Participants: Andrew, the IRI Gang
Dates: 2002-08-22 to 2002-08-25
Level of difficulty: Easy
Total portages: 1260m
This is essentially the same trip that we took last year with a larger group and different planning. This time we required three sites in the park due to the size of our group. However, each site independently planned their food so that we didn't wind up with the massive excess of food we had the previous year. The group I stayed with still had too much food, but it wasn't as severe as it was the year before.
Thursday, August 22, 2002 - St. Catharines to Voyageur Outfitting, Kawawaymog Lake
As we did last year, we make our way North from St. Catharines to stay at the cabins of Voyageur Outfitting on the south shore of Kawawaymog Lake. We all arrive well after dark as we have left work after 5pm. We find the cabins along a dark, but relatively well marked trail. The cabins are all pretty basic, with old bunk beds and gas lamps. After staying up for some time to talk and generally relax, we turn in for the night.
Friday, August 23, 2002 - Kawawaymog Lake, Amable du Fond River, North Tea Lake
Portages:
1. Amable du Fond River to Amable du Fond River - 135m
2. Amable du Fond River to North Tea Lake - 255m
Total for today: 390m
As part of the price to stay at Voyageur Outfitting, breakfast is included. We wake up in the morning, eat the provided breakfast (cold cereal, toast, juice and coffee). We have rented canoes from Voyageur. This year, rather than obtaining our canoes at the site on the south shore of the lake, we go to the site by the park office on the west shore of the lake. We collect our canoes and make our way across the lake.
The water levels are higher this year than they were last year. This means that we don't need to get out and push at the mouth of the Amable du Fond River, but the trees still brush the bottom of the canoe periodically. Once again we are able to push our canoes through the rocks at the first portage on the river, and make our way down to North Tea Lake.
Once again we have decided in advance that we'd like to head for the same set of islands in the western arm of the lake. However, we all wind up leaving the end of the portage and the group becomes very scattered. This was not good planning, and it takes us the better part of and hour and a half to manage to collect everyone in the group and choose the three sites we will use for the next few days. The group I'm with has a site that shares an island with another, and is directly across from another island with just one site, occupied by members of our group. We setup camp, and enjoy a relaxed dinner at our site before turning in for the night.
Saturday, August 24, 2002 - North Tea Lake, Mangotasi Lake, Hornbeam Lake, Mangotasi Lake, North
Tea Lake
Portages:
1. Mangotasi Lake to Hornbeam Lake - 240m
2. Hornbeam Lake to Mangotasi Lake - 240m
Total for today: 480m
I start the morning off with a nice swim on the sunny side of the island, and then we enjoy breakfast before deciding what to do with the day.
A small group of us decides to pack up a lunch and paddle off to a waterfall that one person in our group has described to us. While this member of the group doesn't join us on the paddle, the instructions we were given are quite good, and we find the waterfall quite easily. It is actually a large rock where a river empties into Mangotasi Lake. The water runs over this rock, and we spend some time playing in the water at the base of the rock. The sun is shining and it makes for a very nice way to spend part of the day.
The paddle home starts out pretty well, but the small lake the waterfall empties into is deceptive. We cross the first portage, and at the other end find two female moose, a mother and her calf, feeding at the edge of the lake. We carefully and quietly paddle closer, and snap a few photos. Then its time for the paddle back to our site, only to discover that the wind has picked up. This makes for a difficult paddle home as we are paddling into a headwind, but we struggle our way across the lake and return to our sites.
Sunday, August 25, 2002 - North Tea Lake, Amable du Fond River, Kawawaymog Lake, home to
St. Catharines
Portages:
1. North Tea Lake to Amable du Fond River - 255m
2. Amable du Fond River to Amable Fond River - 135m
Total for today: 390m
Today turns out to be another windy day. We make our way across the western arm of North Tea Lake into a tough headwind. The different groups leave their sites at different times, so it will be interesting to see who arrives at the far end at what time.
The Amable du Fond River is a welcome break from the wind, and we make our way down the river, pushing our canoes through the rocks at the short second portage as we have learned to do in the past. Our arrival at Kawawaymog Lake is greeted by the wind again, as we have no shelter anymore. The paddle across the lake is difficult, but we all arrive at the dock at the far end, tired, but all still dry and no-one having gone for an unexpected swim.
After returning our boats, we all make our way home to St. Catharines.
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