Well, Its that time of year again, folks!

[freespirit]

On friday the 15th, myself and a couple of friends are heading out on our annual extended canoe trip. we will be heading into the bush for a ten day, 80km paddle in northern ontario. this will be our second trip to the area, but we are incorporating some new territory into this trip. there will be about 6 or 7 portages in total, the longest being just over a kilometer.
Also on this trip, we will be testing some new gear, specifically a new MSR gravity fed water filter, a couple of Thermacells (for mosquito control), and a new food barrel w/carry harness.

We will be bringing a standard 16' fiberglass canoe (approx. 74lbs), as well as a new 16.5' Swift kevlar canoe. (since there are three of us going, we will take turns solo paddling.)

During this trip, we will also be taking some time to practice our campcraft, i.e. starting fires without matches, looking for wild edibles, improving our navigation skills, etc. We are also planning to document this trip as much as possible with pics and video, in the hopes of maybe putting together a small documentary of our journey.

we start and end our trip on a beautiful long sandy beach, about 400yds from the car, where we will have waiting for us a cooler with a bunch of steaks and cans of beer, kept fresh by the miracle of dry ice (lol). we figure if we put a couple of inches of dry ice on the bottom of the cooler, then the steaks, then a layer of styrofoam to keep the beer isolated from the dry ice (so it doesn't freeze). then cover the beer in regular ice. we figure that while the dry ice is extremely cold, the layer of styrofoam and the fact it will be sitting in the trunk of the car in +30C weather will keep the beer from freezing while keeping the steaks from spoiling. we'll see how it goes...the cooler itself is a coleman extreme that will hold regular ice for 5 days in 90F weather.

once we return, i will post the gear reviews, as well as somewhat of a journal of our adventures. i can't wait to get out there again and get back to basics, leaving the stresses and headaches of the city and a busy, busy life behind, even if it is only for ten days.

and the fishing is supposed to be fantastic!!

ONLY 2 MORE SLEEPS!! lol

[Dogman]

Enjoy and be safe, and it did not happen without pictures.

[LastResort]

Good luck! The thermacell works well for mosquitos thats for sure. What area will you be paddling?

[solid]

and the fishing is supposed to be fantastic!!

Flyfishing, freespirit? That trip sounds fantastic. I'd be flyfishing the whole way.

Yes, pictures. Keep us posted!

[LuckyStrike]

Good luck man, sounds like a sweet trip.

[freespirit]

Flyfishing, freespirit? That trip sounds fantastic. I'd be flyfishing the whole way.

Yes, pictures. Keep us posted!

No Solid, not fly fishing. i haven't the $$$ for good fly gear, nor the patience for fly tying, lol...besides a 20-30lb pike would destroy most fly gear, lol

We'll be nowhere near an internet connection, so after today, you probly won't hear from me till the 24th.

[freespirit]

Good luck man, sounds like a sweet trip.

thanks LuckyStrike, it's gonna be awesome!! i was dreaming of fighting big pike & walleye last night lol, only got about 4 hours sleep. HAHAHAHA!

[freespirit]

Good luck! The thermacell works well for mosquitos thats for sure. What area will you be paddling?

yeah, the thermacells are a pretty handy unit, works well as long as there isn't too much of a breeze...

if i told you guys where i was going, i run the risk of seeing you all there next year, lol...(never reveal the true location of your favorite fishin hole, know what i mean?) lol

or i could make a game of it, leave subtle little clues and whatnot, see if anyone can guess where we'll be...lol

[Canadian-guerilla]

have you reconned the area using Google earth ?

maybe try some wilderness skills ( fire bow )

[LastResort]

if i told you guys where i was going, i run the risk of seeing you all there next year, lol...(never reveal the true location of your favorite fishin hole, know what i mean?) lol

or i could make a game of it, leave subtle little clues and whatnot, see if anyone can guess where we'll be...lol

Yes I learned the hardway once. If you find a good fishing hole keep it to yourself for sure.

[MNeagle]

Have a great time, with good weather!

[freespirit]

have you reconned the area using Google earth ?

maybe try some wilderness skills ( fire bow )

lol...i think that falls under the "starting fires without matches, looking for wild edibles and improving our navigation skills" category...(see paragraph 3 in OP) :D

as far as google earth goes, that was how we originally found the area we are going to, we went for 5 days last year, covering almost the same distance as we will this year. the "new territory" i referred to in the OP is only 5 km away from where we were last year, and we are pretty comfortable with the area...no worries of getting lost...but we also have researched some of the canoe forums and found some fairly accurate descriptions of the portages, and where to find them. couple that with a little map studying, and we're good to go....

[Dogman]

lol...i think that falls under the "starting fires without matches, looking for wild edibles and improving our navigation skills" category...(see paragraph 3 in OP) :D

as far as google earth goes, that was how we originally found the area we are going to, we went for 5 days last year, covering almost the same distance as we will this year. the "new territory" i referred to in the OP is only 5 km away from where we were last year, and we are pretty comfortable with the area...no worries of getting lost...but we also have researched some of the canoe forums and found some fairly accurate descriptions of the portages, and where to find them. couple that with a little map studying, and we're good to go....

With a good compass and maps, good training to learning old school navigation. Gps is good but they may not always be there, plus battery's can run down..

[freespirit]

Have a great time, with good weather!

i'm sure we'll have a great time no matter the weather, MNeagle...lol so far things look pretty good, sunday is gonna be the craziest weather for us to deal with, the temp is going to be around 36C, but with the humidex, it will feel more like 41C (105.8F) and there's a pretty good chance of some thunderstorms (isolated), but the days before and after looks really good, mostly sunny and temps around 80's to 90'sF during the day, but dropping to an average night time temp of about 60F. perfect for sleeping outdoors.


i always hope for good weather, prepare for bad...lol
AFAIC, the weather is all part of the experience. when it rains, i think of it as an opportunity to collect rainwater, practice other foul weather survival techniques, and take a shower in the great outdoors...which i love to do, but here in town it seems to upset the neighbors, lmao! ;D

[freespirit]

With a good compass and maps, good training to learning old school navigation. Gps is good but they may not always be there, plus battery's can run down..

that's right, Dogman...we each have a good compass, and a high-res copy of the map. i only use old school navigation when out in the bush, i don't even own a gps unit. hell, i don't even own a cell phone, so there's no way they can track me! lol
self reliance is key...

[Dogman]

that's right, Dogman...we each have a good compass, and a high-res copy of the map. i only use old school navigation when out in the bush, i don't even own a gps unit. hell, i don't even own a cell phone, so there's no way they can track me! lol
self reliance is key...

Good Man!

Carried the dam things for years (cell phone) then realized how much I was not using it, and how much I spent for the pleasure (not) of owning one. Threw my last one away about 8 years ago. Have not missed it a lick. When out I always have a 2-meter radio clipped on my belt or use my truck radio , and if something comes up, I use them to get attention.

[Spectrism]

You will need to find a hardwood tree that is at least 2 inches in diameter and straight, at least 6 feet long... a little more is better. Cut it and sharpen a point on one end. When the bears come, you will know what to do.

Implied- have a hatchet and or saw blade.

[freespirit]

just so you guys can all be jealous, here's a pic taken our first night camping in the same area last year...

[freespirit]

here's another shot taken in approx the same spot, about a half hour later....
beautiful spot!! this is one of my favorite pics from last year's trip...

[solid]

Wow, I am jealous! Man, you are going to have a great time. Hope you hook onto one of those 20 lb pikes. What a battle that must be!

[freespirit]

well solid, i haven't any pics of 20lb'ers, but here's a pic of a pike and bass i caught the evening of day 2 last year...the pike was about 30 or 32" and the bass was about 24-26"...i caught them in the same spot about 5 minutes apart, lol...i figure the pike heard the bass fighting, came to check it out and wound up in the same boat (pun intended, lol)

since we had LOTS of food with us, i took them back to camp, took a couple of pics, and let them go...maybe i'll find them again this year, lol...

[solid]

Wow!!! Nice catch!

That for sure would be touch and go with my flyline. I've had fish half that size break free. Impressive. Wish ya even better luck tomorrow!

[freespirit]

well, i'm off to the shower, it's gonna be the last warm one for awhile! lol
then hopefully a good nights sleep (i'm sure a joint will help ;D) we're leaving town tomorrow morning, and it's gonna be at least a 5 hour drive to get there...

Y'all be good to each other and play safe!
Back in 9 days! (just in time for Sunday night chat, lol)
Peace!

[osoab]

Here's to a nice trip freespirit.


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[Olmstein]

Make sure you bring your PMs with you. They're good luck on boats.

[Joe King]

I know you're already gone, but I hope you have a good time and that your beer doesn't freeze.

Getting out away from civilization for awhile does a body good.

[freespirit]

well, the trip was a grand success! we had great weather (for the most part,) there were two decent storms, both in the late evening, so we were well prepared with tarps set up, etc. saw some amazing scenery, caught a few fish, and ate like kings. lol

here's the trip breakdown....

friday evening- arrived at the beach around 6:30pm after about a 5hour drive. the weather was great, the water warm, and we were blessed with a full moon to start our journey (a good omen in my books). we cooked some hot dogs over the fire just to keep it simple, and went to bed around 11pm.

saturday- up at 5:30am, hot oatmeal breakfast w/coffee then packed up and on the water by 7am our first leg was about 3km, then a 740m portage (we call it the portage from hell, lol) that went uphill @ about a 45 degree slope for the first 250m then a fairly gentle slope the rest of the way down. once back in the water, we paddled another 10km or so to our second portage which was nice and small, only 70m. from there, we then paddled about another 4km to a point at the mouth of a large bay where we set up camp for the night. we gave this site a rating of 7/10 as it had several tent pads, a few fire pit locations, and a thunderbox. the fishing there was pretty fair as well, i caught a 26" pike, but it broke my snap swivel just as we were trying to get it into the net. the amazing sunset was nice too...

sunday- this was a long day for us, we started in the early morning to beat the heat, paddled about 3 km, then a series of portages and puddle jumping, all told, we covered maybe 10km, but the terrain was very challenging, as was the +40 humidity. we arrived at our campsite around noon, the lake was beautiful but small. it was maybe a km long, and only about 200m wide. we had a fairly level site, and a nice sloping rock to swim from, and a thunderbox too! overall rating: 8/10
also we got a wicked thunderstorm around 12:30 that night that was amazing to watch as it lit up the canyon wall on the other side of the lake. didn't sleep too much that night...lol

monday- started a little later in the day, hit the water around 8am, then another portage into a huge lake. our camp site that night was not as nice as the others, but still beautiful nonetheless...no thunderbox though...:)

tuesday/wednesday- started the day with a 4km paddle up a narrow, lazy river into another lake, then about another 4 or 5km to the beach where we spent 2 nights. this beach was amazing! over a km long, and we had to walk out about 250m just to be up to our waists. did a little more fishing, caught a few, nothing amazing though... and we had another thunderbox! got another thunderstorm that night, tons of lightning, lots of hard rain, but clear by morning.
overall rating 9/10.

thursday, we had a small paddle to our first portage (400m) then about a 100m paddle, then another portage (340m). the second portage had some freshly downed trees, one was almost 200ft tall and more than 3ft in diameter! not easy to wrestle a canoe around...lol then came the long paddle of 15km, all the way down that particular lake. got pretty sunburned that day! our campsite was ok, good swimming, but no thunderbox, uneven tent pads maybe give it a 6/10.

friday-started early again, we beat most of the heat. maybe about 12-14km, then a 400m portage into a nice bay. we decided to not camp there, but push on to a better site that had great swimming, great tent pads, and a nice fire pit. no thunderbox.

saturday- slept in till around 8am, then paddled back to the beach we started from...got there around 11 am, went for a swim, then did the hike back to the car to grab the steaks and beer that we left on dry ice. after all those days in the trunk and sun, the steaks were nicely defrosted, and the beers were just as cold as they come from the beer store! we spent the rest of the day swimming, soaking up the sun, talking and drinking beers with some tourists on a houseboat, then grilled the steaks up over the fire with rice and beans and some sundried tomatoes. AWESOME DINNER!!! this site actually had a full outhouse, but it was in such poor condition that we didn't want to use it, lol!

we went to bed somewhere around 12:30 or 1 am after all the beer were gone, lol!!

sunday- got up around 8:30, loaded up the car, went for a swim, then hit the road. stopped for breakfast on the way home, and friends, let me say that sausage and eggs never tasted so good!

we used a gravity feed water filter from MSR which worked really well, and found that the very best way to start a fire without matches is to use a little hand sanitizer and a magnesium striker. works like a frikkin' charm! the new food barrel held 80lbs with no trouble, the new swift canoe paddled like a dream, and there were no gear failures other than the shock cord in one of my secondary tent poles broke, but didn't affect how the tent performed...once i get all the pics, and sort through them all, i will try to set up some photo site something or other so you all can see them...

stay tuned, more to follow!
:)

[freespirit]

just wanted to add: the thermacells worked great, when there was no breeze, and we snacked on some wild blueberries, and even found some labrador tea growing wild near our campsites.

[Spectrism]

Sounds like a super nice time. No bears? I must have gotten you mixed up with the Alaska group.

[freespirit]

lol...we didn't see any bears or moose, but they do live in the area. we did see some moose tracks, but no other signs...we did see lots of beavers though! and yes it was a super nice time! wait till i show you some of the pics!

[LuckyStrike]

jand we snacked on some wild blueberries, and even found some labrador growing wild near our campsites.

I didn't even know you were asian.

[freespirit]

lmao!

that's a good one!
my goatee is bigger than most asians!! haahhahahaha

[freespirit]

yeeaahhhh......i don't think i'd try eating that one, lol...i don't like pickin the hairs out of my teeth! lol

looks suspiciously like a bearded clam!

;D

[Olmstein]

What's a thunderbox? Google is no help.

Nice re-cap, freespirit. Sounds like an awesome trip.


i caught a 26" pike, but it broke my snap swivel just as we were trying to get it into the net.

Are you saying you almost caught the fish before your snap swivel broke? Or did you actually catch the fish?

[Dogman]

What's a thunderbox? Google is no help.

Nice re-cap, freespirit. Sounds like an awesome trip.



Are you saying you almost caught the fish before your snap swivel broke? Or did you actually catch the fish?

Port-a-potty style crapper or outhouse, some here call them that.

[freespirit]

What's a thunderbox? Google is no help.

Nice re-cap, freespirit. Sounds like an awesome trip.



Are you saying you almost caught the fish before your snap swivel broke? Or did you actually catch the fish?


a thunderbox is basically a wall-less shitter box with a lid in the woods...lol...beats perching over a log anyways lmao!

i had the fish well hooked, tired right out and pulled up to shore...didn't want to risk trying to haul him out of the water, and just as we went to net him, the snap swivel let go...wasn't planning on eating him anyways...but for plain-old fishing, we figure if you get it next to the boat, it counts...lol...if it was a matter of survival, it wouldn't have counted for shit, lol ;)

i figured the thunderbox thing might have confused some, specifically took a pic of one for you guys, lol...will post when i get it...could be a few days....

[Olmstein]

Sounds like birdwatching, where if you see the bird, it counts. Maybe instead of "fishing", you should call it "fishwatching". LOL

[freespirit]

yeah, yeah...lol...it was still fun on a bun! ;D

[MNeagle]

Sounds like birdwatching, where if you see the bird, it counts. Maybe instead of "fishing", you should call it "fishwatching". LOL

Well, it's called 'fishing', not 'catching'!!

[freespirit]

460here's an example of some of the huge trees in the area...

hope this works, still learning how to use iPhoto...;)

[freespirit]

here's another nice pic from the trip...

[freespirit]

more pictures from the trip...

[freespirit]

...and a few more...

[Awoke]

Nice pics, Freespirit. Is the Tamagami area "Shotgun friendly"?

I know we can't bring firearms into certain provincial parks, and I don't camp where I can't have a gun.

[freespirit]

Nice pics, Freespirit. Is the Tamagami area "Shotgun friendly"?

I know we can't bring firearms into certain provincial parks, and I don't camp where I can't have a gun.

as far as i know Awoke, the area is shotgun friendly, as there is more crown land in the area than provincial park land. i will do some research for you and find out for sure.
FWIW, during our trip, there were only 2 days during the trip that we were actually on park land and not crown.
i would think that you would be ok to bring your shotty providing it is transported in a safe manner (as i know you always do)

also FWIW, during our last two trips to the area, we saw NO bears, or even any sign of bears...it even says in the guide that the most dangerous thing about the area is getting there, lol...

let me see what i can find out re: bringing shotguns through the park areas.

[LastResort]

Shotguns are fine. You just have to check the regs. I know crow hunting is open all year so you should be golden just don't get caught with a pocket full of slugs or buckshot out of big game season. We do a Grouse hunt every fall just SE of the Temagami area, lots of birds and lots of crown land/old logging roads to tour around on. Once moose season opens though its a friggin zoo up there.

[Awoke]

just don't get caught with a pocket full of slugs or buckshot out of big game season.

That kind of defeats the purpose of having a shotgun for bear defense though.

I wouldn't shoot at a bear with bird shot. It would just make it mad.

[freespirit]

Awoke-

I have sent a request for info re shotguns in the area, will post info as soon as received...

[LastResort]

Its Northeastern Ontario, the chances of running into an 800 pound ravenous bear are slim to nil. The smaller blackbears that inhabit that area are pretty skittish, we've ran into a couple up there over the past few years and you don't see them long. We get a bear tag every year in case we see one while roaming the trails for grouse. Seen one 2 years ago and he didn't give us enough time to get off the quad and put a slug in the gun. I came across 2 black bears one year deer hunting just north of the french river when bear season was already closed. One took off as soon as he got my scent don't think he even saw me. The other walked right towards me as I was going his direction down a trail. He stopped stood up looked at me and caught me by surprise. Saftey off and fired a round in his direction at the ground he took off like a bat out of hell too. From my experience up north I wouldn't be too worried about bears unless my buddies hid a couple slices of bacon in my back pocket...LOL

[freespirit]

well, to the best of my knowledge, there are definitely bears in the area, however the area is extremely large, and the population of bears relatively small by comparison. as i mentioned earlier, over the past two years tripping this area, we have seen NO SIGN whatsoever of bears. thats not to say they aren't there, just that your chances of running into one are pretty small...

I do understand Awoke's position on it though...better to be safe than sorry...i equate it to the logic behind carrying a condom...better to have one and not need it, than to need one and not have it. ;)

[Awoke]

Just google search "Algonquin bear attacks" and you will see that my caution is not unwarranted.

[freespirit]

also, i want to say that personally, i don't have any trouble sleeping in the woods anywhere because i take the necessary precautions to keep the food barrel safe, and i sleep with my axe and hunting knife by my side...;D

that being said, once i get my PAL, and buy a shotgun i will be bringing it everywhere i can in the woods...

simply because i can.

[LastResort]

[QUOTE=freespirit;441819]
once i get my PAL,
QUOTE]

You should make that a priority.

[freespirit]

[QUOTE=freespirit;441819]
once i get my PAL,
QUOTE]

You should make that a priority.

it is a priority....right behind, food, shelter, and keeping my loan up to date.

[freespirit]

so, this coming weekend, i'm gonna take off for a little three day trip about an hour north of home...will be a pretty easy paddle, only have to cover about 10km to the campsite. apparently the fishing is supposed to be great, we'll see what happens.

the weather should be around 72-77F during the days, and down to around 46-53F overnights...no rain in the forecast, so really, you couldn't ask for better camping conditions. this will probably be my last paddle trip of the year, but will continue camping well past thanksgiving...we are even contemplating a winter camping trip for this season.

but first things first...gotta get me some walleye in the freezer!
lol

see y'all in chat sunday night!
play safe!
;D

[LastResort]

Have fun!

I'll be in the rivers most of the weekend. Never was a fan of paddling. Thats where the honda 8hp or the electric trolling motor comes in...lol

[bellevuebully]

Fall walleye. Custom railing job first part of next week. Then fishing. If I don't make it out by next Sunday, I will built something to kick my own ass.

Freespirt and Lastresort....safe boating and tight lines.

[freespirit]

got one more little trip planned for nov. 11,12,13
it's gonna be chilly, but hope to get some fish now that the water temp has dropped...

i think i'll break out the catalytic heater for this trip...lol

[solid]

Free, you've got to take up flyfishing. I really think you'd get 'hooked' on it. Nothing like catchin' a big one on small line, small fly. Creates quite a good battle, makes you actually respect the fish you bring in your net.

[freespirit]

Free, you've got to take up flyfishing. I really think you'd get 'hooked' on it. Nothing like catchin' a big one on small line, small fly. Creates quite a good battle, makes you actually respect the fish you bring in your net.

...yeah, i hear ya solid...i'll have to keep my ears open for some deals. good fly gear is VERY expensive, and fwiw i get plenty of good battles w/fish on the gear i have. at the end of the day, i'm looking to have fish on the stringer, not just a bunch of stories of the "ones that got away" lol

and i should say that i respect all the fish that have given their lives so that i may better enjoy mine!
;D

[solid]

Cheers Free, didn't mean any disrespect with that post..

Since gone to the fly, I do catch and release. I keep one, or so, for dinner if I'm camping. Choosing that fish has been a challenge since. Also, fly gear isn't that expensive. My gear is basic, and I tend to do OK.

[freespirit]

no worries, solid, i wasn't offended.

i hear ya on the cost of gear too. but if you could afford or justify better/more expensive gear (& maybe you can, what do i know? lol) you probably would. right?

i seriously doubt i have the patience to learn to fly fish. but one never knows...;D

[LastResort]

Good luck fishing freespirit.

Some friends and I have been beating up on the rainbows pretty good the last month. Got a few fillets in brine right now to throw in the smoker tonight after work.

I'm hoping to wet a line in between hunting next week up on the french river.

Don't be afraid to go real deep at this time of year. The walleyes like the stable temps down there at this time of year.