The Quetico Forum
August and September
No posts in over two weeks
Pathetic
God help us all

And I was all excited to see a post in there.

I was hoping that one of our Canadian friends would be telling us about the trip we didn't get to take.
On a related subject, has anyone had reports of permanent closures due to lack of business in western Ontario - outfitters, motels,, restaurants, cabin resorts, fly ins, etc?

It is pathetic.

Almost as pathetic is that I have to go to the BWCA this weekend. While this might sound like a blessing, the fact is that I would usually be in Quetico.

Sam Cook has a nice story in today’s Duluth paper talking about all the things he misses about Canada, such as Tim Horten’s. I miss sleeping in the Thunder Bay Walmart Parking lot in my Prius the night before my trip.

Tom

Eyedocron: "I was hoping that one of our Canadian friends would be telling us about the trip we didn't get to take.
On a related subject, has anyone had reports of permanent closures due to lack of business in western Ontario - outfitters, motels,, restaurants, cabin resorts, fly ins, etc?"

I was there from July 25 to Aug 3. Stanton Bay down through the B chain to Russell and McDougall then across to the western end of Sturgeon, back up through Lonely, Walter, Jean then Pickerel.

What can I say? The place was almost deserted...even Russell Lake where Chatterton Falls always attracts a "crowd".

We capsized at Chatterton Falls. As we paddled out a micro-burst thrust us into the eddy on the south side. Between the current and the wind we could not get the canoe under control. It swept us broadside into the current not far from the falls and that's all she wrote. It all happened quickly but in slow motion. It was a day trip so our canoe was light and sitting high above the water and more prone to the wind. Lost two rods, one of two tackle boxes, a pair of flip-flops and our fly swatters. A big shout out to Aquaquest as my map case churned in the water for two hours before we found it about 0.5 km away in the bay to the north. Not a drop of moisture inside! My inReach and GPS were both tethered to the gunwale and sustained no water penetration. Found my hat a day later when we returned from McDougall.

Another shout-out to the ankle-biting stable flies. On days where they were benign we would remove our hiking boots in the canoe. Fortunately the flies were irritable that day so we were wearing them and hence we didn't lose them. It didn't make the swim any easier. But at least we had proper portaging hikers for the remainder of the trip.

We had one back-up rod at our site that was a last minute $35 purchase before the trip. It was called a Rapala Girl. It did a lot of heavy lifting for my son and I. Good thing too because our meal plan called for two fish dinners.

A note on equipment... I generally try to buy brightly-coloured gear where possible. It can look a bit obnoxious but it is highly visible. I am not sure that I would have found my map case if it was not orange. Camo is for hunters and commandos, not campers in my opinion. It also makes it easier to find stuff that is just laying around - particularly at portages.

Fishing was outstanding. Four walleye dinners in nine nights. No trout on McDougall but our jigs were in the tackle box that went missing under the falls.

An enormous sturgeon leapt out of the water in front of our canoes on the shallow channel south of Scripture Island on Sturgeon Lake. I have never seen a fish that large in a fresh water lake. Only half of its body crested the water; it could have been 50+ lbs.

Saw only one other party on Sturgeon over three days.

We met up with a lovely family on Lonely Lake who reside near Toronto (about a half hour drive from where I live). We actually saw them from a distance on Russell several days earlier. Apart from two park biologists they were the only other people we saw on Russell. Anyway, they lent us a spare rod for our troubles. Camping folk are the best! I am driving it back to them tomorrow. I rented it for two Bungee Deelee Bobs (another delightful addition to our equipment - thank you Old Scout!)

We met up again with our friends from Whitby on Jesse Lake. It was the end of the day and they were looking for a site. On the West end of the lake there are really only two sites now as at least two or three others have been wrecked by fires since I was last there in 2003. We invited them to stay with as they had two kids and the parents were doing a lot of heavy lifting but they declined. They made a site out of nothing in a small bay and their tent was sloping about 20 degrees. Unfortunately the portage to Maria has a nice tent pad but neither they nor I thought to check it out as a potential site.

There was firewood everywhere we went. It was as if we were the first people to be there this season. Sites needed to be swept of pine cones and debris. But the portages were in excellent shape. We even ran into a crew between Jesse and Marie. The warden asked for our permit but not to get too close. That was our first Covid reminder.

Back on Pickerel we met up with a couple camping with their six-month old and a dog. They had spent two weeks traveling from Beaverhouse to Stanton Bay. Wow!

Atikokan is a ghost town. Canoe Canada said business would pick up in August as more Canadians seem to travel to Quetico in that month. Regardless, over 90% of their revenues are generated from Americans in a typical year. This is not a typical year. Juxtapose that to the roaring business for the parks in southern Ontario like Algonquin and Killarney. It's like the BWCAW down here. Everything's booked and gear and supplies are scarce.

Water levels were super low.

My fifteen year old son ordered two Baconators, a large poutine and a Frosty from Wendy's in Thunder Bay after our trip. He is 6'2" and 130 lbs. He had been dreaming of it for at least the last five days of the trip.

That's about it for now.

One has to wonder how many americans have slipped across the border into Quetico to spend a few days. I would not feel comfortable doing it. I would be paranoid the whole time.
But I am aware that it has happened this year.

GraniteCliffs: "One has to wonder how many americans have slipped across the border into Quetico to spend a few days. I would not feel comfortable doing it. I would be paranoid the whole time.
But I am aware that it has happened this year."

I doubt it. Don't doubt you believe it, but I'd check your sources....

Oh, it’s true. For a fact. It wasn’t me but someone I know very well and trust. In fact we met for a beer tonight. And saw pictures of places we had been to together in Quetico. And, well, sort of saw them cross when I was on Crooked. Not for me though. No chance.

I love Argo's narrative above. However it just made me jealous. My goal for one of my trips next year is to return to the Chatterton area. Thanks for posting it. Glad you survived the dump!!

Thanks for taking us along with you, Argo! Much appreciated! Also thanks for including the part about the flip. Apparently it can happen, even to experienced folks. That will serve as a good reminder to the rest of us and keep us on our toes.

MichiganMan: "Thanks for taking us along with you, Argo! Much appreciated! Also thanks for including the part about the flip. Apparently it can happen, even to experienced folks. That will serve as a good reminder to the rest of us and keep us on our toes."

Thank you!

I don't mind telling you how profoundly disappointed I was with myself. My son was pretty sanguine about it. I've been canoeing for exactly fifty years and this has never happened to me. It only resulted in a bit of lost gear; nevertheless, I can't forgive myself for being so complacent. It took less than half an hour for the conditions to go from flat calm (when we arrived at the falls) to powerful gusts (when we capsized). By the time we reached shore it was flat calm again. A storm cell had passed to the north of us and that was obviously the culprit.

Here's a pick that I previously posted of some unidentified folks who weren't as fortunate. It's me beside a section of an aluminum canoe that is resting at a site adjacent to the falls.

Argo: "

MichiganMan: "Thanks for taking us along with you, Argo! Much appreciated! Also thanks for including the part about the flip. Apparently it can happen, even to experienced folks. That will serve as a good reminder to the rest of us and keep us on our toes."

Thank you!


I don't mind telling you how profoundly disappointed I was with myself. My son was pretty sanguine about it. I've been canoeing for exactly fifty years and this has never happened to me. It only resulted in a bit of lost gear; nevertheless, I can't forgive myself for being so complacent. It took less than half an hour for the conditions to go from flat calm (when we arrived at the falls) to powerful gusts (when we capsized). By the time we reached shore it was flat calm again. A storm cell had passed to the north of us and that was obviously the culprit.

Here's a pick that I previously posted of some unidentified folks who weren't as fortunate. It's me beside a section of an aluminum canoe that is resting at a site adjacent to the falls. "

Is that part of an old Gruman canoe on an island in Russell lake across from Chatterton falls? (Campsite 152 on Paddle Planner) If so, I saw it in the spring of 2019.

Saw new post dated today and got excited about it, hoping for some good stories from some lucky Canadians who were able to go to Quetico. I haven't been on a Quetico trip since 2011 but I still carry the desire in my heart. Now that I have two replaced knees, maybe someday, something scaled back from what were usuals of 8-10 days. Fewer lakes, fewer portages. Old cliche: hope springs eternal--but true.

Thank you, Argo, for sharing about your recent trip although I'm sorry to hear about the capsize. Glad it was only lost stuff and a bit of humbling. I'm wondering what might be happening down in the lake with those lost fly swatters. Hmmm, wonder if there are a few talented or maybe aggressive or playful fish down there playing swat games.

Hoping for good news for next year.

As far as economic impacts on Atikokan, I found this site listing closures (hopefully temporary) or reduced hours for various businesses, organizations and events: Atikokan Business and Community Status

Nice to hear from north of the line! Thanks for the trip report. An experienced whitewater paddler told me (after a dump in some rapids), "We are all between swims." I just pray it's a long interval.

Thank you for the stories. I miss Quetico bad! Think about it almost everyday. I can identify with the flipped canoe. My son and I have been canoeing for a number of years and we got a little over confident.

A couple years ago we were coming out of a protected cove and the wind hit us sideways and it was over. I lost some expensive gear because I foolishly did not have things tied down (I do now). Just had never happened before and got surprised. Fortunately we had our base camp set up and didn't lose any camping equipment.

One thing I have done is to put everything in dry bags. One time we were going across Pickerel and had everything tied in. Halfway across, it got pretty rough and I realized that if we went over, all the bags tied in were going to become heavy anchors. I use the dry bags so they will float and still tied to the canoe.

Thanks again for sharing. It did my heart good!

rtallent: "Nice to hear from north of the line! Thanks for the trip report. An experienced whitewater paddler told me (after a dump in some rapids), "We are all between swims." I just pray it's a long interval."

Yes, I camped with an experienced whitewater paddler last weekend and he said, "We are all just paddling between swims". Must be whitewater vernacular.

Thanks for the trip report Argo. Nice to know there are some folks who are enjoying the area. I just hope they open the border up before August 2021. That’s when my trip is planed.

I feel badly for those of you who love Quetico the way I do, but are unable to visit. I am a Canadian and have done more trips to Quetico this summer than I have in many previous years. My family was one of the first to visit Quetico's backcountry when it first opened up in June. Due to there being not much else going on in terms of extracurricular activities, we went to Pickerel Lake in Quetico for day trips every weekend in June (we live exactly 100 miles from the French Lake entrance). At the normally busy beaches of Pickerel, we hardly saw anyone. We did lots of swimming; the fishing was great, and amazingly, the biting insects were not present.

Another interesting thing I have noticed from friends' trip reports and You Tube videos is that the Stanton Bay entrance has been full of vehicles and Beaverhouse is pretty empty. This is the opposite of a typical year. Nym parking lot was about half full, but busier than I expected.

Like Argo said, it seems that lots of people from the more populated Southern Ontario are coming to Quetico to get away from the crowds. Unfortunately for the outfitters though, these types of visitors are not likely to need outfitting services the way visitors from America would.

If you like living vicariously though others' trip reports and videos like I often do when I can't get out there, here is a recent You Tube video from Backcountry Angling Ontario that some of you might enjoy.

Two week Quetico trip

Je de Puissance: here is a recent Youtube video from Backcountry Angling Ontario that some of you might enjoy.

https://youtu.be/Ufn_jd5y7rE"

Miss Molly posted that on The Listening Point Forum a few days ago. The blue Kia sedan in the background in the Stanton Bay parking lot was my rental car. They were there two days before I exited. Go figure!

Je de Puissance: "If you like living vicariously though others' trip reports and videos like I often do when I can't get out there, here is a recent You Tube video from Backcountry Angling Ontario that some of you might enjoy.

Two week Quetico trip "

Any idea when Part II will be available?

Nice to "re-live" all the places on your journey. Always good to see them through someone else's eyes.

BTW: You mentioned not being able to find campsites. There area many map resources that have a good number of them marked. This might save you a bit of time toward the end of a long paddle day rather than HOPING to find something.

dd

Argo, how is the area around russell recovering from the fires in 2018?

stevedug: "Argo, how is the area around russell recovering from the fires in 2018?
"

I am not Argo, but I was on Russell Lake in early May of 2019. The "Russell Lake Fire" is misnamed a bit. The fire was east of Russell and I think barely made it to Russell Lake. The picture I posted of the wrecked canoe earlier in this thread was take on the island in Russell across from Chatterton Falls. I believe (but don't know for sure) that the picture Argo posted is of the same canoe. Most of Russell was fine at that time. I am trying to remember if there was any burn area visible along the eastern shore, at any rate nothing spectacular from a distance. We entered Russell from the north (Maligne River, Sturgeon, Deux Revieres). At that time the area east of Russell was closed and I think the park was sending rangers to access the damage. Russell Lake is fine; east of Russell I don't know. At the time of our trip the B-chain route (Bisk, Beg, Bud, Fern, Olifaunt) was open. However, the route south from Fern to Alice was closed. Since we didn't go to that area I can't tell you how it looked then or now.

stevedug: "Argo, how is the area around russell recovering from the fires in 2018? "

From memory, it looks limited to a small section on the NE shore. I don't believe there are any sites affected.

dentondoc: "

Je de Puissance: "If you like living vicariously though others' trip reports and videos like I often do when I can't get out there, here is a recent You Tube video from Backcountry Angling Ontario that some of you might enjoy.


Two week Quetico trip "

Any idea when Part II will be available?


Nice to "re-live" all the places on your journey. Always good to see them through someone else's eyes.


BTW: You mentioned not being able to find campsites. There area many map resources that have a good number of them marked. This might save you a bit of time toward the end of a long paddle day rather than HOPING to find something.


dd

Wayne.... miss you.
Would like to talk some time.
Life is rough on our home front.
Hope you are well.
God bless.
"

Stumpy: "

dentondoc: "

Je de Puissance: "If you like living vicariously though others' trip reports and videos like I often do when I can't get out there, here is a recent You Tube video from Backcountry Angling Ontario that some of you might enjoy.

Two week Quetico trip "

Any idea when Part II will be available?

Nice to "re-live" all the places on your journey. Always good to see them through someone else's eyes.

BTW: You mentioned not being able to find campsites. There area many map resources that have a good number of them marked. This might save you a bit of time toward the end of a long paddle day rather than HOPING to find something.

dd

Wayne.... miss you.
Would like to talk some time.
Life is rough on our home front.
Hope you are well.
God bless.
"

"

Ed --
Same here. It has been something of a dry spell since our last chat. We should talk!

Doing well. Just getting older and crankier. I did manage to get in an LLC trip this year. Hoping for a Q trip next year, but probably a long shot. I noticed you announced your Quetico Jamboree just a bit ago. Looks interesting.

Wayne