Canada > Ont > EGL Spring 2017 - Return of the Voyageurs

[Bubba]

Just for date planning purposes, Mother's Day is May 14 and Victoria day is May 22. Ending your trip on Victoria Day does give you the extra day. I think meeting you intrepid voyaguers on Opeongo would be my preference. Starting the trip with you and doubling back would likely be a little too much for me for a short trip. I've also never been on Opeongo and I like the idea of going to a place I've never been.

[Chard]

Working backwards from a Victoria Day weekend rendezvous, one possible plan would be...

• Mon 22/05 - 2nd Half of Travel Day 5 - Depart Park
• Sun 21/05 - Down Day
• Sat 20/05 - 1st Half of Travel Day 5 - Rendezvous on Opeongo
• Fri 19/05 - Down/Spare Day on Lavieille
• Thu 18/05 - Travel Day 4
• Wed 17/05 - Travel Day 3
• Tue 16/05 - Travel Day 2
• Mon 15/05 - Travel Day 1
• Sun 14/05 - Mother's Day Morning at Home - Arrive Mid-Afternoon for Permits/Car Camp/Shuttle Setup

Options

• Add an extra down day by leaving on Sat 13/05
• Extend our rendezvous
• Shorten our rendezvous
• Turn trip into 6 travel days (although I'd prefer to do best effort and play this one by ear)
• Book Air Canada Flight 1868 from Toronto to Orlando departing 8:35 pm May 14 and spend the week on the beach thinking up excuses for leaving our paddles, pack and quilts at home

[76 highboy]

This sounds like a great trip, if a little ambitious for an old man like myself. Will have to give this some serious thought but at the very least I'll hook up with Bubba & whoever for a few nights pre or post trip.

What he said! Although doing that trip in a heavy poly kayak and double carrying all the portages would be very rewarding. NOT!
You could call us the "Whiskey replenishment group"

[Chard]

What he said! Although doing that trip in a heavy poly kayak and double carrying all the portages would be very rewarding. NOT!
You could call us the "Whiskey replenishment group"

Ahhh, I see you've heard of the ancient and noble calling of the Grand Mariner (Whisky Replenishment Division), in this case complete with a pair of coureur des boisson (portagers) for those hard to reach ports of call. That'd be me on the second rope! I like the way you think.



www.bruichladdich.com

[Bubba]

Meeting up for two nights would be great and there would be a definite need for the Grand Mariners to replenish the libations. It's funny how we haven't even had Christmas yet and I'm all excited. Curse you Chard! Now I have to spend my evenings living vicariously through YouTube videos. My canoe is in storage but if the winter is milder, I may have to get it out earlier than May.

[Lofty]

WOW!
That's a trip!
I'll be watching this thread I wouldn't be able to do the week
but could be up for a few days - possibly on the weekend or midweek


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[Broadwater]

This really is an impressive trip you have planned Chard! I'd love to go, but I think that is beyond my limits. That's better than 18.5 miles a day, so I am impressed! I did 14 miles a day for a few days, with NO portages, and it took everything I had to keep up. I was solo in a kayak trying to keep up with a canoe powered by 2 strong guys. If you can keep up a good training regimen between now and then, I bet you have a good shot at making it.

If I can get the time off work, I'd love to meet up with whoever is going for some small portion of the trip. Otherwise, I'm doing everything I can to get to Valens!

Broadwater

[Chard]

If you can keep up a good training regimen between now and then, I bet you have a good shot at making it.

Broadwater

Hey Broadwater,

Agreed that it's an ambitious route, but it's not unreasonable. I did the Canoe L. to Cedar L. leg solo in a little over two days, albeit it was a decade ago. A lot has changed for me since then. Still, I don't think anything of doing the 20+ km into McIntosh and there's always plenty of time left in the day to tack on another 10 k or so, especially if we leave at the crack of dawn.

The only sections I'm dreading are the score of short hops up the Crow River into Lavieille on Day 4 and then the dreaded Dickson-Bonfield portage a day or two later. But dread's too strong a word. If it was easy, everybody and their uncle would be there and it wouldn't be worth going.

All that being said, ask me again after the trip and maybe I'll be singing a different tune.

[KeeWayKeno]

The more I think about this the more jazzed I get. So now I've 'pumped up' my exercise regime. Mostly cardio. Also checking Amazon for portable defibrillators and oxygen. We'll see how it goes but I'm tentatively & optimistically 'IN' for this. Chard, you may just have to periodically remind me I'm not 20 any more. Or 40. Ok, or even 50. Darn.

[Chard]

Disclaimer #2263-51a: Participants of EGL venture(s) acknowledge that they are neither a) as stupid as nor b) as out of shape as Chard.

Honestly though, with the exception of two long portages (approx 2300 - same as to McIntosh) and one Godforsaken mother of a portage, I expect six longish days of paddling. Of course each of the scores of little portages has the potential to be agonisingly brutal, but at least they're short. Think of the bright side; like ripping a full-chest band-aid off 20 times a day, after the first dozen times, you'll be too numb to care!

Note: Pack Light and if I didn't already mention it, pack light.