My return to Chicamoula
The last time I went to McIntosh lake in Algonquin Provincial Park I was not yet a solo paddler. I was still a relative novice to canoe tripping and I was partnered with Jiblets which made paddling and portaging easier since he did most of the work. In the canoe I was the bowman and as such was primarily the motor. On the portages he carried his pack and the canoe while I carried my own gear and the paddles. When Chard first suggested McIntosh for this trip I was initially hesitant because I do suffer from occasional back issues but eventually I decided that it would be a worthwhile trip do to to test myself as a solo paddler. I've slowly gained solo paddling experience over the last 4 years but I had not yet done a trip with any significant portaging.
Six years ago the trip took us around 6 hours to get to camp so this year I wanted to get as early a start as possible. I got to the park office before it opened so I got my canoe and gear ready and after getting my permit I pushed off at 7:22 am. The water was calm and the sky was overcast.
As I made my way up Canoe lake the head winds got progressively stronger and it would stay that for the entire trip up. I planned on double carrying the portages which means walking three times the distance but it's easier on the back and for me a bit safer. The first portage was easy enough and soon I was again paddling into the wind. Even the narrow sections weren't immune from it.
I eventually reached the 2.3 km portage from Tom Thompson lake to Ink lake, It's a muddy landing but the presence of other trippers forced me to more grassy footing which suited me fine.
I put on my pack and grabbed my other gear and started walking. It's not a terribly difficult portage but there are enough ups and downs to keep you on your toes. Mud and slippery rocks also made for careful stepping. I reached Ink Lake in under an hour which seems like a slow pace but the 4 hour paddle plus lack of sleep from the long drive meant my energy levels were not at their peak. I left my pack and went back for my canoe. As Bill Mason has said this part of portaging is very pleasant. You walk unburdened by anything and you have the chance to enjoy your surroundings. The walk back took about 45 minutes and as I hoisted my canoe up onto my shoulders I was very thankful for the new yoke Jiblets made for me. I can shoulder carry my canoe short distances but a comfortable yoke is a must for long portages. The sky slowly cleared up and the sun started shining during my walk and when I finally loaded up my canoe and pushed off I had blue skies above me.
Unfortunately what came with the sun was more wind. I could feel that it was getting stronger and I could hear the waves of wind pushing the treetops in the distance. Where the creek from Ink lake opens up into McIntosh is where I ran into some problems. The wind and waves were quite strong and I could see white caps across the lake. I had a hard time even trying to get out into the lake. I got push back and turned around a few time so I decided to retreat back into the creek and to a spot out of the wind. I waited there until the wind subsided enough for me to make another attempt. As I entered the lake the wind picked up again and forced me to make my way into an adjacent bay. I again took shelter from the wind and waves and waited for another break. At this point I was thinking about my options. It was late afternoon and I had been traveling for over 8 hours. I was tired and was contemplating just camping at the site close by since crossing the lake would be more difficult and dangerous in my current state. I started to look at my map to see if there was a way I could skirt the shore to make my way to camp without crossing the lake. When I looked up there was Chard who had come to get me-what a great guy. They had been watching me struggle so Chard brought me a kayak paddle which is very effective in wind. We paddled together across the lake and when I got to camp I was warmly greeted by the others. KeeWayKeno and Jiblets helped me out of my canoe and with others hauled my gear and canoe out of the water. It was a flashback to last September when I arrived after paddling in the dark. Arriving late seems to have it's advantages. I can't remember what time I arrived but I believe it was after 6:00 pm which made for a long and tiring day.
I spent the next little while chatting, eating and setting up my hammock.
Jiblets brought some home made freeze dried ice cream which was actually quite tasty. He also gave me half of a rehydrated freeze dried burger which tasted great. As the night went on I was starting to really feel the fatigue. The moon was out and the water was calm and I contemplated going for a moonlight paddle but I had no energy. When I finally turned in I fell asleep as soon as I went horizontal.
The next day I woke up at 8:30 am after a solid sleep. I laid there for about 20 minutes and fell asleep again for another 2 hours. Boy I really needed that. I got up and said hi to everyone. As the day passed I did some gear repairs, hung out and chatted. The sun was again MIA but at least it wasn't raining.
Our group meal was French Canadian Pea soup. It's almost like a stew and it was awesome. There was a slight chill in the air and the soup really warmed me up. I went to bed early to rest up for the paddle back.
The next morning Chard, Iguana and myself left around 9:00am. Jiblets had left the day before and KeeWayKeno, Cruiser51 and Brantwing were staying another couple of days.
The trip back took about 8 and half hours. I'm sure Chard and Iguana who were using kayak paddles could have done it faster but they were keeping my single blade pace to keep me company. We had some headwinds but nothing unmanageable. We also got a bit of sun.
It poured on us for the last 20 minutes or so which was actually quite enjoyable. Despite the rain, the smell of deep fried food was perceptible and caused Chard and Iguana to leave me in their wake. At the Portage Store restaurant we ended up maintaining our tradition of a post trip meal. Food always tastes better after a trip and the beer and ice cream proved to be no exception. We parted ways looking forward to the next one.
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