Day trip: Kawartha Highlands - Wolf to Crab Lake - September 16, 2014

Tuesday, the kids had to be at school early so Chris and I got an early start, hoping we'd get to actually have a more relaxing paddle.  It turned out we got home ten minutes after the bus, and the kids had freaked out a little, but they were fine.

We'd originally planned to paddle down Long lake to Loucks, then to Cox and check out Secret Lake.  Chris decided it was too far (and it would have been) so we then decided on Wolf to Crab.  We'd done this before to do a geocache when the kids were little, and didn't remember much beyond them complaining they were bored in the canoe.  Then we thought maybe we'd paddle around Silent Lake since we have a season's pass for Ontario Parks, but then changed our minds back to Wolf...then thought we could try Anstruther to Copper...so we got to the Anstruther access and the wind was crazy.   No way were we going to paddle that lake in heavy wind again, so we headed back to Wolf.

The paddle was against the wind, but the waves were nowhere near as bad as on Anstruther.  It took us nearly an hour to get to the end of the lake where the portage is...of course we stopped and checked out one of the campsites on Wolf first, and decided it was a nice site, other than the fact there are a fair few cottages on the lake.

The portage to Crab is pretty easy.  Only 140m and mostly flat.  There's rocks and roots to watch for, but nothing too difficult.

We had the wind at our back as we looked for a spot to stop and eat lunch, deciding to go into one of the bays to get a bit of shelter from the wind so our water would boil faster for tea.  I'd planned to make soup, but we realized we didn't have time.  I didn't even get to take any pictures.

While we were eating, we kept hearing what sounded like heavy footsteps in bushes behind us.  It turned out to be acorns falling on a log, but after hearing about two bear attacks in Haliburton in about 2 weeks, I was a little on edge.

We had to paddle hard to get back home, and naturally, once we got back on to Wolf, the wind had stopped gusting so much so we didn't get much help from Mother Nature.   We would have made it home on time, except every car we got behind was going at least 10 under the limit!  With no passing opportunities, we had to wait for them to turn off onto other roads...then we'd get up to speed, and within a minute, come up behind someone else going 70.  It was really frustrating.  Still, a nice day out in the canoe.

Day Trip: Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park - June 10, 2014

Chris and  I went for a little spin in the canoe to check out the campsites on Bottle and Sucker Lakes in Kawartha Highlands.  I offered to keep Squatch out of school for the day (Bubbie was on her class trip) but he very responsibly declined stating he didn't want to miss track and field practice.  While it was nice to spend a day with just Chris and I in the canoe, it also meant we had a schedule, making sure we got back to be there at bus time.

We still had lots of time to explore, checking out most of the sites on Bottle Lake, and the ones we hadn't been to on Sucker.  Some are clearly emergency sites (the little island one on Sucker Lake for example) but there are some really nice ones.  The one we were really eager to check out had people on it, though I think they were just out for a day trip as well, as we saw no tents or gear, just them and a canoe on the beach.

Kawartha Highlands isn't remote, or secluded.  There are cottages scattered throughout the park (with a few being on Bottle Lake across from some of the campsites) but we did manage to see some wildlife.  A few loons on Bottle Lake, a lot of seagulls on Sucker, and a garter snack on the portage back to the car.  Say what you want about seagulls being annoying birds, but baby seagulls?  So cute!  There were a small cluster of the birds on some rocks off shore on Sucker, and about three were babies.

The mosquito population was very healthy (for them...not us) on the portages, but we didn't notice any on the campsites we got out to explore.  It could be that we only got out at ones that had a fairly open look to them.  Anything that was very closed in, we didn't get out to explore.

We didn't end up eating our lunch until we got into the car.  It was just nibble-y stuff like trail mix, dried fruit and crackers with hummus.  Last week I made up a bunch of hummus (three types - roasted red pepper, everything, and lemony) and dried them for camping lunches.  We took one of the packets I'd made up, and it rehydrated beautifully.  Unfortunately, the lemony hummus is rather mild, and the only crackers I had were not a good match to it. Ah well, I'll pick better crackers next time.

All in all, a good day out, with a little bit of sunburn here and there, and a just a few fly bites.  Not really any pictures though.  I kept forgetting I had my camera, and the ones I did take (of the baby seagulls) we weren't close enough to get any decent shots.  Next time...maybe we can go back this weekend!

Another day exploring Kawartha Highlands

Chris and I had a day with no real plans so we decided to head out in the canoe and explore another of the routes in the Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park.  We didn't do the entire route, there wasn't enough time, but we did manage to find some nice camp sites and a potential day trip for the kids.

The route we did is known as the Serpentine Lake Route and is written up in Kevin Callan's Cottage Country Canoe Routes.  I've always wanted to try this area because of the picture in the book of a water fall.

You start by heading up highway 28, to just south of Apsley, and turn onto Anstruther Lake Road.  Now that the park is officially an operating park, there are a lot more signs indicating which access points are down each road, making it much easier to find your way.  About 8 kilometers down that road,  you'll come to the sign for the boat launch.  If you get to the marina, you've gone too far.

After putting in our canoe, we realized just how much boat traffic is on Anstruther on a sunny July day.   It was a little tense at times, with half a dozen boats zooming past us and multiple wakes hitting us from every side.  Of course, it didn't help that we didn't know where the portage was, and we kept angling directly across the lake.  I would recommend staying to the right until you pass through the narrows between the right shore and a large island, then hug closer to the left shore of the lake, but to the right of the other islands. (One of the islands has a long wall of rocks that you wouldn't be able to get around if you try to stay to the left.  As it was, it was almost impossible to point yourself into the wake, and with the wind blowing against us, it felt like we were going backwards at times.

The portage is past the bigger islands, and sort of behind a jumbled pile of rocky islands.  You'll see a small beach, which we had thought was the portage because we saw canoes parked there.  The sign is actually about a hundred feet to the left, where there are a bunch of small docks.

Why so many docks on non-privately owned property?  I didn't know either until I got to the end of the portage which takes you into Rathbun Lake.  At the end of the 165 meter trail, is a small cliff where people were jumping into the water.  I don't know how safe it is, not having taken the time to check the depth myself, so if you do decide to try this, always scope out the landing zone first.

Normally Chris would have taken a turn jumping, but the put in is right at the base of the jump, and our canoe being there meant all the jumpers had to wait for us to move.

The put in was a bit of a pain as well.  There are some big rocks in the water, and when Chris went to put canoe in, he ended up dropping the stern onto one of them.  I cringed and might have cursed a little.  Just like he would have if I'd gotten a scratch on his car.

Rathbun Lake was pretty.  Lots of granite cliffs rising out of the water, just like on Anstruther, but with only a few scattered cottages.  Actually, that was kind of disappointing for me.  I'd hoped there would be no permanent dwellings once we got past the first portage.  We only saw one camp site being used, but then we were only a little way in on the route.

We paddled to a nice campsite (number 200) and had a snack, then headed out to explore a bit more.  Eventually we came across the portage into North Rathbun, but decided against going any further because it was getting late.

I really wasn't looking forward to the trip back across Anstruther Lake, but by sticking to the route I described above and not going straight up the middle of the lake, it wasn't so bad.  It certainly seemed to take a lot less time.

This area is pretty, and I'd enjoy camping here.  I'm hopeful the further you go away from Anstruther, the less populated it would be.  I don't think it would be my first choice though.  Anstruther was nerve wracking for me, not to mention how exhausted I was paddling over the waves and wakes.  I don't mind long paddles, but I'd much rather be paddling in quiet lakes and rivers where there aren't dozens of boats that look like they are speeding right at you.

Exploring Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park

As of May 1st, 2012, you can now book campsites at Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park online, via the Ontario Parks reservations service.  Not only can you view pictures of each site, but the pop up window provides you with a bit of extra information like if the access is easy, what the swimming conditions are, is there a privy box, and is there a picnic table.

I'm really excited about this because I haven't been able to get a map of the park with campsite numbers, which makes calling in to book a campsite a little annoying.  But this wasn't the only thing I found out while looking at the Ontario Parks Reservation site.

Chris and I had hoped to camp on Sucker Lake this summer.  According to the route descriptions in Kevin Callan's books as well as online, you park at the boat launch at Catchacoma Lake, head north then portage around the small damn on Bottle Creek before paddling to Bottle lake and portaging to Sucker Lake. Now, Catchacoma is a pretty lake...but its got a lot of cottages on it, and a lot of boat traffic.  I generally don't mind, but on a busy summer day, it can get a little scary out there with so many motor boats whipping around. So when I saw that there was an access at the end of Bottle Creek where it opens into the Bottle Lake, I was very excited.  This also makes Sucker Lake a good choice for people who are looking for a quick paddle to a site rather than a longer day on the water.

At the put in at Bottle Creek

So, today we thought we'd go check out this access point, as well as some of the other ones on the west side of the park.  When we got to the Bottle Lake access point it became clear that Ontario Parks have put a lot of work into Kawartha Highlands.  There was a large parking area, a vault toilet (a very fancy one, I might add) and a short portage down to the put in. (181 meters)  There is also a notice board with a map, regulations, as well as information on filling out your permit.

It's very simple.  You make a reservation (you can call from the access point if you brought your cell phone) and will get a confirmation number.  Under the map is a box with permits inside...you fill out the form making sure your confirmation number is on it, and then tear it on the perforations.  A portion goes on your cars dash, and you keep one with you at the campsite.

Mississagua River at the take out

After checking out the put in at Bottle Creek, we pulled in at the starting point for the Missassagua River route.  We came here when the kids were little and walked around the damn.  It's a pretty spot for a picnic, with lots of rocky islands with really nice cottages.

There wasn't much there to explore though, so we headed back out to the highway and headed to the take out for this route.  After crossing the bridge, it looked like there was some kind of trail, so we followed it for a while as it followed along the river bank.

It was a nice walk over exposed Canadian Shield and moss.  There's no camping allowed here, but it's clear people have had camp fires in the past, whether while picnicking, or ignoring the camping ban.  We got as far as a small waterfall, just before the river takes a sharp turn, then headed back to the car. In all, the walk was a little less than 1km each way.

I'm really looking forward to camping here this summer and would love to hear from anyone who has experiences with Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park.

Trip Log: Long Lake to Shark Lake (day trip)

Chris and I have an odd way of planning for a canoe trip. We don't plan. Usually, the night before we'll say "Hey, lets go for a paddle tomorrow..." then in the morning, we strap the canoe to the car, toss the paddles etc into the back seat and head out armed with a few Kevin Callan books. After a quick stop at a grocery store for lunch supplies, we head in the general direction of where we think we might want to go.

On July 10, 2010, we headed toward the Kawartha Highlands Signature Site Provincial Park and decided to check out Shark Lake. Our decision was based entirely on a picture in the first edition of Cottage Country Canoe Routes by Kevin Callan.

Here were my thoughts on the trip:

The put in for Long Lake is just north of Woodview, up Highway 28. Turn left onto Long Lake Road, and drive to the end where you’ll find Long Lake Lodge. It costs $7 to park your car there for the day.

I got that feeling in my stomach as soon as we got there, that, oh wow, this is gonna be great feeling, (not the queasy, where’s the nearest thunderbox feeling) It was bright, sunny day, so we slathered on sunscreen and headed onto the water. I should point out that I forgot to cover the bit of skin between my low cut shorts and my slightly cropped t-shirt, and so ended up with a “tramp-stamp” sunburn which hurt like hell.

Long Lake is exactly as the name implies, long and narrow. It’s also very pretty, with mostly cliffs rising out of the water on both sides. there are half a dozen or so cottages on the lake, but they are fairly unobtrusive. I was so jealous of those people! Such a pretty lake to have a cottage on, and now that it’s part of a Provincial Park, there won’t be anymore going up. (which is good, cause it’s nicer that way, but sad cause I’d love to build one there!)

This is the last year the park is a non-operating park, and so the last year the campsites are free to stay at. As of 2011, they’ll be charging for their use, at least according to the sign at the lodge. I’m hoping someone also fixes the portage signs. They were all visible but the distances didn’t match up at all to what the map at the lodge said, nor what Kevin Callan’s book said. Also, it was odd that at one end, the sign would say 450m and on the other end, say 200m or something. One would think, they’d at least match up the lengths on both ends of the same portage.

The portage from Long into Buzzard Lake was easy to spot, there was a dock there with a pontoon boat. The portage itself was wide and a little hilly but nothing too daunting. Buzzard Lake was nice, but not as pretty as Long Lake.

We paddled to the far end of Buzzard and took the portage into Vixen Lake. According to the book, the portage was 113m. I think the map said differently, as did the signs. Either way, when we got to the portage, we came across a group of three young men heading in with a huge load of gear. One was in a kayak, and the other two in a very weighted down canoe. We lost sight of them quickly, and figured they must have set up camp on Vixen. It was a sort of weedy lake, not one I’d want to swim in if I were camping there, but then I have a very strong fear of weeds and deadheads (submerged, slimy logs) that I’m sure most young men don’t have.



The portage out of Vixen into Shark Lake was sort of hard to find, and we had to paddle around a bit until we saw the sign. According to Callan’s book it’s a 765m portage. I think the sign on the tree said 990. Either way, it wasn’t pleasant. It went up and down and through a lot of ferns so it was buggy. It just seemed to go on forever, and for a while we thought we’d missed something, but eventually, after a steep and not very stable decent, we put into Shark Lake and paddled to the campsite with the beach.



Chris jumped in right away and cooled off. I, seeing the weeds, flopped into the shallow water and managed to cool off as well. We had lunch at the site, tuna sandwiches, and I can’t remember what else. We explored a bit, then had another quick swim before heading out. I do remember we ran out of water here, not having expected the Vixen-Shark portage to be as long as it was. I’m not a big water drinker, I sip, even when I’m super thirsty. I think it’s because when I was pregnant the first time, water made me vomit. Chris can slug back a bottle in less than five seconds. For that reason, the trip back seemed very long.

Rather than doing the full trip described in the book, where you portage from Shark into some small lakes, paddle through Coon lake and come out at a different location, we headed back the way we came. We only have one car, and couldn’t organize a pickup.

When we got back to the lodge, at about 6pm, their little store had closed, but the man offered to let me in to buy some cans of pop. I can’t remember a can of Coke being enjoyed more.

We had a quick swim at the put in and headed back home. I’d like to do that one again sometime, over night, so we don’t have to do the long portage twice in such a short span of time. I imagine, experienced trippers would laugh at that, and I know there are portages out there that are MUCH harder, but up until then, we’d only done a few short ones. I guess we need to develop more stamina and strength.