DAY FIVE

A resident tree squirrel woke us with its incessant chattering. There was no snooze button on this living alarm clock, so we reluctantly crawled out of our bags and started the day. A breakfast of freeze-dried juevos rancheros filled our stomachs with delicious calories. We packed up our damp gear and hauled it down the hill to the shore of the island. We left the picturesque Shangri-La site at 9a.m. and paddled back to the southern end of Catfish Lake.

Cliff on the northern side of Shangri-La Island. A path leads from the campsite past the box to the top of the cliff and a majestic view.

Instead of landing at the portage around the Catfish Rapids, we veered left and attempted to navigate the “creek” to Sunfish Lake. It was a confusing endeavor in which we were constantly looking for water deep enough to paddle through. The water level was low, so many options that might be fine in a different year were too shallow. We feared that we would get stuck in the middle of the marsh, or end up heading toward Calumet Lake. I breathed a sigh of relief when Bryan finally saw Sunfish Lake before us. It was relaxing to have open water all around us, and terrain features we could use to determine the correct direction. Bryan spotted the yellow portage sign and we landed at the portage to Newt Lake.

Paddling the shallow maze of a marsh south of Catfish Lake, hoping to find Sunfish Lake.

Jeffrey’s map indicated that this was a very buggy portage. So far, we had suffered only a couple of mosquito bites each. We figured this trail would make up for our previous bug-free days. It was a pleasant surprise to reach Newt Lake without any bites. Along the way, I enjoyed the hike through the forest, and the small brook that crossed the trail before continuing down the other side. We loaded the canoe and paddled across Newt to the next portage. It was 11a.m. when we pulled the canoe ashore. We took a minute to rehydrate before throwing on the packs, Bryan with the canoe, and heading down the next trail. This one was shorter, with similar terrain and another beautiful brook crossing the path.

Manta Lake.

After loading the canoe and shoving off onto Manta Lake, we took turns eating lunch. We fueled up on granola bars and GORP. While one person ate, the other kept the canoe in the shade. It was the middle of the day, humid, and uncomfortably hot in the sunlight for two guys so soon after a 750m portage. The longest portage of the day awaited us on the other side of the lake, but there was still plenty of time and daylight for us to reach Hogan Lake, our destination for the day.

A 1945m portage can seem imposing, especially if one hasn’t traveled it before. It was actually mostly level and easy to follow. We crossed two brooks on this trail, the second spanned by a log bridge. Bryan was annoyed by the “fake-outs”, or spots where Hogan Lake is visible through the trees, but a sharp turn leads to yet more portage trail. There were at least three spots like this, almost tempting us to bushwack straight to the lake instead of following the trail.

Bryan and Rory pose for a pic after finishing the portage from Manta to Hogan.

It was still sunny and warm as we loaded the canoe and paddled out of the bay onto the main body of Hogan Lake. We hoped to get our hammocks out and nap for much of the afternoon, but first we had to find a suitable campsite. There are no campsites on the western shore of Hogan south of the portage, so we crossed to the eastern side. The first site we came to had plenty of space, but no good spots for hammocks. Also, it was completely sheltered from the wind, so it was a hot site, too hot and still for us. We decided we could find a better one, and paddled to the next site. A quick recon of the site told us our site shopping was done for the day.

This site had everything we were looking for: great views of the lake and high cliffs, cedars spaced perfectly for hanging hammocks, a flat tent pad where a cool breeze cut across the site, a bench with a backrest by the fire pit, and a sandy swimming/bathing area. The only con was the bold chipmunk, but that seems to be a common occurrence at Algonquin campsites.

The fire pit on Hogan Lake, complete with upgraded bench.

We had several hours of daylight left, so we set to using the hammocks once the tent was up. Next we changed into swimsuits and waded out into the warm, clear shallows to bathe. The water had been warmed all day by the constant sunshine, and the air was hot, so we stayed in the water longer than usual. No quick in-and-out rinse-off. We stood in waist-deep water for a long time talking, skipping stones, and enjoying the moment. It was a great day, and we were quickly becoming fans of Hogan Lake. Our second amazing campsite of the trip; too bad Brent and Tom were not still with us to enjoy it. By this time they were already home

A hot August afternoon, one tired canoe tripper, two cedars just the right distance apart—it’s hammock time!!

We dried off and changed into warmer clothes as evening set in. For supper, we had beef stroganoff and cheddar mashed potatoes. Delicious! We looked for eagles on the cliff across the bay from our site, but had no success. Around 8:30 we tied up the food bag, put any loose gear into the packs, and retired to the tent. It was a warm, still night, at least when we fell asleep. Sometime during the night clouds filled the sky and the weather began to change.

The massive cliff face across the inlet from our site on Hogan Lake.

DAY SIX

I awoke to the sound of pouring rain. It was still dark, so I checked my watch. It was 4:15a.m. so I went back to sleep with the hope that the rain would stop sometime in the next couple hours. Two hours later it was still raining hard. Ugh. We had a reservation for Big Trout Lake this day, so we had to pack up and move. Checking the sky, we could find no break in the clouds that would indicate the end of the storm. We got up, donned raingear, ate breakfast, and packed up all in the pouring rain. It was just a rainstorm, and would probably be over in a few hours. We left the campsite at 8:40 and headed for the portage to Lake La Muir.

Everything was soaking wet by now. We had to watch our footing because there were numerous puddles along the trail and obstacles like exposed roots and rocks were very slick. There appeared to be a four-wheeler trail that intersected the portage. I almost went the wrong way, but I think I would have ended up at the same place farther down the trail. It was still raining and overcast as we began paddling La Muir. A solo canoeist passed by heading the opposite direction and we waved, too grumpy to attempt a conversation with a stranger.

La Muir was windy and choppy, enough to give us concern and keep us close to shore. The rain continued until about 11a.m. when we were treated with a few dry minutes. The sky remained gray and overcast, and the wind continued to challenge us on our push to the Big Trout portage. By 11:30 it was raining again, but we had reached the portage and were hoping for cover from the trees along the trail. Bryan left first with the small pack and the canoe while I followed with the large pack. About 1500m in, he put the canoe down and continued for a few hundred meters with just his pack. Then he put down the pack and went back for the canoe. I passed him at this time and grabbed his pack when I came upon it. I carried it in front of me for a couple hundred meters but the extra weight threw off my balance and rhythm. I dropped Bryan’s pack and finished the portage with my own pack, thinking I had helped Bryan out as much as I could. I dropped my pack at the landing and went back to find Bryan. He discovered that it was more comfortable to carry the canoe with his pack on, due to the padded shoulder straps. By moving his pack, I unknowingly increased the distance he had to painfully carry the canoe without his pack. Sorry Bryan! The best I could do was inform him that the put-in was only about 200m farther, which encouraged him to press on and complete the portage. We were floating on Big Trout Lake by 12:35p.m., but were exhausted and soaking wet. The sky still gave little hope of any sun this day and our moods reflected the color of the clouds.

We followed the shore of the long peninsula to our right, trying to stay out of the wind. When we reached the end of the peninsula, we found the campsite occupied. We had to cross the open waters in the middle of Big Trout, and it was not calm as it had been a few days earlier. I feared we would face conditions like I had seen in 2001, when my group had battled the wind and waves for hours just to cross this one lake. It wasn’t as windy as that day, so the waves were smaller, and we reached the western side safely. The search for a campsite continued to frustrate us as we found either occupied or unsuitable sites. Around 2:00 I spotted a familiar-looking site and recommended to Bryan that we head straight for it. I had seen pictures of this island site on a trip log, and it didn’t appear to be occupied. We made it to the shore, ascended the staircase, and found a big, empty campsite. Our paddling was over for the day.

The log staircase and fire pit built against a large boulder confirmed that this was indeed the site where Markus and Joan had stayed during one of their mega-trips a few years before. We stretched out our legs by taking a short hike around the island. We had to see if there was enough dead wood for the night, or if we would have to paddle to the mainland to find some. We found enough nearby for our use and several future groups, so we set to putting up the tent, tying up a clothesline to dry our wet clothes (it was not raining anymore, but still overcast and cool), and setting up my poncho as a tarp for our gear. Bryan did his best to get a fire going, but everything was damp or soaked, so he had little success. I changed into my warmest clothes, then we decided to eat an early supper. It was only about 4:00, so we joked that we would get the senior discount for eating so early. It helped to get some hot lasagna into us, but we were still beat from traveling.

Island campsite on Big Trout Lake. The fire pit area is excellent, and it is a spacious site.

Bryan crawled into the tent and took a nap to recover. He warmed up inside his sleeping bag, but I kept myself busy by working on the fire. I used the hatchet to chop past the wet outer layers of a cedar log until I had the dry inner wood to place on the struggling fire. Eventually, I built a hot, stable fire and finally felt normal again. Bryan awoke from his nap and happily took a seat by the fire. We snacked on GORP and sunflower seeds while the fire warmed us up. We left the fire and descended the staircase to replace our water supply, and heard splashing nearby. I explored the southern end of the island until I found the splashers, a group of mergansers fishing just offshore. The clouds never broke, so we went to bed under gray skies, wondering if we would see the sun the next day.

Rory stokes the fire after rebuilding the fire pit walls and seeking out dry wood on a rainy day. Notice the duct tape boot repair.