CANOE CAMPING IN KILLARNEY PROVINCIAL PARK June 2017

It was quite the adventure when six of us started our canoe camping trip in Killarney Provincial Park the last week in June 2017.  Our plan was to enjoy some paddling in the beautiful lakes within the park and camping along the way.  We would travel from George Lake to Killarney Lake to OSA Lake to Muriel Lake and back to George Lake.  We were two people in each canoe.  We each had our own method of packing the canoe which determined how easy our portaging would be.  The weather forecast for the week was a mix of rain and sun.  Our first day of travel to the park had light rain.  It continued to rain upon our arrival and throughout the remaining of the day.  It became discouraging as there was so much rain that all we could do was sit under our tarps hoping it would clear.  We had prepared for two days on Killarney Lake, two days on OSA Lake, one day on Muriel Lake, then back to George Lake.  It was a great plan and we were ready to go.

After camping our first night on George Lake campground, the sky cleared and it looked good to go although the forecast still called for some rain.  We lined up our canoes along the beach and packed our gear.  The wind was moving around sometimes behind us and sometimes circling around.  We had a nice paddle which involved two portages.  Our first portage was short and easy however, our next portage was messy from the rain, muddy and slippery.  As we went back and forth carrying our gear, our two male companions thought they could use the portable wheels to carry their canoe with everything in it.  This attempt was short lived and everything collapsed on the ground.  As they packed with many loose items, it took several pickups with everyone helping to get all the gear to the next put in.  During this time, our friend Gord slipped in  the mud and fell hard on his side.  He recovered but his side felt bruised.  He was able to continue and so we did.  We arrived at our first campsite on Killarney Lake.  It was here we would camp for two nights.  The wind was fairly constant but the sun and blue sky made up for our beginning.  Our tents were set up and some of us went out for a paddle around the lake.  Upon our return we went in for a swim and then prepared for supper. We were able to have a campfire that evening and I was glad to get into my sleeping bag.

The next morning was beautiful, today we paddled over to the trailhead to the Crack, a trail that goes up between a split in the rock wide enough to hike through to the summit overlooking Killarney Lake into OSA Lake and furter to Georgian Bay.  We enjoyed a great day of hiking and hanging out on top taking in the views.  Once again we could see rain clouds moving in with the wind and so we made our way down.  We thought at first the clouds were moving another direction but soon enough the storm clouds were over us with lightning and thunder.  We had to take cover among the trees and rocks until the system passed.  The worst was over but we still needed to get ourselves down from the slippery rocks.  The rain continued for a while and finally stopped and cleared.  We were soaked and cold and only too glad to get back on the water moving quickly towards camp before another system came through.  That evening was beautiful and clear.  Given the wood we chopped up was soaked from the rain, it was difficult to get a fire going but we managed a little one.

The following day, we were to head over to OSA Lake to our next campsite for the next two nights.  We were still in our tents when we heard Gord give a loud shout of pain.  He had gone to the bathroom and slipped and rolled down the hill hitting his side against a rock, landing in the water.  As he came back into camp, all we could hear is his grunts of pain everytime he moved. We quickly got out of our tents to assess what was going on.   Gord didn't want to believe how seriou the situation was.  He is diabetic with potentially broken ribs, having difficulty breathing not knowing if he has any internal bleeding, out in the middle of nowhere.  It was clear that we needed to use the SPOT.  I turned on the SPOT, placed it on an open rock by the water with a clear view of the sky.  Within two hours we could hear a helicopter approaching.  I ran out to the rock and saw across the lake a helicopter approaching. As it moved closer it came down almost skimming the water to see where a possible landing could be.  It circled overhead and came down closer as I kept waving to it.  The officer waved his arm out the window confirming he saw us and now it was how he would reach us.  The  helicopter moved to a shallow area where the officer could jump out.  He quickly made his way pushing through the trees and brush until  he arrived.  He introduced himself calmly, friendly and then after speaking with everyong he approached Gord who was sitting in a chair.  He knelt down in front of Gord and asked him all the necessary questions to determine how best to help him.  I suggested that we could paddle him over to the helicopter which proved to be the best choice given our location, Gord's inability to move through the trees and the waiting time for another rescue canoe to come in to get him.  We paddled Gord over to where the helicopter was sitting and after a short exchange of phone numbers and contacts, we paddled away so that the hellicopter could take off.  It would take about an hour to fly from Killarney to Sudbury where the closest hospital was where Gord could be treated.  With one man down and Gord also being one of the drivers, we had to bail from our trip and return to the cars and help Gord's paddling partner Jake pack up Gord's car and drive to the hospital to pick up Gord and take him home.  Fortunately, Gord had an apartment in Petawawa so they did not have to make the journey all the way back to Cornwall.

The challenge wasn't over  yet as Jake fell with the bear barrel when we were portaging back between lakes and his arm was sore so he sat out while the remaining of us got all the gear back in the canoe and we paddled on.  Gord left a message at 2pm that he was okay and ready to be picked up.  By the time Jake left, it was about 4:30 pm.  As it was late in the day, the remaining of us stayed another night at the public campground and the next morning we headed home.  We did enjoy a couple of good days and the other news we discovered was another system was moving through bringing rain and high winds  which would have been difficult to paddle through.  So in all everything worked out for the best.

FUNDY FOOT PATH, July 9th to 17th, 2016

HIKING THE FUNDY FOOT PATH in July of 2016

The excitement and wonder was building as we prepared for our trek of the Fundy Foot Path along the New Brunswick coastline between Alma and St. Martins. It was a new area for us to hike.  We would be six adults traversing a stretch of land, a section of the International Appalachian Trail that extends into Canada all the way to Perce Rock, Quebec.  There was also the added dimension of tidal crossings, timing our hike so as not to get caught at high tide and planning our route so that we would complete the traverse in the time we arranged.  The book recommended at least four days and it was possible to do it in three days but unexpected things can happen, like weather, accidents, not to mention blisters, so we opted for a more leisurely pace, which I totally recommend!  We would be hiking approximately 49 km, starting from the east side in the Fundy National Park, near Alma, and ending at the Interpretive Centre at Big Salmon River, near St Martins. Our trek would take us six nights and six full days, coming out on the seventh day early morning.

After much planning, checking and re-checking the list, packing, unpacking and packing, the day arrived.  We traveled from Cornwall, Ontario, to our first stop for the night in St. John's, New Brunswick, a long 10-hour drive, but our drivers were very good and got us there in daylight to enjoy the remainder of the day.  Our accommodations were okay, despite the name change of the hotel. When booking online it was advertised as one name but arriving at the address, we kept looking around for it, seeing only this other hotel which in fact was our hotel.  Our rooms were comfortable  and we ordered-in pizza.  After eating, some of us went walking around the area of our hotel, as the location was in an old historic military site, complete with a monument, wooden turret, canon and medieval pillory (head-and-hands locking block).


The next day, Sunday, we headed to St. Martins and entered the park from the west side driving down to the interpretive centre where we parked our cars and waited for our shuttle to arrive.  A van from Diamond Taxi came shortly after and we loaded up our gear and headed for Alma, NB.  From where we started our drive in Big Salmon River to Alma, it was a 2-hour drive but our driver, being a seasoned local racing vet, got us there in an hour and a half.  Along the backcountry roads to the highway was beautiful, rolling hills and farmlands.  Our driver brought us to Point Wolfe campground in the Fundy National Park near Alma, right to the parking lot next to the trailhead.  It was around 11:30am and so we decided to have lunch then before starting our hike.  After taking our customary photos next to the sign, we started our 8 km hike into the wilderness part of the park heading to the boundary at Goose River.  This part was quite gradual but a steady climb higher, leveling off at times, along an old dirt road, with some erosion in spots.  As we came closer to our campsite for the night, we started heading down gradually.  It was still a fairly wide path with lots of very dry trees lining the path on either side.  These trees proved to  be challenging when we tried to find a good branch for our bear hang that didn't break after the first tug on the rope.  We arrived at campsite 4, our site, 8 km later.  The campsite bordered the park boundaries beside Goose River.  Four of us set up our tents on camp 4 and the other two set up their tents on the much smaller campsite 5, due to lots of exposed roots minimizing the space.  That day was cloudy with light rain at times and more rain was expected.  It had rained lightly on and off and eventually stopped.  The  forecast was calling for more rain the next day and then would gradually clear.  In the meantime, it did not dampen our spirits. We set up our tents for sleeping and a tarp for eating under, then prepared dinner. The day cleared into a beautiful evening.  Our view looked out over the cliff into the ocean where we could see the Martinhead landmark, jetting out into the ocean from a stretch of land that was visible when tide was out.  As we still had some daylight left, we checked out the route for the next day's travel.  We first headed down, down and down a rocky and rooty steep slope to the beach to see Camp 6 along the shoreline of Goose River.  It was set back a bit and nobody was there yet, although that site was booked.  It was that campsite we initially wanted. There was another post for campsite 7 nearby still standing which does not show up on the booking site for these campsites which are still within the park’s boundaries. I had read that campsite 7 was no longer there, however, the sign was very much still there.

At that time, it was hard to tell if the tide was coming in or going out, but we could see that we would have a messy crossing with the mud.  We would have to hike the shoreline around which meant starting when tide was out.  We opted to take the new link recently created that would allow us to start hiking at any time.  The path was away from the water's edge, through the forest to the narrowest part of Goose River.  Sounds easy enough but we were in for a surprise.  After walking around the beach area taking in the ocean sounds and smells, we headed back to camp.  We made a campfire and watched in the distance little lights coming and going from Martinhead, wondering what that was, boats, cars, angels, we never found out.  Finally, we nestled into our tents for a good night's sleep.

We headed out along the link around 9:00 am the next morning, thinking this would be an easy stretch allowing us more time in the day to make our way to Goose Creek's tidal crossing and camp on the other side of that crossing.  We underestimated the rugged terrain of New Brunswick.  The link added 2 km and another 2 hours of hiking.  It was not flat by any means.  We were heading up and over a fairly new trail which still had lots of loose ground, uprooted roots and rocks and eroded areas, making our footing unsure at times with a heavy pack.  My walkie-talkie fell off my strap without me knowing it until someone else saw it drop and picked it up.  It had slipped into the bush which would have never been found.  We thought we were making good time but when we arrived at the actual crossing of Goose River which starts the official Fundy Foot Path, it was close to noon.  It was then we decided to have an early lunch and make another decision once we arrived at Rose Brook Campsite, only 3 km away.  It was a steep up and by the time we arrived at Rose Brook, it was 3:00pm.  We decided, without hesitation or much thought, that we will stay here and tackle Goose Creek the next day.  This was a beautiful site and we were so happy to be camping right next to the shoreline of the ocean, with the tide coming in so far, not affecting us but providing the wonder and comfort of an oceanside view.  This day allowed us time to relax, explore the shoreline, take a dip in the ocean, clean up and refill!  There was a bear box nearby to store our food but it didn't have a locking system so we designed our own using rope through the holes where the chain would go and it worked like a gem.

The next morning came and our food was still secure within the box.  Oh happy day, we didn't need to turn back for lack of food.  Today, our goal was to reach Quiddy Brook Campsite, which would place us back on track with mileage per day so that we had enough time to enjoy each campsite. The terrain proved to be challenging once again with its steep and technical ups and downs. We made the crossing at Goose Creek at about 10:30 am.  The creek was wide but lots of land everywhere and lots of mud.  We did put on our sandals to cross a little creek with a strong current.  The water was cold but felt good on the hot feet.  Once across we donned our boots again and made our way to the campsite on the other side of the creek and had another break and a snack and refilled our water containers.  When we arrived at Brandy Brook it was about 2pm and we needed to decide on our campsite.  The campsite here was dark and damp but did have a beautiful waterfall where we could bathe, but we decided it was best to continue.  The terrain between Brandy Brook and Telegraph Brook appeared to have the most eroded and steep sections. One hill was so muddy and steep, we had to hang on to each protruding rock, root or whatever we could find so that we would not end up on a downward slide like dominos into an unknown landing.  As it was, I accidently dislodged a rock that went tumbling for a while down the mountainside before landing.  I called out in time so that nobody was in the line of fire as it crossed the switchbacks of the trail.  We made it to Quiddy Brook by 6:00 pm and we pooped.  There was a little stream to cross so off with the boots and on with the sandals to arrive at our beautiful campsite for the evening.  The sun was still out and illuminated the forest.  We set up camp and cleaned up in the stream.  After supper, the entertainment was the bear hang.  We were able to find some tall trees and with a good throw, our friend was able to get the rope high to keep our food bags out of the bear's reach.

The next morning we packed up and aimed for Little Salmon campground.  The terrain was still challenging with its little goat paths, slanted and slippery at times with pine needles, roots and rocks.  We arrived at Wolfe Brook campsite for lunch.  We lounged for a bit, resting against an old log.  As we started again the first step up off the beach was a rock climb with all fours.  It was so steep, anyone could have easily slipped backwards and tumbled down, taking out everyone behind.  All of us made it, like little goats we were getting used to this.  It was from here to on that we would come across steep wooden staircases with a rope alongside to hold onto.  This short elevation gain went from zero to 700 feet approximately, straight up, within the first hour.  Coming down into Little Salmon was another steep descent with lots of switchbacks.  The trail was so narrow and slanted, we were thankful it was not raining.  On the last descent into camp, we could see the outhouse clearly next to the trail, from the top looking in.  It was quite comical, fortunately nobody was using it at the time.  That was a long day and my feet were aching from the workout.  It felt so good to get the boots off and clean up.  It was about 6:30 pm when we arrived into camp.  We still had lots of daylight to explore the area, the shoreline and the trails leading out to the roads where day hikers could enter to do other hikes like the Eye of the Needle, a trail entering the narrows between the rock walls, described as the Grand Canyon of New Brunswick.

Our next campsite was Seeley Beach.  It was another beautiful day, the rain held off but the wind kept up which helped with the heat and humidity.  As we approached Seeley Beach, we could see the shoreline and the beach below as tide was out.  There was a section where a staircase descended to the beach but we continued on as it was too hot to hike along the beach in the sun.  Soon we came to another staircase that would lead us down to the beach close to our campsite.  These staircases, all of them, were steep keeping with the profile of the cliff.  Out we came onto the beach for this spectacular view of the ocean and the shoreline going back as the far as the eye can see, showing off the majestic cliffs weaving in and out.  We chose the campsite commonly used by the ATVers, which was a  nice site nestled just inside the forest abutting the beach.  The other site had a "Danger" sign next to it warning hikers of the explosives in the area when workers are on the job forging the new roadway through this wilderness connecting both east and west parks.  We could see where we came from all along the coast, looking back now at Martinhead and further.  We washed up, replenished water and had a good meal.  We watched the tide come in and took lots of photos.  It was a beautiful ending to the day.  Our camp was nestled just in the tree line next to the beach which proved to be a good protection from the wind and a bit of rain that came.

The next morning we headed to Long Beach to camp but upon arrival we saw that the area was quite built up with picnic tables and gazebos and still under construction and no sign of a campsite.  After being in the wild with no sign of humans other than ourselves, it was strange to come upon all this construction.  It was very foggy that morning so with the mist, dampness and fog, we headed on to our next campsite at Big Salmon.  We were  hoping to have another beach site given our timing was good but not like this.  We could have continued on out to the end but we stayed to our original plan which was to camp at Big Salmon campsite as our last site.  It was getting into the afternoon and the sun was coming out so when we arrived at camp, we decided to air all our wet gear, eat and then decide if we would stay or not.  The day ended up being beautiful with sun and heat to dry out all our gear, so we set up our tents and stayed for the night.  A little intruder did wander into camp that night, a raccoon, and given the quietness of the night and any sound being huge, we thought "bear" so those of us with pepper spray got ready and we all kept talking aloud and got out of our tents, especially since one of us had to pee, so it was a good opportunity for all of us to pee and check around before heading  back to bed.  It was quite comical.

The next day, we were up early, packed up and started on the trail at 7:00 am.  This last section was tricky as well but there was more signs of work done to make it safer, with ropes and steps.  We arrived at the interpretive centre by 9:00 am.  We all lingered around taking pictures and admiring the view along Big Salmon River and then we crossed the suspension bridge and arrived at the centre.  We were all thrilled at our accomplishment and also happy to see the car and get cleaned up.  It was a great trip.  By the time we left the centre, it was lunchtime so we stopped at St. Martins before heading on to Riviere du Loup where we would stay the night at a hostel.  That evening we celebrated with pizza and beer under a gazebo by the mighty St. Lawrence River, watching the fishermen and the sun set.  We would take away lots of memories of this journey.  Even now I'm smiling with gratitude and joy, happy to have hiked the Fundy Foot Path!