Triplogs / Triplog#74 / Days 2&3
October 9 - Day 2 - Day trip to Maple Creek
Amid the fall colours - A grey damp morning greeted us
It was a damp morning when I finally crawled out of my tent, Mike had the stove going, and was hard at work improving his tarp set-up. Mike was an early riser, 'sleeping in' till almost 6 a.m. this morning. Coffee was served up, while we discussed the plan of the day. Sean was coming in today and the plan was to make our way over to the 805m portage and walk the trail to the other end, where we would meet-up with Sean. I also had in mind the plan to photograph Maple Creek extensively, as I've always wanted to do a fall excursion on foot down the rocky waterway. Fall was the perfect season and reason do it; no bugs, no people , and lots of colour. We decided to head out shortly after 10 a.m. meeting up with Sean around 1 p.m. This would give us a good solid hour or so to muck about on the creek. First, we visited the nearby island campsite; it was gorgeous, a beautiful summer campsite. We then paddled up to the 130m portage & quickly traversed the short distance to the creek, launched and did the 4 minute paddle to the 805m trail head. It was 10:45 a.m. when walking down the trail, I spotted a small trail leading off the portage. This was it, the path I was looking for! I called out to Mike and together we headed down to the creek. A few seconds went by and we were on the creek.
Maple Creek
There is flat rock that can be crossed over to a natural water-slide, however nothing but rock and timber cluttered the end of the slide, making it a deadly ride. Mike and I began our decent, bypassing the slide and rock-hopping our way down the creek, snapping away with our cameras, inhaling in the clean fresh moist air. Ahhh, what a beautiful place! After about 15 minutes, Mike headed back to the portage, I continued down the creek. I knew and loved this area of the portage: it was so mossy, further down in the creek among the rocks, I was in a moss wonderland. Minutes later over the roar of the creek, I could hear Mike calling me. I looked up, way way up. Mike was about 80 feet or so above me in elevation, he was looking down at me through the foliage from the portage...quite the difference in elevation!
Water cascades over rock down Maple Creek
I continued down the creek for another 30 minutes, crossing and crisscrossing the creek. There was a lot of rock..more rock than creek in many places. I can only imagine how this area of the creek would look in spring, the waterfalls would be quite the sight to see. Eventually I saw a point where I could clamber up into the forest, and emerged on to the portage trail at the foot of the steep hill. I had covered about half the portage via the creek. It started to rain on and off, as I walked down the trail.
Mike & Sean chat around a campfire on Maple Creek
I found Mike hanging out under the shelter of a tree eating some gorp. After about 10 or 15 minutes of rain, Mike decided to look for firewood and build a smoky fire for Sean to spot. I went off to find some wood as well, and I returned not five minutes later with a few bits of dry wood to find Sean has arrived, talking with Mike while warming himself by the already heated campfire. Sean briefly described his wet journey up Maple Creek, Mike proceeded to extinguish the fire, then we gathered up Sean's gear(Mike carrying Sean's canoe, and me his pack), and headed up the trail. The journey back to camp was un-eventful, and it remained overcast. The rain had ceased, so Mike & I gathered more firewood as Sean made himself at home at camp. That evening we had Chicken breasts and rice over the fire. There was virtually no wind and sitting around the campfire was very comfortable.
Mike carries Sean's canoe along the 805m portage
October 10 - Day 3 - Paddling around Maple & Erables Lakes
Sean photographs Maple Lake
Mike was up early again, and I finally emerged from my tent at around 7:30 a.m. The sun hadn't even risen yet...yup summer was over, 7:30 a.m. and still no sun. More eggs(one spilled in the soil), and bacon for breakfast along with a breakfast pita and two cups of coffee. Breakfast finished we all went about the business of getting ready for a day-trip. It looked like it was going to be a nice day, as the skies had cleared overnight, with the temperature dropping to comfortable 2.2°C. Not too frosty. Shortly after 9:00 a.m. we set off, Mike and I in Mike's own Swift Kipawa, with Mike in the stern, Sean was next in his solo Swift Osprey canoe. The sun blazed on a calm lake with a light mist that was rapidly lifting as the sun rose higher and higher. We paddled down to Maple Lake proper, where the lake opens up, here and there are the odd rock to look out for, depending of course upon water levels. We turned and paddled Northeast, following the shoreline. Looking back I saw the glory of gold colours upon the western shoreline as the early sun made the trees glimmer. It was even more beautiful than I could imagine Maple Lake to be in the fall.
Sean prepares to launch his canoe as we head out for a day-trip
We continued on, eventually landing in an area on the East end of the lake, where I suspected the remains of a ranger cabin might be. During an extensive search by all three of us, we found nothing; not even a rusty nail. We visited the Easternmost campsite on the lake and the nearby island campsite, before moving onto the double island campsite in the middle of the lake. Here we reached one of my favourite campsites in the entire park. Sure there are much prettier lakes in The Park with much nicer campsites, complete with sand beaches, and stone couches, etc, but for me this Canadian Shield rock campsite made my day. In summer, it is a great site to lounge and swim from, with Blue herons flying by on a regular basis, and moose feeding occasionally in the nearby marsh of Maple Creek. The site also has great sunset viewing with the expanse of the West side of the lake in front of the campsite, the summer breezes also help to keep one cool. There is also some room to roam on the island, before one comes upon the nearby neighbouring campsite. Not many people stay on Maple Lake as many prefer to camp nearby on larger Erables Lake. That suits me fine, the less traffic the better!
The view from the Eastern-most campsite on Maple Lake
I headed over to the neighbouring campsite. The way is a little tricky, with one having to climb down then up over some rock or through some soft mud, it is not difficult, you just have to be careful. I imagine in spring it might be possible for the two campsites to be separated by water, if the water was high enough, thus effectively making the islands physically two, instead of one. For now though, with the low water levels of Autumn, we crossed a small sliver of land and hiked up a small trail to the neighbouring campsite. The campsite itself is large in some respects, but on many different levels literally. Suffice it to say, both campsites are distinctly different yet both have a ruggedness to them that will satisfy just about every canoe tripper that comes onto Maple Lake, just not in the fall. The campsites had a very cold feeling to them even though there was no wind, we knew with the cold autumn wind, there would be no shelter on either campsite. We pressed on, heading to Maple Creek and to the portage to Erables Lake.
High up at the Eastern-most island campsite
A view from one of my favourite campsites in Algonquin Park
Entering the creek is a rocky affair, followed by a beaver dam, that this time around had been broken and was passable. More rocks followed by an eventually widening of the creek. Mike spotted a Blue heron in the distance feeding in the shallows on the edge of a tall grass bed. Another minute or two and we were there, a soft mud landing that contrasts pretty much all the landings further down Maple Creek. The portage itself is only 170m, Consulting older maps, I have found that at one time the portage was only 80m in length, less than half the length that it is now! The trail itself is of no consequence and is interesting in the fact that it passes by a campsite and a logging road(with a bridge over Maple Creek). The put-in at Erables is rocky but easy as the rocks give way to sandy/mud bottom waters. It was here that in July 2008 that I got a leech on my foot by over turning a rock while standing in the water.
We loaded up and paddled onto Erables Lake, it was 11:35 a.m. From the portage you can see a fallen tree in the water, a familiar landmark to me of Erables Lake, and as you approach the tree you realize just how big the tree once was. I don't know how long it has been there, but there are now trees growing out of it. We passed this tree on our way down to the Lake's expanse, noticing as we passed the tree, how shallow the water was in this part of the lake. We followed the West shoreline, and as we emerged onto the lake proper, we broke away from the shore, paddling over to the second campsite from the portage on the East side of the lake, the campsite on a point of land. The very same campsite my girlfriend and I stayed on in June/July 2008. Like 2008, it was breezy here, actually it was a stiff wind, blowing from the Northwest. By 12:00 p.m. we had arrived and landed at the campsite, giving a short tour, we elected to have a snooze on the rock faces of the campsite under the noon sun. For over an hour we napped, drank water and ate gorp & sausage, It was a most beautiful day, although a tad too breezy for me until I found a nook in the rocks to shield myself from the wind, it was a very relaxing lunch.
Looking West, from the North campsite on my favourite island on Maple Lake
Golds on Erables Lake
Sean had reservations about paddling(solo) further down Erables, given the increasing strength of the wind, Sean didn't feel like having to battle the wind all the way back to camp, and none of us could blame him. I suggested an alternative; why not head back to the portage and walk the logging road? This way we could look for animal tracks, colours, etc in the relative safety of the forest, and without all that wind to deal with. Everyone agreed, so we headed out again onto the lake and made our way against the wind back to the portage.
For over an hour we walked West along the road, Mike and Sean both spotting wolf tracks. Moose tracks were spotted as well, and in one spot it looked like perhaps a showdown had taken place, there were moose tracks all over the place in many different patterns, with the soil of the road being greatly disturbed in various spots. I had also spotted tire tracks on the bridge, which I was pretty sure were not there when we first crossed into Erables Lake. We trudged along the road, soaking in the surrounding sights of the forest in it's fall glory, and also observing many raspberry patches, the result of past logging activities; it was a 'logging' road after all. After about 40 minutes or so we decided to turn back.
It was on the way back that Mike (ahead of us) called out 'truck!'. I was taking no chances, I was thinking it might have been a logging truck which can come barrelling down the road in a hurry, so to be safe I got out of the way really fast, we all did. It turned out to be two pick-up trucks, a couple of natives had drove in to set-up their camp for the upcoming moose hunt the following week. They had set-up their camp and were now leaving. We passed each other, nodding a hello, and continued on.
View from a campsite on Erables Lake
Late autumn colours along a logging road South of Maple Lake
It was around 4:20 p.m. when we emerged back onto Maple Lake, the sky now completely overcast, with a lower deck of clouds. A weather system was moving in, and we all felt that we had made a good decision to head back to camp early. There was a stiff wind in our faces as we crossed the expanse of Maple Lake and headed up-to our campsite, a cool chilling wind. By 4:45 p.m. we were back at camp, and not a drop of wind could be felt. The campsite was indeed an excellent choice for the season. It was Mike's turn to make dinner this night, and Mike didn't disappoint, first he cut and seasoned some red potatoes to be roasted in the coals of the fire, as well as a helping of mushrooms. The main course being a generous helping of Kabobs, chicken and beef kabobs. It was delicious and made for a very satisfying meal.
By late afternoon, a weather system began to move in
That evening was very comfortable with the three of us around the blazing fire-pit, sheltered from the wind, with the sound of a lone loon in the distance calling occasionally. We discussed plans for the following day; to head West possibly to Three Mile Lake. I warned that it would be a long day, with more portaging than paddling, even with the short autumn days, it would be a long haul. We decided to give it a go, seeing how far we could get, time and weather conditions permitting. It was shortly after 10 p.m. that it started to rain with the wind shifting. Suddenly our quiet evening around the fire-pit was becoming damp and cool, with the wind blowing in our faces and the rain becoming more frequent. After about 10 minutes of this, it was becoming apparent that the rain was here to stay, so we packed up our foodstuffs and utensils, then each of us turned-in to sleep for the night, the sound of the rain helping to knock me out quickly.
