3 day Canoe Trip in Algonquin Park
Submitted by Elias Wasson
If you are looking for a good long weekend paddling route in Algonquin, the Bonnechere Lake loop may be a good option. Easy access using the Smoke Lake access point make this route ideal for anyone making the drive up to Algonquin from urban centers south of the park. I was joined on this route by my Brother on an early October weekend, the routes total distance is approximately 40kms, which we were able to complete in 3 days, albiet not comfortably as we had a considerably late start on the first day and short day light hours. As it turns out, we would learn the importance of getting an early start on fall trips when day light hours are in short supply in the days to follow.
After picking up our permits at the Canoe Lake permit office and getting our canoe we started our trip at the Smoke Lake Access point directly across the road. Our first day we were treated to sunny skies and warm temps as we happily paddled our way across Smoke Lake. The fall colors at this time were at their peak which made it all the more enjoyable. Smoke Lake is a big and deep lake, and the wind can cause issues often, making for dangerous lake crossings as we would learn on our journey back. The entire crossing from the access point to the Ragged Lake portage took close to 2 hours with fair weather, which in itself eats up a decent chunk of the day. In total it was roughly 5 kms from the canoe launch to the first portage. This didn’t bother us in the slightest as it gave us time to collect ourselves after the busy day driving up and served as a good warm up for the many miles to come.
With the first lake in the books it was time to begin our first portage. The first portage of any back country trip for me is always the most challenging even if its a short one. at 240 metres in length, the Smoke Lake to Ragged Lake portage is an uphill one, you gain elevation in general in this area of the park south of Highway 60 so that is something to keep in mind if your not used to portaging. Once on Ragged Lake it was time for my Brother and I to find our first nights campsite. Ragged Lake is a popular lake, so you will likely not have first pick of sites which was the case when we arrived. In fact, the weekend we were there, there was only 1 site left unreserved on Ragged which we were fortunate enough to get. It is always best to book ahead however I don’t generally book ahead in October as usually it is not necessary and it saves the reservation fee ( booking the day of at the permit office, there is no extra fee. ) Lucky for us, we found a site which would give us a straight shot to the next portage the following morning without backtracking. Once at camp we immediately dove right into the camp chores while we were still in productive mode. With the tent set up and the firewood chopped it was time for supper and a well deserved cold beer to finish the night off, a perfect night in the backcountry.
Day 1 Totals
Distance – 8kms
Total Portages – 1 ( 240 meters )
Our second day began with the usual tasks of breaking down camp and making a quick breakfast of oatmeal and bread with peanut butter. After quickly reviewing the maps and confirming how much distance we would have to cover for the day we set off towards the Big Porcupine Lake portage. During the approach to portage in the southern part of the lake there are large swaths of what appear to be flooded dead forests. On an overcast day it can appear rather dismal and erie, no possible spots on either side of the bay to land a canoe as you are surrounded by the boggy mess. When we finally landed at our first portage for the day the water levels did not allow us to paddle all the way to the portage marker which added distance. You may notice this in the Late summer / Fall when water levels are low. This only added to an already challenging portage menacingly titled “the Devils Staircase.” It does live up to its nickname ( slightly ) as you do gain considerable elevation and the hike up the staircase with pack and canoe can be exhausting.
Once over the Devils Staircase you enter into Big Porcupine Lake. By this point in our day it had started raining slightly which had motivated us to quicken our pace. We took a portage which knocks off an extra few kms of paddling, partly due to the fact that being under the canopy of the forest seemed better then getting rained on in the canoe. Im not sure if their is much time saved by taking this portage but it really depends on your mood if you want to take it or paddle the long way around. Either way brings you to the southern portion of Big Porcupine. It can be a bit challenging finding the portage at times, following the map can sometimes prove to be difficult as the landscape can be disorienting. The many bays and inlets in these lakes can also be easy to mistake so a good lay of the map is essential. We arrived at the 200 meter portage to Lake Bonnechere, once we had completed it the sun had decided to make an appearance. Lake Bonnechere is without a doubt my favorite Lake on this particular route, as we glided through the water, the tall ancient white pine forests on shore dwarfed us, mesmerizing us as we quietly rounded each bend and turn in the lake with amazement. During our travel north on this lake we came across the ominously titled “Devils Razor” a long protruding rock formation that requires you to lift the canoe over to avoid damaging it. The upper section on Lake Bonnechere seemed to have perfectly picturesque campsites that tempted us to call it an early day, but with the amount of distance still to cover we had no choice but to continue. From here on out there would be no campsites until we reached Lake Delano which can take 2 to 3 hours. With sunset fast approaching we made a quick shore lunch of noodles and soup and completed the 40 meter portage ( the shortest of the trip ) into Cradle Lake.
We began setting a blistering pace as we needed to cover 6 lakes and 6 portages within a few hours or we would be making an emergency camp on the portage trail. From Cradle Lake to Delano you pass through a chain of small Shallow Lakes, many of them do not have suitable drinking water as they are shallow and muddy, so fill up on Cradle Lake before beginning this chain of lakes. We had finally reached the last portage of the day, a 900 meter trek into Delano Lake, the sun had set by this point in the day and we were growing concerned that we wouldn’t be able to see once in the darkness of the forest. There was no time to hesitate, we hastily shouldered the canoe and gear and began the portage. The portage into Delano Lake from South Canisbay is not flat by any means, and on the final stretch there is a steep decent into Delano Lake that must be taken with extreme caution.
We arrived on Delano Lake at around 8pm, the sun had long since set but we were relieved to have finally arrived. There is only 1 camp site on Delano Lake, and we had our sights set firmly on finding it. This proved to be more difficult then we had thought, the map indicated the site being on the far eastern tip of the small lake but after scanning the shore several times with the canoe, we could not see any sign of the campsite marking. This became rather discouraging after half an hour of paddling around in the dark, our bodies aching and weary from the days grueling travel. At last we pulled our canoe up to the only suitable spot for a camp site and to our delight it turned out to be the official campsite we had been searching for. What are the odds! We hastily set up camp and gathered firewood for the night for what would be our last night in the back country. With the moon in full view and the loons calling, we enjoyed our supper by the campfire under the stars and reflected on the day.
Day 2 Totals
Distance – 17 kms
Total portages – 10 = 4.4kms
Our last day was met with bittersweet emotions, the sun was out and were were excited to begin the day of paddling, but it would most likely be the last day in the back country for the year as we would not have another opportunity for the rest of the season to get out again on the water, winter was fast approaching and it was strange to think that in a little more then a months time Algonquin would likely get its first snowfall. We set out from camp at around 11am and was quickly met by our first portage out of Lake Delano, a 350 meter portage into Hilliard Lake. Our pace was slightly relaxed that day, we had roughly 13 kms to cover back to the boat launch with minimal portaging. We crossed into Cache Lake over a 760 meter portage. This lake is cottage developed and was the first front country Lake that we had encountered since leaving Smoke lake, we saw a few motor boats and several cottages. The winds had picked up considerably by this point and once out on the water we benefited from a strong tail wind which helped quicken our pace, this would be short lived though as we had to turn in almost the opposite direction and go directly against the wind to make our way back to Smoke Lake. From Cache lake we turned our sights west towards Tanamakoon Lake through a narrow channel. We had noticed that there were bouys clearly marking out a path for motor boats as there was a camp located on Lake Tanamakoon. A few motor boats passed us along the way and kindly slowed down so as to not create a wake.
It seemed as though the weather would hold up for our last few hours of the journey, but our luck would run out before long. out of nowhere the skys clouded over and began to pour rain, just as we rounded a bend in the lake we were hit with a massive crosswind, the bow of the canoe was immedietly tossed to the side despite our efforts to control the vessel. We were now being pushed sideways taking waves every which way, it was at this moment that I was sure of a capsize I yelled to my brother to make it to shore. Luckily we weren’t far from the rugged spruce lined banks and made it out of the waves safely. There we waited out the storm happy to be off the water. Once the weather was calm enough we were back on the Lake. From Lake Tanamakoon we crossed over Little Island Lake and Kootchie Lake and a small pond that resembled a spruce bog more then anything. The Portage from Kootchie Lake into Smoke Lake would be our last, 900 meters of fairly easy walking. At the end we were rewarded to a chair that had been carved out of a log and a beautiful view of Smoke Lake. We got into the canoe and began to paddle out of Kootchie Bay. The winds caused more of a problem on Smoke lake as it is a much larger lake then the others. We fought hard against a fierce headwind and against waves that nearly swamped the boat, crashing into our boat relentlessly. We paddled straight into the oncoming torrent, we knew that if our boat got caught sideways by a wave we could be capsized. The winds did not let up and the rain began to pound again, this was the final home stretch in our journey and it appeared that mother nature was not going to let us go easily. We left the safety of the shore to make the final crossing of Smoke Lake to the boat launch. I kneeled down in the canoe to keep the weight lower and paddled furiously. It took everything in us physically to keep that boat in control fighting against whitecaps and pounding rain. Each paddle stoke slowly brought us closer to the the safety of the shore in what seemed to be a neverending Lake Crossing. Then just as we neared shore the clouds broke, the wind calmed and appeared out of nowhere a beautiful rainbow to the east. A fitting way to end our dangerous lake crossing and a amazing 3 day trip in Algonquin’s back country.
