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Trip Info
Date: September 2nd – 5th, 2024
Route: Canoe Lake > Burnt Island Lake > Little Otterslide Lake x2 > Canoe Lake
Total Number of Portages: 6
Avg. Number of Portages Per Travel Day: 2
Total Length of Portages: 7,320m
Avg. Length of Portages Per Travel Day: 2,440m
Total Travel Time: 15hrs
Avg. Travel Time Per Travel Day: 5hrs
Total Distance Covered: 45km
Avg. Distance Covered Per Travel Day: 15km
*The numbers above are based on double-carrying portages, since this is how I travelled. If you plan on single-carrying portages, you’ll want to divide the Portage Length numbers by 3, and subtract the estimated time saved from the Travel Time numbers.
Background
My first solo canoe trip was in 2014, which makes 2024 my 10 year anniversary of solo canoe tripping. Technically, this is the 11th year since the dates are inclusive, but I think most people would think of 2024 as the proper 10-year anniversary. Semantics aside, I decided to recreate my first ever solo canoe trip. Well, kind of. I wanted to visit the same lakes and hopefully stay at the same campsite on Little Otterslide Lake (the first campsite I ever stayed at solo). However, the order of the lakes would change, and I didn’t care to revisit the same campsite on Burnt Island Lake.
The backcountry was extremely busy during the Labour Day long weekend, with just about every campsite south of Highway 60 completely full, and north of Highway 60 wasn’t much better. This trip was going to start on the Monday, when the park would be clearing out and the lakes would be much quieter. Sounds great, right? It is great, except for one small thing. There would be close to 100 occupied campsites funnelling back into Canoe Lake through the few short portages. It was going to be madness. I would be traveling in the opposite direction as everyone, but that wouldn’t change the fact that the portages and their respective landings would be jam packed. I told myself I just needed to deal with it for a few hours, and by the time I arrived to Burnt Island Lake, all the scary people would disappear and I’d find happiness once again with relative solitude.
For the entire trip I was going to be within one travel day from my car. It could be a really long travel day depending on the winds, but one travel day nonetheless. So I booked permits for 6 nights, packed food for 7 days, and decided to play it by ear. I had already done plenty of trips this season and I planned on doing a bunch more, so I didn’t feel obligated to stay for any set period of time. Maybe 2 nights, maybe all 6. I would go with the flow and take it one day at a time. Just to be clear, I wasn’t planning on camping off-permit at all; I would stick to my permits but have the flexibility to decide which day I wanted to leave.
Day 1 — Canoe Lake to Burnt Island Lake
I was debating driving to Algonquin Park the night prior to this trip, so that I could sleep at a campground and get an early start on the day. It would have been nice to cover some distance before the floods of people started their journey back to Canoe Lake. That didn’t end up happening, but instead I woke up at 4:45 AM to try and get on the water early. Sadly, I got on the water at 8:45 AM (in other words, not very early). I knew the chaos I was about to endure.
The floods of people ended up being the least of my concerns because Canoe Lake had powerful whitecaps and waves. Yes, at 8:45 AM. Come on Algonquin wind-gods, why are you doing this to me!? Crossing Canoe Lake took almost two hours. I had the pleasure of watching everyone traveling in the other direction fly by me, while I had waves breaking over the front of the boat gently splashing Elo.
The first portage was exactly how I expected it to be. It was madness. It was like that scene in the movie 300. “Madness? No. THIS. IS. CANOE LAKE!” There were people everywhere. One person said “Oh hey I know you! I’ve done a bunch of your trips”. I gave a quick “Awesome!” and continued moving. Apologies if you’re reading this if I came off unfriendly, but I just needed to get out of that portage asap.
The first stretch of Joe Lake before the bridge crossing didn’t have much wind, but the wind came back in full force right after the bridge. I went east around the large island to try and escape the wind, and it worked marvellously. At times, it even became a tailwind and I felt like Doctor Evil laughing “muahahahah”. Joe Lake was also swarmed with people, but I didn’t mind too much since we were relatively distanced on the water.
I asked a handful of groups that passed by if they were able to skip any of the portages between Joe Lake and Burnt Island Lake. Mostly everyone was wearing a PFD because of how crazy windy it was, so the first group I chose to ask were people not wearing their PFD. People that don’t wear their PFD like to live on the edge. They’re the risk takers. The “bad boys” your mom warned you about. They said that they were able to skip all of the portages between Joe Lake and Burnt Island Lake; they needed to get out of the boat, but it was doable.
Jokes aside, always wear your PFD!
The next group I asked were two people in a canoe with a dog in the middle that must have weighed at least 100lbs. Their gear was overflowing and basically about to fall over the edges of their canoe. If anyone would feel inclined to skip a portage, it would be the people in that boat. They said the same thing, all of the portages were skippable with a bit of effort and wet feet.
A few other people said the final portage leading into Burnt Island Lake wasn’t really skippable. They tried and then gave up.
The first portage between Joe Lake and Burnt Island Lake is pretty much always skippable, even with low water levels. The second portage I had skipped once before, and cursed myself the entire time while doing it. I was successful, but it was way more work and time than if I had just done the portage. I had never before attempted to skip the third and final portage.
The first portage was easy to skip, as I knew it would be. The second portage was also skippable but I spent pretty much the entire time knee deep in the water. I was going upstream so there were a few sections that were a bit more challenging. There were tons of other people skipping the portage, coming in the opposite direction. It was crazy busy with a lineup of people knee-deep in the water waiting for their turn to drag their canoe. Elo got a lot of compliments as people passed by.
Towards the end of that portage, the current pushed my canoe backwards while I had one foot in the water and one foot inside the boat. It twisted my leg in the water and I got the biggest calf-cramp ever. My calf literally shifted locations and looked similar to how a dislocated shoulder would look. My first thought was “this better not be an evacuation”. While it was still cramping, I dragged my canoe out of the current and got into the boat. I rested my leg while my calf muscle slowly moved back into its regular position. It felt very tight and sore, but there was no excruciating pain.
I paddled to the last portage leading into Burnt Island Lake. I saw a handful of groups finishing the portage, none of them attempting to skip it. The portage has a large beach landing so I used it to take a break with Elo. I had a snack, gave her some water, and watched people load their canoe while they probably thought I was a big weirdo since I was sitting down massaging my calf for ten minutes. The massaging did help though! Walking with that foot was difficult, but as I continued to massage the area, walking became easier.
I decided to try and skip the portage. I made it about halfway before I reached some strong moving water and gave up. There was an entrance from the water connecting to the portage trail, right where I gave up, so it was kind of perfect. It was midway through the portage so I only had about 100m that I would need to double-carry. I took my time and was very careful with my footing, putting as little strain on my calf as possible.
Skipping all of the portages helped make up lost time from the headwinds on Canoe Lake. I launched onto Burnt Island Lake just after 2:00 PM. Taking five hours to get to Burnt Island Lake was still a pretty slow pace, but given the wind conditions and the calf situation, it could have been worse.
The wind was surprisingly not too bad on Burnt Island Lake. There were times that the water had a gentle breeze and then times when the gusts picked up. But there were no whitecaps or big waves like I had to battle earlier in the day. I made it to the second island campsite, about one third of the way through the lake. The island was occupied but the campsite directly adjacent to it was free. I’ve visited this site in the past and knew that it was very nice. People were attempting to fish from the rocky shoreline of the campsite; they were camping at the nearby site on the other side of the peninsula, but they said I was welcome to take this site.
I typically avoid camping near other people, so choosing a site that was lodged directly between two other occupied campsites within 50-100m wasn’t something I would normally do. But here’s the thing. I’m not a huge fan of Burnt Island Lake. I don’t like how busy it is, and I don’t find many of the campsites to be too appealing. The most recent time I actually camped on Burnt Island Lake was 10 years ago, on my first solo canoe trip. Despite being near other people, I chose to stay at this campsite because it’s a really nice site, and I was hoping that it might help me create a more positive association with Burnt Island Lake.
I set up camp by pitching my tent, doing a food hang, and filling my water jug. Then I moved my tent to a different location because there was a big tree in front of the tent that was making creaking noises, and I preferred waking up alive the next morning. Also, the ferocious wind was blowing directly against the tent. The new spot was much more sheltered and without any scary trees or ferocious wind. In fact, I pitched the tent right beside an already-fallen massive tree. You know what they say… Lightning doesn’t strike in the same spot twice. Right? Is that how the saying goes? Hmm.
I spent the rest of the day relaxing at camp with Elo, trying not to put too much stress on my calf. At 6:00 PM I made dinner, a new brand of freeze-dried meals that I was very excited to try. Flat Out Feasts. The meals have a very simple ingredient list, with a very high amount of protein. The meals aren’t cheap, but they solve two problems that I’ve always had with other brands (too many ingredients, and not enough protein). They’re a Canadian company too.
This trip was going to be my first time trying the meals, and I started with the Creamy Cauliflower Chicken with Bacon Bits. The instructions say to only add 250ml and that it will be ready in 5-7 minutes. That’s a lot less water and time than most other brands. I realized it was because the meals are low-carb and therefore not filled with tons of water-absorbing rice and beans (the usual base ingredient of camping meals).
The meal tasted awesome. It was exactly what I expected, and what I wanted. It didn’t taste like it was loaded with spices, fillers, additives, and preservatives… because it wasn’t. It tasted fresh. I also bought the long titanium spoon when I ordered the meals, and I enjoyed using that instead of my usual fork.
After dinner I sat in my chair for a while and admired the view of Burnt Island Lake from my campsite. I went for an evening paddle to collect some firewood and document a few of the nearby campsites. The new Maps By Jeff shows a new campsite added, that wasn’t part of his previous map. However, the site doesn’t actually exist. I paddled around the entire little bay and the only campsites that existed were the ones shown on his previous map. I’m not sure where the info about the new campsite came from, but it definitely wasn’t there.
I wasn’t able to collect a ton of firewood but I had enough to keep a fire going for a couple hours. I set up my camera for an astrophotography timelapse beside the fire. I heard some faint noise from the neighbouring campsites, including a barking dog in the far off distance. But honestly, Burnt Island Lake was much quieter than I expected it to be.
I put out the fire at 10:00 PM and went to the rocky shoreline to watch the stars. It was a fantastic evening for stargazing with the Milky Way shining bright in view. It was easily my best stargazing experience of the 2024 season (so far!). Elo wanted to go in the tent, but she stayed by my side while we stargazed. At 10:30 PM, we finally called it a night.
Day 2 — Burnt Island Lake to Little Otterslide Lake
I had an easy day planned, traveling from Burnt Island Lake to Little Otterslide Lake. When I got out of the tent at 6:30 AM I already saw my next-door neighbours—the two people from the campsite beside mine—on the water. I spoke with one of them the previous day and he told me they were from Brazil. His friend moved to Canada around 10 years ago, and himself only a few years ago. This was his second time in Algonquin Park and his first time in the backcountry. I assumed they were going for a morning paddle, but when I took my barrel down I noticed their tent was no longer pitched at their campsite. They had actually left their campsite at 6:30 AM, and not to generalize or stereotype, but it’s pretty uncommon to see less-experienced campers leave their campsite that early.
I took my time packing up camp. Before leaving, I walked over to their campsite to document it. It was actually more charming than I had expected. It wouldn’t be my first choice on Burnt Island Lake, but it really wasn’t too bad. They left the campsite spotless with a ton of firewood leftover for the next group.
The morning while packing up camp was chilly. The breeze combined with the brisk air was a constant reminder that temperatures were in the single digits. I got on the water at 8:00 AM to a cloudless sunny sky and a gentle tailwind. The sun was very warm, which I welcomed against my face while paddling east.
Burnt Island Lake had a bunch of occupied campsites, and even more empty ones. I saw some groups start their morning routine in the distance, including one campsite that decided to go skinny dipping at 8:30 AM. The tailwind wasn’t very strong but it was enough to convince me that I should paddle leisurely and rely on the wind for some extra help.
I arrived to my one and only portage for the day just before 9:30 AM. I’ve done this portage many times, so I knew what the landing looked like from the water. But for people who are venturing this way for their first time, it’s quite difficult to spot the portage landing along the vast eastern shoreline of Burnt Island Lake. The yellow marker is quite hidden until you get close. Using something like Avenza Maps will make it dummy-proof though.
The portage went by quick and was the least muddy I’ve ever seen it. The landing at the end was also much more accessible than the previous times I had done the portage, when water levels had been higher. An 800m portage is the sweet spot where it feels challenging enough that you don’t feel guilty stuffing your face with food later that day, but also not too long that you dread doing it. Anything over 1 kilometre can be a dread (especially with double-carries) and anything under 700m can sometimes feel a little too easy.
I collected some larger pieces of firewood at the end of the portage, since those can be harder to find in the vicinity of a campsite. Then I set off and headed straight for the southernmost island campsite. The one that this whole trip was based around. It was the very first campsite I ever stayed at solo. I was pleased to find it available! The nearby campsite on the island was occupied, but I didn’t mind, I got the site I wanted and that was all that mattered to me.
I gave Elo the grand tour and had camp set up before noon. My phone buzzed and I almost forgot that this campsite has one bar of cell service in certain areas. It’s very unreliable, but it’s there. I found a few hotspots on Burnt Island Lake as well. I don’t go searching for signal, but when I’m using my phone to take a photo, or check the map, sometimes I’ll see service.
I enjoyed some downtime at the campsite with Elo before heading out for a campsite-tour at 2:00 PM. First, I went to the south shore campsite in the east end of the lake. It was a very small site sitting on top of a big chunk of sloped rock. Not a campsite I’d want to stay at. It felt like a “wall shelf” equivalent of a campsite; small, exposed, sitting an the edge of the forest.
As I was leaving that site, I saw a canoe at the shoreline of my campsite, clearly in the midst of seeing my green tent and finding out their hopes and dreams had been shattered. They headed in my direction as I went to the next campsite on my tour, the easternmost island site. The campsite wasn’t anything special, but relative to the others on Little Otterslide Lake, it was like the Four Seasons. I still preferred my own campsite, but this eastern island campsite makes the short list of campsites on the lake that I’d actually enjoy camping at.
The other canoe caught up to me by the time I finished documenting the island site. We spoke for a little while about the campsites on the lake, the route of our trips, etc. They decided to follow me towards the northeastern most campsite on the lake, the one by the cabin ruins, to see if it was decent enough for them to call home. I arrived two minutes before they did so I did a speedy tour and quickly took some photos before they arrived. I didn’t need too long because this campsite was the worst of them all. The canoe landing sucked, the big incline leading up to the campsite sucked, and the campsite itself also kind of sucked.
I broke the bad news to the duo—Marissa and Greg—about the bad campsite, so they headed back to the eastern island campsite. We spoke for a little while longer during the paddle. They were going from Canoe Lake up to Big Trout Lake and back, over 11 days.
The last stop on my tour was the campsite across from mine, on the western shore. It was another small site but at least it had a decent canoe landing and one moderately ok tent spot. Still, not a campsite I’d choose to camp at. I collected some firewood in the forest behind the site while I was there. There was no shortage of wood… clearly the site didn’t get used too often. The views of the surrounding area on Little Otterslide Lake were very pretty though (other than having the northern island campsite directly in view), so the campsite does get bonus points for that.
Alas, I made it back to my campsite at 3:30 PM with eyes that could barely hold themselves open. I did a few quick chores around camp and then laid down on the dirt ground beside Elo for a nap. I was looking up at the tall pines swaying with the strong winds. Thankfully, my campsite was protected from the wind. I only felt a gentle breeze, but I was able to see and hear how vicious the wind was throughout the rest of the lake. I also experienced its viciousness first-hand during my campsite tour. It was pretty brutal at times, which is why I was so exhausted when I got back to camp. But anyways, back to my dirt floor nap with Elo. It was lovely.
Dinner for Night 2 was another meal from Flat Out Feasts, the Cajun Jicama & Pork Skillet with Okra and Cheddar. It only required 187ml of water (can you keep a secret? I actually used 200ml, but don’t tell anyone) and only 5-7 minutes of prep time. That’s crazy fast compared to other brands, especially when you factor in the quick boil time too. And it tasted delicious. Their slogan is true “No Fluff, Just The Good Stuff”. The meal tasted exactly how it was described. There’s nothing else to say really, I have zero complaints, just a happy and full tummy.
Shortly after dinner I went for one more paddle to finish my campsite-tour. I went in the direction of the 800m portage. I left at 6:30 PM with hopes of documenting all four campsites in that region of the lake before the sunlight was gone. I would have around 1.5 hours, until 8:00 PM. The sun would cross the shoreline earlier, but for picture purposes, there would be enough light until then.
I was able to successfully check out all four campsites. Two of them were no bueno, while the other two took me by surprise and were quite nice. I’d say the two on the south shore in this region are actually nicer than the three island campsites, but I’m a sucker for island campsites so I’d probably still choose one of those anyways.
While visiting the last campsite, I was literally one second away from needing to go for a swim to retrieve my canoe. When Elo jumps out of the boat, she propels the front of her body forwards by pushing off with her back two legs. This means that her back legs push the canoe in the opposite direction, and with the way the canoe was resting against the rocky shoreline at this campsite, it flung the canoe backwards into the lake. My heart dropped and I immediately put one foot into the water, knee deep, and just barely grabbed the canoe. One second later and it would have been gone, beyond standing depth, so I would have been swimming to retrieve it. Elo, I love you, but stop causing so much trouble!
I had a few extra minutes of sunlight to spare so I paddled past the island campsite north of mine. Right as I passed by, a deep bark from a dog pierced across the lake. And then another one. And another. The owners had the dog under control but it was clearly a vocal dog. We weren’t even that close to their shoreline, but spotting us in the distance must have set the dog off. I obviously didn’t hang around too long.
I spent the rest of the evening relaxing beside a fire with some whiskey and snacks. I listened to the self-titled album by Angus & Julia Stone. My musical preferences have changed and I no longer listen to them, but that was the album that I listened to 10 years ago while sitting at the same fire pit, during the first night I ever spent solo in the backcountry. The feeling I had 10 years ago while sitting beside the fire, alone, after a very long day on the water, is one I’ll forever associate with that album. So, I put it on for nostalgic sake.
Afterwards, I went to the small rocky shoreline of my campsite to enjoy the view of the starry night sky. It was a pretty perfect evening. The temperature was just right. There was a very gentle breeze. The fire burned slow. The stars were shining bright. Life was good.
Day 3 — Rest Day on Little Otterslide Lake
I woke up to the light of the morning sun shining through my tent’s open door at around 6:30 AM. The sun hadn’t crossed the shoreline yet, but it was about to any minute. I had a front row seat from my southeast-facing campsite. The forecast called for single-digit temperatures, around 6 or 7 degrees, but it felt warmer than that. I didn’t need my jacket or gloves while I did my morning routine.
The campsite-tour from the previous day was about to release the Extended Edition. Day 3 was going to be a “rest day” but only in name, not in practice. I didn’t plan on getting much rest. My plan was to paddle into Otterslide Lake and document as many campsites as I could. I already had three campsites documented, which left eight remaining (unless I wanted to do updated reports for the three existing ones, in which case it would be eleven total).
With the time it would take paddling to and from the lake, plus circling the entire lake to check out the campsites, plus the time spent at each actual campsite… I was looking at a 5 to 6 hour day, at minimum. The forecast was also calling for really strong winds from the west, which meant it would be a headwind during my return trip in the afternoon. I added some buffer time and estimated it would become a 6 to 8 hour day. I left my campsite at 8:00 AM, which gave me plenty of time.
The morning paddle was peaceful and quiet, with the exception of the same dog barking as I passed the northern island campsite. The area the splits the two Otterslide Lakes was calm and had mist sweeping off the water, making it particularly pretty. It didn’t take long for me to arrive into Otterslide Lake. The campsite-tour Extended Edition had begun.
I started by visiting the two southern campsites on the large island. One of them looked like a tornado had just ripped through it with the amount of downed trees occupying the entire site, while the other site was elevated high on a sloping rock with a cool fire pit and beautiful northern views. Already, I was liking the campsites on Otterslide Lake better than what I had seen throughout Little Otterslide Lake the previous day.
Next, I visited the north shore where the trio of campsites are located on a peninsula. The westernmost campsite was an ok site; nothing special, but not terrible. The middle one was the star of the show and is probably the nicest campsite on the lake. It’s the type of campsite you would be happy to set up as a basecamp for a few days. The eastern or the three was smaller, but it was still a fine campsite and it was well-protected from the westerly winds. I used the wind protection to my advantage and laid down on one of the fire pit benches for a quick little nap.
I finished those first five campsites by 11:00 AM, already three hours after I left my own site. The gentle tailwind that was guiding me throughout the morning was starting to pick up speed, bringing some heavy waves with it. I let the wind push me towards the small stranded island campsite. I had camped on this small island before, but it was many years ago and the pictures weren’t great, so I decided to revisit it. The last campsite I visited while the wind was still at my back was the easternmost site, nearby the portage leading into Happy Isle Lake. It was a surprisingly decent campsite, considering its main purpose is likely for people who arrive late from Happy Isle Lake.
At 11:45 AM, the battle of the headwinds begun. There were large swells and plenty of white caps that I needed to paddle against. I was making incredibly slow progress, but slow progress is better than no progress. The conditions were still well within my comfort zone and skill level, but of course, Elo and I were both wearing out PFDs. It was going to be a tiresome paddle, but I wasn’t concerned safety-wise.
I still had a handful of campsites to check out during my return journey. There were two I had already documented, as well as two I had never seen before. By the time I arrived at the first of the bunch, it was 12:30 PM and I was completely drained. It was one of the campsites I had already documented, so I took a few “from the water” photos and kept moving. The waves were crashing into the non-existent canoe landing and I decided it wasn’t worth the hassle to try to get on shore.
Next was the campsite just west of the island, which I had also previously documented. Once again, I took a few “from the water” photos and then kept moving. I continued towards the western shore to visit the campsite beside the Otterslide Creek portages. Like many other campsites on the lake, the canoe landing wasn’t great and I needed to tie-off my canoe for extra assurance. The campsite wasn’t too desirable, but I took a few minutes to relax in the shade and have a snack before getting back on the water.
The final campsite of the Extended Edition Campsite Tour was the one near the narrows that connected the Otterslide lakes. The location of this campsite isn’t very accurate on Maps By Jeff; its real location is more north along the shore. It was a small campsite but it had a nice fire pit area with plenty of flat seating. It was better than I had expected based on its location on the lake, though still not a campsite I would choose to call home.
When I finished paddling through the narrows back towards Little Otterslide Lake, I had caught up to a canoe of two men. They drove eight hours from Ohio for this canoe trip. They were base camping on Burnt Island Lake and doing various day trips from there. We were in an area that wasn’t too exposed to the heavy wind, so we spent a few minutes chatting under the warm sun.
The northern island campsite was no longer occupied by the group with the loud barking dog. It was indeed still occupied though, but with a new group. As I paddled by I heard people from the campsite yell out “Hi Cody!” I paddled closer and realized it was Marissa and Glen, the people I met the previous day. They left their eastern island campsite and snagged this one. They wanted the sun exposure and were really happy to get this site. They invited me to come on shore to chat for a bit. They asked “Have you gotten this campsite yet!?” referring to my campsite photos. I had documented this campsite already, but it was many years ago, so their invitation was quite convenient since I was hoping to take some updated photos. I wouldn’t have asked myself, but since they extended the invite, I wasn’t going to say no! Despite struggling to keep my eyes open, I spent about 15 minutes hanging at their campsite, enjoying some conversation, and taking a few updated pictures.
I finally arrived back to my campsite just before 3:00 PM, almost 7 hours after leaving earlier that morning. The headwind was by far the toughest part of the day, and must have added at least an hour to my travel time. I immediately gave Elo a snack and some water and then plopped myself down onto the ground for another dirt nap beside her. It was such a beautiful afternoon. The sun was high in the sky and the wind was blowing strong with only a gentle breeze making its way into my campsite. Looking up at the swaying pine trees among the sunny skies while listening to Without Permission by Caroline Martin, was easily the highlight of the trip. Elo immediately fell asleep beside me.
After my nap I spent some time processing firewood. It was the only chore I needed to do. I had water, firewood, and a fully set up camp. I brought my chair and sat by the shoreline facing south. Every time I’ve camped at this site, including my first ever solo trip 10 years ago, I’ve always loved the view south out of this campsite. I heard a tree fall from across the water on the opposite shoreline… possibly from the strong winds, or possibly due to a large animal.
Dinner for Night 3 was another meal from Flat Out Feasts. I tried the Turnip & Beef Shepherd’s Pie. It was the most homestyle tasting meal of the three I had tried so far. The texture was a bit mushy, but not in a bad way. It had a simple flavor profile, but also not in a bad way. Like I mentioned before, their slogan is spot on, “No Fluff, Just The Good Stuff”.
I went for an evening paddle shortly before 7:00 PM. I passed Marissa and Glen to give them a weather update (they had asked earlier).They told me they saw a beaver the previous night in the narrows towards Otterslide Lake. I was initially planning to circle the island, but after speaking with them I changed my mind and headed into the narrows. I’m happy that I did, because the paddle was gorgeous. The low light from the setting sun made the entire landscape very dramatic and picturesque. Plus, I saw the beaver!
I had tons of processed firewood so I put it to good use when I got back to camp. I sat beside the warm fire for a few hours while sipping on whiskey, enjoying some roasted marshmallows, writing campsite reports, and watching the stars slowly scatter across the sky. After a long, tough, tiring day on the water, the calm, warm evening was a nice reward. It was my idea of a perfect evening. Calm, quiet, a comfortable temperature, and a gentle breeze.
Day 4 — Little Otterslide Lake to Canoe Lake
Normally I wouldn’t be too concerned about travelling from Little Otterslide Lake to Canoe Lake. It’s a long day, but not overly challenging. However, I move slower with Elo in the boat, and the forecast was calling for strong headwinds the entire day. What normally should take 6 to 7 hours was likely going to take 8 to 9 hours. I woke up at 6:45 AM, packed up camp in record time, and hit the water a few minutes before 8:00 AM.
Two minutes after being on the water I heard another tree go crashing down on the shoreline opposite of my campsite. Hmm… the wind wasn’t bad at that moment, so I thought maybe it was some busy beavers. The paddle towards my first portage was relatively calm. It was still too early for the wind, but I knew it was coming.
I met another soloist on the portage who came from Otterslide Lake. He talked about changing his route and camping off-permit because he didn’t want to make it to his intended destination. Camping off-permit has become a really big problem in Algonquin Park. I wish the park took it more seriously.
I saw a few moose tracks along the portage trail and took a 5-minute break after my double-carry before starting my long journey across Burnt Island Lake. I was ready to hit the water shortly after 9:00 AM. The wind was picking up force, enough to slow me down, but not enough for me to be concerned about my safety.
It took me 2.5 hours to cross Burnt Island Lake, including one short break at one of the campsites nearby where I stayed during my first night of the trip. I relieved my bladder and laid down on the fire pit bench for a quick 5 minute shuteye. My next break was after finishing the portage at the west end of Burnt Island Lake. I met a Canadian-Polish couple that lived in England and spoke with them for a bit while having a snack and giving Elo water.
I knew from Day 1 that the next few portages would be skippable, but I didn’t know how much easier it would be going downstream. The first section with the small swifts, where I had injured my calf, took all of 60 seconds to paddle across. It could be a real boat-banger if you aren’t careful navigating the shallow rocks, but I didn’t even need to exit my canoe and get my feet wet.
The next section was the flat, shallow water area. Still, going downstream was significantly easier and I only needed to exit my boat for a short 10m stretch. I was able to stay in my canoe for the rest of it. The final section is the 100m portage, which is deep river and is basically always skippable. Skipping the portages got progressively easier with each section. It was like a test of how badly you don’t want to portage. Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3.
Skipping the portages saved a ton of time compared to double-carrying. Even compared to Day 1, it saved a ton of time. I probably spent 30 minutes to cross the stretch of skippable portages when going upstream, and maybe 10 minutes to cross the same area going downstream.
The wind became quite bad when I arrived at Little Joe Lake. The first section of paddling was across shallow lily pad water. The water wasn’t deep enough to create waves, but the wind funnelled into the narrow river and felt like a jet engine directly in my face as I inched my way towards the main body of the lake. When I arrived to the East Arm of Joe Lake, I stopped at the first campsite for a quick pee break. I know, lots of pee breaks on Day 3. I had a very long day of physically exerting myself under the 27-degree sunshine, and I didn’t want to take any chances of dehydration. So, I drank a lot. And that meant that I needed to pee a lot. Safety first people!
And then, I saw the saddest scene I’ve ever witnessed in Algonquin Park. On one of the large rocky shoreline campsites on the northern shore of Joe Lake, I saw at least 8 canoes on shore with 20+ people at the campsite. That’s a lot of people for one campsite. It was mostly all children and young teenagers, and for some reason every single person was distanced from each other by at least 10 feet. Literally every kid, spaced apart, covering the entire rocky shoreline. In the centre of the campsite were three adults huddled together, talking about something. But every single other person was spaced out. There was complete silence among the 20+ people. No smiles. No talking. Many of the kids had their heads hanging down between their arms while sitting on the rocks, not even acknowledging the other kids surrounding them. It was such a weird, unsettling thing to witness as I paddled directly in front of the campsite. It was like the opening scene of a sad, silent indie art film.
The wind got progressively stronger as I crossed Joe Lake. By the time I finished, I was totally exhausted. I had a major flashback to my first solo canoe trip 10 years ago, where the exact same thing happened. On that trip, the Joe Lake headwinds had also drained all of the energy from me. I know this was planned to be an anniversary trip, but I didn’t want it to be literally the exact same!
I arrived to my final portage of the day at 3:00 PM, the infamous Algonquin DVP (for the non-Toronto folks, the DVP is a very busy highway in the city). It wasn’t nearly as chaotic as it was on Day 1, but it was still quite busy. Surprisingly busy actually, given how late it was in the afternoon. After finishing my double-carry I could barely keep my eyes open. I needed to prepare for the final boss-battle of crossing Canoe Lake. My preparation included a caffeine boost from Awake Chocolate, about 500 calories worth of carbs, and a quick micro-nap on the dirt ground at the end of the portage. Honestly, I was shocked by how effective it was. I had already been travelling for 7 hours against progressively stronger headwinds, but after my micro-nap I felt incredibly refreshed and bursting with energy.
Thank goodness I was reenergized, because the wind was insane on Canoe Lake. The waves and the white caps were massive. My canoe was bouncing up and down, with waves often breaking over the front bow towards Elo. Elo was calm the entire time. She’s the best. It might have been the waviest paddle I’ve ever done. Not the scariest, or the most dangerous, but the waviest. I was totally comfortable in the conditions. It was totally, absolutely, incredibly tiring, but it was one heck of a way to end the day. It was a paddle that really got the adrenaline going and made me feel alive.
Despite the ridiculous conditions, I was able to cross Canoe Lake in only 1.5 hours. I was expecting worse. As I landed my boat on the beach in front of the Canoe Lake permit office, two men approached me “Are you Algonquin & Beyond? I wasn’t sure if it was you but I heard you say Elo’s name and then I knew.” I had spoken with one of them a handful of times in the past, on Instagram. It’s always nice meeting people in person and putting a face to the digital name.
After 9 hours of travelling, I was finally back at my car at 5:00 PM. My day included approximately 1 hour of portaging, 30 minutes of breaks, and the remaining 7.5 hours on the water paddling against progressively more challenging headwinds. Canoe Lake was the final battle, but the entire day was one crazy journey. But it’s days like this that make for the best memories. Just like my first solo canoe trip 10 years earlier.
The Aftermath
My calf injury on Day 1 was a real scare at the beginning of the trip. It was sore that evening, and a little bit sore on the morning of Day 2, but by the end of Day 2 I had basically forgotten about it. It would have been a real buzzkill if I needed to cancel the trip at the very beginning because of that. Note to self, be careful when skipping portages! Also note to self, now I know those portages are in fact skippable (water level dependant).
Even though this trip was meant to recreate my first ever solo canoe trip, I knew that it wasn’t going to be identical. I had an extra night to work with, and I was doing the route in reverse; Burnt Island Lake to Little Otterslide Lake, instead of Little Otterslide Lake to Burnt Island Lake. But the one thing that mattered most to me, in terms of it being an “anniversary trip”, was getting the same campsite on Little Otterslide Lake. It was the first campsite I had ever stayed at solo, so it holds a special meaning to me. I had been back to the campsite once since the original trip, in 2020, but it was part of a much longer, bigger loop, so the trip overall didn’t have any resemblance to the original first solo canoe trip.
Safe to say, I was very happy when the campsite was available. It’s not the nicest campsite in Algonquin Park. It does have its flaws; for example, it could benefit from having a bigger shoreline, more afternoon sun exposure, a direct view of the sunset, and a wider vantage of the starry skies. But despite its flaws, it’s extra nostalgic for me and I’m extremely fond of it. It’s warm, welcoming, cozy, and feels like home. Everything that it does offer, I love, and everything that it lacks, I’m ok with because of how special it is to me personally.
It was interesting to sit at the same fire pit, at the same campsite, 10 years later, while thinking about how much in my life has changed. My tripping style has changed, my gear has changed, my comfort while camping solo has changed, and my overall experience level has drastically changed. It goes beyond camping too. I’m a completely different person today than I was 10 years ago. Thinking about friends, relationships, and jobs that have come and gone. It’s crazy to think about the older version of me and the newer version of me, enjoying the same campsite, in what feels like two lifetimes apart. I sure hope this isn’t the last time I visit this campsite. I’ll see you guys again in another 10 years for the 20th anniversary trip report!
