Agreed. I apologies for the lack of detail. It was a late evening post
Yes. I rented my gear from Algonquin Outfitters at their Oxtounge Lake location. AO's staff was super friendly and helpful. The gear was heavy duty, with an emphasis on heavy, but that is to be expected since it is rental gear and needs to last. Subsequently, my pack was not something I would have enjoyed hauling across long portages. Since only shorties were on my itinerary, the pack weight didn't bother me. As a side note, soon or later I will buy one of AO's portage packs. They are great quality/size at half the price (or less) of some of the well known brands. I had opted for a 16' Prospector in Swift's Kevlar Fusion layup. The canoe was a dream to paddle from the bow seat forward, with my portage pack riding either in front of, or on the bow (formerly stern) seat. A solo canoe might have been more nimble and a yet lighter, but I came to appreciate the extra free board of the Prospector on my last day, where a stiff breeze whipped up sizable white caps on Rock Lake. I never felt unsafe in that Prospector.
Planned Itinerary(s):
My primary plan was to access at Rock Lake, portage into Pen Lake where I would stay the first night. On 2nd day I was going to portage into Clydegale Lake where I was going to explore and stay the 2nd night. On my 3rd day I was going to do the same route in reverse, staying a 3rd night at Rock Lake. So far for best-laid plans. When I got to the Parks Office I learned that Pen and Clydegale were already full, so a secondary plan formed. Access at Rock Lake, portage into Galeairy Lake and stay the 1st night there. On 2nd day I was going to portage to Night Lake and on to Pen Lake for the 2nd night (my hoe was that I would find a site, even though Parks said there weren't any). That alternative plan deserved a lot of additional thought, as considerations of pack weight now had to come into play. My planned short portages had morphed into some extended trail time. On the 3rd day I would do the same route in reverse.
What actually happened:
I accessed at Rock Lake and paddled south, along the east side of R. L. because I was going to save the west side, the islands and the petroglyphs for my return trip in a few days. About half way down R.L. I got turned around right after the southern most island. A pparently it is true that islands shorelines are nearly indistinguishable from surrounding shore lines. Something I had never been faced with, as the lakes I typically paddle are tiny compared to where I was now. Getting turned around like that was a sobering realization, as I previously thought my navigational skills weren't that bad. After a break I decided to follow the western shoreline instead of the east, as the west side would inevitably lead me to the short portage trail to Galeairy Lake. My next unexpected obstacle was the apparently low water level of Rock Lake, which had exposed a sizable, un-navigable field of rocks and boulders between me and the portage. Judging by the many paint marks on the rocks, others had tried to navigate around or through this mine field. I opted to get out of the canoe instead and guide, carry, all my gear. That took the better part of an hour and gifted me with a rolled ankle when my foot slipped off one of an algae covered, slimy rock. Finally at Galeairy, I took a breather, soaked my ankle in the cold water and admired the scenery. Fall colors started to come in and the water was like glass. I almost felt bad I was going to disturb this silence and serenity. As it was mid-afternoon by now, I opted to look for a camp site at Galeairy and call it a day. My map showed a camp site at an island not too far from the portage. When I got to the island I looked for the bright orange camp site sign but couldn't find it. As I circled the island, I found the camp site and decided to check it out anyway. I was thinking that perhaps I wasn't supposed to camp there because the sign was gone, but I found the site quite nice, and left over bits and pieces of civilization indicated recent use. I checked off the few signs of a good camp site AO staff had told me about (no bear turds in camp, no food in thunder box, good supply of fire wood near by) and settled in. I got a few bass right off the bank and I enjoyed a very pleasant and quiet evening without bugs or any other disturbances. The next morning, my rolled ankle was pretty unhappy with me, and the thought of portaging became less and less attractive. I decided to stay on the island and use it as home base for exploration instead. I paddled (and short portaged) into Night Lake and I explored the the east side of Galeairy Lake, which turns into a huge body of water as it gets closer to the park's edge. Till my departure, I spent my time paddling glassy coves, fishing and otherwise basking in the silence of it all. One of the more memorable events were the calls of the Loons early in the morning. I had always thought of that sound as such a cliche of the north, but here they were, and their haunting calls are really quite something. Departure day came too soon, and I was reminded by the pelting rain, of the importance of a properly rigged tarp. The contraption I had managed to create was less than adequate, given the circumstances. Still, my surroundings were beautiful even in the rain, and mild temperatures allowed me to ignore getting soaked and instead enjoy where I was. I remember looking forward to returning to my family in California, but when I was on the water and a few hundred yards away from the island, I looked back and I realized how strangely at home I felt there. I could have easily stayed a few days longer, but unfortunatly I had a plane to catch. More time next time!
The water level at Rock Lake had apparently gone down even more in the past few days (not sure where all the water went), and now there was a sizable mud patch between the portage and the water, followed by the rock field mentioned earlier. Except now it was also raining and the wind had increased to a meaningful level. It was at this time that I really appreciated the extra free board of the Prospector because I might have been wind bound in a smaller canoe. Once I made it through those obstacles, I paddled north, past the islands on my way to see the petroglyps, which I sadly never found. Yay - One more reason to come back!
. My plan was to return my gear and stay the night at one of AO's tent cabins, before returning my rental car and catching my flight out of Toronto. However, once I was back in my car and with my gear all sorted out, my achy bones and my own smell caught up with me and I really really longed for a hot shower and a real bed. A few hours later I checked into a motel in Huntsville (quaint little town with good restaurants) for my final night in Canada.
Things I was glad I brought from home:
NRS Boundary Water Shoes - beats having wet feet the entire trip
Wax cotton Tilly hat - It was sunny most of the time but it rained one entire day
Pump style water filter - AO standard issue was iodine tablets which make water potable but tasting bad, and the amount of water I consumed would have been a chore to handle with tablets and the 1 quart drinking bottle I had.
Good solar phone charger - No cell service (thank goodness) but I took photos and video with my phone
DanForce Headlamp - Powerful and rechargeable with the same charger I used for the phone
Things I wish I would have brought:
Blowup camp pillow - My wadded up clothes made a lousy, ear-crushing excuse for a pillow, and it felt like I was rearranging things all night
Small backpack - For all the odds and ends that get lost in the big pack or the items one needs quick access to while underway
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