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  1. #21
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    I’m interested. I might only be able to do 2 or 3 nights, probably starting on the Friday night. Need to check the calendar.


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  2. #22
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    Just made my reservation.

    McIntosh: 13, 14, 15
    Big Trout: 16, 17
    Burnt Island: 18, 19

    Looking forward to seeing peeps again. Stay safe.

  3. #23
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    Hey KeeWay, what sort of cold water precautions do you take at that time of year? I've never paddled that early in the season.

  4. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by quiet View Post
    McIntosh: 13, 14, 15
    Big Trout: 16, 17
    Burnt Island: 18, 19
    Looks interesting. Paddling up Otterslide Creek might be challenging but nothing you haven't seen before.
    Survival is about getting out alive, Bushcraft is about going in to live - Chard (aka Forest-Hobo)

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  5. #25
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    To anyone, What sort of cold water precautions do you recommend? I’ve never paddled right after ice out.


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  6. #26
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    Quote Originally Posted by theyland View Post
    To anyone, What sort of cold water precautions do you recommend? I’ve never paddled right after ice out.
    Tip#1 Keep the open side of the canoe up.
    Tip#2 Don't daydream. Keep your eyes on the water (see tip#1).

    Seriously, I think the most important precautions we take are simply travelling in groups and knowing our limits. To be honest we'll often strike out to cross large lakes right down the middle to save time, but that all comes down to weather/water conditions and who's paddling. Years ago I wore a shorty wetsuit when paddling in the spring but gave that up.

    On our first few EGL trips we'd try to pair up novice paddlers with someone more experienced for safety's sake. How would you realistically rate your own experience flatwater canoeing? How many canoe trips have you gone on? How many of those were solo? Have you had to contend with wind and wave conditions that were really bad?
    Survival is about getting out alive, Bushcraft is about going in to live - Chard (aka Forest-Hobo)

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  7. #27
    Senior Member Cruiser51's Avatar
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    Think the best safety tip for cold water, is stay close to shore .... that trumps most every thing else. Getting out of the cold water is the main concern, following shore can add a bit of time, but it also means you can usually get out of the water in a few minutes and regroup safely there.


    Brian

  8. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chard View Post
    Tip#1 Keep the open side of the canoe up.
    Tip#2 Don't daydream. Keep your eyes on the water (see tip#1).

    Seriously, I think the most important precautions we take are simply travelling in groups and knowing our limits. To be honest we'll often strike out to cross large lakes right down the middle to save time, but that all comes down to weather/water conditions and who's paddling. Years ago I wore a shorty wetsuit when paddling in the spring but gave that up.

    On our first few EGL trips we'd try to pair up novice paddlers with someone more experienced for safety's sake. How would you realistically rate your own experience flatwater canoeing? How many canoe trips have you gone on? How many of those were solo? Have you had to contend with wind and wave conditions that were really bad?
    Thanks Chard. I'd say I'm pretty experienced with flat water canoeing. I've paddled close to 100 nights and over 1,000 kms since I was about 10 years old.
    (I only know this b/c I recently had to tally it up from my trip journal for a certification course). I took a 17 year hiatus until about 3 years ago and have done 3 or 4 trips of 4 days each since then. A good deal of that paddling was on Georgian Bay where the rollers can get pretty big and I'm perfectly comfortable in those conditions, just not right after ice out and far from shore.

    I've done quite a lot of solo paddling over the years but only with a loaded canoe for about 1 day in total and the wind was < 10 knots. My canoe is 18' long so I would definitely feel more comfortable right after ice out with another strong paddler in the canoe in case the wind or waves kick up but I'm not sure if my regular paddling partner will be able to make this trip.

    Having said that, I looked at the route from the portage store to McIntosh Lake and the largest body of water is Canoe lake. Although it's ~3km long it's only ~1 km wide so sticking to the shore looks like a good strategy. Someone once said to me, if you're concerned about tipping, don't be any further away from shore than the length of the rope on your canoe. That way you can grab the rope, swim to shore and PULL the canoe to shore instead of swimming it to shore.

    If I wear my wool base layer, loosely tether my pack into the canoe, pack an entire change of warm clothes, stay close to shore and either have a paddling partner or a 'shadow' boat, then I'm comfortable.

    If I can't find a tandem partner, would some offer to 'shadow' me, at least through Canoe Lake?

  9. #29
    Member Dale's Avatar
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    Is anyone here going to the Ontario Backcountry Canoe Symposium on April 9th?

    Dale

  10. #30
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    Hey Theyland,

    Sounds like you're more than ready for an ice-out foray.

    Having a change of warm clothes and a way to start a quick fire in drybags is very sensible. For the most part, paddling close to shore is a good plan, but watch for those times when incoming waves mix with waves reflecting off of shore to create quite a chop close in.

    As far as a tandem partner goes, we'll see about that. IMHO, 18' is pretty long for a solo canoe, but properly trimmed it should be fine. Alternatively you could rent a smaller canoe from one of the several outfitters on HWY 60.

    We almost always meet up in the morning and launch as a group, so if you want some company, I'd recommend that. This one jerk seems to be consistently tardy , but he means well and those EGL guys are very forgiving. On the water, we're pretty sensible; if conditions along the way become too difficult, we'd have no problem pulling over and waiting them out. While them young folks think of being "wind-bound" as an embarrassment to be avoided, old-timers properly think of it as an opportunity for a pipe and maybe even a scotch.

    Finally, while Canoe L. is the largest, don't overlook MacIntosh. She can whip up fiercely under a strong wind.

    I hope you can make it out.
    Last edited by Chard; 03-05-2022 at 01:32.
    Survival is about getting out alive, Bushcraft is about going in to live - Chard (aka Forest-Hobo)

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