Started the trip at the Bell Lake access. The Widgawa Lodge people
met us with canoes and took our cars to the other side of the park.
Just paddled a short distance from the access that afternoon. This
is our first night's camp on Bell Lake. |
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There is a short carry over between Bell and
Balsam Lakes. I wasn't prepared for the strange track and cart
contraption to lift canoes over the portage. It reminded me of
something out of MYST. Anyway the cart goes in the water and the
canoe sits on the cart and you pull the whole deal up the track. |
We probably should have given Bob the opportunity to get out of the canoe before we reached to apex of the
track. After that it just like the Red Green
Show. I just remember the look of surprise on Bob's face as he went
by, canoe and all. Somehow he managed to avoid swamping the canoe as
it plunged into the lake. |
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Balsam lake was a beautiful lake to paddle. |
The camp on Balsam lake had good waterfront and it was a sunny
day.
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The next day we crossed David lake and made camp
at the base of the ridgeline in the background. |
Our camp on David Lake
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Watched a seaplane come and go bringing a group
to a cabin on the lake. At first it was neat but after a few flights
it got to be annoying. |
Spent the afternoon hiking to Silver Peak. It was a
great hike and worth the effort which was considerable. Hiking in
from David Lake involves going over one ridge, then down across a valley
and up a second ridge. This is a picture from the first ridge. |
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Jim, Terry, Mike, and Hans on top of Silver Peak |
Next morning we did the 1.8 mile portage to Great Mountain Lake. Here
is Jim portaging pack and canoe up a rock face.
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Here's me with pack and kitchen bag on the same
portage. |
After Great Mountain we did the portage to Fish Lake and made camp. Sister Augustus always told Mike and I not to stand with our
hands in our pockets. I guess we didn't learn that lesson. Neither did
Terry and Jim.
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I believe this is sunrise on Fish Lake. |
Next morning headed down the swampy channel between Fish and Howry
Lakes. Jim and Hans are heading down the channel.
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Had to crawl over a number of beaver dams to get
down the channel. Mike is on the dam. I'm in the canoe on the
other side of the dam. |
After Howry Lake came Van Winkle Lake where we camped. Bob and Terry
starting out on Van Winkle. |
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Hans and Jim on the lake |
Mike and Bill on the lake |
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Our camp on Van Winkle Lake |
A nice shot across the lake from our camp on Van Winkle |
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Sunset over Van Winkle Lake I think. |
We decided in March that a trip to Nellie Lake would be worth the
effort. It was, but the mile portage in was a real bear. The fact
that it's preceded by a 3/4 mile portage with a short paddle between
didn't help. The portage starts with the steepest and longest uphill
we've ever encountered on a portage. Here's Bob slogging up the
hill. |
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Nellie Lake is beautiful and was worth the
effort to get there. |
Our camp on Nellie Lake
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We exited the park via Charlton lake. The
upper reaches of the lake is a series of beaver dams. The last one
was a few feet higher than the others but apparently broke leaving strange
looking hoodoos of grass in the swamp.
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Ended the trip with an overnight stay at the Widgawa Lodge |
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Took the ferry across Georgian Bay to Tobermory
to begin the trip home. |
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