2015 Opeongo - White Partridge - Lavieille - Wagtail Rapids - Schooner Rapids

Wednesday, June 3 – Day 1

I got away from the house today with Mon & Dad at 2 o’clock and arrived at Opeongo just before 3:30.  I got my permit and paid for my water taxi and then said goodbye to Mom & Dad.  I headed up Opeongo in the water taxi to a campsite on the East Arm by the Wright Lake portage and arrived just after 4 o’clock.  There are about four sites along this shoreline that one can easily walk between.

I set about gathering firewood and within a short time I had a good for tonight’s fire.  Once the wood was gathered I went about setting up camp.  Once that was done I sat down by the shore and had a snack and read for a while.  As the evening progressed I decided to prepare dinner.  I continued to read down at the beach while I waited for my dinner to finish cooking.  All of a sudden out of the corner of my left eye I noticed a large, dark shape moving towards me.  I looked up and there was a young cow moose walking the shallows along the shoreline.  At this point she was about 30 feet from me.  I didn’t want to spook her so I just sat still and tried to get my camera out for a picture.  She walked right past me, no more than ten feet in front of me.  Unfortunately by the time I got the camera out she had passed by but I did get a picture as she continued on down the lakeshore.

Moose Walking Opeongo Shoreline
With the highlight of the day over I ate my dinner and then enjoyed a coffee by the lake while I read some more.  As the sun set I hung the food and then got a good fire going just before 9 o’clock.  I enjoyed it for a bit and then turned in to read for a bit before calling it a day.
Opeongo Campsite Near Wright Lake Portage
 Thursday, June 4 – Day 2

Awake at 6 am after a terrible sleep.  The day is clear and crisp with the moon setting over the distant hills.  I get a pot of water on for breakfast and coffee.  While I wait for the water to boil I go about packing up camp a bit.

Soon the kettle is boiled and I sit down to some oatmeal and a pop tart and a cup of coffee.  I cleaned up and then set about packing up camp.  I’m ready to go by 7:30 so I load up and head off across camp and down the 260m portage to Wright Lake.  A nice paddle on Wright soon has me at the 285m portage to Bonfield Lake and from there it’s just a short paddle to the 5305m portage to Dickson Lake.
 
I start the portage at 8:30am and plan to do 20 minute carries with a five minute rest.  The portage is good and with my pace I’m at Dickson Lake by 10 o’clock.  I realize along the way it has been 14 years since I last did the Bonfield-Dickson portage.

Taking a break at the junction of the portage and cart trail.
I head out on Dickson heading towards the portage to Little Dickson.  I throw a spoon in the water and troll as I paddle the lake.  After 20 minutes I hook into a nice Speckled Trout weighing 1lb. 3oz.  I continue to fish all the way to the portage but didn’t have any more luck.  An hour and a half paddle has me at the portage to Little Dickson.  The portage is only 890m but I just don’t like it for some reason.  Fifteen minutes puts me into Little Dickson and I fish while I paddle down the lake but don’t have any luck.

Nice Spec on Dickson Lake.
Sooner than I would like I’m at the portage to Sundassa Lake.  I have not been looking forward to doing this portage since I planned the route last year.  On last year’s solo trip I came through this way and this portage was a complete disaster, blowdowns all over the place! 

I started the dreaded trek at 12:45.  Much to my surprise the trail had been cleared!  There wasn’t one downed tree along it.  With a couple of breaks I was at Sundassa Lake an hour after I started.

With a nice breeze at my back to blow the bugs away I enjoyed the short paddle across Sundassa to the portage to White Partridge Lake.  The landing at the portage is nice with rocky outcrops and Red Pines.  I sat on the rocks and had lunch still marveling at the fact that the portage had been cleared.

After a much needed break I loaded up for my final carry of the day.  The portage to White Partridge is a good one and pretty much downhill except for the first bit at the start.  By 2:45 I was at the lake and looking forward to paddling it and getting to my site.  I headed to the southernmost site on the eastern shore but didn’t choose it.  It was a nice site but didn’t have anywhere around the fire pit to sit.  The next one up the lake was the same.  The one after that had a couple of logs for sitting around the fire and nice waterfront so I chose that one.  I quickly got to setting up camp and getting the food line hung.  Once that was done I changed and headed down to the lake for a swim.  The rocks sloped down into the water so I chose a spot that didn’t look so steep.  Unfortunately the slime on the rocks was quite slippery and as soon as my foot touched it I quickly started to slide and before I knew it I was in the lake.  I guess that’s one way to get into the water.

The lake was cool but refreshing after a hard day of portages and bad bugs.  Getting out of the lake proved challenging but after a few attempts I finally made it back onto dry land.  After drying off and changing I relaxed and read down on the rocks for a while.

White Partridge Lake Campsite.
Eventually it was time for dinner.  I cooked up some buffalo chicken wraps and a coffee and ate down at the rocks.  After dinner I headed out in the canoe to fish for a bit and check out the three large open sites where the cart trail terminates.  They are quite open and would be good if you had a large group and a lot of shelters but I didn’t find them appealing.  

After checking out the sites I headed back out to fish but didn’t have any luck.  Back at the site I read for a while down by the water’s edge.  A large cloud bank appeared over the western horizon which diminished the sunset for the evening.  The clouds looked ominous and I hoped that wasn’t a sign of things to come.

With the sun gone I set about getting a fire going and enjoyed it for the rest of the evening.  I then retired to the tent and read for a bit before calling it a day.

Friday, June 5 – Day 3

I was awakened about 3am by the sound of light rain on the tent.  It only lasted for a couple of minutes and I hoped it was just a passing cloud.  When I woke at 6am the sky was grey and the winds calm.  When I left two days ago the forecast for today was a mix of sun and clouds.  So far that didn’t look like the case
.
I went about making breakfast and breaking camp.  I was on the water just after 7am.  The clouds to the south looked dark and threatening and I hoped they weren’t coming my way. 

In a few minutes I was at the 2200m portage to White Partridge Creek.  It was a good trail, slightly downhill and following an old tote road for a good part of the way.  Thirty-five minutes after starting the trail I was at the creek.  I had no idea what to expect and I dreaded running into alder choked sections of the creek.  The entire creek turned out to be an enjoyable paddle.  It was wide enough and deep enough not to pose any problems to my paddle stroke.  I encountered ten beaver dams of which only two I had to get out to pull the canoe over.  There were four spots where trees had fallen across the creek but only two of those I had to pull the canoe over.  The other good thing was that I was going with the current, which had a good flow to it and would have made the paddle less enjoyable if I had been going upstream.  There were a few small sections where the alders extended right out into the creek but they didn’t pose any problems or slowdowns at all. 
 
Start of White Partridge Lake to White Partridge Creek Portage.

End of White Partridge Lake to White Partridge Creek Portage.

I had started the creek at 8:10am and to my surprise I was at the end by 10:55am.  I never would have thought it would have taken only 2 ¾ hours to do White Partridge Creek!  The creek was a pleasant surprise but the wildlife was lacking, encountering only two Great Blue Herons and an American Bittern.

Obstacle on White Partridge Creek.
Paddling down White Partridge Creek.
 
At the start of the portage to Lavaque Lake I found a Nalgene bottle.  This was my second find of the day, the first being a pair of fishing gloves on the portage out of White Partridge.  I loaded up and headed off towards Lavaque.  As I was going up stream on the Crow River the majority of the trail was a steady uphill climb.  Just a little over 20 minutes and at about 11:25am I was at Lavaque, my destination for the day according to my itinerary.  It had been raining quite steadily since 9am and the grey sky gave no hint that it would be letting up soon.  Even before seeing the sites on Lavaque I made the decision that, given the time and weather, I would push on to Lavieille for the night thus giving me a day of rest tomorrow.

As I pushed by the sites on Lavaque I was glad I wasn’t going to be staying there.  The 575m portage out of Lavaque was another uphill slog.  At least on my way back on Sunday they’d all be downhill.  I was no sooner done that portage and there was the next one, a short 45m.  As it was just around a swift I easily paddled up it.  Another short paddle had me at a 110m portage which I carried but on the way back I could easily track.  After that followed a 250m and then a 65m portage into Malic Lake.  I must have completely missed the upstream sign for the 65m portage because I paddled up a couple of easy swifts and then was in Malic and saw the portage sign for heading downstream.

Malic has three sites on it all of which are crap.  A short paddle across the lake brought me to another swift.  It was too strong for me to paddle up and too deep to track so I was resigned to do the 90 m carry.  After that there were only two short portages left, a 165m and a 185m.  At 1:20pm I was at Lake Lavieille.

Before heading out into the main body of the lake I headed across the river and did the 290m portage into Woodcock Lake.  I was then back in the canoe and on my way at 1:40pm.

Thankfully the lake was calm and the rain stopped around 2 o’clock.  An hour after heading out I landed on my site for the next two days.  I took the northern most site on the little island that is to the west of Crow Island.
Drying out on Lavieille.

Campsite on Lavieille.
I was glad the rain had ceased as I was able to get camp set up quickly in case it started up again, but it never did.  Instead a wind out of the north-west picked up which allowed me to dry out some equipment that had gotten wet, as well as keep the bugs at bay.  The glorious wind continued for the rest of the afternoon and evening.  Around 6 o’clock the sky started to break up and by 8 o’clock there was more blue sky than clouds.

Clear skies after a soggy day.
After camp was set up and things were drying out I spent the rest of the time reading, eating and fishing from shore.  I caught a 10 inch Speckled Trout after dinner but that was it for the day.  I watched the sun set, which was a beautiful sight after such a grey, rainy day.  I then got a good fire going and enjoyed that until the stars were out and the last vestiges of the day disappeared in the western horizon.
Fishing Lavieille.
I read for a while and the wind was still blowing strong and had now switched to out of the north.  With a clear sky and a north wind it was a sure sign it would be a cool night.

Saturday, June 6 – Day 4

Holy crap was it ever cold last night!  I went to bed with my long-sleeved shirt and long pj bottoms because I figured it would be cool but it was downright cold.  In the middle of the night I had to put on socks and my fleece jacket and that didn’t help much.  It was a restless sleep to say the least but I did manage to stay in bed until 9 o’clock.

Once up I threw on another long shirt, pants and rain jacket to cut the cold north wind that continued to blow.  Even standing in the morning sunshine on a sheltered part of the site didn’t warm my bones.

I put water on for coffee and cooked up a couple of breakfast burritos and enjoyed both in the sunshine down on the rocks.  I then organized things for the day, hung the food and set off for a little venture across the way to Farncomb Lake. 
  
 It was a nice paddle across the lake and I fished as I went but with no luck.  In then than an hour I was at the 150m portage to Farncomb Lake.  It was an easy portage and judging by my steps it was only about 50m at best.  The landing on the Farncomb side was poor, strewn with rocks that didn’t provide good footing.  From the portage I had to paddle a narrow creek through a marsh for about ten minutes before actually getting to the lake.  I paddled the entirety of the lake, fishing while I went but with no luck.  I then headed back down the stream and across the portage to Lavieille.  Before heading out I collected a good amount of wood for my fire tonight.
Farncomb Lake Portage Landing.
It had warmed up some by this point so I took off my jacket and shirt to enjoy the sunshine.  The wind was a little cool but felt good.  It had also switched from the north to out of the east.

On the way back I stopped at the campsite across from me on the little island.  It was a really nice site but like mine it was lacking in tent spaces.  After a brief brake I was on my way, fishing again as I went but again with no luck.

I arrived back at camp around 2pm and had a late lunch on the rocks.  After lunch I relaxed for a while, read, wrote in the journal and pondered the next few days ahead.  After today I’d be on the Petawawa River until the end.

Just a little after 3pm the wind died down and the lake was calm.  This was odd as it was around the same time yesterday that the lake went from calm to very windy.  The day had also gotten very warm so I changed into my shorts and t-shirt.  Despite the wind disappearing the bugs never made a return.  There were a few blackflies here and there but not swarming like they had been, and there were also no mosquitoes.  About an hour later the wind picked up slightly again but now it was coming from the southwest.  I hoped this was a good omen for pleasant weather for the next few days.

I continued to read for a bit and then grabbed the fishing rod and started casting from shore.  After about fifteen minutes I hooked into a nice sized Lake Trout, I estimated between 3-4 lbs.  I played it for a bit and then it spit the hook near shore.  It was going to be hard to land any decent size fish from shore as I didn’t have a net and the sloping rock near shore made it precarious to get too close to the water without the chance of doing a header into the lake while bending down to grab a fish.  Within the next half hour I caught two small Speckled Trout about 12 inches each, both of which I released.

It was now past 6 o’clock so I decided to get dinner ready and have a coffee.  I enjoyed the coffee and read while dinner cooked.  After dinner I cleaned up camp and then headed out for a paddle and to fish a bit more.  I paddled over to the beach site east of my site.  It looked good from far but it was far from good.  I fished some more while I paddled back but didn’t have any luck.

Back at camp I broke up the wood I had gathered earlier in the day and collected some kindling.  I then went back down to shore and fished some more.  I hooked into a nice 1 ½ lb. Speckled Trout and this time did manage to get it to shore.  I fished a bit longer but with no more success.  I watched the sunset and then went and lit the fire.  A slight wind had picked up again out of the northeast.  I hoped it wasn’t going to be another cold night.  I enjoyed the fire for a while and then retired for the night.
Evening fire on Lavieille.

Beautiful Last Evening on Lavieille.
Sunday, June 7 – Day 5

It was another cool one last night.  Not as cold as the night before but still uncomfortable for sleeping.

I was up around 7am.  There was already a good wind coming out of the south making a cool morning even cooler.  It was sunny but the clouds to the south told me that wasn’t going to last for long.  I just hoped I wasn’t in for another day of rain.

After a quick breakfast and a coffee I packed up and was on my way just after 8 o’clock.  It was a nice paddle across the lake as the island blocked the wind and then once I got passed it I had a tailwind with me for the rest of the way.  I fished while I went and about a half hour after leaving the site I hooked into a nice 2 lb. 4oz. Lake Trout.  A little less than an hour after leaving I was back at the first portage on the Crow River, the way I had come two days ago. 
Lavieille Lake Trout.
I quickly put the first two short portages behind me.  The third and fourth ones I bypassed altogether by running the swifts.  I carried the next two, ran the short one that followed and then carried the last two longer ones which brought me back to the junction at White Partridge Creek.  Total time from leaving Lavieille was three hours.
Bypassing 90m portage west of Malic Lake.
 
I took a quick break then paddled across the creek to the 2270m portage that would continue to take me down the Crown River.  It was a good trail, pretty much all downhill.  I stopped for a break a couple of times and to take some pictures of the rapids.  I finished up the portage around 12:15pm.  There is a campsite at the end of the portage and when I went by it I thought I smelled smoke.  Once I had dropped the gear I headed back to check it out.  Sure enough, whoever had stayed there didn’t douse the fire when they left this morning and it was smoking pretty good.  I grabbed an empty Nalgene bottle and made several trips until the fire was all out.

White Partridge Creek Looking at Portage to Lavaque from Crow River 2270m Portage.
Crow River Along 2270m Portage.
 
The next stretch of the Crow River was a beautiful paddle.  The river was wide, had a good current and the forest took on a more southern flare.  A half hour later I was at a little swift which was easily run and then soon after that a 510m portage.  Another short paddle had me at the 175m portage around Crow Falls.  The falls itself is beautiful but the campsite there is crap.  I couldn’t even find a spot where you could pitch a tent.  I was supposed to stay there today when I originally planned the trip but after the fact I heard the site wasn’t any good so I changed my night from there to Wagtail Rapids.
Lower Crow River.
Not being in any big hurry today I had a leisurely lunch on the rocks at the top of the falls and took some pictures.  I then finished off the portage, took some more pictures from below the falls and then continued on my way.

 Above Blueberry (Crow) Falls.
 
Below Blueberry (Crow) Falls.
A five minute paddle had me at the Petawawa River.  A half hour paddle down the river and I was at the 390m portage around the Wagtail Rapids, my destination for the day.  I hoped no one was on the nice site on the island at the end of the rapids because the site above the rapids before the portage was none too appealing.  I was in luck, it was vacant.  I pulled in at 2:45pm, 6 ½ hours after leaving Lake Lavieille.
Wagtail Rapids Campsite.
Wagtail Rapids Campsite.
I quickly went about setting up camp.  Once that was done I wandered out to the rocks by the rapids and relaxed and read for a while.  After a bit I brewed up some coffee and studied the map and Petawawa Guide for a while.  I then went for a walk down the shore of the island and checked out the rapids that flowed past there.  After a while I returned back to my rock by the other set of rapids and read some more.

Around 6:30 I decided to get dinner going.  The clouds to the south didn’t look promising so while the water boiled I tidied up camp in case it started to rain.  I also prepared some wood for the evening fire if the weather should hold.

Once dinner was ready I took it and a coffee back out to my rock and ate.  Not too long after I had finished I felt the first few drops of rain.  I gathered up my belongings and headed back to the fire pit.  I brewed up another coffee, hung the food pack and decided to get an early fire going in case the rain persisted.  I enjoyed the coffee and the fire for a short period of time but the rain had picked up a steady pace and I was forced into the tent just after 7:30pm.  I read for a while, getting out once to check on the rain, no sure if the drops on the tent were merely remnants of the rain falling off the trees or if it was still raining.  By 9pm the intensity of the rain had increased.  I read for a while longer before turning in for the night.  I hoped that it would be a warmer sleep than it had been the past two nights and that the rain would subside by morning.

Monday, June 8 – Day 6

The rain had ceased late last night and I awoke to a dull day.  I had a quick breakfast and was packed up and on the water by 8:30am.  I was to camp at Crooked Chute Rapids today and I figured I’d be there by mid to late afternoon.

A short, pleasant paddle soon had me at the portage around the MacDonald Rapids.  I noticed on the map that the portage was on the left but I remembered it being on the right the last time I was this way years ago.  The portage ended up being on the left of the river but years ago it was traditionally on the right.  After the rail line was abandoned in 1996 they must have moved the portage to along the old rail bed as an easier trail.  While portaging along the rail bed was easy, it was getting up and down the steep embankments that was a chore.
Start of the MacDonald Rapids Portage.
MacDonald Rapids, Petawawa River.
 I took a break after about 15 minutes and then another short carry had me at the put in below the bridge.  After unloading my gear I headed back up to the old trestle to get a birds-eye-view of the river and take a few pictures.
Old Railway Bridge Below MacDonald Rapids.

Old Railway Bridge Below MacDonald Rapids.

Old Railway Bridge Below MacDonald Rapids.
Back on my way again I was soon at the rock fork in the river that took me to the 200m portage around Bypass Falls.  The footing on the portage wasn’t the greatest but that’s too be expected on the portages along the Petawawa. 
 
Bypass Falls, Petawawa River.
A short paddle had me at the 275m portage which had much better footing.  A quick paddle across the river and I was at the 500m portage around the Devil’s Cellar Rapids.  Another short paddle and I was soon at the 1050m portage around The Temptations.
Devil's Cellar Rapids, Petawawa River
About five minutes into the portage I mis-stepped on a wet, sloped rock.  I fell hard and fast to my right side.  I was a little stunned but otherwise unhurt.  I quickly went about making sure none of my equipment had suffered any damage.  I remembered hearing a snap as I hit the ground.  The canoe appeared in one piece.  I quickly check the pack and noticed the buckle for the shoulder strap had broken.  I began to panic.  I had only one usable shoulder strap!  I pushed the panic aside and began to think clearly.  I remembered I had a replacement buckle that didn’t need to be sewn on in my little repair kit.  I quickly found it and removed the broken buckle and replaced it with the new one and re-threaded the strap.  I was back in business.  I trod carefully for the rest of the portage and reached the end without further incident. 

Upon reaching the end I realized that I had lost one of my water bottles in the fall.  Being one up from the one I found a couple of days ago I wasn’t about to go back for just a water bottle.  Some lucky tripper would find it sooner than later.

As I paddled to the portage around the Poplar Rapids an adult Bald Eagle flew overhead and perched in an old dead tree.  It then flew on down the river towards Travers as I reached the last portage on the river before the big lake.

The portage to Travers is a good one with a nice gentle downhill slope.  It would be better if it ended right at the put in at the access point.  Instead, it terminates a little upstream and you have to navigate the last fifty metres of rapids before hitting calm water.  This isn’t a huge deal for experienced paddlers but for novice ones even a small mistake could result in an unwanted swim.

It was 11:30 when I reached Lake Traverse.  The sky looked like it was trying to clear but it also looked like it could rain at any moment.  With a nice tailwind I paddled down the lake to the island campsite where I stopped for lunch.  I headed off again around 1 o’clock.  I’ve never been a fan of the paddle down Traverse and the long narrow section of river leading up to the Big Thompson Rapids.  It just seems to take forever.
Radio Dish on Lake Travers.
Finally I was at the Big Thompson portage.  The first 90% of it is good but the last 10% you need to be part billy goat to traverse the trail.  With the Big Thompson behind me a short paddle brought me to the Little Thompson Rapids.  I don’t like this portage landing as it’s very close to the start of the rapids and you can’t see it until the last second.  I slowly approached and was close to shore.  I saw what could have been a landing but there was no sign.  I cautiously moved further down river and saw the sign and landing.  Unfortunately the nose of my canoe was towards shore as I came into the landing and the current grabbed the stern and swung it downstream.  I scrambled towards the front of the canoe to try and jump to shore but as I reached the bow my weight tipped the canoe enough that the canoe filled with water.  I quickly jumped out of the canoe into the waist deep water and held onto the canoe lest it be swept down the rapids.  With adrenaline pumping I held onto the canoe with one hand, grabbed the pack with the other and threw it out of the canoe onto shore where thankfully it stayed.  I then walked the canoe to the landing where I relieved it of its watery cargo.  With adrenaline still pumping I geared up and headed off down the trail.

After the Little Thompson Rapids portage I had a leisurely paddle down a nice stretch of river.  I was soon at the small swift and ran it thus avoiding the 130m portage.  After that I was at the Grillade Rapids which is a nice easy run and I was able to avoid the 425m portage.  Soon after that I was at the Crooked Chute portage.  I geared up and headed off down the trail.  The first part of the trail is good and flat as it pretty much follows the river.  After about 15 minutes I was at the campsite at the last takeout before the chute.  This was my destination for the night.  It was 4pm and I felt like pushing on as far as I could.  I took some picture and geared back up.  A few minutes later I was at the end.  A short paddle around the corner and I was at the Crooked Chute Cabin.  It was unoccupied and unlocked so I got out and took some pictures.  I thought about staying the night but I didn’t know if there was anyone behind me and I still wanted to push on.
Crooked Chute Campsite and Last Take Out.

Crooked Chute Cabin.
I ran the next little set of rapids thus avoiding the 120m portage.  Shortly after that I was at the Rollway Rapids portage.  It was a good portage except the last bit is a little steep and rocky.
Bottom of Rollway Rapids, Petawawa River.
A short paddle after the Rollway and I was at the Natch Rapids.  While both portages are short both are also brutal.  You have to be part Mountain Goat to do the trails on both portages.  I thought about staying on the campsite at the Natch but time was good so I pushed on.  It was a nice paddle down the river past the Natch.  I ran a couple of swifts thus avoiding a couple of short portages.  I was soon at the 2305m portage around the Schooner Rapids.  The rapids are an easy set to run but after my two mishaps today my confidence was low so I decided to walk the portage to the campsite.  As it was after 6pm I decided to make camp along the portage.  It was a nice site with a beautiful long view up the rapids.
The Natch, Petawawa River.

Campsite, Schooner Rapids, Petawawa River.
After making camp I had a coffee and relaxed for a bit.  I had dinner and then gathered up some wood for a small fire.  It had been a long, hard day so I turned in just after 9pm and read for a bit before calling it a night.
Looking up Schooner Rapids.
 
Tuesday, June 9 – Day 7

I awoke to a nice sunny day.  I had breakfast and then broke camp.  Today I’m supposed to stay on Smith Lake for my last night but since it will take me less than three hours to get there I will play it by ear depending on what the sites are like and what the weather end up being like later.

I was on the water around 9am.  I decided to run the last half of the Schooner Rapids as I had done it several times before.  It was a fun ride down but the waves at the end under the bridge weren’t as big as I remembered them.  After the bridge is a little calm section where the hydro line passes through the Park.  From there is the lower half of the Schooner.  This is another easy run right down to Coveo Lake.
 Running the Upper Schooner Rapids.

Waves at Bottom of Schooner Rapids.
A pleasant paddle down Coveo and I was soon at the start of Five Mile Rapids.  I was unsure about running this one as I remembered some big waves at the top.  I pulled into the portage and walked up the trail a few metres to get a better look downstream.  They didn’t look too bad so I headed back to the canoe.
Paddling Down Coveo Lake.

Wind Disturbance, Coveo Lake.
The top part was easy then the rapids turn left.  Here are some big waves.  I took on some water as I hit the first one but what a ride!  After the top section the rest of the rapids is a series of calm sections and class one rapids.  About a half hour later the river dumped me into Whitson Lake.  By this point my sunny morning had turned into a cloudy one that looked like it would threaten rain.
Top Section of Five Mile Rapids, Petawawa River.
 
The paddle down Whitson was uneventful.  I bypassed the 500m portage into Smith and rode the swift into the lake.  The two sites at the top of the lake weren’t appealing so I pushed on to check out the remaining three at the middle part of the lake.  None of those were too great either.  It was only 11am, was overcast and looked like it could rain.  Sitting on a mediocre site for the rest of the day didn’t seem overly appealing so I decided to push on to McManus and call it a trip. 
Coming into Whitson Lake.
I ran the little swift into McManus and had a nice little tail wind to help me down the lake.  I arrived at the beach at the access point right around noon.  My solo trip was over for another year.  The bugs were brutal, the fishing good and the trip excellent as always.
McManus Lake Access Point.

4 comments:

  1. EPIC trip! Thanks for posting. Really enjoyed reading it. Bless up!

    ReplyDelete
  2. EPIC trip! Thanks for posting. Really enjoyed reading it. Bless up!

    ReplyDelete
  3. No brook trout fishing on the crow river or white partridge creek?

    ReplyDelete