Portage

Length of portage: 1840 meters

Portage maintenance regular or low: Regular.

Elevation above Sea Level @ Merchant Lake:   440 meters

Elevation above Sea Level @ Big Trout Lake:   405 meters

Difference in elevation: ~35 meter drop between Merchant Lake and Big Trout Lake

Elevation of highest point: 454 meters.

Portage Trail

General description: Good trail, well groomed with a few short up and down sections over the first half before trending down at a leisurely angle for the remainder to Big T. Not cart-friendly on account of boardwalks, roots and rocks and some uneven ground sections. Pink Lady Slipper orchids 30m up from the Big Trout landing. Seasonally dry, portage meanders through a secondary mixed growth forest with some mature pines and one grassy hilled section. Dwarf raspberries (with fruit), flowering orchids and sorrel growing along trail (early July).

Topographical impediments to traveling: None.

Areas susceptible to impact by periods of rain or beaver flooding: None encountered during summer travel. Spring will see higher waters at landings – most notably on the Big Trout side (shallow creek, low-land) and a few depressions/wet areas along the portage.

Upstream Landing at: Merchant Lake

Co-ordinates of location (optional): N45 46 48.8 W78 32 50.3

Topography of under-water approach: 2’ deep flat over shallow rocky bottom, some emergent rocks close to shore. Shoreline firm with grasses and rocks.

Impediments to disembarking from and/or unloading a canoe: None during normal Summer water levels. Doubtful there’d be an issue in spring water levels either.

Topography of the ascending grade: Portage begins along a flat grade and straight line through a mixed-growth evergreen forest.

Impediments to moving gear to portage trail: None. Lots of room up from landing for over 5 canoes + gear. Landing adequate to support 6 vessels on the water at a time.

Landing at Merchant L ...

Merchant Landing – seen from the water .. supplemental submission from Joe Zaleski (taken May 2010)

Beginning of portage from Merchant Lake, looking south west ...

Log hurdle on the portage .. supplemental submission from Joe Zaleski (taken May 2010)

Looking back across Merchant Lake, from the landing ...

Downstream Landing at: Big Trout Lake

Co-ordinates of location (optional): N45 46 54.6 W78 33 57.1

Topography of under-water approach: Shallow with some rocks, mud, silt and weeds during normal summer water levels. Landing is along a narrow creek shore prone to flooding @ high water. Two small active beaver dams to navigate over/pole through within 100 meters of landing.

Impediments to disembarking from and/or unloading a canoe: No natural obstructions during normal summer water levels. Likely more current during Spring water levels with water up to the bank over firm rocky ground.

Topography of the ascending grade: Flat for the first 250 meters from landings at Big Trout with a series of narrow boardwalks to navigate before the steady and fair uphill grade to the mid-point of the portage.

Impediments to moving gear to portage trail: Small landing will make managing the areas with many canoes an issue. Space for 3 canoes in the water at time, 2-3 up on shore + gear. There is a small flat gear-managing area up from the landing in a small clearing. Groups/individuals need to be organized and considerate to others here (e.g. we encountered a group that wasn’t either).

Landing at Big Trout Lake .. along a creek .. looking west ...

Landing at Big Trout, looking inland ...

Thanks to Jeffrey McMurtrie of Jeff'sMap for supplying the base-layer map component by Creative Commons licensing.

Submitted by Stephen Molson .. December, 2009