Fall Colours
Fall paddling in Ontario
Fall 2017 | ISSUE# 1
Big East, Arrowhead, Agawa Canyon and more
Looking out across the pristine lake, towering mountains I could only see bases of. The low clouds drifted elegantly from peak to peak. I pushed off from shore and my paddle took its first stroke. The bay calm but as I rounded its corner the curves of her shore were now mimicked in the water. I could feel each wave roll under my Packraft. Finding the hidden mouth to her river I began riding her gentle flow; a calm current winding down a short distance to lower Kathleen Lake. Drizzle and a headwind crossing this second lake, to once again enter the river. Narrow, she twisted and eroded the banks. I now began to experience a tease of what was ahead. I quickly duck under one, and then another; trees! I laughed, loving the small thrill and I could feel the rivers energy building. Another lake down and short river paddle to the final of the four lakes; marshy, wind, and endless weeds. The small lake was a slow paddle. On the river the trees now littered not just the banks, but also the entirety of the river. DRAW! DRAW! DRAW! Over and over I scooted around each strainer, till finally a wall of white foam. Pulling into shore I can now see the dangers of this river. Blocked by the beastly trees I am forced to portage the boat around the barrier. Not long after I again find myself reading the river far ahead to another wall and am forced to walk around. Taking a break to contact, via my Inreach, my safety back in Haines Junction. “This river is so fun! You can’t stop paddling! Tree after tree, Class II rapids! It’s easy and challenging all in one. I can’t stop laughing and smiling!” No sooner having the message send and I was at Quill Creek. The river shifting its colours and so too her attitude, a beast arose and quickly I was more up right and present.
Hole- Left- Left- Ledge- Tree- Right- Breath
by Jill A. Brown
Jill is an expedition paddler from Ontario,
As I turned a large right bend, the river pushed into her cliff and all I could see was her frothing mouth. Holes, boulders, strainers, walls now strewn about the river, and nowhere to stop. Breath. I find myself reading the river, each move and, out loud, telling myself what to do next. Another right, a left and I could sense something big ahead. Finally a beach and I ferry over and hop out. My heart pounding, hands shaking, I look around. Cliffs, now smooth rock, polished by a previous life of water and ice. I have to stay calm. I have to do this. The Inreach beeps. “Careful! I just told someone you were paddling the Kathleen River. It’s Class 3- 5 Rapids in the canyon! Littered with sifters and strainers and boulders! There’s a waterfall!” I look up the river knowing I was already at the falls. Did I just run class 5 rapids in my Packraft, with camera gear, unprepared and alone? Breath. Now below the falls I soak in her beauty. “Hole-Left-Left-Ledge Tree-Right-Breath!”
Boulders now scattered the river. Feeling still confident I carried on. Finally pulling off as a sandy cliff on my left appeared. Looking down stream nothing seemed more than what it had been the past few kilometers. I knew somewhere ahead lay the falls, but how far? Taking a calm breath I head back out. The sandy cliff slowly lurking closer, now on both sides they were enclosing in on me.
A wave rears up and crashes over me. I laugh and realize I’m without fear. Am I doing this? Ahead a destroyed canoe stands against a tree and I know there is something fierce lurking close. Quickly pulling again into shore I see another waterfall. Portaging up and back down the treed cliffs I can now see her walls opening back up. I am getting close to the end of my journey. Slowly her jagged waters begin to smooth and spread into her low banks. Marsh, trees, sand and dead fall. Finally finding her proper channel through the web of off shoots. I make it to the once again calm currents. Her deep churning blues now dark and filled with grit. The brown waters slowly carry me towards take out and now it sinks in. My arms exhausted, legs shaking, I become emotional. 48kms later and I pull into the park boat ramp. Walking onto the perfectly manicured grass I drop to my back. I am overwhelmed I can’t believe I just did that! I’m an Idiot! Holy shit! All the thoughts running through my head, if I hadn’t just done that I would have said no way to having paddling skills to paddle the 22kms of class 3-5 rapids. Reading the river beyond anything I ever thought I would. Shaking now with the knowledge sinking in, I smile, but think of how lucky I was. Going in blind to a river. “Hole-Left-Left-Ledge-Tree-Right-Breath.” Replays in my head as we drive away from what looks like a calm unassuming river, to which hides a beautiful beast.
Adventure Paddler from Lake of the Woods, ON. Follow her adventures on Instagram by clicking below: @Jillianabrownphotography. Gear used on this trip: Kopopelli Packraft Hitcase Pro for action shots
Jill Brown
lunch, it was time to plan out the paddling schedule for the weekend. Day 1 will be the Big East river. Day 2 2ill be Arrowhead lake and the Little East River. As if that didn't seem exciting
Padding Through Paradise in Huntsville
enough, both trips came with some unexpected surprises.
by Aaron G.
I am the kind of person who doesn't like to limit myself to one kind of paddling. Exploring rivers, lakes or sea kayaking big water, I am in love with it all. When we plan our family camping trips, I try to find some spots that have some interesting places to explore by kayak, Arrowhead did not disappoint. There is a bit of everything here, the Big East River's winding Oxbows, the inland lakes, as well as unbelievable hiking and scenery; ranging from cliffs to waterfalls. If you decide to paddle the Big East past the park, you can reach Lake Vernon. From there you can explore the many inland lakes which are interconnected. When you drive through the gates into the park, you can instantly sense that this park is different. Right away you pass by Mayflower Lake, it is the most inviting sight, as soon as you see it, you think, that would be a great place to launch, relax and watch nature. From there, we found our plot. The sites at Arrowhead are the biggest I have seen to date. Even better, our specific site had no neighbours. After setting up our tent and making
Paddling options
Waterfalls, rolling hills and giant snapping turtles. Arrowhead Lake seems to have everything you could hope for. The small lake looks like something out of an ad for an outdoor resort. From the moment my daughter saw it, she asked, "Daddy, I can kayak with you in that lake, right?" The answer to that was a resounding "Yes, LET'S GO!" Into the kayak we go, time to explore! We picked our song for the sea, and off we went. The first thing we noticed, was the colour of the water. It looks like someone left their team bag in the water. It made for an interesting backdrop. We'd have to ask the park staff about what causes that, once we get back. After circumnavigating the lake, stopping to examine just about every trillium, tree and rock face, Abbey decided she would rather swim on the beach then explore the Little East River. The beach is clean, and the view of the lake is beautiful. Abbey is in heaven. This is a great chance to keep on exploring, off to explore under the iconic bridge over the mouth to the Little East River. The scenery is spectacular from the entrance of the lake, all the way to the top of Stubb's Falls. The top of the falls was a bit anti-climatic from a kayak, big crowds and no where to leave gear safely. There is no way that was going to ruin my day. I decided to finish the paddle and hike to the falls. What a great first day. A sleeping kid on my shoulder was the only challenge left, time to hike back to camp and plan day two.
Arrowhead lake
Arrowhead Lake Little East River Big East River Lake Vernon
The first time I saw a picture of The Big Bend was on an Instagram account I like to follow. I knew I had to kayak there. Anyone who knows me, knows I instantly went into research mode and started planning my conquest of the Big East River. The best please to start the trip is at the small hamlet of Williamsport. Parking is an issue so I arranged for a shuttle. I unloaded my gear and lugged it down the hill, and got a heroes send off from my family. Off and down the river I went. Right away there is a small rapid, I was so busy trying to wave at my send off crew, I slammed directly into a huge rock. I instantly thought to myself, I better get on my game and pay attention. Turns out the rest of the trip was a relaxing paddle through some dramatic scenery. Around every bend and oxbow there are huge sand banks lined with towering pine. The water is the same colour as black tea and the onky sounds are bird calls and rushing water. It is heaven. THe route is fairly popular, so there was a decent amount of traffic, but as always, paddlers of all stripes are friendly and willing to have a conversation about their story. After what seemed like the the tenth sand banked oxbow, I was convinced I had some how missed Big Bend. It is hard to believe just how many of them I had already seen, some were huge! A quick check of my map confirmed that it was still to come. I cant imagine how it must look, it dwarfs the ones I have already seen. Another 45 minutes and I see something poking through the trees. It looks like a huge yellow wall ahead. Wow, that must be it, I cant believe the scale. Wow. I don't know how to describe the feeling of finding these gems. It makes it all worth while. I had to site here and enjoy the view. After about an hour of watching the canoes and kayaks paddle by and the the photographers above at the lookout, I was off again. There is still one thing left to find: Stubb's Falls. I don't think that you can normally paddle to the base of this waterfall. I saw a lot of surprised faces on the hikers. Either way, it was fun to see it from the bottom. Time to head to the take out spot we had agreed upon. The rest of the paddle was through cottages and trailer parks. That kind of paddling doesn't bother me at all, it gives me a chance to put away the camera and work on some parts of my paddling technique. We will definitely be back to this park, it was full of memories I will never forget.
The big east river
What says fall in Ontario more than the changing colours of the trees. Red, Yellow and Orange mixes with the greens to make for stunning photography opportunities. It is my favourite time of the year to do familiar kayak routes. Something about seeing them in their fall glory makes them new again. Did you know that fall colours are unique to our geography? I had never given much thought to how lucky we are until I started meeting kayakers from England, Norway or the southern USA. As we get less sun in the fall months, Arborous and Oak trees are susceptible to their leaves changing colours. This is due to pigments in the different kinds of leaves. The three pigments that color leaves are: chlorophyll(green), carotenoid(yellow, orange, and brown), and anthocyanin(red). As the days shorten and the trees get less sunshine, they have less capacity to produce chlorophyll, that allows the carotenoid in the leaves to show through. This is why orange and yellow leaves always seem to be consistent. What about the reds? That’s a whole other ball of wax. Reds depend on the weather. Sunny days with cool nights are the perfect conditions for the leaves to turn. The red pigment is made as a protection from the colder weather. If it is too warm, there is no need for them to form. As well, the wetter the fall, the brighter the colours will be. The best autumn colors come when there's been: • a warm, rainy spring. • a summer that's not too hot or dry. • a fall with sunny days and cool nights.
Colours of Ontario
Ontario's first and oldest park.
Algonquin Provincial Park
Amazing moose viewing opportunities along Highway 60 as the moose are attracted to roadside salt left after the winter sanding operation. However, please be careful, respectful, and never approach or feed any wildlife.
Established in 1893, Algonquin is the oldest provincial park in Canada its vast interior consists of maple hills, rocky ridges, and thousands of lakes. While most are not well suited to kayaking, there are few notable exceptions. If you plan your trip right, you will have spectacular views of the pine, maple, birch and spruce.Rock and Opeongo Lake are personal favorites. The best time to view the colours in the park is from mid-September to mid-October, depending on the weather conditions. If you want to make sure to plan your trip to see the best of the colours, you can use the Friends of Algonquin’s colour tracker to estimate the season’s peak. The highest density of colours are on the west side of the park, Rock and Opeongo are square in the middle. FALL COLOUR REPORT
Georgian Bay Islands National Park
Beausoleil Island is the largest island in the park, which is a part of the largest freshwater archipelago (a sea or stretch of water containing many islands) in the world. In Ontario we are very lucky to have two major archipelagos, the other being 1000 Islands National Park, which is also a spectacular place to kayak.
An island oasis with endless options for exploration.
This park is vast, spread out over many islands and very close to Toronto. With a city if 5 million+ people so close (2.5hours) comes heavy summer boat traffic. I highly recommend going in the off season to mitigate the traffic (boat and car) as much as possible. It is a fairly sheltered kayak trip to the main island. Once there, you can paddle up and down the east coast of the island. The sunsets and views are amazing. Spread across the island are places to stop and enter the various trails. I recommend doing the Ferry lake loop trail at the North end of the island.
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White Quartzite Mountain Trails
Killarney is a paddlers paradise. From the Chikanishing Trail to Phillip Edward Island. Lake George to the Silhouette trail. Killarney is one of the most dramatic places in Ontario to see the fall in all of its glory. Here is a trip report from Josh Spina. You can read more about his adventures at: CanYak Family Adventures
Killarney Provincial park
We had been meaning to take a kayak camping trip for a while. This trip was made spontaneously on a Sunday night in August. I called my brother at 6:30 pm with the idea, and next thing we knew we were on the road by 9pm heading towards Killarney Provincial Park. The drive would take us over 7 hrs heading out from Windsor. For this trip we brought our own boats but decided to rent equipment from a local outfitter. Long story short the following year we would purchase all our own equipment. We drove through the night, and arrived at the outfitter early in the morning, grabbing a quick nap in the parking lot. They quickly gave us our gear, and we headed to the park office to obtain our parking lot permit. Our put-in was at Chikanishing Creek. We would shoot for 3 days/2 nights for the circumnavigation of Philip Edward Island. Our first day was fairly calm on the water, but the 2nd/3rd brought some nice rollers. Circumnavigation would be from west to east counter clockwise. Day one camp was on one of the small unnamed outer islands facing the Bay. The 2nd day camp was on the far east side of the island before heading into Collins Inlet. Personally I wasn't all that impressed with Collins inlet, compared to the Southern Bay side of the island. We plan on returning someday when we have more time to explore the outer islands.
Lake Superior Provincial park
One of the best ways to see the fall colours in Lake superior provincial Park is by hiking the Towab trail. It is a 24 kilometre out and back hike. It's best to camp overnight at the end of the linear trail and return the next day. The Awausee trail also offers spectacular views of the fall colours. The fall season is also when the waves on Lake Superior typically pick up. Staying at one of the rooms of Rock Island Lodge serve as the perfect base camp for fall adventures. Other trip options in the park include paddling the inland routes, or traveling along the coastline. Naturally Superior Adventures offers a guided trip from the Agawa pictogrpahs to their base at Michipicoten Bay. A favourite spot of the locals in Lake Superior park is Gargantua Bay and the surrounding islands. They are all unique geologically and features such as Devil's Warehouse Island are stunning. There are resident peregrine falcons which can often be seen flying around. Devil's Chair is one of the most recognizable symbols in the park, a spiritually significant formation to the First Nations who occupied the land before European contact.
Agawa canyon
One of the most epic paddling trips in Ontatio is the Agawa Canyon in the Fall. It is not a trip for a novice paddler but there are various guided trips available. Jeff McColl has been doing this trip for many years. Here are are some highlights from his last trip. To learn more abut Jeff, please visit his blog: http://agawagroupofseven.blogspot.ca/ Lake Superior Provincial Park is an amazing place! The geography here is stunning and the fall colours really bring out the definition in the topography. The area itself is still relatively undiscovered to the masses, but to those of us who return yearly it is more of a pilgrimage. I have met dozens of people both on the river, and in the back areas who all have this connection. Also there are those who have “matured” over the years who will come to the Parks different front country campgrounds or do day trips from the local motels to just to keep their connection to the park. It really does mean that much to them! Most of my trips here are solo, and with 50 years of paddling behind me I find myself very relaxed, even when the weather is “iffy” or even having critter interactions around camp. One of the most exciting things I find is imagining those that have visited before, and survived in here with minimal equipment. On my trips I never tire of the scenery, the lighting, leaves, weather make for a constant change, not only year to year, but just over short periods of time and if you wait you will get incredible shots! No photoshop required! If the weather, lighting and water levels don’t work out, there is always next year. An important thing to remember if you venture into the various canyons and gorges is that cellular phones, spot/inreach/ and satellite phones do not work or may only work in short bursts. If you are on top of the hills, the SAT systems will work but you are a long way off from the city, your gadgets will not function reliably. One thing that is reliable, is the Environment Canada Marine Weather Forecasts. For the last three years I have been able to pick up a strong signal throughout the canyon, which is a great bonus because the weather up there can change so quickly. Even though the images portrayed here are of the calm areas, the Agawa river is a wilderness white water river with rapids ranging from Class II to V. The river itself is prone to flash floods or very drastic increases of water flow. The rapids are long and continuous. Log jams and channels can change from weather event to weather event so one always have to be very aware of what you are in the river because the scenery can be very distracting. In lower levels the river can be very “boney” and is not suitable at all for light weight or wooden boats. Burnt Rock Pool The above view, also accessible from the Towab trail is pretty well the same view that early tourists saw well over 100 years ago. If you want learn the history of this spot, read Stewart Edward Wright’s book “The Forest” It is free, and in Chapter XII, it describes the Agawa Canyon. Click Here to Read On my travels, I really get the feel for this area but also get to meet Stewart's First Nations guide who the Towab trail is named after. Wood stove from logging camp on the river. There is history of logging in the area. Some is easy to find and you have to have a little understanding logging, to find. There is a huge treasure trove of information at the Sault Ste. Marie Library under the “Historical Forestry Database online” Ancient trees on the cliff sides There are some very ancient trees on the huge rock faces that are scattered throughout the park. There are gnarled Cedar and Black Spruces. One can only speculate their age. I counted the rings of one that came down in a rock slide, it was no bigger than a twoonie and I could make out 125! Bush whacking possibilities As amazing and beautiful the bush whacking can be along the river, it can be extremely hazardous, huge accents and descents, very loose talus slopes, and loose boulders, holes covered by rotting brush, and dense bush that grows right up to the edge of the cliffs is not for the un-initiated. Eagles come for the fall fish runs View above the logging dam This is part of what remains of Logging dam # 6 on the Agawa from the Historical Forestry Database Search Engine. There is a ton of information on the various Algoma watersheds from when logging was the way of life. View from between the last 2 major rapids How can you say “Typical” view from Agawa Canyon, the views and vistas are all amazing! Reflecting on one of the river views - above the falls Just another one of the fantastic views one encounters when running the Canyon. Riverside campsite on the Towab trail. View from the start of the park - historic logging and Group of seven location This is just inside the eastern park boundary where the little Agawa meets the main Agawa river. This is the view the Group of Seven and the loggers would have had 100 years ago. Agawa fog - amazing fog scenes happen because of the mix of cold and warm air that mixes from numerous side canyons Even though there are numerous Class I & II rapids the river is in constant transition. Floods make natural dams that can make for some very deep pools. I have seen some areas where I have had to drag the canoe through shallows and then a few years later it is a long pool. It is pole-able in lower waters but not really easily paddle-able due to the shallow rapids. A good canoe poler would be able to get up to the falls in a couple of days from Hwy. 17. That said a good poler could also make it to the eastern side of the park with only a couple of portages. Lower Portion of the river - below Burnt Rock Pool Lower Portion of the river - below Burnt Rock Pool Lower Portion of the river - below Burnt Rock Pool - very “pole-able” from the Lake. but paddling upstream is not an option Agawa falls view from paddle access. You get a really great view of the falls from being able to paddle into the gorge below the falls.
Other places to explore
Big Otter Creek Elora Gorge Massassauga Grand River
One of the most critical pieces of gear you will buy is your drysuit. It is also one of the most complicated. Please watch as the Kayak Hipster goes over eight tips for buying one for yourself. You can find more videos at: https://www.youtube.com/kayakhipster
Tip of the Month
Birds of the Niagara Peninsula Featuring @CatGraff
Hundreds of species of birds use the Niagara Peninsula on their migratory path, most notably during the spring and autumn. Notable species include the least bittern, hooded warbler, white pelican, Caspian tern, black-crowned night-heron, osprey, pleated woodpecker, and the prothonotary warbler. There are also a nesting pair of bald eagles which have nested near the mouth of the Spencer Creek; the first such nest in the area in more than 40 years.
One of the best parts of kayaking in the Niagara Peninsula is keeping an eye on the many species of birds that live in the area. As an amateur photographer on a limited budget, I thought it would be fun to go over some of the more interesting possibilities by featuring local artist Catherine Graff. Her work can be found at: www.catgraff.com
Barn Owl
Tundra Swan
Crow
I'm Montreal born, raised in Laval. Then a city in its own right but now considered a suburb of the great city. I spent my childhood years running through the local forest with my friends, climbing trees, making forts and swimming in a creek that also offered rock tripping skating in the cold winter months. We spent many happy hours playing and swimming in that creek, a tributary to the mighty St Lawrence, often making tiny leaf boats or stick boats with leaf sails, catching bull frogs and changing the flow of the gurgling water by moving the rocks around. Our family immigrated to Ontario on my twelfth birthday and landed in Cornwall. Back then it was a dirty mill town with Domtar pumping out paper products around the clock and stinking up the air, but there was water nearby. A short walk from my new home and I was once again sitting on the banks of the St Lawrence river just below the dam. We often swam in the abandoned locks that were built for the great laker ships before the dam changed everything. Fascinating as it was to tour the dam, I always resented it. It was a scar on the landscape in my eyes. I've lived near water for most of my life but seldom have I been floating on it. It wasn't until I became interested in photography that I started looking for unique angles. A friend and I would awake early in the morning and drive around the countryside looking for special scenery to shoot. One day she suggested we go kayaking to get a different perspective. She had two 9 foot rec kayaks and, loaded in the back of my pickup, we set off. The very first experience I had kayaking was on the reservoir in Ayr, Ontario. I was hooked. I loved paddling through the early morning mists and quietly glide into that mysterious world of between. But although my friend meant well in her teaching, I always felt a little unsafe. We had the necessary equipment required by the coast guard but no knowledge on its use. Our old orange key hole life preservers were shoved in the bow, out of the way and out of reach if ever needed. It was unsettling for me, especially when one day the wind kicked up white caps and we had to cross a body of water in open rec kayaks. I had visions of watching my expensive camera equipment sink like a rock to the bottom of the lake as I clung to an overturned 9 foot piece of plastic, if it didn't also sink. I've since learned that these rec boats usually end up floating nose up if they don't completely fill with water and become anchors.
Paddler Spotlight: Jan Carol Phillips
When not kayaking or thinking about kayaking, I looked on Facebook for groups of like minded kayakers. My favourite was Inland Seas, Kayaking the Great Lakes and I soon became friends with its creator, Steve L. Through discussions he found out my love of writing and photography and one day asked if I'd admin the group in his absence. I was honoured by his request but declined since there were so many other kayakers far better and more educated in the art of paddling then I. He insisted, so I accepted. When he returned from his vacation he ask if I'd stay on as co-admin with him and Henry. I've tried to bring something more then my lack of experience to the group by starting Mundane Mondays for members who don't live near the Great Lakes and hosting the photo contests. Posting questions that a novice may be too shy to ask and generally just keep an eye on content when Steve is not around. The biggest benefit of kayaking for me is the versatility of paddling. It's something I can do alone or in a group. It's as good a work out as you want to make it or it can be a mediative calming event. It opens up worlds of exploration and has a history all it's own. For a brief moment in time I feel like I'm between worlds when I paddle. When I'm happy, I kayak. When I'm sad, I kayak and it always brings me peace. After my dad died, I went kayaking and was able to come to terms with his death. I came off the water stronger then when I started. I always do. Kayaking is similar to forest bathing, something I also do as often as I can.
I bought my first kayak, a Riot Edge 13.5 at the Toronto outdoor show and immediately signed up for lessons. I needed to know how to be safe on the water. I decided to take some pool lessons in Burlington. From there I attended various paddle events and was hired as photographer some of them. It was a blast and I learned a lot and met some die heard kayak instructors and some great enthusiastic paddlers. I joined a local paddle group in Kitchener to make new paddle friends, lean new put-ins, and gain some experience paddling with a group. I often paddled alone early in the morning on my local river, the Nith. It was scary to paddle alone at first but I quickly found out the advantages of kayaking alone with my camera. Few people want to be up and about at 4 a.m.so it was either learn confidence in my skills as kayaker or don't go. I've since gone solo kayak camping a few times.
Every month we will feature some of the pictures submitted to us via Facebook or our inbox. Here are our favourite submissions for this month. Credit: Joyce Lam Credit: Amy Mepham Credit: Rebecca Vandenberg Gallery Credit: Sydney Withers, Ashani Stamp
READER GALLERY
Stories focus on the local paddler who would like to learn more about the trips, outfitters and people who paddle in Ontario. We will keep you up to date on as many events as we can, as well as interesting people, who we run across. Would you like to be featured? Contactinfo@kayak-ontario.com Advertising inquires:aaron@kayak-ontario.com
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