| Author |
Message |
temagami_glenn
Member
Post Number: 18
Registered: 01-2009
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 26, 2010 - 3:43 pm: | 
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From Trethewey down the Lady E River, South Channel, to Willow, Diamond and the BIG LAKE T...
Great trip, not for the faint of heart.. 130 kms.. Bugs came out on Wed... Not many portages were marked, so tried my best to do so..
First part was 7 to 8 kms per day and the big water was 35 to 40 kms per day....
I'd go back tomorrow..or when the bugs die down... |
bush_pilot
Member
Post Number: 168
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 26, 2010 - 9:17 pm: |
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That's a great trip Glenn, but what do you mean by "marking the portages"!
(Message edited by bush_pilot on May 26, 2010) |
boat129
Member
Post Number: 10
Registered: 10-2008
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 26, 2010 - 11:04 pm: |
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40 k is a good day with a loaded boat on flatwater |
preacher
Member
Post Number: 121
Registered: 09-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, May 27, 2010 - 11:46 am: |
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40k is indeed a big day, especially if you're solo. Though I do find that a loaded boat is easier to paddle depending on conditions. More stable, less wind-prone. |
temagami_glenn
Member
Post Number: 19
Registered: 01-2009
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 1, 2010 - 9:42 am: |
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My brother and I re-blazed a few portages North of Katherine... And yes in about 15 hrs we did about 88 kms... My arms are still sore..hahaha.. |
brian
Moderator
Post Number: 1206
Registered: 02-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 1, 2010 - 8:51 pm: |
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Re-blazing an old nastawgan? Why? What portage is not clear on this heavily used route? Many blazes are ancient and are historical markings. New blazes could damage old ones or reduce their impact. |
bush_pilot
Member
Post Number: 169
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 2, 2010 - 1:18 pm: |
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I was hoping he would say "we used flagging tape", but fresh blazes, oh my, not cool. |
preacher
Member
Post Number: 124
Registered: 09-2007
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 2, 2010 - 1:46 pm: |
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Why is a fresh blaze not cool when an old blaze is? I expect the original makers of a blaze, 5, 10, 100 years old had the same thinking the current maker of a blaze has - that this is the correct and even historically correct way to mark the trail.
In 100, 300, 1000 years who will find the lost portages cut by those who cut them today? Flagging tape doesn't last.
Yes I think every time a tree is cut it must be done with conscience.
(Message edited by Preacher on June 2, 2010) |
bush_pilot
Member
Post Number: 170
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 2, 2010 - 3:14 pm: |
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I was hoping that they used flagging tape so that the next person to come along could simply rip the tape off. As Brian mentioned NO portage on the Lady Ev River needs a marking of any kind, they are all so obvious. So much for leaving nothing but tracks and taking nothing but pictures. |
temagami_glenn
Member
Post Number: 20
Registered: 01-2009
| | Posted on Thursday, June 3, 2010 - 8:47 am: |
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I can sure tell you that one of the portages that we were not, was not heavily use.. I'm talking in a year or so.. I've spent the last 15 years in the bush, looking for old servey lines and such, old blazes that were done, maybe 50 plus years ago.. and re blazing is part of maintenance... When trees fall that have a blaze, they are lost... And when I say reblazing, I mean about 4 trees on the entire 130 km trip... Sorry if I offended someone... We also replace rock cairns that had fallen over.. Just to make it easier for the next canoer...
But you are right..The area South of Katherine Lake is heavily used.. North of that is a little different...
We uesd three maps.. Haps book, the FOT map, and the adventure series... And sometimes NONE were correct.. so we tried to help the bet we could..
Just remember, if it wasn't for logging and blazing in the first place, most of these portages/trails, would not be here...
Much like everything in life, everyone has their opinion....
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brian
Moderator
Post Number: 1208
Registered: 02-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, June 3, 2010 - 9:38 am: |
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I, for one, was not criticizing the use of blazes, just on a heavily used route where they, normally, are not needed.
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alscool
Moderator
Post Number: 251
Registered: 02-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, June 3, 2010 - 9:58 am: |
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From what I gather, I think some of the confusion stems from the low water conditions during Glenn's trip. The FOT study of the various sources of trip detail as well as first hand experience on the river demonstrate that there are many last chance put in's and low water portage extentions. In fact a close look at C. MacDonald work shows in some cases a deep wood bypass pass of shorter, lower water lift overs that are no longer in use and lost to the forest. I can well imagine that this season there are low water liftovers where portages are not normally required and hence not there. |
ed
Moderator
Post Number: 830
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, June 3, 2010 - 11:24 am: |
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In the MacPherson Lake area there may also be some confusion due to the burn area. I recall going upstream through there one spring, in high water and having difficulty locating the portages which were burned over and in one case the entrance was hidden by a tree fall.This was before park maintenance was initiated.
I noticed in travelling the nastawgan route from Nicholl to Isbister in Muskego another year, that the route had been freshly blazed over what appeared to be a several year period. The large 3-4 foot diameter marker trees that are a few hundred years old and still show the old blaze mark, were left untouched. Smaller spruce and pine trees showed recent blazes and they provided some continuity to the trail, which was in need of brushing.
Few travel through there, so I suspect that one or more of the canoe camps was keeping the route open.
The marker rocks piled up to guide travellers across open rock outcroppings are always falling over and needing to be repiled, so they are visible for travellers with less experience on the Temagami landscape.
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alscool
Moderator
Post Number: 252
Registered: 02-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, June 3, 2010 - 12:51 pm: |
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Very true Ed, I too recall heading into one of the portages in the burn and being completely off any trail and stuck in a mess of slash. |
bush_pilot
Member
Post Number: 171
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, June 3, 2010 - 12:55 pm: |
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I first did that part of the river in 1987, also a year of very low water levels, and I don't recall any problems with finding portages. But Glenn was there this year and I was not so good on you and your brother Glenn for showing good conscience and restraint, only 4 blazes. My point in raising this issue was to facilitate discussion on no trace camping, gratuitous tree blazing being part of that. Glenn I'm glad you had a great trip, no offense taken. |
Temagami canoe routes & backcountry travel