Just saw this on another website (major Canadian paddling website). I know John (Deerfoot) and Barry paddled the Kopka. I never have. This guy makes good videos. Kopka trip video

Oh, and Portage 99 has paddled the Kopka, too. I recall some of those stories.

Thanks, good video. I've seen some of his others.

I love the Kopka. I have paddled it 4 times, but not since 1991. Thanks for the video link.

I’d like to paddle it again. Video is hard to watch trapped in IL!

Someday... again!!!

Thanks for posting. Good stuff.

Same here! Great trip. I wouldn't want to tackle all of those portages though :)

From his comments on another site ("the project only went through and did an inventory with a cursory clearing"... bah, he knows not what the project has done) , I get that he did not use the Wabakimi project maps and did not find a lot of portages due to his lack of good information. Too bad. His suggestion that a crew go through and clear the portages makes one wonder why he doesn't get off his duff and organize that? Nice video but it seems like a bit of a vanity piece to me. IMHO

I hear you, Ken. Don't know if this fellow realizes there are folks using their vacation time to clear trails instead of taking more-utilized and cleared known routes.... But at least he got a video up of the route, and hopefully others will follow... and it wouldn't hurt if they packed saws...

I have to agree with Goat and Ray. I don’t know what he expected in the Wabakimi area. Maybe he needs to register his comments with Shannon Lahr. It’s amazing how fast those portages can grow shut - damn alders! He does do really nice videos though. Just watched his video on the North Shore of Lake Superior. Goatroti, this might make a great trip some summer instead of Killarney.

I had an email exchange with Brad and we've come to the agreement that sometimes comments made on the internet don't land right. I apologized for the comments I've made above. Brad works on portage clearing in other parks in Ontario and the comment on the Collins area on CCR weren't meant as a criticism. We'll leave it at that.

Going through my old trip photos. I found these of the Kopka.

On this portage, I was carrying the heavy kitchen pack. I started tipping backwards (the weight was pulling me back) on this steep portage and had to ask the person above me to push me back towards the rock. It was really funny, but I think you had to be there to appreciate the humor.

Portage99: "


Going through my old trip photos. I found these of the Kopka.


On this portage, I was carrying the heavy kitchen pack. I started tipping backwards (the weight was pulling me back) on this steep portage and had to ask the person above me to push me back towards the rock. It was really funny, but I think you had to be there to appreciate the humor.


"

Survived and climbed back up for a photo. I do luv me a good portage.

Portage99: "


Going through my old trip photos. I found these of the Kopka.


On this portage, I was carrying the heavy kitchen pack. I started tipping backwards (the weight was pulling me back) on this steep portage and had to ask the person above me to push me back towards the rock. It was really funny, but I think you had to be there to appreciate the humor.


"

That looks as bad (or worse) as the Diablo portage on the Steel loop.

That one is really beyond the pale! I wouldn't want to carry the boat over that one -- there would be no "loading up the boat and sliding it along" as one would, say, in a bog. :)

We really enjoyed the video! I did put a post on the other major canoeing web site to Brad. I just wanted to clarify when The Wabakimi Project and Friends of Wabakimi explored parts of his route, at least the trips in which I participated. Tamarack Lake to Rushby Lake via Canon Lake : May 29 - June 4, 2011 with Phil Cotton. Rushbay Lake to Bukemiga Lake via the Collins River: June 3-10, 2017.

Thanks Bill. I know you did a lot of work in the area. I wasn't as familiar with those routes. Later in the season we were up on the Albany etc.

I discovered this video on YouTube a couple of days ago. A spectacular place. Wonderful filming and editing. A "bit" challenging portaging. The whitewater would be too hard for this flat water guy at least when I'd be far from help if I screwed it up.