Parking is good, there is a big lot at the
entrance, pretty safe too. I've parked there many times, left my truck for days, always good when I came back.

Even when my message says "don't respond to this message", I get a last "OK" message. I can't win, but it does give me a good laugh when I'm out there alone.

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Exactly. I'm just glad that he's OK at home.

Good to know that the parking is safe. I may leave a note for MNR asking that they not ticket me for littering as, believe it or not, someone is actually coming back for this vehicle.

memaquay said:

Parking is good, there is a big lot at the
entrance, pretty safe too. I've parked there many times, left my truck for days, always good when I came back.

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Thanks, that's good to know. I've never had problems anywhere I've left a car. It might be that I drive old, beat up looking cars that look like somebody already got to them.

Mark

Gamma, looking forward to your trip report. I buddy and I are looking for some new areas in Ontario and this one sounds interesting. And make sure to watch your speedometer, kph does not equal mph.

For anyone following a trip via Mapshare. it is important to make note that the default display is for only the current track. If the device is turned off at camp or the tracking is stopped there will be a new track each day. Look to the upper right of the map and click "see all tracks" to see the previous days track.

The owner of the InReach can set a starting date so that previous trips are not displayed. The added benefit is you can make it public without showing old tracking that you may not want to share with others.

Good info as I thought that was how it worked. I'd already set the start date for 7/14 so nobody has to wade through all the other tracks. I think it will still show the waypoints (from the Steel last year & one from a trailhead in WV) so just ignore those.

Just got done packing coffee into tea bags. Boat's strapped down & I'm hoping to be across the border by 5pm if not earlier. Probably won't get the coveted sunset shot across Superior (hoping to be north of her by sunset) but that's ok. Minimum expectation for tomorrow is Batchawana Bay; ideally, I'll make White River or beyond.

...make sure to watch your speedometer...

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Remember, from my Steel River TR, that speed limits are, IMO, theoretical. Should be good road conditions (dry and sun in the rear view in the am) so I'll likely stretch the old Ranger's legs a bit (might be her last trip North). I may strap into the impending wreckage, however, just to make myself less of a target. We'll see...

Have a great time and be safe. I'm looking forward to following along.

It looks like Gamma has made it to the outskirts of Geraldton. I can only assume he was stopped from actually entering the town by a gang of Canadian hillbillies who wish to confiscate his sweet Ford Ranger. One can only hope that after the bandits confer with Don Memaquay that Gamma will be released and given a warm welcome.

Alan

Alan Gage said:

a gang of Canadian hillbillies who wish to confiscate his sweet Ford Ranger.

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That should be a gang of "hosers" (we don't have "hillbillies"). You don't see many Rangers here but the F-150 has been the biggest selling vehicle in Canada for at least a decade. Prior to the F-150 it was the "Magic Wagon" that had the top spot (known in the US as a Plymouth Voyager and Dodge Caravan).

Those hosers would of course be wearing a " Kapuskasing Dinner Jacket" red if you are a Habs fan, blue if you are a leafs fan. In the Kapuskasing / Geraldton area you see lots of red because there are many francophones in that part of Ontario and they of course only support the Montreal Canadiens.

I can report that Gamma just left my place for Marshall after a short visit. Looks like he is in for a stretch of nice weather, hope the bugs are kind to him!

Gamma said he wouldn’t mind if I share some of my pics of the circuit that corresponds to his tracking. Here’s two of his current location this morning, the 1 mile portage trail from his truck to the lake and the put in at Marshall Lake. I hope he has less wind than I encountered.

He made it to Gripp Lake for the night, beautiful campsite.