Post Trip Report final - edit

Killarney Provincial Park – Post Trip Report

W. Souter, J. Coombs, C. Cote, D. Collins, S. Lavery, M. Soden, K. Bandy, M. Corsi

18.11.2014

Ian Pineau – AND 7149

Algonquin College

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Table of Contents

Maps of route ........................................................................................................................ 3-5

Travel Details ........................................................................................................................... 6

Group Goal............................................................................................................................... 7

Individual Goals .................................................................................................................. 8-14

Incident Reports/Near Misses ................................................................................................ 15

Future Changes to route ......................................................................................................... 15

Evaluation of Gear ................................................................................................................. 16

Gear Concerns........................................................................................................................ 16

Evaluation of Meals ............................................................................................................... 17

Changes to EAP ..................................................................................................................... 18

Suggestions ............................................................................................................................ 18

Evaluation of Team Leadership ............................................................................................. 19

Expedition Behavior .............................................................................................................. 19

Planning ............................................................................................................................ 20-21

Group Trip Log ................................................................................................................. 22-28

Individual Trip Logs ......................................................................................................... 29-58

References .............................................................................................................................. 59

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Maps of Route Taken

Jeff’s Killarney Map

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Travel Details

Day 1

- Slight confusion with directions, but fixed quickly

- High winds – Solo canoe got a tow for part of the paddle - No portages, short paddle

Day 2

- Rough portage; mainly uphill, very rocky and muddy, took a long time to finish - We chose a different campsite placing us closer to the hiking trail

Day 3

- Steep, muddy terrain for most of the hike up to the peak - The hike down in the rain was worse, careful footing was necessary to avoid slips and

trips

- There was a stream to cross at one point where we had a person on a rock in the middle helping others across

Day 4

- Lots of rain - 4 portages which were wet, muddy, rocky, and slippery - Changed camp site to one closer to the portage route as it was getting late

Day 5

- Strong headwinds made the paddling more difficult - No portages this day

Day 6

- Hard time getting food canoe in due to size and weight of rock used

- Portage had lots of hills, rocks, and mud (860m)

Day 7

- Lots of snow. Approximately 4” in the morning with more falling to add up to about 6-7” by the end of the day

- High winds, gusts up to 30K

- Narrow channel to paddle with many small beaver damns and no distinguishable portage trails

- Missed turn off of Highway 69

- Ran out of gas before reaching gas station

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Group SMART Goal

To successfully run and complete a commercially viable trip using the skills and knowledge that we’ve acquired over the past three semesters.

Specific – To run a trip without error, with no need for emergency protocols, or evacuations.

Measurable – If we effectively conclude our trip without any of the above happening, it will certainly be a measurable result.

Attainable – Through the training that everyone in our group has accumulated in these past semesters at Algonquin, success on this trip is a completely attainable result.

Realistic – The variety of skills and knowledge that our group brings into the field should make the completion of these goals a practical goal for us to aspire to.

Timeline – Throughout the semester we will be working on our logistical and planning skills, as well as honing our emergency preparation plans and procedures. All of these things should bring

our trip to a successful conclusion at the end of the ten day expedition.

Post Trip Summary

Our goal was to successfully complete the trip we had planned without need for any emergency protocols. Though we had to make alterations to the original plan, and left early due to weather,

we managed to come together and make the trip work. The combination of skills gained over the semester came into play and made this trip possible. Our training allowed us to continually

assess the situation and make changes as seen fit for both time management and safety concerns.

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Winnifred – SMART Goal

By the end of our 10 day trip I want to have participated to the best of my abilities without causing any personal harm by using mine and the group’s knowledge of risk management and

first aid. If achieved, this will be my first trip with the school that doesn’t end early due to an injury. It will offer insight into some of the hurdles which may come up while guiding in the field, and how to deal with them effectively. It will prove that with proper planning, and safety

precautions in place, even with a physical condition that prevents you from fully partaking in the highly physical aspects of the trip, you can still participate and enjoy yourself.

Post Trip Review

Though our trip was cut short due to weather, I managed to complete the trip without any serious injuries. During one of the portages I rolled my ankle, however after an hour of resting it and

stretching it slowly I recovered. I have to accredit the group I was in, particularly Mak, Dustin, Shane, and Julia who were very accommodating when it came to my inabilities. If it weren’t for

their willingness to pull my extra weight I would not have been so successful in this trip. It was an incredibly fulfilling trip, though there were many parts – during the paddling – where I was all but useless due to my inability to paddle. Completing the hike to Silver Peak, though difficult,

was amazing. Having the opportunity to guide with the map and my compass was a great experience as well. I had Dustin and Mak for help when needed, and after the first 20 minutes, I

was becoming more confident with my abilities. This being my first full trip with the school, and my longest trip yet, there were a lot of learning experiences. I feel I learned and gained a great deal from this trip, and would love to repeat a similar adventure once my shoulder has recovered

so I could pull more of my own weight. Overall I feel I completed my goal, and have gained a great deal of knowledge from this trip.

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Julia – SMART Goal

Specific I would like to expand on my abilities in plant and bird identifications, as well as wild foraging. I would also like to exercise my competence on the river and in camp, testing my

knowledge of camp craft and my practical paddling skills.

Measurable Being able to successfully identify three new plant/shrub species, and learning a

few new knots at camp, will prove to me that I can continue to expand my practical education, even/especially when in the field. I would also like to add to my bird/astronomy knowledge.

Attainable It is absolutely plausible for me to learn three new knots and three new shrubs while out on the trip. The knowledge of my class/trip mates will be a great resource for me to draw

from when it comes to learning these new things.

Realistic It is completely reasonable that I can complete these goals for myself while on

trip. Being immersed in the perfect environment to find new plants and birds will allow for new identifications. Also, being able to have some down time at camp will allow me to practice new

knots so that I can improve my camp craft abilities.

Time The seven to ten days on trip should be plenty of time for me to expand my knowledge.

The people I will be with should be a great source for the knowledge I hope to attain.

Assessment of SMART goal completion

The trip did afford me with lots of opportunities to work on my camp craft skills. The day

of the Silver Peak hike really gave me the chance to show some of what I knew, by getting tarps up when the rain began, and keeping the fire going for the returning group of hikers.

Shane helped me learn two ways of properly securing a grenade of rope, and I also used my iPad to learn common whipping knots.

By solo paddling Winnie one day, I felt very confident in my paddling abilities. I feel that I’ve gained a thorough base of knowledge about proper canoeing techniques and styles through

our various other skills courses.

Although we did not have the opportunity to see as much bird activity as I had thought

we would, there were a few great occurrences that left me pleased with this part of my goal. On the drive to the put in we saw a grouse crossing the road. One afternoon at camp I chatted with some chickadees, and got them to swoop down towards me. We also got to admire a screeching

red-tailed hawk soaring above us on the water. Listening to Chey’s loon call was also an amazing substitute for not seeing any new species.

The time of year for this trip was not ideal for wild foraging. I was able to successfully identify some of the plants recently learned in wild edibles such as Lobelia and wild carrot.

There were also plenty of mullein plants, but they were all well past prime harvesting time.

All in all, I feel very happy with the completion of my goals. Although some were not completely what I had in mind, I still believe I learned a great deal, which was a primary part of my goal.

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Dustin – SMART Goal

Specific – This trip for me is a perfect chance to personally help develop, design and implement an expedition for which I am directly involved with. In addition to the planning stage I will also

be nailing down all my tripping experiences into an extended trip to try and perfect my LNT, Camp Craft, Preparation, and overall Tripping Skills.

Measurable – This is very measurable as I will be seeing the progress of my work during each stage of the development of the trip. Already I have seen a large improvement of my time management skills, and how quickly I am getting documents completed and finished. During the

trip I will measure my success by how smoothly the trip runs.

Attainable - This is definitely an attainable goal because I have been trained in all aspects of planning a trip. I feel very confident that this trip and the planning and logistics that are going into it are well within my scope of knowledge and training.

Realistic - This is very realistic, based in part of our class’s recent trip to the Killarney region for

an equal amount of time for sea kayaking. We have done extended trips for multiple days based around all aspects of our current trip, such as Hiking, Canoeing, and LNT Principles to name a few.

Time - The trip will be 10 days and will take place in late October. The planning stages will be continuing for the next four weeks. I am already achieving small goals within the early

development.

Reflection on SMART Goal

Well the Killarney interior trip has been completed but not exactly to the original plan.

For me, that was the most disappointing part of the trip. Bad weather had inhibited our movements, and had us back 3 days early. Even though this was very disappointing, I still felt that I probably learned more with the way the trip played out as opposed to the trip running as

planned. The planning we did ahead of time was very thorough, and I felt that I learned a lot about how much work goes into planning an extended trip such as this.

My tripping skills definitely improved during the seven days in Killarney. I had the chance to make decisions based on risk management, and shared concerns about safety and other

aspects of the trip. These were things that I have not been able to when being on trip with instructors as they are the ones typically who call the shots. In the end I feel like I completed my

goals that I had before we departed. I learned a lot and feel that this experience has made me not only a better guide, but made me better in my tripping and decision making skills.

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Chey – SMART Goal

Specific I would like to complete the trip successfully and to its fullest. I want to improve on being a leader and I would like to improve on camp craft, and interpretive skills.

Measurable Being able to set up the tarp at least one of our camp sites without any assistance. I would like to expand on my interpretive skill by learning more about the wildlife and being

able to identify at least 3 new plants. I would also like to learn more astronomy throughout the week.

Attainable The knowledge that my classmates have about tying up tarps, and about the wildlife of the area are going to be a big help in me being able to achieve my goal.

Realistic It is very realistic that I could learn these skills within the 7-10 day we will be in the field. Again my classmates will be a big help and I am motivated to learn the new skills they

can teach me.

Time Having 7 – 10 days on this trip should be more than enough time to complete my

goals and improving new skills.

Post Trip Goal Review

I completed most of my goal. I lead for a day on trip and took part in decision making. I voiced my opinion more than I usually would. I helped other people in my group set up/ take down their

tents and gear. I helped encourage my group in times of low spirits, and did my part as a group member collecting wood when needed and helping with bear hangs. Sadly I didn’t get a chance

to set up a tarp on my own, but I learned more about the skill as I helped out in setting up tarps during one of our rainy days. The third part of my goal I actually completely forgot about on trip. I didn’t focus on the plant life around me other than recognizing the plants I already knew. We

did do a bit of astronomy, though most nights were too cloudy. We saw the constellations Orion, the Little and Big Dipper, and the ISS (International Space Station). In all I feel happy with the

part of the goal that I did achieve on trip and look forward to going on more canoe trips in the future.

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Kat – SMART Goal

Specific- My goal for my final ex trip is to learn something new out in the field that I haven’t been able to learn or experience while in school. Not only that I want to be able to use my new

skills without having instructors always there to help out. It’ll make me and my group to really think on our own and come up with our own solutions.

Measurable- I want to be able to have new skills on knots, learn at like 4 new types of plants.

Also to be able to build shelters out of tarps so I can use those new skills in the future.

Attainable- I find my goal is definitely achievable because of the type of people that are on this

trip. We all have different interests in things that we tend to know lots of information on and are willing to share and teach others.

Realistic- This goal is very realistic because of the type of trip that we have planned. We will be going canoeing on one day and hiking the next day. During those hiking trips will see beautiful creatures and different types of plants that I’ll be able to learn.

Time frame- The time frame to achieve these goals would be 10 days.

Post Trip Summary

I feel as if I accomplished my SMART goal on final ex. My SMART goal had been to use many of new skills on trip without having instructors. I guided my group from one camp site to the

next and also guided them on our hiking trip to silver peak. I portage many canoes over my head which we learned during skills. What I didn’t really accomplish was something new. Everything

we did was something that I’ve done in the past.

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Mak – SMART Goal

My personal goals for the trip to Killarney Provincial Park are as follows. Firstly I want the trip to be a positive experience. If there are mistakes/negatives then I want to learn from my mistakes

to improve my planning skills for future trips. Secondly I want to practice my professionalism, my interpretive skills to add validity and credibility to myself as a guide/instructor with a group of clients in a back country trip setting. Also I hope that our group works together and we all can

cooperate with each other’s thoughts and actions. I am going to get the most out of this trip and take back with me lots of memories. In succeeding to do this arriving to checkpoints on schedule

is key to finishing and engaging in, every detail of the trip itinerary. So the trip needs to be well timed managed and organized. We have a solid group and think it is going to be a very successful trip.

S- My goal is to share all my prior knowledge of the Killarney area with the group like a guide would with clients on trip. This also goes hand in hand with new experiences on trip like group

dynamics, encountering challenging situations (rough portages, paddling in weather conditions) that as an individual and a group we will learn to accomplish those tasks.

M- When I have achieved this I will feel like I have guided clients on a trip if the trip is a success.

A- I can take steps to achieve this goal starting now in the trip planning stage, taking each step

gradually until the time comes to go to Killarney. On trip is the real test to put all my skills I have to trial.

R- This is relevant because I see my goal is the purpose of the ODAN program, to become a master guide.

T- By the end of the trip I will know if I’ve achieved my goal or if I still need to hone in and practice to become a master guide.

Post Trip Summary

So this trip had to be the most grueling and testing backcountry trip I’ve ever gone on, I was being tested every part of everyday. And as far as succeeding in achieving my personal goals and hopes for this trip I definitely see that there were successes and there were failures. Overall this

trip was not a positive experience for me, and all the negativity on trip leads back to the people who went. But I did learn a lot from the negatives and the mistakes I made trying to deal with

those negatives. I’ve reformed myself and the way I react to those situations on trip, which in turn makes me a more professional guide figure. On trip I do see myself as a weak leader in some instances but I do believe that lies in the circumstances of the trip. The trip itself was

supposed to challenge the group, to help us all become better leaders. For instance if I were guiding a trip of clients I would have an easier time getting them to push themselves to finish

tough portages, to pick up the pace to make timelines; this was a group of my peers who I would expect as much as I would expect from myself. In a way I felt like I did guide clients, but I never felt that sense of place of being in backcountry Killarney, and I assume that others had this too.

Now that the trip is over I can hone my skills, learn from my mistakes and make my next trip a more positive experience!

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Melody – SMART Goal

Specific - I would like to further experience with this trip through trial and error in this set environment, and also being actively participating hands on. I would like to further my

knowledge of risk management, camp craft, leading trip and plant identificatio n. Putting all I have learned into the field.

Measurable- - Through my peer evaluation, I will have hopefully attained an enthusiastic memorable time for them as we learn from each other through our different skills, ideas and strengths. I would also like to identify plants found in the area.

Attainable - This is attainable because I have all the available resources ad previous experience

to aid in plant identification, setting camp, canoeing and being safe.

Realistic - This is realistic due to the trips and expeditions we have taken in the past. I have

been on trip with all of my peers before and have learned to understand their ways. We have been out in the woods around this time of October and I understand the need for specific gear is

necessary especially with the cold weather.

Time - The trip will be 10 days and will take place in late October.

Reflection

The Killarney trip was definitely physically active, with the paddling, portaging and numerous of

things to do around camp, which is the style of trip I wanted. I packed more personal clothing than usual because of the constant weather changes, this proved to be useful as the weather was

sunny, rainy and snowy so I was comfortable the whole trip. It was a beautiful place but there was no new plant identification to happen. There were nice rocks and rock formations around us that was nice such as the white rock on Silver Peak and some rock wall faces that we canoed by.

I didn’t attain my entire ‘measurable’ goal; with the group dynamics I was uncertain in times when to be a leader or a participant.

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Incident Reports/Near Miss Forms

Before leaving for the trip, we printed near miss report forms and included them in the trip plan we brought with us, we were also prepared to record any incident reports needed. Through

careful planning and execution with attention to detail and group safety, we successfully completed this trip without incident. We were cautious with all of our activities, safety being the up most priority. We did not have any accidents, or find the need to fill any near miss reports.

Future Changes to the Route

The initial route that was proposed was based on a predetermined level of physical ability that was expected. However we soon realized that this route was not going to be possible based

on the time it took us to complete the portages, in some instances it was also a matter of how long it took us to do open water crossings. With prevailing head winds, it proved to be quite a difficult endeavor to paddle a tandem canoe solo across some of these bodies of water.

For a commercially viable trip definite rout alterations would have to be made. Being that clients can’t necessarily be expected to have a physical fitness level required to do some of the

more arduous sections. If we did chose to keep it as such for a commercial trip we would be excluding a portion of the market.

Future changes should include shorter, or easier days, more rest days, and possibly a different location or time of year. It was apparent that the long distances – both on and off the

water – posed a problem. In the future, different routes with less portages, or elongating the time frame of travel would be useful. Another helpful change is to add more rest days. The long, hard

paddles, and portages, mixed with the cold wet weather start to take their toll. Having a few days spread out through the trip when people can relax, dry their items, and tend to camp would be beneficial both to health and morale. The area that this trip was planned for – Killarney

Provincial Park – is very close to Georgian Bay, and receives various forms of extreme weather coming off the coast. This in addition to the time of year that this trip was executed – late fall –

meant cold wet days, with high winds, over-night frosts, and even snow squalls. If the route were changed to a different location which was more guarded from extreme weather then it may have an effect on the successfulness of the trip. Alternatively, executing the trip in mid-summer would

mean warmer weather, as well as different water levels. This could also improve the portage trails, depending on the weather; with less rainfall the terrain would be more welcoming.

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Evaluation of Gear

The group did very well bringing all of the necessary gear. We had enough tarps and ropes that when the rain and wind came along we were able to build more than adequate shelters

to protect ourselves.

The gravity bag was the most effective method of purifying the water; the hand pumps

worked as well, but were not nearly as efficient. The group also had Pristine if anything were to happen to the other purification tools.

There were plenty of tents on the trip, affording multiple sleeping arrangement options. The snag we ran into was that none of the tents were meant for four-season camping, which

became a real issue on our final morning. One of the poles for the eight-man tent snapped that morning.

Two of the groups’ four canoes were lighter Kevlar makes, while the other two were heavier fiberglass models. Ideally all four of the canoes could have been lighter, which would

have possibly made for better portages, and faster paddling times.

There was a good variety of stoves and pot sets that the whole group shared, and we did

not want for any tools or equipment while cooking.

Gear Concerns

The major concern we faced with our gear was the seasonality of the tents we had with us. For the expected weather our accommodations were fine, however the unexpected cold snap and

snow storm proved how fickle gear like tents can be. During take-down on our final morning, a pole for one of our tents snapped from the cold. Had we stayed out for any additional nights, the

weight of the heavy snow might have damaged more tents, just as it brought so many trees down.

During our rather difficult portages it was clear how much easier our lives would have

been with four light-weight canoes instead of just the two. Since we were a hand short on moving all the gear, lighter canoes could have been solo-portaged, allowing for quicker portage

times, and overall more distance gained each day.

If this trip were to be used commercially, the ideal time the trip would run would not

have mirrored our own. This would mean the tent seasonality would present less of an issue. However the weight of the canoes would be a big issue for guests on trip, as difficult portages can really take a toll on people’s moods and physical well-being.

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Evaluation of Meals

Food groups were assigned in a rotational fashion for each meal in each day. We had four groups of two people and everyone had the opportunity to make breakfast, lunch and dinner for

the group. The meal was placed in a bag in the order of which day we were on. This became confusing at times to find a certain ingredient if it wasn’t in the assigned bag, you would have to look through all the others.

We had some ingredients in plastic bags, I recommend not doing this. The bags easily ripped and proved to be useless, it made for extra garbage. Using strong handbags and freezer bags are

the way to go.

The lunches were a rotation of soup, chicken caesar wraps and cold cut wraps. This was a tasty and an effective meal to accomplish due to the fact that we had lunch during the day (after a portage or after a hike) and didn’t have a whole lot of time to make something.

We definitely brought enough food for the trip and dinners were good and filling. I recommend planning meat and pasta type of meals.

We had also assigned snacks for each day, for treats or if anyone got hungry after dinnertime. This was very effective. It is nice to know there is always more food, especially when you are

sitting around a fire and just chatting. Below is a table that shows the cost of food for eight people for seven days in the Killarney trip. It cost roughly $8.07 per person per day and $2.09

per person per meal which is what we aimed for.

Walmart $124.25 Wholesome Club $239.39

Bulk Barn $94.03

Ulrichs $10.30

Giant Tiger $19.76 Total $487.73

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Changes to EAP

Although throughout the trip we made alterations, our escape routes remained the same. The four access points we chose were very obvious, both on the map and in person. They were easily

accessible locations where we were likely to have had cellphone service to contact the appropriate people in case of evacuation. Two of these locations were our put-in and take-out meaning that if something were to happen while we were in the first or last leg of the journey;

our evacuation point would give us access to personal vehicles, and simplify the process of reaching definitive care. These would likely be good access points for future trips to this location

as they are all relatively simple to get to from the surrounding area.

Suggestions for the Future

The Killarney Provincial Park canoe and hike trip was a success in many ways. Sound decision making, appropriate risk assessments while on trip, and proper planning all helped

create a trip that allowed for learning and fun. There are a few things that should be changed in order to ensure that this trip remains as commercially viable.

The time of year in which this trip took place was in autumn, and this creates certain issues that can manifest themselves on trip. For starters the weather can change drastically from day to day. This can create problems for gear as well as group moral. Staying dry was an issue

that consistently came up during the 7 days in Killarney. The group did a good job ensuring that everybody was as dry as they could be; this included the sharing of certain articles of clothing.

When dealing with wet/frozen gear on trip the group did all we could to ensure the proper care of the equipment, but as we experienced later in the trip sometimes you just have to play the cards you are dealt. Frozen canoe seats, ice covered paddles and wet conditions in the canoe all led to

the issue of staying warm and dry at this time of the year.

Another issue on trip was the portage conditions. All of our portages were in rough condition due to the heavy water saturation of soil. This can be expected and planned for, but when you throw in rain, snow, and winter like conditions it can make for unpleasant experience.

All of these issues were foreseeable and planned for, but when looking to do commercially viable trips it would be key to have this trip much earlier in the year. Summer or early fall would

be the most optimal time for this trip. This change of season would allow for quicker movement on portages, the hikes, as well as our group speed on the water, and contribute to an overall higher level of group moral.

The tough weather conditions we experienced in Killarney were the contributing factor of our early departure. In order to fulfill the entire trip plan, we feel that having the trip take place

earlier in autumn or even in summer would result in a better overall trip experience. The last change would be the route. If the trip were to take place at an earlier time then routes would need

to be altered. Higher water levels in late fall allow for travel in areas that usually aren’t accessible in warmer weather. These alterations to routes would be minor though, and would not impact the overall feel of the trip.

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Evaluation of Group Leadership and Decision Making

Throughout the trip there were many opportunities for demonstrations of leadership, as well as times for decision making. Some of the group was more inclined to take the leadership role than

others. Leadership styles such as delegating and participating were used to get through situations. There were many times, particularly during the trip alterations, where everyone was given the opportunity to input ideas with regards to the changes. Some people had more ideas than others,

and the main route changes were figured out by Dustin and Mak. No decisions were set in stone until it was thoroughly discussed by the group, and any and all concerns were heard and

addressed. Though certain people stood out more in the leadership role than others, the overall performance of the group was good, and decision making was ensured to include everyone.

Expedition Behavior

The overall attitude on the trip from everyone was good. There were stressful times, particularly

on the portages, when tensions ran high, however the persistent attempts to communicate effectively got us through it. Motivation to contribute to the ‘group needs’ such as drinking water, tarps, fire wood collection was present in most people all the time. The bad weather and

rough terrain brought spirits down, however there was always someone who would lighten the mood. Concern for other’s safety was highly important on this trip, and was executed well. We

followed our predetermined protocols for personal safety, including the hike day when Julia offered to stay at camp with Shane, making sure the buddy system was in place. Everyone seemed determined to finish this trip, and many were good at encouraging others when they had

lost their motivation. In the end, we all got through the trip because everyone played a part in getting through it.

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Planning

During the early planning process we knew that there would need to be a lot of time invested to ensure this trip went off without a hitch. The early stages included where exactly we would go.

After deciding on Killarney Provincial Park early on, we knew next would be what sort of route we would take. We played with idea of doing the trip in two parts, one part being the French River, followed by the interior of Killarney. After struggling to find any decent maps of the area

around the French River we decided it best, and more simple to stick with just the interior of Killarney.

The next step was to pick the route, which was more difficult than anticipated. Mak and Dustin worked for many hours to find the right routes with the fewest amount of portages. They

used topo maps, google earth, and other resources such as Mak’s personal experience to nail down the route. The route was proposed in the next meeting, and everyone was in agreement. We would do 10 days through Killarney including 3 lay over days for hikes. During the initial

planning of the route there was special attention given to evac routes to ensure a sound risk management plan. At any given time we were no further than 7 km from one of our 4 evac

points.

The next steps were to organize gear, delegate tasks, and work out the logistics of the trip. Each

member of the group was assigned tasks to research. The gear was the easiest to figure out. We made comprehensive lists of all individual gear. After reviewing the lists we were then able to

make another list showing which gear we still needed. This included canoes, paddles, trailer, and an additional GPS. We were lucky in the sense that the majority of our gear was already personally owned by members of our group. This allowed for more time to focus on other tasks,

but we did run into two main issues. We found it difficult to find canoes from outfitters around the Killarney region that were affordable, as well as tracking down a large trailer capable of

hauling 4-5 canoes. After some time we deemed it best to only use 4 canoes. We received one from Karly Schlenz which was rented for a nominal fee, one from Bernard Schutt of Schutt’s Garage Pembroke, one from Shane Lavery, and the last from Dustin Collins. Once that was

decided the next step was the trailer. After some debate we decided on using 3 of our own vehicles in order to transport the canoes. This saved money as well as freed up time to work on

other aspects of the trip. The remaining group gear was then rented from Algonquin College. In addition some other gear was purchased such as items for the group first aid kit.

Clothing was very important in the planning process. As a group we made sure that everyone had proper foot wear as well as enough clothing that would be effective in the various temperatures and weather conditions that we expected on trip. Planning for a variety of weather

conditions was something that was discussed early on, because we knew of the time of year we were going, as well as our previous experience in the region from sea kayaking.

When developing the ERP special attention was given to the remoteness of where we were heading. When developing the route (as mentioned before) we made sure that we were not

too far from any of our 4 evac routes at any given time. This was something necessary during the planning process, and was sound risk management. Fortunately we never had to use our ERP in

the field. We also had a long drive which was the most dangerous aspect of our trip, but with cautious driving, experienced drivers and proper planning, we all felt comfortable.

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The driving portion was the most that we were exposed to risk during the trip. In order to plan for this we ensured that all our vehicles were properly maintained before departure. Dustin

even purchased 2 new tires for the back of his truck as he would be hauling 75% of all the gear.

We received all our information on park permits through Killarney Provincial Park’s website. It was very straight forward and easy to find the information. This gave us all the info we needed when creating our budget which Julia took care of.

The budgeting we did gave us the option to purchase extra items to help make the trip easier. This included extra items for the group first aid kit (which Winnie handled) as well as

other items such as rope and marine epoxy. We did well on budgeting and knew exactly how much our trip would cost as it developed. The two largest portions of money were the park

permits and the food.

The meal plan was developed to ensure that everybody would be properly fed while on

trip to ensure the first stage of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs were met. A shopping list was created 1 week before departure to allow for enough time to review the list, and make any

changes we deemed appropriate. All of the shopping was done by the group together in one day. The food preparation was also done by all members 2 days before departure to allow for us to have an additional day to prep or buy anything we forgot.

The last portion of the planning was the fund raiser. We didn’t need a lot of money, but enough

to warrant having a pizza and crepe fund raiser held at the college. Planning for this was relatively easy. Pizza Pizza was contacted about us ordering discounted pizzas (which they agreed to do) and Shane made fresh crepes. We had hoped to raise more money than we did, but

in the end after costs we still managed to pull in around 140 dollars to help fund the trip.

This is just a brief explanation of how things were planned for, and by no means delves

into how much work, phone calls, and stress went into this trip. Everybody in the group now has a better understanding of how to plan and budget for an extended trip such as this one.

22

Group Log

Final Ex: Day 1 October 25th

The plan was to leave Pembroke at 6 am, our convoy didn’t leave the town until approx.

6:30 am

Stopped in Mattawa & Sturgeon Falls for gas, and made 2 other quick stops along the

way

Stopped On Caron Rd in the parking lot of Lavigne Tavern to fix the tie downs on Julia’s

car – the canoe came loose

Once off the Killarney highway, we made it to our access point at Bell Lake at approx.

1:30pm and the whole group unloaded the boats and gear out of all the vehicles

Dustin, Mak, and Julia then left to the park office at George Lake to get permits; leaving

Mak and Dustin’s trucks at the George Lake take-out. While all this was happening the

remainder of the group was making lunch and loading boats

Mak made first check-in call to Ian at 2:05 pm on the drive back to the put-in

Boats touched the water at 3 pm and we were on our way to our first campsite on

Bell/Three Mile Lake

With only one minor confusion in navigation, we arrived at our desired campsite at 5 pm

By 6 pm camp was set and dinner (steaks & potatoes!) was being cooked by Julia &

Dustin

Most of the paddle was in fair sunny skies and high winds (approx. 10-15 K winds with

gusts between 15-30 K)

Shane paddled Winnie today – towed by Dustin and Mak for part of the paddle

The winds really started to get worse after camp was set and continued to remain very

windy for the rest of the night

Reinforced Shane’s 8-man tent to resist wind

Debriefed at 9pm after dinner and dishes

By 11 pm everybody was in bed

23


Day two’s plan of being on the water by 10am was delayed due to some over sleepers,

and a last minute trip to look at cabin remnants

Breakfast was good, we had breakfast sandwiches cooked by Winnie & Kat

On 3 Mile Lake today, Dustin & Mak spotted many juvenile loons, 2 pairs on the water

Dustin, Melody and Mak went to search for the remains of a trapper’s cabin that was near

our site, no structural remains were there but there was a really old, metal bear trap

Dustin took Chey, Julia, and Winnie to see the bear trap remains quickly before leaving

On the water by 11:45 am

Chey Paddled Winnie for the first part of the day – winds were fairly low compared to

first day (approx. 5 K)

After paddling from camp for a while, we reached our first portage, on the map it said

40m but with water levels this was a lot shorter. Marine railway remains and a small

waterfall were some cool features near this portage

Dustin and Mak tried running in their canoe, the moving water right at the waterfalls…

‘We hardly moved anywhere’ said Mak

The portage only took 20 minutes to complete – by 12:15pm everyone was on the water

This brought us to Balsam Lake and we started making some decent time paddling

We were coming up to our second portage, a fairly steep 650m portage into David Lake

At 1:35 pm gear and boats were starting to get moved and we started portaging, this

portage was a particularly grueling portage, it was rocky, steep and muddy.

Lunch was soup made by Winnie with help from Melody and Shane – due to physical

restrictions, Winnie stayed at the end of the portage to prepare lunch, trying to save time,

while Shane and Melody continued to move gear

The portaging finished around 3:15 pm, the lunch started soon after and boats were back

in the water at 4:15 pm to make the final leg of the day to camp

Dustin paddled Winnie for the remainder of the day

On the far side of David Lake we had a few choices of campsites to choose from, the best

one being a hiking site, H34. It offered direct access to the Lacloche Silhouette trail

which was to be hiked on Day 3, to Silver Peak.

We had the boats out of the water around 5:30 pm and camp set up thereafter

Chey and Mak cooked burgers for dinner

Dinner was very good, and the effort from Mak and Chey was very much appreciated

24


Breakfast consisted of pancakes made by Dustin & Julia

Once breakfast was eaten we broke everybody into 2 groups; most of us went on the

Silver Peak hike while Shane and Julia tended to the campsite (we left a two-way radio

with them for communication)

On the trip plan we were to leave camp by 10 am to begin the hike. We left the campsite

at 10:40 (not bad) with a GPS, compasses, a two-way radio, cell phones and trip plan on

hand

Dustin began navigating and as soon as the group saw the trail, we were treated to some

awesome views of the Lacloche Mountains

Mak navigated for a bit after Dustin, and Winnie was keen to work on navigation, so took

over after Mak

Winnie asked Mak and Dustin for confirmation with navigation skills – feels like it was a

really good learning experience

The group reached the summit at 1 pm where we had wraps for lunch, with a view!

Looking around the top of the summit, we found a geocache left in the crack of a rock.

The views were breathtaking, seeing the vast expanse of the park, as well as the towers

from Sudbury in the distance and Georgian Bay to the other side

From the top we saw rain, and apparently it was a lot of rain, coming off Georgian Bay,

we watched the rain approach as we ate our lunch

At 1:40 just as the rain hit us we started descending from Silver Peak back to camp; we

had hoped to spend more time at the peak, and explore a second lookout point, but due to

safety concerns with the rain we left early

The rain hit the camp before the it reached the hikers on the Silver Peak trail

A tarp went up by the fire, and one to keep the firewood dry. Shane and Julia kept the fire

going, a fact the wet hikers were glad of on their return

The hike back was fairly uneventful, we were careful with our footing as the trail was

fairly slippery due to the rain and mud; we reached camp at 3:30 pm.

Shane and Melody were in charge of dinner, making some pretty good meatloaf and we

were all finished eating by approx. 6:30 pm

After dinner, we packed up all our food in a canoe and covered it in a tarp so it wouldn’t

get soaked and anchored the canoe about 60-70m away from camp

We made a bear hang for all our snacks, using a large dry sack that was hung at the end

of the night so everyone could eat their snacks after dinner

Once that was finished we debriefed around 7:30 and checked the weather for Day 4

25


So the rain lasted all day, everything was pretty well soaked

Shane had amazing spirits this morning, particularly during the portages, trying to lift

everyone up in the bad weather

We were all packed and ready to go at 10:15am which was better than the first day

Mak paddled Winnie all day

The first of 4 portages came after paddling for about 45 minutes

The first portage took about an hour, the weather conditions and portage conditions were

unfavourable

A short paddle to our longest portage (700m) and after completing it lunch was made

From there the group completed the 3rd and 4th portages, passing through Log Boom Lake

Camped on site 63 on Johnnie Lake at approx. 4:45pm, about 6km away from our

planned campsite

Before getting off the water on Johnnie Lake, we saw a young (maybe 2-3 year old) buck

run out of the forest line, and into the water. We observed briefly, but once he realized we

were there he got out of the water and re-entered the forest in a different location

Camp got set up and it stopped raining, though the wind was fierce

The group made a really awesome tarp set up at camp to protect the fire pit, which was

facing the wind, and set up a few clothes lines for people to dry their things on

It took Dustin and Winnie approx. 30 minutes to get the fire to keep, but once it was

going, there were no more problems with it, even with rain soaked wood

Dinner was a group effort to make spaghetti and meat sauce

The plans changed, so Day 5 is going to be all paddling to Terry Lake and Day 6 will be

conquering this huge portage into Kakakise lake

We finished up bear hangs around 9:30 pm, it was too windy to anchor a canoe tonight

and there was a substantial group presence to get the bear hangs finished up

26


The group agreed on a later start to the day, to get the chance to dry out a lot of our

clothing on the clothes hangs we had set up previously

We finished up breakfast at 10 am, tore down camp and left around 12:15 pm

We started paddling at a good pace and made it to the dam at Johnnie Lake by approx. 2

pm, where we landed our boats and had a quick 15 minute break since we had been

fighting a strong headwind for the past couple hours

We paddled through the lunch hours, aiming to make it to Terry Lake early

Once past the dam we were into Carlyle Lake which the group another 1.5 hours of

paddling before reaching the Terry Lake camp site

This site had a small waterfall a short walk from camp

We quickly ate lunch which was chicken noodle soup

Dustin got a fire going as soon as we got on the site

Dinner tonight was jerk chicken stir fry with rice. It took a while to rehydrate the chicken

but in the end it was so good! We had a late dinner because of the late lunch, but we also

had cheese, crackers, and pickles as a snack while waiting for it to cook

There was a really short debrief and then it was bed time (approx. 10 pm)

Mak solo paddled the full canoe with Winnie in it for two of the long paddling days

through bad weather; very impressive, and appreciated

27


It was freezing this morning!

Kat solo paddled Winnie out to the food canoe (which was covered in frost) to get the

breakfast items needed; we couldn’t dislodge the boats anchor rock

Breakfast was egg, bacon and cheese sandwiches again; a particularly frustrating

situation for the cook, Winnie, who melted a fork and spilled bacon grease on herself

We had a pretty hard time getting the food canoe in, the lake was really deep and the

anchor rock we used was too big and heavy. Dustin pulled it up single handedly after

several attempts

At 10:40 am Dustin contacted Ian with the info of our alterations we’ve made to our trip

We made it on the water around 12:15 and took us only 5 minutes to paddle to the 860m

portage

Julia solo paddled Winnie for the day

Along the way we all took a 20 minute break to catch a breath

Our portaging had improved, this time we were back on the water at 2:30 pm

Along the way some of us ran into a few hikers who were spending a couple days in the

park

We were in Kakakise Lake and made it to camp at 3:30 pm

Dustin and Mak paddled ahead after unloading boats to scout Kakakise Creek

Julia and Winnie explored the site, looking for cell service but were unsuccessful

Later, Dustin managed to get service while around the camp fire, although no other

phones could get reception in that same area

Lunch, which was wraps, was ready when Dustin and Mak returned from scouting

Mak and Chey made Mac & Cheese for dinner or as everyone called it “Mak & Chey”

Bed time was 9:30 pm

28

Final Ex: Day 7 October 31st

Winter showed up on Halloween morning

There were inches of snow on the ground and very high winds when Julia got up to begin

making breakfast

Julia and Dustin decided to let everyone sleep in for a while longer, forgoing breakfast,

and progressing to a meeting to discuss the day’s options

The options were to paddle to the next site and continue with the trip, or paddle to the

take-out. Another suggestion was to wait at the site where we were to see if the weather

improved, however we decided it was safest to at least reach George lake where our take-

out point was

Together we made the decision to take out, since the snow squalls weren’t letting up, and

there was a new expected overnight low of -12C

We had camp taken down and boats in the water by 1 pm, the group paddled to the creek

in good time where we came to our first of 5 beaver dams

The dams were small enough that we managed to get over them by getting out of the

boats and lifting them over the logs, we didn’t have to portage our gear

Paddling through the creek was almost surreal, like paddling in a scene from the Lord of

The Rings movie; the creek was narrow with tall grass and cattails surrounding us, the

high cliffs along the sides, and everything was completely covered in snow

Kakakise Creek flowed into Freeland Lake which was only about a 30 minute paddle to

the end of the lake, where our final portage lay into George Lake

Along the way we were starting to encounter high winds again

Our takeout time was 4:15 pm today and once we arrived Mak, Julia and Winnie left to

go get Julia’s car from Bell Lake.

The high winds and heavy snows had knocked over many trees and on the road to Bell

Lake.

Julia and Mak moved more than 12 trees off the road, just to get by

Dustin called Ian to inform him of our plans and location

By 6 pm we had the cars loaded and were ready to leave Killarney

The gas light in Julia’s car was already on as the group leaving

The group got separated for about 50 minutes as the second and third vehicles lost

contact with the lead vehicle.

Having lost the lead car, the following two vehicles missed a turn, and before everyone

could regroup, Julia’s car ran out of gas

Mak and Shane who had to pulled over to adjust their straps on the canoes then drove to

the nearest gas station to buy a jerry can and some gas.

There were no other complications once this was dealt with

We made it to Pembroke at 2 am, messages Ian at 2:05 am, Ian responded at 9:54 am

29

Winnifred – Trip Log

Day 1 October 25th

We didn’t leave town until approx. 6:30 am, stopping at Tim Horton’s on our way out


way

Stopped On Caron Rd in the parking lot of Lavigne Tavern to fix the tie downs on Julia’s

car – the canoe came loose

We made it to our access point at Bell Lake at approx. 1:30pm and the whole group

unloaded the boats and gear out of all the vehicles

Dustin, Mak, and Julia then left to the park office at George Lake to get permits; they left

Mak and Dustin’s truck at the George Lake take out, and Julia drove them back to the put

in. While all this was happening the remainder of the group was making lunch and

loading boats

Mak made first check-in call to Ian on their way back from the take out

Boats touched the water at 3 pm and we were on our way to our first campsite on Three

Mile Lake


By 6 pm camp was set and dinner was being cooked by Julia & Dustin; Dinner was good,

steak, potatoes, and corn

Most of the paddle was in fair sunny skies and high winds (approx. 10-15 K winds with

gusts between 15-30 K)

Shane paddled me today – towed by Dustin and Mak for part of the paddle



Reinforced Shane’s 8-man tent to resist wind

Debrief at 9pm after dinner and dishes

Set up many bear hangs for all of the food


Day 2 October 26th

The plan today was to be on the water by 10 am. There were a few people who slept in

pretty late, as well as complications getting the bear hangs down to start breakfast

Breakfast today was good, we had egg, bacon and cheese sandwiches cooked by me &

Kat

Saw many juvenile loons

30

Dustin, Melody and Mak went to search for the remains of a trapper’s cabin that was near

our site, they didn’t find any structural remains but did find a really old bear trap

Dustin took Chey, Julia, and I to see the bear trap remains quickly before leaving

We put the boats in the water by 11:45 am

Chey Paddled me for the first part of the day – winds were fairly low compared to first

day (approx. 5 K)

After paddling for a while, we reached our first portage, it was supposed to be about 40m

but with water levels so high it was a lot shorter (approx. 25 ft.), there was marine

railway remains and a small waterfall near this portage

The portage only took 20 minutes to complete – by 12:15pm everyone was on the water

Now we are on Balsam Lake and here we started making some good time paddling, Chey

and I got confused for a few minutes about our direction of travel, but quickly realized

and got back on track


At 1:35 pm gear and boats were starting to get moved and we started portaging, this was

a particularly hard portage, it was rocky, steep, covered in mud, not to mention most of it

was uphill. After 2 more trips and 2 hours all the boats and gear were at the other end of

the portage finally. This was another huge delay.

Lunch was soup made by me with help from Melody and Shane – due to physical

restrictions, I stayed at the end of the portage to prepare lunch, trying to save time, while

Shane and Melody continued to move gear

The portaging finished around 3:15 pm, people started eating soon after and boats were

back in the water at 4:15 pm to make the final leg of the day to camp

Dustin paddled me for the remainder of the day

Paddling David Lake in this direction is beautiful, we paddled past the point that we were

to climb the following day, interesting to have both views from above and below

We had a few choices of campsites to choose from, the best one was a hiking site, H34. It

offered direct access to the Lacloche Silhouette trail which we are going to be hiking

tomorrow.

We had the boats out of the water around 5:30 pm and camp set up soon after

Chey and Mak cooked burgers tonight; they didn’t seem to enjoy it. Shane had the idea to

put a flat stone on the fire to cook the burgers; Mak tried to find a few flat stones to make

an ‘oven’ which did not work out at all. Eventually the flat stone we put on the fire began

to crack and explode. Luckily Shane had heavy duty gloves which he used to remove the

exploding stones and place them in a safe area away from the fire and the rest of us.

Dinner was very good, and the effort from Mak and Chey was very much appreciated

31

Day 3 October 27th

This morning pancakes were made by Dustin & Julia

Once breakfast was done we split up; most of us went on the Silver Peak hike while

Shane and Julia tended to the campsite (we left a two-way radio with them for

communication)


at 10:40 (not bad) with a GPS, compasses, a two-way radio, cell phones and trip plan on

hand

Dustin began navigating, we realized there were large stone piles and inuksuk’s along the

way, acting as checkpoints that we were on the trail

Mak took over after Dustin for a while; however I was quite interested in practicing my

navigational skills, so with the help of Mak and Dustin I took over, gaining confidence in

my abilities by the end of it. Chey, Melody, and Kat all took turns at one point or another

at the request of Mak to do so

We reached the summit at 1 pm where we had wraps for lunch

Looking around the top of the summit, we found a geocache left in the crack of a rock.

The views were breathtaking, seeing the vast expanse of the park, as well as the towers

from Sudbury in the distance and Georgian Bay to the other side

From the top we saw rain, and apparently it was a lot of rain, coming off Georgian Bay,

we watched the rain approach as we ate our lunch

At 1:40 just as the rain hit us we started descending from Silver Peak back to camp; we

had hoped to spend more time at the peak, and explore a second lookout point, but due to

safety concerns with the rain we left early

The hike back was fairly uneventful, we were careful with our footing as the trail was

fairly slippery due to the rain and mud; there was some loss of footing, but no one

actually fell, or injured themselves. we reached camp at about 3:30 pm. Shane and Julia

had some tarps set up for us to put some of our wet gear under, also to keep the firewood

dry

Shane and Melody were in charge of dinner, making some pretty good meatloaf logs and

we were all finished eating by approx. 6:30 pm

After dinner, we packed up our food in a canoe and covered it in a tarp then anchored the

canoe about 60-70m away from camp

We made a bear hang for all our snacks, using a large dry sack that was hung at the end

of the night so everyone could eat their snacks after dinner (we continued to do this

throughout the trip)

Once that was finished we debriefed around 7:30 and checked the weather, looks like

more rain and high winds tomorrow

32

Day 4 October 28th

The rain lasted all day today, everything was soaked from this morning until the end of

the day

We were all packed and ready to go at 10:15 am not bad considering we thought the

departure time was to be 10 am. Looking back at the trip plan we realized it was

supposed to be 9 am, however considering the mistake, we still made good time leaving.

Mak paddled Winnie today

The first of 4 portages approached after paddling for 45 minutes

The first portage took us an hour, the weather conditions, portage conditions, and general

group attitude were not the greatest, – Shane had amazing spirits this morning,

particularly during the portages, trying to lift everyone up in the bad weather, this

definitely helped

It was a short paddle to our longest portage of the day (700m) and after completing it

lunch was made. I rolled my ankle badly on my first trip of this portage, the terrain was

fairly treacherous so decided to wait at the end with ankle elevated so as to avoid further

injury. Mak realized once done portaging that the lack of movement and wet clothes was

making my extremely cold, I realized when I heard a joke and didn’t laugh that there was

a problem. Mak and Julia gave me dry layers, and Mak had a Mylar tarp which I used for

the remainder of the trip to conserve heat. After eating the stew and pacing a bit – slowly

so as to not injure my ankle – I started to warm up and feel better. I am very grateful we

are all trained and prepared to deal with these situations.

Due to our pace, and abilities, Shane, Mak and Dustin figured out an alternate plan,

which included cutting the crack hike out of our trip. This was extremely disappointing to

me, both because it is an amazingly beautiful view that I had been looking forward to, but

also because the hike days were the only time I was capable of completely participating

We completed the 3rd and 4th portages, passing through Log Boom Lake and camping on

Johnnie Lake at approx. 4:45pm. We weren’t at our planned site; however it was a decent

camp site.

Before getting off the water on Johnnie Lake, we saw a young (maybe 2-3 year old) buck

run out of the forest line, and into the water. we tried to be quiet and observe, but once he

realized we were there he got out of the water and re-entered the forest in a different

location

Camp was set up, by this point it stopped raining, we made a really awesome tarp set up

at camp, including extra tarps for tents, and two acting as a wall to block the wind

coming off the water directly towards the fire pit. We also set up a few clothes lines for

people to dry their things on

It took Dustin and I approx. 30 minutes to get the fire to keep, but once it was going,

there were no more problems with it, even with rain soaked wood

33

Dinner was a group effort to make spaghetti and meat sauce, it was my favorite meal on

trip – dinner was delicious, however more sauce so people could have had more would be

nice in the future

We had the debrief after dinner; tensions were running high during this conversation,

however a lot of the group aired their concerns and complaints which helped work

through some issues

Bear hangs around 9:30 pm, it was too windy to anchor a canoe tonight we were worried

it wouldn’t stay anchored. There was lots of help from the group in getting the bear hangs

up.

Day 5 October 29th

Today was a late morning – as planned. Practically everything hung over night was dry

come morning, this was an instant relief

We finished up breakfast around 10 am this morning – we had oatmeal with almonds and

chocolate chips; tore down camp and left around 12:15 pm

We started paddling at a really good pace and made it to the dam at Johnnie Lake (one of

our evac. Points) by approx. 2 pm where we decided to have a quick 15 minute break

since there was a strong headwind and we had been making good time

We paddled through lunch aiming to make it to Terry Lake early

Once past the dam we were into Carlyle Lake which we were on for another 1.5 hours

before we reached our site on Terry Lake – just after the damn the channel narrows and

forms a wonderful canyon like effect for a while

The site had a small waterfall a short walk from camp that you could hear from the camp

fire

We quickly ate lunch which was chicken noodle soup, which was extremely thick and

salty, most of us watered it down, but it was warm which was nice; Dustin got a fire

going as soon as we got on the site

Dinner tonight was jerked chicken stir fry with rice. It took a while to rehydrate the

chicken and get the rice cooked, but it was good. We had a late dinner because of the late

lunch, but we also had cheese, crackers, and pickles as a snack while waiting for it to

cook. This was really good! I was excited we had found the pickles as we had thought we

forgot them in Pembroke


Mak paddled me for the past 2 days, for a total of 17 km of solo paddling a full canoe

with another person in it for two of our long paddling days through bad weather; very

impressive, and appreciated!!

34

Day 6 October 30th

It was freezing this morning, everything was covered in frost and there was fog

everywhere – I was up before the sun, and got some magnificent photos

Kat solo paddled me out to the food canoe (which was covered in frost, making it

difficult to open the zippers) to get the breakfast items needed; we couldn’t pull the rock

in to bring the boat back

Breakfast was egg, bacon and cheese sandwiches again; this morning was particularly

frustrating trying to cook the bacon in a small pot on a small stove – melted a fork and

spilled bacon grease on myself

We had a pretty hard time getting the food canoe in, the lake was really deep and the rock

we used was too big and heavy. Dustin pulled it up single handedly after several attempts

from the group, very impressive!

At 10:40 am Dustin contacted Ian with the info of our alterations to the trip


portage

Julia Paddled Winnie for the day

At some point we all took a 20 minute break to catch a breath

This portage seemed to go much more smoothly; we made good time, even with the ups

and downs, and slippery/muddy rocks

Along the way some of the group ran into a few hikers who were spending a couple days

in the park

We were on Kakakise Lake and made it to camp around 3:30 pm

Dustin and Mak paddled ahead after unloading boats to scout Kakakise Creek to make

sure it was traversable

Julia and I explored the site, looking for cell service but were unsuccessful; later Dustin

managed to get service while around the camp fire

Lunch was wraps set up by Shane and Melody

Mak and Chey made Mac & Cheese with hot dogs for dinner – it was tasty and earned its

own nickname ‘Mak and Chey’

Bed time was about 9:30 pm

Day 7 October 31st

Walked out of my tent to go to the washroom and the world was transformed into winter.

Looks like mother nature thought it was Christmas not Halloween

Julia and Dustin were on breakfast, however waking up to about 4” of snow, with more

falling, they decided to let everyone sleep a while longer and we would discuss what to

do after

35

We deliberated on what our next course of action was going to be, our options were to

paddle to the next site and continue with the trip, or we could paddle to our take out,

another suggestion was to wait at the site where we were to see if the weather improved,

however we decided it was safest to at least reach George lake where our take out was

We were at camp later than planned because of this but in the end we decided to paddle

straight to the take out as the snow and wind weren’t letting up, and the forecast was

calling for more of the same as the days went on


in good time where we came to our first of 5 beaver dams – I hate beavers

Shane paddled me today – taking the two windiest days of our trip to solo paddle, I was

very impressed with his ability; he managed to stay in close with the group despite being

the only paddler in the boat and fighting up to 30 K gusts of wind

The dams were small enough that we managed to get over them by getting out of the

boats and lifting them over the logs, we didn’t have to portage our gear

Paddling through the creek was almost surreal, like paddling in a scene from a movie; the

creek was narrow with tall grass and cattails surrounding us, the high cliffs along the

sides, and everything was completely covered in snow


the end, where our final portage lay into George Lake


The last portage was short, and next to yet another beaver damn; this one was much

larger and formed a nice waterfall. The end of the portage had a small dock, at this point

it was covered in about 6-7” of snow; Dustin made a snow angel before we took off for

the take out

Our takeout time was 4:15 pm and once we got there Mak, Julia and I left to go get

Julia’s car at Bell Lake. The high winds knocked over many trees and on the road to Bell

Mak and Julia moved about 15 trees off the road, just to get by, plus there were trees

which were weighed down by the snow, having to be shaken to lighten them so they

would stand up again


By 6 pm we had the cars loaded and were ready to leave

The gas light in Julia’s car was already on as we were leaving; the group got separated

for about 50 minutes as Mak and Shane had to pull over to adjust their straps on the

canoes. Dustin and Winnie followed Julia who had Kat, Chey and Melody in the car, and

once on HWY 69, we missed the turn off. Julia ran out of gas before we could get to a

station, Dustin and Winnie stayed with them on the side of the road while Mak and Shane

drove to the nearest gas station to buy a jerry can and some gas. There were no other

complications once this was dealt with

We made it to Pembroke around 2 am, and messaged Ian at 2:05 am

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Julia – Tip Log

40

Dustin – Trip Log

44

Mak – Trip Log


The plan was to leave Pembroke at 5:30 am, our caravan didn’t leave the town until

approx. 6:30 am


way

Once off the Killarney highway, we made it to our access point at Bell Lake at approx.

1:30pm and the whole group unloaded the boats and gear out of all the vehicles

Dustin, Myself, and Julia then left to the park office at George Lake to get permits, there

we left my truck and Dustin’s truck at George Lake (our take out point). While all this

was happening the remainder of the group was making lunch and loading boats

Boats touched the water at 3 pm and we were on our way to our first campsite on

Bell/Three Mile Lake


By 6 pm camp was set and dinner (steaks & potatoes!) was being cooked by Julia &

Dustin

Most of the paddle was in fair sunny skies and high winds

Shane paddled Winnie today





The plan today was to be on the water by 10 am. There were a few people who slept in

pretty late, it was 9:15 when the stragglers crawled out of their tents for breakfast

Breakfast today was good, we had breakfast sandwiches cooked by Winnie & Kat

On 3 Mile Lake today, Dustin & I spotted many juvenile loons, 2 pairs on the water

While waiting for the rest of the pairs to load up their boats, Dustin, Melody and I went to

search for the remains of a trapper’s cabin that was near our site, we didn’t find any

structural remains but did find a really old turn of the century bear trap

So without further delay we finally put boats in the water, just before 12 noon

After paddling from camp for a while, we reached our first portage, on the map it said

40m but with water levels this was a lot shorter, marine railway remains and a small

waterfall were some cool features near this portage

Dustin and I tried running in our canoes, the moving water right at the waterfalls… We

hardly moved anywhere

The portage only took 20 minutes to complete

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Now we are on Balsam Lake and here we start making some decent time paddling, right

towards disaster


At 1:35 pm gear and boats were starting to get moved and we started portaging, this

portage was a particularly grueling portage, it was rocky, steep and muddy. But this is

what I was expecting and this was nothing I haven’t done before. I could tell already after

my first trip of portaging some people were very much disliking portaging. After 2 more

trips and 2 hours all the boats and gear were at the other end of the portage finally. This

was another huge delay, a 650m portage with everybody pulling their own weight plus

some of the group weight doesn’t take 2 hours, I’ve gone on a back country trip with 20

people and a 650m portage didn’t take us 2 hours. I was pretty frustrated and if this pace

keeps up this trip plan is going to be altered something fierce.

The portaging finished around 3:15 pm, the lunch started soon after and boats were back

in the water at 4:15 pm to make the final leg of the day to camp

Paddling David Lake in this direction is beautiful, Silver Peak sits majestically just

behind the lake

On the far side of David Lake we had a few choices of campsites to choose from, the best

one being a hiking site, H34. It offered direct access to the Lacloche Silhouette trail

which we are going to be hiking tomorrow to Silver Peak.

We had the boats out of the water around 5:30 pm and camp set up thereafter

Chey and I cooked burgers tonight, it sucked. Shane had the idea to put a flat stone on the

fire to cook the burgers; I tried to find a few flat stones to make an ‘oven’ which did not

work out at all. Eventually the flat stone we put on the fire to cook the burgers began to

crack and explode, Thank You Shane for bringing heavy duty leather gloves. In the end

Chey and I were cooking one burger at a time on 2 stoves; don’t ask me how many

burgers I cooked tonight.


This morning pancakes were made by Dustin & Julia

Once breakfast was eaten we broke everybody into 2 groups; most of us went on the

Silver Peak hike while Shane and Julia tended to the campsite


at 10:40 (not bad) with a GPS and trip plan on hand

Dustin began navigating and as soon as I saw the trail we were treated to some awesome

views of the Lacloche Mountains

I navigated for a bit after Dustin, and today Winnie was keen on the navigation and I

switched off to her, after Winnie I tried to get the others to navigate but they weren’t as

keen so I had to delegate the task to navigate throughout the rest of the hike

We reached the summit at 1 pm where we had wraps for lunch, the views I’ve all seen

before were just as beautiful as the first time seeing them!

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From the top we saw rain, and apparently it was a lot of rain, coming off Georgian Bay

At 1:40 just as the rain hit us we started descending from Silver Peak back to camp

The hike back was fairly uneventful, we reached camp at 3:30 pm. Shane and Julia had

some tarps set up for us hikers to put some of our wet gear

Shane and Melody were in charge of dinner, making some pretty good meatloaf and we

were all finished eating by approx. 6:30 pm

We packed up all our food in a canoe and covered it in a tarp so it wouldn’t get soaked

and anchored the canoe about 60-70m away from camp

We made a bear hang for all our snacks

Once that was finished we debriefed around 7:30 and checked the weather, looks like

more rain and high winds tomorrow


So the rain lasted all day today, everything was pretty well soaked from this morning till

now, the end of the day

We were all packed and ready to go at 10:15 am which I was pretty happy with!

Considering we thought the departure time on the trip plan was 10... it was actually a 9

am departure today but it was all good, we left 15 minutes after the time we thought we

were planned to leave

Ok here goes the portages, the first of 4 were upon us after paddling for 45 minutes

The first portage took us an hour, the weather conditions, portage conditions, and general

group attitude were definitely against us today

A short paddle to our longest portage (700m) and after completing it lunch was made. I

remember after this portage I was really frustrated, this wasn’t the pace I wanted to do!

Dustin, Shane and I discussed what our possibilities were and the conclusion here was to

cut the crack hike out of our trip plan. Needless to say I was very disappointed, not only

because the trip wasn’t going to plan, but the whole group is going to miss out on an

awesome experience because of the pace we are on

From here we completed the 3rd and 4th portages, passing through Log Boom Lake and

camping on site 63 on Johnnie Lake at approx. 4:45pm, about 6km away from the site we

were supposed to be on

Camp was set up, we made a really awesome tarp set up at camp, we had to because the

fire pit was facing the wind

Dinner was a group effort to make spaghetti and meat sauce, it was definitely the second

best meal on trip so far, other than the steak

So the debrief tonight was pretty brutal for me, I was REALLY frustrated. But I held my

composure through it and was able to fill the group in what the next couple day were

going to be, tomorrow is going to be all paddling to Terry Lake and then the next is

conquering this huge portage into Kakakise lake minus the layover day for the crack hike

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We finished up bear hangs around 9:30 pm, it was too windy to anchor a canoe tonight

and there was a substantial group presence to get the bear hangs finished up


Today was a legitimate sleep in day, we got to dry out a lot of our clothes on the clothes

hangs we set up yesterday

We finished up breakfast at 10 am this morning, tore down camp and left around 12:15

pm

We started paddling at a good pace and made it to the dam at Johnnie Lake by approx. 2

pm where we landed our boats and had a quick 15 minute break since we’ve been

fighting a strong headwind for the past couple hours

Today we paddled through lunch aiming to make it to Terry Lake early

Once past the dam we were into Carlyle Lake which we were on for another 1.5 hours

before we reached our site on Terry Lake

This site had a small waterfall a short walk from camp

We quickly ate lunch, Dustin got a fire going as soon as we got on the site

Dinner tonight was jerked chicken stir fry with rice. It took a while to rehydrate the

chicken but in the end it was so good!


I paddled Winnie for the past 2 days, for a total of 17 km of solo paddling


It was freezing this morning!

We had a pretty hard time getting the food canoe in, the lake was really deep and the rock

we used was too big and heavy. Dustin pulled it up single handedly after several

attempts, what a beast

At 10:40 am Dustin contacted Ian with the info of our alterations we’ve made to our trip


portage

At some point we all took a 20 minute break to catch a breath

Our portaging has gotten better this time we were back on the water at 2:30 pm

Along the way some of us ran into a few hikers who were spending a couple days in the

park

We were in Kakakise Lake and made it to camp at 3:30 pm

Dustin’s and I paddled ahead after unloading boats to scout Kakakise Creek to make sure

it was accessible, the alternative being a 1400m portage would most likely would of

killed the trip

Lunch was ready when Dustin and I returned, we set up our tents then continued on to

relaxing at camp

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Myself and Chey made Mac & Cheese for dinner or as everyone else called it “Mak &

Chey”

Bed time was 9:30 pm

Final Ex: Day 7 October 31st

Wow looks like winter showed up today, I’ve never been on a trip where one day was fall

weather then the next morning I was snowed into a tent, but tis the season

This morning we deliberated on what our next course of action was going to be, our

options were to paddle to the next site and continue with the trip, or we could paddle to

our take out

This kept us a camp a little longer than anticipated but together we made the decision to

take out since the snow squalls weren’t letting up


in good time where we came to our first of 5 beaver dams

Paddling through the creek was almost surreal, like paddling in a scene from the Lord of

The Rings movie


the end of the lake, where our final portage lay into George Lake


Our takeout time was 4:15 pm today and once I got there myself, Julia and Winnie left to

go get Julia’s car at Bell Lake. The high winds knocked over many trees and on the road

to Bell I moved about 12 trees off the road, just to get by


By 6 pm we had the cars loaded and were ready to leave Killarney

We made it to Pembroke at 2 am, messages Ian at 2:05 am, Ian responded at 9:54 am

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Kat – Trip Log

Day 1- October 25th

We left Pembroke at around 6:30am. Julia had been driving Winnie, Melody and I for the first

bit until we got to our first stop at the timmies in Mattawa and Sturgeon Falls. Chey had gotten in to our car for the rest of the drive. Once we got to our final destination at Bell Lake where we

would be putting in. We unpacked all our gear and unloaded the canoes and brought them to the water. After all that was done Dustin, Julia, and Mak had left to go to the park office at George Lake to get our permits and where they had left Mak’s and Dustin’s truck. We had to wait about

an hour hour and a half for them to get back so we made lunch so we could eat once they got back. Once they got back we ate and got on the water. The weather was perfect super sunny a

little bit windy. I had been paddling with Julia that day. Once we got to camp we all set up our tents. The wind had really picked up so it had been tough to set up the big tent. That night we had steaks and potatoes yum! It had been cooked by Dustin and Julia.

Day 2- October 26th

We had planned to be on the water by 10am some people had slept in so we got on the water a bit late. Winnie and I made breakfast sandwiches for breakfast which were delicious! Once we got on the water eventually we got to our first portage it had been super short just over a little hill

and then it was done. After a bit of paddling we got to our second portage it was a super steep 650 m portage onto David Lake. It had taken us about 2 hours to finish this portage and you

could tell people weren’t happy it took us that long. Once the portage was done we had our lunch and headed back on the water. After a long paddle we had finally hit our camp site. It was probably our best camp site yet. Right behind us was silver peak which we would be hiking the

next day. Once camp was set up Chey and Mak cooked burgers it took a long time since they were only cooking one burger at a time on two stoves. That night I had gone to bed super early

because I was really tired.

Day 3- October 27th

Hiking day wooo! Dustin and Julia had cooked us pancakes that morning for breakfast. Everyone was going on the hike except Shane and Julia. We left for the hike at around 10am. Dustin and

Mak began the navigation on the hike. It was a beautiful view already even though we had just started the hike and we weren’t even close to Silver Peak. After a bit I took over navigating. Once we got to the top Winnie and I made lunch. We could see the rain coming and once we

finished our lunch it had started to rain so we head back down to camp. Once we got to camp we were all soaked we were glad to see that Julia and Shane had put up tarps for us over the fire so

we could dry all our wet gear. I went into the tent to read for a bit and ended up falling asleep. When I woke up it was dinner time but I hadn’t really felt like eating since I had a stomach ache. After a while, I ended up having the delicious meatloaf that melody and Shane had cooked.

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Day 4- October 28th

After breakfast we had set on the water today I was guiding us to camp. Wooo. I had been paddling with Shane today because it was rainy and windy. Today we had four portages to do.

The first portage wasn’t too bad I thought. Once we got to our second portage I thought it was really cool because it looked like forbidden forest from harry potter. At one point Chey, Melody and I were all portaging this really heavy canoe that was definitely not meant for portaging. I had

been in the front, Melody was in the middle and chey was at the back. Me being the shortest out of everyone it wasn’t really good idea for me to be in the front because I couldn’t see anything.

At one point I had asked if we were going the right way and everyone said yes then all of a sudden Mak appeared underneath the canoe screaming trying to scare us. Yes he had scared the bejeezies out of Melody and I. It was funny though because he had pretty much scared everyone

even the people at the end of the portage who were making food because they hear us screaming but wasn’t sure why we had been screaming. The weather had been so bad while we were

paddling that once we got to camp we ended up having to put the tarps up all over camp one blocking the wind from the fire because it had been so much out in the open. We had all gotten annoyed but happy at the same time when we finished because the sun had finally came out.

Winnie and I had cooked spaghetti that night for dinner.

Day 5- October 29th

Today we had a sleep in day so we could dry all of our clothing and gear. We left camp around

12pmish. We got to our first portage of the day where there had been a huge dam which was really cool to see. We had missed lunch today so we could get to the next lake early. We passed another dam and paddled for another hour and half to Terry Lake where our camp site was. This

camp site was kind of cool but sucked at the same time. It was cool because it had a waterfall but it sucked because there weren’t any good spots to put the big tent so we had to be super far from

everyone else but had the thunder box between the main area and our tent. So every time we wanted to go hang with everyone else we had to walk right past the thunder box and you never knew if someone was using it or not. Once we got to camp and set it up we had lunch. After that

we started cooking dinner since we knew it would take a long time it was super delicious even though we had to wait for a really long time. It had been jerked chicken stir fry with rice.

Day 6- October 30th

Today everything had frost on it this morning. Once we got onto the water it took us no time to get to the first portage. It didn’t take us very long to do this portage. During this portage these old people just kind of appeared out of nowhere. It was very odd. We got to camp super early.

Once we got to camp we set up camp and made lunch. Mak and Chey made dinner that night. Everyone had gone to bed super early because everyone was super tired.

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Day 7- October 31st

Happy Halloween. This morning when we woke up it was like a winter wonderland everything was covered in snow and frozen and the wind was horrible. We had waited out the wind so

everyone went back to bed because we were so cold by the end of it we decided that today we were going to take out due to risk management issues. Once we got onto the water the snow still hadn’t lightened up and neither had the wind. We got to a point where we had to go around 5

beaver dams. We got to this one were we thought we could go over it and every single person ended up getting half way over and getting stuck it was pretty funny. It was soooo cool paddling

through the creek it was honestly one of my favorite parts of the whole entire trip other than silver peak. Once we got to George Lake at the take out Mak, Julia, and Winnie went to Bell Lake to get Julia’s car so we could pack and get the boats on the roofs. Once they got back they

ate lunch, we packed the cars and were on the road by 6pm. By the time we got back to Pembroke it was about 2-2:30am.

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Chey – Trip Log

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Melody – Trip Log

Day 1

October 25th

We all met very early at me and Chey’s place because we had all the food. Julia, Dustin and Mak were driving their vehicles. After a long ride, we arrived at Killarney. We unpacked all the gear and canoes and we waited as Julia, Dustin and Mak drove a car to our end point. When they returned, we had lunch, packed our canoes and set off at 3. The weather was sunny with a slight breeze. We canoed along the edge to our first campsite. Dustin and Mak ended up towing Shane and Winnie’s canoe because they were a little slower because Winnie couldn’t paddle due to her previous shoulder injury. We arrived at our campsite at 5, unpacked the canoes, set up our tents and camp. Our campsite was high up on a hill, we were worried that the wind could be strong in that area but it ended up being good. We got firewood and made a fire. We were in set into meal groups in a rotation; Dustin and Julia made steak that night. We then had a briefing then made a bear hang, which proved itself difficult because the trees were fairly

thin, and then we went off to sleep.

Day 2

October 26th

We got up at our set time and started packing our stuff. Winnie and Kat made English muffins with eggs. Before we had set off, we walked a little to what the map said was an old hunting cabin. We found a very old large bear trap. We then canoed to our second campsite. We had 2 portages that went well, had lunch at the end of the second portage. The campsite was at the beginning to the Silver Peak Trailhead which what we wanted to do for tomorrow. We set up our camp. We had a longer debrief. We placed our bear hang in a canoe and anchored it out in bay by our campsite. That night Chey and I heard a rumbling

sound, we were very curious as to what it was.

Day 3

October 27th

We got up and we were starting the Silver Peak Trail. Shane and Julia stayed at the campsite. We started the hike at 10 40. It was my favorite part of the whole trip. We passed over a running stream, by a waterfall, through a canyon and over hill top ledges. Near the top, the trek got steeper. The rock was very white. We arrived at the top at 1 and it was very beautiful. You could see Georgian Lake and very far in all directions around. In the distance we saw chimneys to a factory, what Chey and I must have heard the night before. We had lunch at the top, chicken caesar wraps. It started to rain and continued for the remainder of the day. We got back to the camp at 3 30, we had dinner and played cards around the

fire

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Day 4

October 28th

We got up, packed up, ate cereal and set off. We had four portages to do that day. The trail was very wet and the portages were long and difficult. Our longest portage was quite painful. As we were in our canoes before we got off at our campsite, there was a deer with quite large antlers swimming. Because of the way the fire was on the hill we were worried that the wind would snuff it out. We set up tarps to block any wind that could do that. We then collected lots of firewood and set up camp. We ate spaghetti

that was quite good and sat beside the fire. We had a debrief, did a bear hang and then went off to sleep.

Day 5

October 29th

We slept in and finished breakfast at 10. We left the campsite at 12 15. There was wind all day. We stopped at a dam for a little break. We made it to camp at 3 30. We had lunch, then set up camp and then had dinner, stir fry and rice. This campsite was my favorite one. It was on a ridge and there was a lake

on either side of you. It was beautiful.

Day 6

October 30th

Cold morning, set off at 12 10. We had two portages, met some hikers on that trail. Once we got to camp, we were worried that the creek wouldn’t be passable, Dustin and Mak canoed to find out. It was passable, so we would take that route tomorrow instead of a long portage that we didn’t want to do. Had

dinner and sat around the fire, it was a good night. Dinner was mac and cheese.

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Day 7

October 31st

We woke up and a thick covering of snow laid upon everything, we decided that we would all sleep in. After we met in Shane’s large tent, had crackers and croissants with cream cheese and jelly and decided that we would canoe to our take out point that day and leave. Mostly everyone wasn’t prepared for the snow and even though everyone was looking forward to the hikes, no one wanted to do the steep terrain in snow. Shortly after, we packed up and canoed off. There was a very beautiful area that we canoed, a narrow passage though snow covered swamp. We had to hurtle our way over a few beaver dams but I think we enjoyed the challenge. There was so much snow; it gave a Christmas spirit type of feel. We had two small portages. When we got to our took out, it took a while to get unpacked and then to pack up the gear again. Getting the canoes on the vehicles took a while. We then set out. About an hour later Julia’s car ran out of gas so we waited on the side of a highway while Shane and Mak went out to get us gas. We

arrived in Pembroke fairly late. We then planned on meeting the next day to have a final debrief

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References

Jeff’s killarney map.(n.d.).[image of map]. Retrieved from http://www.thekillarneymap.com/

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