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Message |
sundown
Member
Post Number: 145
Registered: 04-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 12, 2007 - 3:39 pm: | 
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Its been several years since I travelled the LE.
I note 5 Campsites in proximity to Obisaga Narrows. One is Northwest prior to the entrance,
two on northwest narrows shore, one on southeast narrows shore, one past the narrows and south on a spit (sand?) of southexposed shore.
Does anyone have a recommendation as to which is most preferable, in their own estimation?
Thanks
Sundown
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marty_s
Member
Post Number: 7
Registered: 07-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 13, 2007 - 10:17 am: |
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I stayed at the one on the NW shore prior to the narrows two years ago and found it to be nice. A lot of flat rock to lie in the sun and dry stuff out . Tenting areas are pretty spread out due to the rocky nature, but I like that, as it makes things quieter . The others seemed to be smaller and harder to access from the water . The site on the SW side in the narrows seemed small, not a lot of flat areas, and had a hill behind it, meaning it wouldn't see a lot of late day sun .
There is also a decent site a few hundred yards before the narrows on the south shore.
Don't forget that you'll be in a place where a fair number of power boats travel. |
sundown
Member
Post Number: 149
Registered: 04-2007
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 13, 2007 - 5:46 pm: |
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Marty
Thanks for the feedback. I've never stayed in the main lake, but this year I'm getting an afternoon start from Mowats to Makobe to Elk Lake,
so I appreciate the info.
Reckon the next night I'll be Helen Falls or
Katherine Lake.
Any recommendations there?
Thanks
Sundown |
marty_s
Member
Post Number: 8
Registered: 07-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, June 14, 2007 - 10:45 am: |
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Sorry , no . I hope to hit the LE River this September though. |
sundown
Member
Post Number: 150
Registered: 04-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, June 14, 2007 - 10:50 am: |
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Marty_s
Let me know where you're heading, when you go.
I'm doing a lot of Nastawgan Maint/Rehab in that area this summer, and may be able to return the
favour with some input.
Thanks again
Sundown |
bob_a
Member
Post Number: 7
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, June 14, 2007 - 3:40 pm: |
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There is a nice site across the river from the start of the portage around the falls. You should be able to make it that far. I've only gone downstream, not up. Have a good trip.
Bob |
sundown
Member
Post Number: 152
Registered: 04-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, June 14, 2007 - 4:36 pm: |
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Thanks Bob
Thats the one I was looking at.
I've got one Hall-of-A-Bowmate... I call her Lillydipper, but she works a mean paddle...
so we'll make Helen's early.
We do 30 kms easy,together, per day...
(or 40 if I solo. (Hee Hee)).
Its been years since I've been in, first time
for Roula, so we're pretty excited.
Watchout for the Sundown-Yellow Canoe.
PS... All updates on Mowats to Elk are welcome folks. Thanks in advance.
Sundown |
tsm
Member
Post Number: 101
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, June 14, 2007 - 8:20 pm: |
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Sundown
This section of the LE is incredibly beautiful, and the portages are challenging to say the least!
I would recommend camping at Center Falls however. The falls and waterslide here are awesome, well worth spending a little extra time here. The roar of the falls at night will have you dreaming in no time!
We arrived at this site (from Katherine Lake, several years ago) on a Saturday in late August. Arriving at about 4 PM, we figured we would have to share the site with another group, but in actual fact, we didn't see anyone until we were crossing Chris Willis Lake the next day! They weren't even canoeists...they were anglers at one of Lakelands camps!
We decided to take Chris Willis to Sucker Gut as a "short cut", but in late August, with miserably low water levels and a creek bottom consisting of loon$hit, it was a long crawl through the alders along the shore with the canoe dragging along in a few inches of water. Still better than a good day at work however 
Looking forward to returning to the Lady real soon! |
sundown
Member
Post Number: 154
Registered: 04-2007
| | Posted on Friday, June 15, 2007 - 9:34 am: |
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Tsm
If memory serves me correctly, weren't you the guy with the BIL's who went into Ihspatina last year, then tried (and couldnt find) the Stumpy
Portage? Let me know.
Also... I dont remember the LE portages as particulary tough... and, i thought they'd boardwalked a lot of that since?
Thanks for your thought on Centre Falls site.
Sundown |
tsm
Member
Post Number: 102
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Friday, June 15, 2007 - 10:42 am: |
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Sundown
Yep....that was me!
The portages around Center and Helen's falls are among the toughest I've encountered around Temagami. The "steps" are a killer, and the rocks seem to always be greasy from the spray of water always falling on them. The only "boardwalk" I remember was the one at Center Falls. It was dismantled a few years ago....not sure if it ever was rebuilt. |
sundown
Member
Post Number: 155
Registered: 04-2007
| | Posted on Friday, June 15, 2007 - 11:05 am: |
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Ok Great, and thanks for the info.
Also, you may be pleased to know that your thread of last year, and trip report stuck in my mind, with respect to your struggles at the Stumpy Lake to Gowganda Lake portage.
Accordingly, Roula and I have added it to our list of portages we plan to rehab/maintain this
summer.
With any luck, we will re-open 7 major canoe loops in that area, with Stumpy being the first.
A major one we will be the Makobe River to Canyon Lake Route (See www.nastawgannetwork Temagamis Endangered Canoe Routes 2007). I just received the verbal ok to re-open that one this morning, subject to a written submission, and written approval action. Great News!!!!
Anyway, I will be posting our 7 Routes in a few days, once all OMNR/Ontario Parks approvals are
in hand.
If we open Stumpy for you, in conjunction with the other routes we contemplate, Temagami canoeist will once again be able to do Temagami, LE, to Gowganda, to Matachewan, to Elk Lake, to Mowats, to LE to Temagami... via 8 different loops.
So, tsm, thanks for bringing that to my attention, as well as the attention of Nastawgan Network, through your Trip Report 2006.
Regards
Sundown
PS Any additional details you can give me on the
present state of Beauty Lake Bridge to Stumpy will be appreciated. I will be on Stumpy next Saturday, so your advice/recollections might ease
my process. Thanks |
tsm
Member
Post Number: 103
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Friday, June 15, 2007 - 6:03 pm: |
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Sundown
We never made it as far as Stumpy. The portage we couldn't find was the 1895m portage that supposedly bypasses some C1 and C2 rapids. It would be the first portage north on the Montreal after the bridge. Pretty sure the trail is grown over, however, it is in Hap's "updated book"!
When I told Tom Wilson, who owned Longpoint Airways about it, he checked with his son Troy, who did the route a few years back. They ended up waded-lining the rapids to continue on to Gowganda. We weren't willing to damage our then brand new kevlar beauty, so we turned back to the access road and begged (and paid) for a ride back to Longpoint. |
sundown
Member
Post Number: 156
Registered: 04-2007
| | Posted on Friday, June 15, 2007 - 6:19 pm: |
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Tsm
Yeah... most of us up there are waisters... do the wade thing til the feet smash into something.
(Which reminds me... I think I posted a response to your Trip report? Something about dents on a new Kev are character-marks?)
My Kevlar-beauty is younger (I think I said?).
Hmmmm... you just added 2kms to my plans.
Kidding.
Ok... I'll have a boo when I get there. If Troy went thru, he would NOT have looked for the trail!
Cheers. Thanks for the info. Stay tuned.
Sundown |
otter_mel
Member
Post Number: 76
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Friday, June 15, 2007 - 6:41 pm: |
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The "bridge/boardwalk" at Centre Falls portage was dismantled about 2 years ago by MNR who feared law-suits due to the dangerous state of the bridge and if any one fell through the rotten boards it would have been "CURTAINS"!. So now you have to descend into the "valley" and then back up again
(Message edited by Otter Mel on June 15, 2007) |
tsm
Member
Post Number: 104
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Friday, June 15, 2007 - 7:19 pm: |
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Sundown
There's nothing I like better than wading if the water's warm. I considered doing it, but my BIL, who had to fork out half the dough for our new boat, said NO!!! Kinda glad he did though. We now have lots of scratches after a weeks trip in Algonquin this spring, but nothing major. I try to think of every scratch as a memory!
As for wading, when we decided to go through Chris Willis instead of Frank Falls,etc. I figured the water levels might be low, but figured we would just wade in the water alongside the canoe. Never factored in the loon$hit bottom. When we first hit the shallows, I went to get out of the canoe...I think my big toe made it to China! That was a long afternoon.
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sundown
Member
Post Number: 157
Registered: 04-2007
| | Posted on Friday, June 15, 2007 - 7:28 pm: |
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TSM
You remind me of how I proposed to Roula...
she was stranded in Loonstuff, and I was "Walking on Water"... I let her sink until she said yes. (Not that I had to, or anything... she IS a smart girl... but, she usually talks the bajeesus outta everything, so the Loonstuff
ensured a prompt response. Ya know?)
Tomorrows Saturday... I often spin a tale for Ed and Tess and Paul and Canoebear... or they do. Stay tuned.
Your BIL told me it was YOU who didnt want to get the skirts wet... Who to believe?????
Ya... I'm a Kev-guy.. 17-6 Custom Saugeen.., love it.
The Beauty to Gowganda... bestatimes is a slog.
Dry season reminds ya of bestatimes. Good mems for me.
Thanks
(What else ya got to tell us?)
Sundown |
tsm
Member
Post Number: 105
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Friday, June 15, 2007 - 9:00 pm: |
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Sundown
Saugeen as in Bluewater?
Ours is a Freedom Scout...I like 'em assymetrical!
Infused Kevlar with the black/gold clothe inside, all cherry trim....almost too pretty to take into the woods!  |
sundown
Member
Post Number: 158
Registered: 04-2007
| | Posted on Friday, June 15, 2007 - 9:26 pm: |
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TSM
Mine is Custom Saugeen... is asymm too.
Looks like a nice ride, buddy... no tumblehome?
How's the stability? And whats the beam...
Looks like a distance machine. Very sleek.
Length? Sorry about the questions... I just dont know that boat well.
But she does look like she tracks long on a stroke.
Sundown |
tsm
Member
Post Number: 106
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Friday, June 15, 2007 - 9:53 pm: |
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Sundown
Figure we've hijacked this post enough!
Pretty sure your Saugeen is symetrical.
Not sure about your "custom" though. Ours is "custom"ized to some extent. We had Brent use stainless steel fasteners throughout the boat, as opposed to the galvanized fasteners MCF tend to use. We also had them do the nosing on the bow and stern bumpers a little differently than the way they usually do it, had them make a bumper out of brass stem band, somewhat similar to the way Langford does it. Turned out pretty nice. The beam is 36", same as the Saugeen, which we test paddled and really liked BTW. Lenght is 16'-6"
With the V shaped hull, initial stability is what you would expect, but secondary stability is incredible. Really behaves nicely when the water gets rough.
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Temagami canoe routes & backcountry travel