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Message |
heats
Member
Post Number: 1
Registered: 06-2011
| | Posted on Thursday, June 16, 2011 - 3:57 pm: | 
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Just wondering what the Sturgeon river is like from Kelly Lake down to Glen Afton. I can't seem to get much information. We are planning a trip for late July early August. |
ed
Moderator
Post Number: 1045
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, June 16, 2011 - 4:38 pm: |
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I think it is a pretty boring part of the river as it meanders around quite a bit until you get to Glen Afton where there are some interesting rapids by Cowboy La Belles.There is also a set at Driftwood Chutes a bit upstream from Afton.
The description is given in Route #21 and #1 in Hap Wilsons book Canoeing and Kayaking & Hiking in Temagami.
How are you getting to Kelly Lake? |
grncnu
Member
Post Number: 90
Registered: 08-2010
| | Posted on Thursday, June 16, 2011 - 10:00 pm: |
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it does depend what you're after. it's a nice stretch for relaxed travel, camping on small beaches and observing wildlife. we've seen bear, moose, otter, lots of beavers and a peregrine falcon on that stretch.
ed, i had a hot dog (actually 3 or 4) at cowboy labelle's in about 1995- a totally unexpected treat on the portage, going upstream. he regaled us with stories of log drives, etc. he was pretty elderly then- surely he's not still there, or is someone else running the operation?? |
heats
Member
Post Number: 2
Registered: 06-2011
| | Posted on Thursday, June 16, 2011 - 10:31 pm: |
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We were going to come down from Karl - Edna - Lower Matagamasi - Muskanonge - Gawasi - Gagnon - Gamagowaong then up to Kelly. Does that make sense?
(Message edited by Heats on June 16, 2011) |
grncnu
Member
Post Number: 91
Registered: 08-2010
| | Posted on Friday, June 17, 2011 - 1:00 am: |
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i've heard on the forum that gawasi-gamagowong etc. has a) become hard to follow and b) been shortened by beaver activity. in any case its worth doing although the long portage would save time depending on the length of your trip. |
heats
Member
Post Number: 3
Registered: 06-2011
| | Posted on Friday, June 17, 2011 - 7:30 am: |
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Thanks. By the long portage I am assuming you mean Muskanonge straight through to the river? It looks like 2 km or so. We only have five days and this would be second to last, the last being a leasurely paddle down the Sturgeon. Anyone else been on those lakes lately? Any thoughts on which route would be better? |
ed
Moderator
Post Number: 1047
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Friday, June 17, 2011 - 8:17 am: |
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Heats:
Check out this map on Kelly's crossover:
http://www.ottertooth.com/Temagami/Maps/kellys-rou tes.htm
It was revised a bit last year. so should be accurate if the beaver dams are intact and they are well built.
I was curious as to how you were getting to Kelly. I have done that route in reverse.
In July, the water levels will be down on the Sturgeon,so it should be a pretty casual paddle.
grncnu:
I have been past Cowboy La Belles on numerous occasions, but I have never seen anyone out and about.I am usually by there in the early Spring .... late April when the river is wild and again in late September when the water levels are usually pretty low..... but I have never run that litle section.
I don't know if the old guy is still around. |
heats
Member
Post Number: 4
Registered: 06-2011
| | Posted on Friday, June 17, 2011 - 4:23 pm: |
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Thank you for the replies. Looks like it could be interesting, we will probably go through with our original plan. |
grncnu
Member
Post Number: 93
Registered: 08-2010
| | Posted on Saturday, June 18, 2011 - 12:26 am: |
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go for it. like ed i did that route in reverse, but i do remember some of the portages were hard to find coming from the sturgeon. be persistent, they are there as laid out in haps book. i recommend the campsite on gamagowong- you have to paddle across the narrows to swim, but it's one of the true classic "middle-of-nowhere" campsites! |
bushwacked
Member
Post Number: 2
Registered: 05-2011
| | Posted on Saturday, June 18, 2011 - 9:58 pm: |
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went through your route about 2 weeks ago on a solo trip. All portages were in good shape. a little wet in places. Took the long haul to the sturgeon(about 1hr). got picked up at old train bridge. good trip over all. Old man Labelle is still kickin and does have good stories. |
brian
Moderator
Post Number: 1347
Registered: 02-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, June 19, 2011 - 3:49 pm: |
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Just to make sure there is no confusion in the comment above about Hap's book. The description of the portages between the Sturgeon and Maskinonge through Kelly's and Gagnon lakes is not as described in his book, any longer. See this map elsewhere on Ottertooth:
http://www.ottertooth.com/Temagami/Maps/kellys-rou tes.htm#map
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Temagami canoe routes & backcountry travel