| Author |
Message |
edalgorf
Member
Post Number: 1
Registered: 03-2018
| | Posted on Sunday, March 25, 2018 - 9:31 am: | 
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Hi
Long time user f the forum but first post!
i'm looking to do a variation of Haps Route #10 - Matabitchuan River this summer and was hoping to utilise some expertise of this forum to get advice on the feasibility of my route and any other pertinent information (good campsites, things to watch out for etc.).
Here is my initial thought for our 5 days/4 nights route at the end of July:
- Put-in on Cassels lake, then head north to Lorrain Lake via Friday Creek (with a side trip to Blueberry Lake to hike the old growth trail(s)),
- Head back south to Rabbit Chutes before we go north down the Matabitchuan river to Fourbass.
- From Fourbass we will head south through Cooper lake, Macdonald, Glasford and Maxam and eventually make our way back to our cars via rabbit lake
Questions:
- Is this route feasible in 5 days?
- Where would you recommend to camp(i.e. can you recommend any A+ sites)
- Of the 2 trails on Blueberry lake which one would you recommend if we only have time do hike one of them?
- I see on the map we could reach Beaver Mountain via Copper lake if we take a little detour on Fourbass. Would you recommend this side trip? Would the additional time be worth the hike?
- Any other useful information on this route would be appreciated.
Thank you in advance for your advice |
brian
Moderator
Post Number: 1866
Registered: 02-2004
| | Posted on Monday, March 26, 2018 - 1:38 pm: |
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Yes, it is feasible in 5 days.
The southern trail at Blueberry has larger trees and more diversity.
Black Bear Falls (south of Lorrain) is nice place for a dip.
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edalgorf
Member
Post Number: 2
Registered: 03-2018
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 27, 2018 - 8:37 am: |
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Thank you for the response Brian.
I've read in an older post that the 995m portage between Friday Creek and Lorrain Lake was impassable.
Do you or anyone else on this forum now if this is still the case?
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brian
Moderator
Post Number: 1867
Registered: 02-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 27, 2018 - 10:47 am: |
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I don't know. It is not a heavily travelled route. |
bush_pilot
Member
Post Number: 260
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Friday, March 30, 2018 - 10:58 am: |
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Explored Friday Creek from Cassels Lake end about 5 years ago and it was totally overgrown then. |
wrn109
Member
Post Number: 12
Registered: 08-2009
| | Posted on Friday, March 30, 2018 - 6:54 pm: |
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For additional information about this route I suggest you check out "canoeing" in the Northland Paradise Lodge website. |
zed
Member
Post Number: 36
Registered: 04-2008
| | Posted on Thursday, April 12, 2018 - 1:52 pm: |
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In regards to Beaver Mountain...
My bother and I paddled from the 1st island campsite(on Fourbass)to the dam, climbed Beaver Mountain and retuned to the camp site in one day.
One warning about that campsite is that it is across from a car camping site. We had to listen to a radio blasting most of the 2 days and night we camped there. |
brian
Moderator
Post Number: 1868
Registered: 02-2004
| | Posted on Friday, April 13, 2018 - 8:27 am: |
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How was the view from the mountain? |
edalgorf
Member
Post Number: 3
Registered: 03-2018
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 18, 2018 - 8:09 pm: |
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Hi everyone, just wanted to share some updated information I received on the portage from Friday Creek into Lorrain from Doug at Northern Paradise Lodge.
"Yes, I've been up Friday Creek since you read the post of 2016. A friend and I canoed it last summer for the sole purpose of brushing the 1 or 1.5 km. portage from Friday Creek over to Lorrain Lake so people like you could enjoy it. We did it later in the summer when all the black flies and most of the mosquitoes were gone. There wasn't a lot of water (maybe 3 or 4 inches) in the big marsh that can be identified on most maps about half way up the creek. With all the mud/sand, you don't dare get out of the canoe to walk the canoe up there. Basically, there is about 100 yards of pure hell but the rest of the journey is very enjoyable. We also cut several logs that were floating in the creek from the early spring current both below and above the marsh. Early in the season, there's a lot of water coming down the creek and you can easily paddle through there but after mid or late July, the water level is significantly lower.
The portage trail is well cleared and should be easy to follow for another 3 or 4 years before it will need to be brushed again. We also went into Lorrain Lake a week later and brushed the short portage from the southern end of Lorrain into Upper Bear Lake. I don't think it's labelled as that but there are 3 small lakes between Lorrain and Rabbit that are called Upper, Middle and Lower Bear Lakes. We never got to do the couple hundred yard portage from Lower Bear into Rabbit but it is definitely on the radar this year as an early spring trip before the black flies start."
Cheers |
brian
Moderator
Post Number: 1870
Registered: 02-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, April 19, 2018 - 8:28 am: |
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Thanks to Doug.
There are a few locals, including Doug, who take responsibility for a small area of Temagami and this is our thanks to all of you. |
zed
Member
Post Number: 37
Registered: 04-2008
| | Posted on Thursday, April 19, 2018 - 8:50 pm: |
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The view from Beaver Mountain is spectacular. The Ottawa-Temiskaming Trail was easy to find from the dam. Was the mountain the site of a fire tower at one time? |
brian
Moderator
Post Number: 1871
Registered: 02-2004
| | Posted on Friday, April 20, 2018 - 8:03 am: |
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Yes, there was a fire tower. It was knocked down and, I presume, is still lying on one side of the mountain. |
edalgorf
Member
Post Number: 5
Registered: 03-2018
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 15, 2018 - 9:02 pm: |
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What map do you recommend we use for this trip. I've used Chrismar Adventure Maps for my previous trips to Temagami but they don't have a map for this area of the Park. I also have the old MNR map but that seems to lack the details (and portages) when comparing against Jeff's maps online (http://www.thetemagamimap.com/). Are there any other maps of this region? What do you recommend use?
Thanks for your help
Evan |
brian
Moderator
Post Number: 1876
Registered: 02-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 22, 2018 - 7:50 am: |
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There is the book Discovering Wild Temiskaming by Murray and Vicky Muir
Nastawgan Trails has online trail maps of the area.
http://www.nastawgantrails.org/
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Temagami canoe routes & backcountry travel