Flatwater

Come join me in Algonquin Park to take in the fall colours! A beautiful day trip, we will start by hiking the short lookout trail, before shuttling cars and boats. We'll run the section from Brigham Lake to Squirrel Depot Rapids.

This is a flatwater trip. Three easy, well-maintained portages.

Hi, summer is not over yet! The water is warm and days are still long. I'm looking for 1 to 4 people to join me to paddle Elliot Lake to Depot Lake Canoe Route Aug 25 - 27.  For those not familiar, the Elliot Lake area is a paddler's paradise.  There are 100's of lakes to paddle and it's as beautiful as Algonquin Park but without the crowds or costs.  The scenery for this trip can only be described as spectacular.  The trip involves 32 km of paddling with 739m of portage through crown land.  The route is close to town with decent cell coverage.  The route is flatwater- novice category.  Should have own gear and reasonably self-sufficient.

Paddle down the Humber River and East behind the Lake Ontario breakwater, return along the same route.  We will be 1.5 to 3 hours pending how far we want to go

Starting on Kioshkokwi Lake at the end of highway 630 along the North border of Algonquin Park, here is a laidback loop with lots of time to swim and relax. The first night will be on Kioshkokwi Lake, next night on Mink, then 2 nights on Mouse, and a final night on Whitebirch Lake. Breakfasts and dinners will be group meals and divided among participants. Lunch is “bring your own”. Equipment will also be divided to avoid unnecessary extra weight! Canoes can be rented just off highway 16 on highway 630.

We had a great time on Georgian Bay the past weekend and the bugs were so much better out on the bay compared to the other horror reports I've received. I expect the bugs to be worse in two weeks' time but it should still be much better than going anywhere else in Northern Ontario right now.

As such, I am planning another Georgian Bay paddling and camping weekend for June 13-14, exploring the maze of islands and channels of the Georgian Bay coast.. We will choose our launch point - somewhere north of Parry Sound - according to weather conditions to avoid significant exposure to wind and waves. On Saturday night we will camp on crown land, taking care to minimize our impact on this sensitive ecosystem.

Anticipated daily distance is 20-30 km; we will navigate by map and compass to visit some points of interest in the area, for example, as described in Kas Stone's book "Paddling and Hiking the Georgian Bay Coast". Due to the distance and unpredictable weather on Georgian Bay, this trip is rated as Intermediate. We will avoid dangerous conditions but you should still be very comfortable paddling in wind and waves to give yourself a margin of safety for the unexpected.

Flatwater trip - paddling up the Pigeon River to join the Trent Severn Canal, and eventually making our way to Lakefield.  Camping 2 nights at the locks, and 1 night at Emily Provincial Park. Interested parties can join us just for the weekend, or more.  We can workout group cooking if necessary, or people can be soloists if they wish.  

I probably will eat dinner out in Bobcaygeon Sunday night, at a pub, etc.  (its a glamping trip after all!)

Update: registration is closed; please stay tuned for more trips in the future!

When the bugs get thick in the bush, paddling and camping on Georgian Bay provides a welcome relief from the worst of it. The plan is to launch from one of the marinas in Pointe au Baril or Bayfield Inlet and spend a weekend exploring the maze of islands and channels of the Georgian Bay coast. We will avoid significant exposure to wind and waves, choosing our route according to the weather conditions and group ability. On Saturday night we will camp on crown land, taking care to minimize our impact on this sensitive ecosystem. Anticipated daily distance is 20-30 km; we will navigate by map and compass to visit some points of interest in the area, for example, as described in Kas Stone's book "Paddling and Hiking the Georgian Bay Coast". Due to the distance and unpredictable weather conditions on Georgian Bay, this trip is rated as Intermediate.

POSTPONED due to recent freeze.

Join me for an early season day trip on the flatwater section of the Lower Madawaska River. This trip will run from Cherry Point Picnic Area east of Calabogie all the way to Burnstown Beach. It's a nice, calm and accessible 13km stretch of flatwater. 

Easy and local flatwater paddle before tackling the harder stuff this year.  Good chance to test out new purchases and make sure that the drysuit still fits ok. 

Note:  this outing is fully subscribed so the registration has been turned off.  Please contact the organizer to get on the wait list.  It is reasonably likely that a spot or two will become open.

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This one-day 18km trip will take us down the Willow Creek into the heart of the Minesing Wetlands (designated internationally significant), through an often flooded silver maple forest, and onto the Nottawasaga River, ending up at Edenvale Conservation Area. Scenery is highly dependent on water levels, which can vary greatly depending on the time of travel and spring runoff. You may need to get out and pull your boat at some places in the heart of the wetland.

The outing will take place on Saturday May 2nd and time on the water will be approximately 10am to mid-afternoon, with a break for lunch.