Kayaking the Temagami region in northern Ontario

[geoffrose]

This has been a three adventure summer! First a 3.5 week bike trip in Europe, then 3 weeks hiking the Appalachians in Newfoundland. And most recently 2.5 weeks with my Puffin Pakboat in Temagami. Always, the great thing about this boat is the removable (velcro) deck making portaging just like I had a canoe, only lighter.

For pictures: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/0ocglxu9a1mf ... nQOna?dl=0

This was my second trip to the region. It is massive, and most is crown lands, which means you are free to travel and camp almost anywhere. I have a map on my GPS (Jeff's Maps) that shows many routes, established campsites as well as roads, access points etc.

This was my longest trip without resupply - rather heavy start with all the dehydrated food, but I knew fish would be endless, so that helped some. This is really beautiful country - Canadian Shield - lots of rock, forest and loons to serenade you. Saw one moose up close, and lots of smaller animals. And loons! Never see a bear, but do see signs they have been by.

Had one big scare. My 8-10 year old boat starting coming apart. I was incredibly lucky it happened near shore, or the damage would have been irreparable and I would have been left to try and hike out, a very long way. The upper half of my boat is composed of two materials. A clear thin outer film, and a sturdier plastic under it. The two separated where they attach to the under half, and the clear film tore in two places, about 6" each tear. I had to sew the upper and lower sections using fishing line for about seven feet across the one side, and patch the holes with tape. It held, but gave me a slow leak the rest of the trip. All part of the adventure!

I saw people maybe once a day, on average, with many days being completely to myself. I did a combo of rivers and lakes. Every afternoon, around 4:00, when I was past the last portage, I would catch dinner, though I sometimes didn't because the location or weather were not conducive.

This is about my ninth kayak trip in Ontario, mostly by myself. They range from pure wilderness, like this one, to kayaking the canals which means little portaging and much more access to towns and supplies. If anyone out there is interested in joining me on a similar adventure, anything from 5 days to a few weeks, let me know.

[JohnSand]

Very cool, thanks for the report.

[idc]

I visited Temagami with my brothers and a friend a quarter of a century ago. Loved it. Great photos. Thanks very much for the report.

[Christov10]

Looks like an amazing trip. The photos are terrific - do you have any of the repair you made?

[geoffrose]

No pics of the repair. I did nickname my boat Frankenstein after that. And I will be looking for a more permanent fix, when I get around to bothering the Pakboat folks.

[KerryOnKayaks]

Don't know if they still have it (since Pakboat is sluggish about updating their website) but they have listed a few surplus decks on the site under "Closeouts and specials". They have a red solo deck for a Puffin II for only $69 -- considering the costs of materials that could be more economical than trying to make another from scratch. While a deck for the Puffin tandem would be too long for your Puffin, you might be able to modify it. I lengthened a surplus Pakboat Arrow deck that I got from them several years ago to use on my 2004 Puffin 12. Just cut it ahead of the cockpit and spliced in a 3" patch, stitching new velcro along the gaps along both gunwales. Shortening one too long would be even easier as long as the widths could be aligned.

[geoffrose]

Actually, I have a formal deck for my Puffin. Kerry gave it to me a few years ago and it was great for our long tour of the British canals. Nice bright yellow. However, I've returned to my home-made deck because I like it better. I made it in two parts which I find has a number of advantages. When I portage, the front one tucks into itself on the bow, and I can leave loose items safely contained in the stern. I can adjust the size of seat opening from tight, when mitigating weather, to very open when fishing or sunbathing. I also made a simple cover that velcros to the two making a far more effective rain cover than any spray skirt, both in keeping me dry and in ease of attachment when out in the water. The rear part overlaps my seat and gently presses against me, and the cover presses against the front of my raincoat. Quite snug. I've been dry in prolonged drenchings. Once, on the Rideau canal, I crossed a good size lake while being unable to see much past the reach of my arm, navigated by GPS, and part of the novelty was how cosy and dry I was. Good times! Oh, one more... When I have a tailwind in nice weather I sometimes adjust the front part to catch the wind. I've clocked it that it can add as much as 3 km per hour to my speed.

[KerryOnKayaks]

I've wanted to go back to Ontario and paddle more of the Rideau. I did a day trip on a portion at the western end with a friend in Kingston and his fellow members of the Cataraqui Canoe and Kayak Club some 10 years ago. I was paddling a Feathercraft Kahuna at the time and had a heck of a time keeping up with some of the longer sea kayaks and some very spritely elders in tandem canoes! But it was a great outing with a great bunch of folks. One had a cottage right on the canal where we had a picnic at the end of the day. Operating the old manual locks and touring the lock-keepers' cottage (with the docents in 19th century dress) were other highlights of a very pleasant trip.

[martin2007]

Hello Geoff,

Temagami is a favourite destination of mine. My wife and I just got home from a 2-week canoe trip in the Chiniguchi watershed northeast of Sudbury, i.e. the southwestern region of Temagami. Where in Temagami were you paddling? Your photos are beautiful, but unfortunately, a few of them aren't showing up on my screen.

Fishing is usually an integral part of my backcountry trips, too. You had some good bass fishing there. I like your fish-on-a-stick shots. We did whole fish, scaled and gutted, carefully placed on ash and coals, turned once, gently, and when we timed it right, it was to die for. But when we didn't time it right, well, it was enough to move me back into doing fillets in the fry pan!

I'm retired from teaching, so I'm free to do a lot of paddling in canoes and folding kayaks. Where are you located? I'm in southwestern Ontario.

Thanks for sharing your trip on this forum.
Martin