Ontario Canada - Killarney Provincial Park | SouthernPaddler.com

Ontario Canada - Killarney Provincial Park

Kayak Jack

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
13,976
171
86
Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
KILLARNEY PROVINCIAL PARK
ONTARIO, CANADA

Killarney Park is in the northeasterly corner of Lake Huron, off the Georgian Bay. This is a fortified report of a trip engaged in 6-14 Sep 02. Doug McDougal organized it; Charlie Parmelee and I tagged along. We put into and took out from the park at Charlton Lake Camp, using it as a handy staging area. The following is as close as I can recall from my daily documentation; my recollections may be "fortified" with colloquialisms from time to time. All of which, of course, are true, at least as best as I can remember. Where I furnished meals, I have included comments about them. I have, to protect the guilty, omitted comments that may - or may not - have been made by anyone else about these meals.

Doug & Charlie were in Dougie's 16' Merrimack Prospector canoe. This is a well adapted craft for the country. Not too surprising, since this is the very country in which canoes were developed for us by those who have gone before. I paddled my Pygmy Coho kayak named "Stealthy - As mist upon the water", just Misty for short. 17' 6" X 22". This boat is well adapted to paddling open water, only fair in the crooked creeks, and poorly fit to loading and unloading for portages. I'd say that a good boat would be a solo canoe with deep sides, shallow arch hull configuration, made of Royalex, and patch-able for scratches.

DAY# 1, 6 Sep: We rendezvoused at my house; packed gear and boats into and onto my van. Departed my house @ 07:10. Lunch at the Soo (twin cities of Sault Ste. Marie MI & Ontario. An ancient habitat of First Nation people.) Arrived Willisville @ 16:30. Ferried gear across to cabin, sorted it out, & returned some to the van not enough, as it turned out. Stayed at Charlton Lake Camp in cabin# 3. SUPPER: (A) Turkey 'n' Dressing: 1 large can of turkey; 1 pack of stove top dressing; one pack of gravy mix. Onions, garlic, & sage. To a pan, add water for the dressing mix, plus about 1/4 cup if for individual serving; begin to heat gently. Sprinkle powdered gravy mix over the dressing & mix in thoroughly; continue to heat gently. Mix in turkey & continue to heat gently. (B) Slaw: cabbage, carrots, onions, caraway, olive oil, & lime juice.

Day# 2, 7 Sep: Willisville to Murray Lake. Paddled easterly (Ely) 11.6 K (7.2 miles) from Willisville along Charlton Lake, up Howry Creek; Majestic cliffs and bluffs along Charlton Lake. Twists and turns so tight on Howry creek, I'd have to stop Misty to turn her. Nearly hooked a wasp nest on one turn. Lunch was white flour tortillas w/ cheese, onions, mustard. Portaged @ 210, and continued 2K (1 1/4 mile)up to Murray Lake. We remained overnight (RON'ed) at camp# 149. Had we stayed at #148, it would have saved packing and paddling to the portage. Next time.

Day# 3, 8 Sep: Paddle/Portage northerly (Nly) to Van Winkle Lake and campsite# 162. Breakfast was pancakes, bacon, honey: 3 cups Bisquick, 3 eggs, (actually, only 2 eggs, the other ones had mysteriously committed suicide.) honey, 1 pack pre fried bacon. Departed @ 11:00. Three portages 1st one a killer! Really difficult portage! Long (1,090 meters), hot (92), and fatiguing. Charlie and Doug carried my boat and nearly all my gear. I was dizzy and spent. I had very little endurance. We paddled NEly about one K on Leech Lake and portaged Sly150 meters into Hanwood Lake. About 2.1 K NEly up the lake to portage 120 meters onto Van Winkle, Arrived @ 18:30 all of us were fatigued. We RON'ed at campsite#162. Paddled only 6K (3.75 miles) today, 1 of which was by error. What a hell of a day! Portage, portage, portage! I got weaker and weaker. I probably would have been left beside the trail by lesser men than these.

Day# 4, 9 Sep: Paddle/Portage to Cat & Howry Lakes, Cramer cottage. We departed Van Winkle Lake (site# 162) @ 10:00. Paddled to Ely end & portaged 510 meters to Cat Lake. Paddled SEly & portaged 700 meters into Howry Lake; thence Ely ½ mile to the second island. It is a 1 acre island of granite w/ a log cabin. This cabin was built in 1922 & 23 w/ materials brought in over the ice. The Cramer family still graciously allows travelers to RON.
Weather (WX) has been clear, sunny, & HOT! 92 in day during portages, 81 at midnight!
Today, we'll rest, paddle, & rest some more. We all need that badly. No easy spot to rig my Hennessy Hammock, so I plopped my air mattress & sleeping bag on the covered porch. SUCKS! Hard boards don't conform to the kinks in my body, so my body has to kink. No screen around me, so I had bugs (even if only imaginary) on me. Too hot in the bag too cool outside of it. I didn't realize how nice the hammock accommodates sleep. (The next night, I put a piece of flattened out foam pipe insulation under the hollow of my back. It helped.)
We paddled 3.7K (2.3 ) miles) today. Supper was (A) Herbed Potatoes 4 large potatoes cut into wedges; 1½ tsp rosemary/ sage/ basil/ oregano/ coriander; 1 tsp garlic powder; 2 Tbsp margarine. Toss potatoes & other stuff. Place in plastic bag & drizzle remaining margarine mix into bag.; add 1/4 cup water. Steam cook 35-40 minutes or until very tender. And (B), fried cabbage, Serves 4: 2 Tbsp olive oil; 2 Tbsp butter; 1 med cabbage, shredded; 1 tsp sugar; salt & pepper to taste; ½ tsp caraway seeds. Heat oil & butter in large, heavy skillet; add cabbage & stir over med high heat. Add can of corned beef; sprinkle on sugar; add salt & pepper to taste. Cook til tender crisp; sprinkle on caraway.

Day# 5, 10 Sep: At Howry Lake. Haze this morning, breeze from Wly, loons off to SEly. Dougie fixed us Spam & powdered eggs for breakfast. I enjoyed it. I provided the other two meals. Lunch was Tortillas w/ cheese, onions, mustard. Supper consisted of (A) Turkey & dumplings: 4 pints water; 2 cans turkey; 1 onion & 3 carrots chopped; 2 cloves garlic, diced; 1 tsp salt & 1/8 tsp pepper; thicken w/ instant potatoes; 2 cups Bisquick; 2/3 cup water, 1/3 cup powdered milk, sage & basil; stir to form soft dough. Drop by spoonfuls into boiling stew. Cook uncovered 10 minutes; then covered 10 minutes. (B) Slaw: cabbage, carrots, onions, caraway, olive oil, & lime juice.
Rain likely today. LIKELY did I say? A thunderstorm rained with a spatter pattern like the proverbial cow peeing on a flat rock! Lightning took a pine tree 1/4 mile Wly of the island. Doug and Charlie had gone to Gem Lake fishing; returned wet and wide eyed. I flubbed around (after a nap) and scribbled some poetry. It's a stumbling attempt to set down some impressions and feelings.

Cramer Island Howry Lake

Wind blown lake, of somber hue; rippled lake that dapples blue.
Granite ridges side by side, deep, black waters lain inside.
Of glaciered past and drumlin shape, island acre pines a'drape;
Waiting, waiting, ten thousand year, for modern voyageurs paddling here.
Let's us visit, for our day, and sees us leave and go our way.

Solid structure made of stone, stolid sentinel all alone.
But still this special island waits, for once again may come true fates.
Once again those mocassined feet, may climb this rock and make complete.

Day# 6, 11 Sep: Paddle/Portage Wly to Murray Lake site#149. My breakfast was a repeat of Pancakes, bacon, honey: 3 cups Bisquick, 3 eggs, (No eggs, see note above.) honey, 1 pack pre fried bacon.
Tough portage; low water forced me to drag Misty a half mile down wet spots, mud holes, gravel bars, and rock. There were many clam shells about in the creek; many of them still had clams in them. It would have been easy pickings to have gathered 20+30 of these 4" beauties. But, quite frankly, we already carry more food than we need. I decided to let them live, at least until the next otter came along.
I saw tracks of moose, heron, and bear, but no racoon. This was THE ideal locale for them if they lived this far north. But I think the winters are too long and/or cold for the thieving bastards. Then we came to the beginning of the REAL portage. I am much more able to carry stuff today - about ½ my load. I'm getting so tough that when I walk down the street, bad guys will wet their pants.
Near some blackberry bushes, Charlie surprised a bear. They both instantly "Wooof"ed and ran, in different directions. One of them might have left behind a calling card or two. After that, I made sure to sing and whistle along the path. Since I didn't hear any requests for encores, I figured that both Charlie & the bear must have been out of hearing.
A side note here. I find the Chota Mukluks (MK-100) perfect for climbing into and out of the kayak, wading around shore, sucking into muddy creek bottoms (marl), and wet work in general. They are no good on the portage trail. Broken rock has sharp edges; sharp edges push and pry up into your foot; pain hurts. The Chota MK-300's would be a very nice boot for all of this work - if you are in a canoe. However, I find the soles of the MK-300's too stiff for safe entry & exit to a kayak. I change to hiking boots for the trail. Inner soles help here. I prefer the Dr. Scholl's foot warmers of lambs wool on closed cell foam. Unfortunately, the ones I brought on this trip were a little too old to be of optimum value.
Now, we paddle about 2.2 miles zig zag through lilly pads, grass, and other messy stuff - moose pasture. Much of it is lake that is about a foot deep with a solid bottom, other parts all deep & gooshey. On arrival at Murray Lake we again took camp site# 149, and will RON two nights. The large turtle returns, but I still don't believe it to be a snapper. We have decided that the turtle is now Charlie's totem. And, since he performs like a work horse on the portages, I think the Clydesdale horse might also be appropriate. Is there such a thing as a Clydesdale-Snapper totem? Would it be on the top of the totem pole where eagles fly? Or, nearer the bottom where sled dogs, uhh, visit?
We held a minute of respectful silence and prayer this evening in observance of the tragedies a year ago. At that time, we were at Mijinemungshing in Lake Superior Provincial Park. From within the peaceful lap of Mother Nature, it is difficult for me to imagine the dark wanderings of such minds.
Day# 7, 12 Sep: At Murray Lake. Wonderful sunrise; all three of us photographed it. Doug and Charlie are out drowning lures (no live bait to drown, had to revert to the petroleum based stuff.). After lunch (no fish) they left to portage 1,470 meters up hill to Nelly Lake. Do the words sado-masochist mean anything to you?
Two canoes are entering into Murray Lake from the east. Appears to be the group of four guys from Ohio with whom we shared several portages early this week; I recognize their canoes.
Looking like a storm is approaching; I'm erecting the rain fly. (Later) Never rained; blew over and got nice again. Long conversations over the camp fire.

Day# 8, 13 Sep: Paddle/Portage to Wly Charlton Lake Camp @ Willisville. Last day. We departed at 10:20; easy paddle, easy portage. The lunch I had ready was (yeah, you guessed it) tortillas w/ cheese, onions, mustard. But, we had target fascination and bored in to get to the take out. Arrived Charlton Lake Camp 14:10. Off loaded gear into car, got showers, and called home. Beautiful WX, could not be prettier. I'm glad I came, saw, and did this trip I'm also glad to be going home. Supper this evening was Charlie's responsibility. He took us out to a restaurant in town and we had a real store bought meal, with real store bought beer. Since they'd spent all week horsing my gear across the tundra, I treated for beer. Then we wandered around the mall like the rest of the dumb people who wander around malls. We'd been in the outback so long I kept saying hick remarks like, "Gee! Wouldn't that building hold a lot of hay!"

Day# 9, 14 Sep: Travel home from Killarney. A funny thing happened on the way to getting ready to commence to start to plan to pack to prepare to leave. Since entering the realm of "Olde Codger", I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night, and can't get back to sleep. This happened about three o'clock this morning; hell of an inconvenient time to be wide awake. Anyway, I stepped out to the front steps to gaze at stars and play solitaire on my Palm. The following actually happened, though many experienced outdoorsmen will caste an eye of doubt. I know damned well that I would if someone told me this story, but, it is true.

As I was sitting there watching bats zoom through about30-40 miles an hour, I noticed a jerky, hesitant movement on the ground off to my left. A red fox had yanked to a halt, then trotted out right in front of me. We looked at each other and I spoke in greeting. S/He looked at me from about 10 feet away, then, unconcernedly trotted off into the yard. About 10 minutes later a repeat performance a couple of feet closer, again, passing from my left to my right and pausing in front of me to gawk. The third time, s/he was no more than five feet from my toes, and had I had a bit of food, I'd have offered it.

This is the closest I've been to a live fox in over 55 years. When I was a kid, Dad ran a trap line during the war to supplement income. I innocently and foolishly stepped close to a fox that had been caught by a forepaw in a trap. He'd backed up the end of the chain, and as I approached he lunged to snap at me. The chain being about 3 feet long, gave him about 6 feet of room I hadn't counted on. Fortunately, Dad had. As the fox got ready to launch, he'd grabbed my mackinaw hood and jerked me back so fast my feet were in the air. Teeth snapped closed about 2 inches from my right knee. That was the day I learned about "pucker factor".

Whilst sitting there thinking about that fox and our trip, I waxed poetic again. This is weak and unfinished, but then, so am I.

So here's to men who wander; in places far away.
Who revel in the comp'ny of, some others such as they.
Joined not by blood of family, but by things they do and say;
In ways they feel and ways they think - living day by day.

A group of self selection, they find each other out;
By recognizing others who, echo what they thought.
Who love to be in outback, and see night's starry skies;
And seek some understanding in an animal's surprise
When discovered by a mortal and observed by human eyes.

They travel through far waters, and camp a distant shore;
Watching as red foxes trot, to recce this night's store.
Or watch as vultures float, on rising thermal power;
And see a pair of eagles work, together as they soar.

These men roam Nature's mansions; and feel at home when near
A blinkless eye of chickadee or nuthatch streamlined ear.
Or hear a beaver tail slap "Warning! Someone's here."
And see the subtle motion of a watchful, grazing deer.


So, anyway, we completed our trip, anti-climactically. Departed 07:00; arrived at my house about 19:10; we'd traveled (via car) 929 miles round trip including 20 miles (estimated) vicinity travel.

(1.) Doug McDougal, Charlie Parmelee, [email protected]. Jack Voss, [email protected]

(2.) Charlton Lake Camp, PO Box# 118, Whitefish Falls, Ontario POP 2HO, 877.587.3474, www.charltonlake.on.ca Contact for maps, permits, & arrangements.