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Message |
rwild
Member
Post Number: 1
Registered: 12-2020
| | Posted on Friday, December 11, 2020 - 12:39 pm: | 
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Hello everyone,
I'm planning a 7-8 day trip to Temagami and was hoping to get some valuable insight into travel timelines down the lady evelyn river. This will be my first time in Temagami. I hear the lady evelyn river can be slow going with challenging portages. I'm hoping to iron out a realistic time frame and avoid a surprise with what I think is a 7-8 day trip and find out it's a 9-10 day trip when out there.
Here's the Route:
d1) Fly-in to Florence lake.
d2) Florence to fork of south/north LER
d3) forks - katherine
d4) katherine - centre falls
d5) centre falls - willow lake
d6) willow lake - bob lake
d7) bob lake - lake temagami
d8) lake temagami - temagami town
Our travel speed is casual intermediate (3-3.5km flat water) We will be traveling with the current of the LE river.
Do you think this trip sounds realistic for 8 days? How fast does someone travel down the Lady Evelyn river with the portages. 10km a day?
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rwild
Member
Post Number: 2
Registered: 12-2020
| | Posted on Saturday, December 12, 2020 - 6:04 pm: |
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Few more details.
Tripping with wife and well be packing light to single carry portages. |
brian
Moderator
Post Number: 1957
Registered: 02-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, December 13, 2020 - 12:01 pm: |
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It's hard to say how fast you will travel on the river because your fitness and ability on the portages will make the difference, and how long you are on the water each day.
Having said that 8 days should be more than enough. Florence to the Forks is really a half day and the campsites there are not where I would want to spend a night. I have gone upstream to Florence several times in a day from both Shangri-la and Macpherson with multiple trips on a portage. Long days upstream but doable. You, on the other hand, are going downstream and single-tripping. You can also save time by taking the Shortcut.
Personally, I would shoot for the waterfall campsite at Shangri-la. Then camp at either Helen's or Centre falls. Centre to Bob is also a single day if you take the two portages into Lady Evelyn Lake.
If you hike the old-growth trails around Spirit Rock, you will want to take more time there. Consider the campsite across from the rock or the one at the end of the portage on the Obabika side.
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eddy_turn
Member
Post Number: 183
Registered: 03-2011
| | Posted on Sunday, December 13, 2020 - 5:17 pm: |
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I'd disagree with one thing only: I like first two campsites downstream of the Fork, though the first one, river left, could be quite Noachical in a rain. But of course they are no Shangri-La. Also tastes in campsites vary tremendously. On your route, I'd rather take a Shortcut - just for it's character. |
rwild
Member
Post Number: 3
Registered: 12-2020
| | Posted on Sunday, December 13, 2020 - 9:24 pm: |
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That's great feedback.
Were in our 30's with better than average fitness capable of 8-10 hour paddle days if required. August will have 13 1/2 hours of light.
I have noted the shortcut before lady evelyn forks. Well take that route for the time savings & the character.
I'm now thinking we can pull off days like this:
1) Florence fly in
2) Florence (relax day)
3) ->shangri-la
4) ->centre falls
5) centre falls (relax day)
6) -> temagami North arm
7) -> temagami island
8) -> temagami town
9) extra day if required
Thanks for the help!
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rwild
Member
Post Number: 4
Registered: 12-2020
| | Posted on Sunday, December 13, 2020 - 9:37 pm: |
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What campsite would you recommend as the nicest of the 3 between Helen and cetre falls?
Would you recommend the north or south channel as the most scenic?
I read that the north channel was slightly easier to get through the portages (but still hard!). Is there a big difficulty difference between the north and south channels? |
brian
Moderator
Post Number: 1958
Registered: 02-2004
| | Posted on Monday, December 14, 2020 - 1:50 pm: |
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I am not sure which I would say is harder, but without a doubt by landscape and scenery the two are very different and breathtaking.
Nor could I tell you which campsite is the nicest. They are different. |
modus
Member
Post Number: 16
Registered: 05-2009
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 15, 2020 - 4:05 pm: |
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In my opinion you are spending too much time on lake Temagami in your revised plan. I would consider paying a local outfitter to either drop your vehicle or pick you up at Ferguson Bay and end your trip there. This would allow you to add at least a day between Florence and Shangri-la. There are lots of great campsites and wonderful things to see along the way. I would suggest you check the rumble lakes and popular routes maps here on ottertooth before making a decision. You could also consider exiting via Lady Evelyn lake to Mowat landing - similar in character (motor boats and cottages) to lake Temagami. Just my two cents, but I have never understood why folks paddle all the way back to town. Particularly in the summer months. |
rwild
Member
Post Number: 5
Registered: 12-2020
| | Posted on Thursday, December 17, 2020 - 4:57 pm: |
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Thank you for your feedback and suggestions Brian and Modus. It's going to be a very fun winter planning out the trip! I imagine our daily itinerary will go through a few alterations in the lead up to the trip. More and more though I am liking the idea of just increasing the trip length. If only it wasn't so challenging to find the time! |
Temagami canoe routes & backcountry travel