The most physically demanding trip to date, this 8 day adventure takes us through the heart of Temagami. We showed up at Smoothwater Outfitters where we would be getting our shuttle to Gamble Lake in the north end of Temagami. This is where we would start our trip and make our way back to James Lake. Francis Boyes had told us that he strongly recommended not doing the route that we were proposing as it hadn't been done in well over 10 years. Somehow this comment only excited us. Since we were looking to get the true Temagami experience, we wanted to travel through the most remote places as possible. The struggle was going to be welcomed.
By the end of the trip, we have traveled a total of 110 kms, paddled 30 lakes and walked 50 portages. Follow along on our journey in this 5 part video series, showing the beautiful and rugged landscape of Temagami. If you haven't planned a canoe trip in Temagami, we highly recommend you put it on your list.
We just finished packing on the Lady Evelyn River.
We've got a bunch of portages right off the bat today.
It already looks like it's a little overcast, so we might be expecting some rain shortly.
But I think we're well prepared for it this time, so.
Shouldn't be too bad.
Yo, you have to come this way.
What if you jump in?
It's risky. Too much on this side, the entire thing's gonna go.
We're planning on going that way.
But there's a chance of us tipping because of this pushing water.
So we just pulled along the shore here.
Don't recommend lining this part of this river.
So it's midday, and we stopped at some rapids.
We just lined them, and we did a couple casts and caught some brook trout.
So we're gonna have a quick shore lunch here on the shore of this beautiful sight here.
The colors on those guys are unbelievable.
What do you got there, my friend?
We have some fresh brook trout caught right behind us.
Doesn't get fresher than this, folks.
And look how orange that meat is.
A little sriracha lime. Signature series.
Freshly cooked brookie.
Oh, baby!
We have six portages left until we get to the trout streams.
This is the set of rapids going from McPherson Lake back into the Lady Evelyn River.
Evelyn, you've got some good brookies.
Oh, Lady Evelyn.
Oh, my lady.
Yeah, me too. I feel great.
You kind of get that hint of lime, eh?
Oh, yeah.
The sriracha hits you in the face, and then the lime just kind of sneaks in subtly underneath.
So we're about to leave Stonehenge, going into Catherine Lake,
and we have the option of a 700 meter portage and a 400 meter portage.
Do you want to pop in right over here?
Yeah, I do.
So I think we're going to go with the 400.
Just because it's 300 less meters.
The possibility of lining it.
There's just one big ledge we'd have to be concerned about.
Yeah, I don't think we're going to line that.
So we took the wrong route on this portage.
And pretty much bushwhacked for the last 50% of it.
And when I say bushwhack, I mean bush.
Big bush.
Alex was struggling hard with the canoe.
But we found the trail here, and it's a lot nicer.
Can't go too far with the big water.
Portage, portage, line, portage.
Oh, bushwhack.
That wasn't the portage, just kidding.
Back at it again.
So tonight we're trying to get to the trout streams
at either Helen Falls or the Golden Staircase.
Really depends on...
Oh, you got stuck there.
So it really depends on how bad the portage and lining are
for the next 4 kilometers or so.
And what time it is now.
Because I'm not too sure.
Just catching brookie after brookie out here.
There's another one for the kids back home.
Alex just hooked into a nice brook trout.
I think the biggest of the trip.
Oh, buddy!
That is a beautiful fish.
I'm going to measure this quick.
I'd say 16.
No, that's a 15, man.
15, dead on.
Okay, so that's the biggest still.
What do you think?
Holy ----, this is incredible.
I'm not sure if you can tell, but there's a remnant of a rainbow
that blessed us with its presence.
Well, since we got to set at 8.30,
we're not doing much tonight.
Fun day.
Tough.
A lot of brook trout.
And we'll see you tomorrow.
Mac and cheese and dehydrated beef.
Alright, so day 2
was a pretty tough day.
Yesterday we actually watched a wall of rain
just progress across the lake.
Noah and I were ripping to get our pants on
as quickly as possible and then it just like
completely engulfed us.
So the weather's been tough.
The portages yesterday were pretty difficult.
A lot of ankle breaking opportunities
on slippy rocks.
But we seem to have managed to get by alright.
Helen Falls was a nice little surprise
at the end of all this.
We're camped just around the corner from it.
Which is all distracting me
from this head cold that I seem to have picked up.
A little bit of a stuffy nose.
And a sore throat.
Hoping that'll go away soon.
Now if you'll excuse me,
I'm gonna go grab some ibuprofen
and get some of that in my bloodstream.
So we're about to leave the site.
It's about 9.
But we still have to deal with this
whirlwind of gear.
We'll pack it up in no time.
These kids are doing a 20 day canoe trip.
Taking them through
some tomogamy.
I think that's awesome.
Nice!
So we got some Noah's Summer Sausage.
Which is great for tripping with.
And we're gonna be putting it on these wraps.
With mustard, Tabasco,
chicken spice,
and the bell cheese.
We're on Lady Evelyn Lake.
And for once in our paddling career
we actually have a wind coming from behind us.
And so we've decided to take
a few extra minutes to celebrate
and set up a tarp.
And it seems to be cooking us along
pretty nice right now.
So I don't have to paddle anymore
and Noah just paddles the whole time.
We're on the cusp of the Mosquito Wildlands.
Just flopping around in the waves right now.
We came around Sucker Gut
made our way south down Lady Evelyn
had a wind on our back
made some distance
probably about
I don't know maybe like 6.30, 7 o'clock right now
and we just arrived.
7.16
Gonna have a fire, gonna have some dinner.
Alright.
First sunny day.
