Trip #7 - May 2008 - Rock, Pen, Welcome, Harry, Louisa, Rock Loop

This trip was one of the more aggressive ones we have embarked on site we started interior camping. In the past we tried out some different canoes but when setting up this trip we knew that we had to pack very lite. We had been looking at canoes to buy but hadn't yet decided what we wanted so for this trip we rented from the Canoe Lake outfitters. This canoe was a 16' ultra lite Kevlar weighing in at 38 lbs.

We arrived at the outfitters about 20 min. before they opened and the anticipation of the journey ahead of us was intense.

We had purchased our permit from the West gate prior to renting the canoe so once the canoe was secured to the roof of the van we headed to the put in at Rock Lake Access #9. We arrived around 09:00 and wasted no time loading our gear and shoving off on our trip. The water was high due to the spring melt and this meant that protruding rocks and dead heads that we had become accustomed to were now just beneath the waters surface making the paddle even more interesting.

We made our way across Rock and Pen lakes in record time and didn't really take a breather until we got to the Galipo River portage on the S/W end of Pen Lake. Though we had been to this water falls numerous times before this time seemed different. This time we were pushing on into the unknown that being Welcome Lake and beyond. There is something to be said about being familiar with the lakes you intend to travel especially in early Spring when the water is so cold. This trip we planned on seeing 5 lakes we had never ventured to before. Keeping our excitement in check was a must as we didn't want to make any stupid decisions along the way that could wreck our planned trip itinerary.

Blake on the edge of the falls that run along the side of the Pen to Galipo River portage.

The first new portage was the 2170 m one from Galipo River to Welcome Lake. We landed on the start of the portage and took off in a flash to get to Welcome Lake. We forgot to snap a photo of the portage sign at the start of the portage so this picture was taken once we reached Welcome Lake.

We made quick work of the 2170 m portage by one tripping it. Like I mentioned before we packed very lite. One tent, one pack, one canoe and this made it fairly easy to one time time portage. We made it to Harry Lake around 14:00 and decided that this site was the best choice for the 1st night stay. The site was on a beach at the East end of Harry Lake just as you paddle up stream through the narrow channel from Welcome Lake. We set camp and spent a couple hours just exploring the beach looking for signs of Moose and Bear. We did have a visitor at our camp that afternoon in the form of a Pine Marten. This little critter ran back and forth from behind our site to a tree just in the bush behind the site. We did get a picture but it really doesn't do the little guy any justice as we only had with us cheep digital camera with very little zoom capabilities.

Day two started off early around 05:30 with breaking camp and a brief look at the Chrismar map to ensure we identified the next leg of our journey. We made a quick stop at this site on Rence Lake. This shot shows what some of the sites look like when venturing into the interior this early in the Spring. Sites this far in have yet to be visited by the Rangers for Spring clean-up.

Before we knew it we were on another portage this 320 m portage takes us from Rence into Frank Lake. This canoe was a dream to portage and with Blake carrying the pack I think I had the better carry.

We completed the 320 m portage and then were faced with this unique paddle through a narrow section at the South end of Frank.

We paddled up into Florence Lake and then prepared for the 1725 m portage from Florence to Louisa. The weather was calm and this made paddling enjoyable. Getting an early start on each leg of this trip

This picture speaks volumes to how winter tends to hold on in Algonquin. This East facing ridge along the portage to Louisa only sees sun in the early morning but due to the trees blocking most of it these large chunks of ice take forever to melt.

We stopped for 3rd night at a site on the South shore of Louisa about 2/3 of the way down the lake. The weather turned and the rain started to move in. We managed to get a fire going with our magnesium stick and some birch bark. We did some exploring in the tree covered hills behind the site and even managed to hike to the site West of us only to discover that it was occupied and judging by the comments they made to each other we had the occupants wondering what was coming through the woods behind their site. We never did come out and say hello or even let them see us so I am sure they thought we were a Moose or something.

Day 3 was heading home day. we awoke to more rain and packed up fast knowing we would be unpacking at home and drying out our gear anyways. We headed off towards the long portage from Louisa to Rock Lake around 07:00.

This portage was the most intimidating until we actually started in on it. We one tripped this one as well and this was a great accomplishment for Blake and I.

We stopped twice along the way to Rock Lake to grab a snack since we skipped breakfast this morning. Blake is pictured here with the pack and a small water tight pack that contained our food. This yellow pack is great for food and is easy to rig up into a tree on your site to keep the food from animals. The pack is totally water proof and therefore also contains any food smell so bears and other curious animals won't be tempted to investigate the contents.

In all this was my favourite trip thus far. The loop was aggressive for a 3 day trip but packing lite and smart made it enjoyable.

Of all the trips we have done this one was my fovourite because we were faced with challenges and we over came them and pushed on. I really think I learned the most about tripping during this trip and completeing a loop is kinda a scence of accomplishment.

Trip #6 October 2007 - Rock Lake

This picture is of Dad and Grant fishing in the small channel between Rose and Jean islands. Dad brought up his small steel boat this trip since we were staying of Rock Lake. Normally it is canoes only but this trip was an exception given the party size and the lake we chose to stay on.

The group took a day trip over the the Booth's Rock Trail. If the sun would have came out from behind the clouds this would have been a great picture. The climb to the lookout was not too bad because the trail has stairs in spots to to make it easier for kids and seniors to enjoy the view. The bay on the left of the picture is the Rock Lake campground area.

This is a closeup of two of our tents on the sand. Jean island is off in the distance and Grant is trying his luck at fishing along the rocky shoreline.

Our first night camping this trip was exciting. We were all gathered around the camp fire when suddenly out of the darkness from behind our camp came this Fox. We all took pictures of this fearless animal but this shot turned out to be the best one. The Fox was a bit jumpy but it appeared more hungry than anything else. The island isn't very big, we thought maybe he came over in the winter when the lake was frozen and just didn't get back t the main land before the ice went out. Who knows maybe Fox just like to swim?

Rose Island site on Rock Lake interior October 2007

This site was nothing special but had a sandy beach that protruded about 100' into the lake. We set up our tents on the sand point. I had never camped on sand like this in Algonquin interior before. We had some rain over the weekend but it quickly drained away beneath the sand.

Trip #5 - May 2007 - Pen Lake

In May of 2007 we gathered a group of 9 and set out to explore more of Pen Lake. Our friend Steve brought up some of his friends and family and we went up with our Dad and his friend Jim.
We stayed on the Western most island, the Southern side of the island. In the future Blake will stay on the Northern site on this island.



This is the group of campers that assembled for this trip. 9 people is the largest party that you may have on one site in Algonquin.

Dad's friend Jim was an expert with a rope and we all got a lesson in scaling a tree using nothing more than a rope and some really cool knots.

We camped on the west island at the North end of the lake. The South site was the most inviting for a large group such as this. Our Dad is pictured here with my brother and I. We spread all the tents out so that each person had some privacy and nobody would have to hear some of the campers snoring.

Blake making his first attempt at scaling the tree. It is amazing how much one small branch will hold if rigged properly.

This is a view from a rock face we climbed up to. Off in the distance you can see the South end of Rock Lake. We estimated that the drop from this point was about 80 m so nobody wanted to get too close to the edge.


Blake and I near the edge. You can see Pen Lake in the distance.

Trip #4 Clydegale Lake - October 2006

This 4th trip into the interior of Algonquin was another first for Blake and I. After the last trip our buddy Steve managed to round up some friends that were willing to give this type of adventure a try. The one thing that I learned this time around was that no matter how many planning meetings you have prior to your trip newcomers will always find out the hard way. As you will see soon packing lite is an essential part of enjoying your trip not the other way around.


Because this team included six campers we drove up in separate vehicles. Just beyond the west gate we came upon two moose grazing in the long grass along highway 60. This was a first for the newcomers so we stopped and took some pictures.

This above shot should be a poster shot for what not to take camping into the interior! I was a little concerned about the amount of gear our newcomers took along. My brother Blake and I led the way across Rock Lake and I felt it would be best to hug the west shoreline just in case they dumped their canoes or river barges which ever you might call them! We managed to get to the Pen portage with little excitement and then the newcomers got a taste of why you don't pack everything you think you might use or want when portaging into the interior. I explained that you carry what you pack and then Blake and I made our single trek up into Pen. Our friends that thought they knew better made four trips back and forth across this short portage before all their gear was finally on the banks of Pen Lake. I felt sorry for them but everybody tends to learn the hard way when it comes to giving up creature comforts to pack lite.

Brother Blake and I took some time to explore the top of the rapids leading into Rock Lake from Pen while we waited for our friends to recover from the portage. This is Blake in his new rain gear, the gear he made mention about in our trip#3 log. The rain gear is cool the hat isn't but that is just my opinion. I think he looks like a Dick Tracey wannabe.

Some of our gear sitting on the dock at the put in to Pen Lake. You can see we both have canoe packs and they are a great thing when travelling in spring or fall (Rainy Season).

This is Blake relaxing in his tent at our Clydegale Lake campsite while the rain is coming down. Even with good tents it is always a good idea to make room in you pack for a small tarp like this one. Your tent may stay dry without a tarp but the area immediately outside the tent door will get wet unless you cover it with a tarp. This makes getting in and out much cleaner and less likely to track pine needles and dirt into you sleeping gear.

This is a picture of the site, notice the folding lawn chairs. We decided from past trip experience that taking a chair like this can pay dividends if your site has no tree stumps or other places to sit. If you look around you can pick up a small chair like mine in the middle. This chair has an aluminum frame and no arm rests. I can pack this chair inside my canoe pack and it weighs less than a pound.

One of the excursions we decided to take was a trek through the woods to a small lake called Gale Lake. Though only about 800 m as the crow fly it was much longer given the terrain that we faced on our journey. Brother Blake made use of his hand held GPS ans a compass along the way.

After about an hour or so we emerged on this really cool lake. The first thing I remember saying to myself was I wonder if this lake has any fish in it. later that day I made a return trip with my pole and spent some time trying my luck in a few choice locations. I never got so much as a nibble but it was worth it given the piece and quiet.

The second excursion of this trip was one up the South Madawaska river. This paddle was fun and attempting to paddle up over beaver dams against to current proved who was the most experienced paddlers of the group. The river brings you up to some rapids that in fall are too shallow to paddle up through. We pulled the canoes on shore and walked the portage up along the side of this twisting river.

This was the four of us that made this day trip. We are posing beside the portage sign at the bottom end of the 630 m portage into Clydegale Lake. If you look closely you can see that my left leg is soaked. I made a rookie move when exiting the canoe at the portage and ended up slipping into the river. Wet feet and only one pair of footwear, not a comforting feeling.

Our trip to the Madawaska took longer than expected and the days are short this time of year. We managed to get back to camp just before dark. It is always a good idea to take flash light and map of the lake whenever you venture out for little trips like this. If you run late and end up paddling in the dark a flashlight and map goes a long way to getting you back to camp safe.

This was one of the only times the six of us stopped moving long enough in the same place to snap a picture. The swift water behind us is the flow from Clydegale down into Pen approx. a 9 m drop in elevation over a 200 m distance. I hear that the fishing is good at the base of the rapids in the early Spring though I have yet t try my luck.

This is a shot taken while we were getting ready to head home. The reason for choosing this site in the first place was that we had a North wind on the first day so even though the site is elevated it provided cover. This decision came back to haunt us the second day when the wind turned right around and brought with it some rain. Over all the trip was a blast and this group of guys got along great.

The journey out along Pen was awesome. The lake was like glass and this made paddling a dream. You can see in the picture just how much gear the others took in. I never would have imagined bringing in a cooler like the one these two brought along.

We all made it back and nobody got hurt.I was glad to have a chance to show this great place to some new people.

Trip #3 - May 2006 - Pen Lake

In January of 2006 we started planning an epic 3rd trip into Pen Lake with our friend Steve. This trip was going to be all about exploring all we could of the peripheral lakes and portages that feed to Pen, as well as some select rock cuts identified on our Chrismar map (Chrismar is a manufacturer of high quality mylar waterproof topo maps of the park). This was Steve's first trip into the interior of Alqonquin, and our first trip in May.

Grant and Blake looking like idiots in our $5 matching rain gear at the start of the Rock to Pen portage. The rain gear lasted about 300 m before the pants ripped to shreds. At the time we thought matching was cool, but viewing this shot after the trip explains why the campers we passed on the portage were laughing...

Half way across Pen we stopped for a hot lunch on the East shore. The lake seemed calm at the put-in on Pen, but after we passed the narrow channel between the two islands we were met with 2 foot waves that washed over the bow. I (Blake) was sitting in the middle of the canoe on the floor of the vessel in my torn $5 rain gear, as you can see in this picture my jeans are soaked. Steve on the other hand had a $20 pair of rain pants on that were of much higher quality and was dry. I now own the same brand. Lesson learned.

A further lesson learned, this trip was the last one in which I wore blue jeans. They take hours to dry once wet or damp and they weigh a ton.

The canoe you see here is a 16' heavy-duty fiberglass which weighs in at 93 lbs. This was the last time this canoe made its way into the interior.

A view of our site. The last site on the east shore of Pen before you reach the Clydegale Lake portage.

Blake enjoying a relaxing read by the fire during our first evening. Shortly after this photo was taken the weather turned cold and the 3 of us gave up on cleanliness and laid down around the fire, directly on the dirt. We all fell asleep there on the ground for an hour or so. The combination of very little sleep the night before in anticipation of our trip coupled with portaging a 93 lbs. canoe and paddling the length of Pen lake into a strong headwind must have taken a toll on us, but that warm fire was great.

Steve and Blake on an outcropping we saw from the lake and hiked up to.

A great waterfall at the start of the portage from Pen to the Galipo River.

The 3 of us at the base of the big fall from Galipo River down into Pen Lake. Elevation difference between river and lake: 18m

Steve and Blake standing by the fast moving channel between Clydegale and Pen Lake.

Grant by the falls from Galipo.

Grant and Steve log walking across a small bay north of our site. I didn't want to get my only pair of footwear soaked like Grant did moments after this photo was taken. Grant does not recommend log rolling in the interior of Algonquin. Lesson learned.