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 Post subject: North Lady Evelyn River
PostPosted: October 3rd, 2021, 6:57 pm 
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Hi -

I am looking to make this trip (link below) next summer around the end of July beginning at Beaty Lake and ending possibly at Temiscaming or thereabouts. Is there and information that you can provide to me regarding this canoe route (I.e. water levels, rapids, other forum discussions on this route, downloadable gps tracks, etc). Any information would be appreciated.

Also make any comments as you please.

https://justin-mahoney.shinyapps.io/L_E ... _to_shiny/

Thanks,

Justin


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PostPosted: October 3rd, 2021, 7:45 pm 
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We did the Lady Evelyn in mid-September 2020. We chose the South Branch and ended up at Mowat Landing ten days later.

Here is a post dealing with the various route choices, map sources, shuttle options and costs, etc.

The Lady Evelyn River From Top To Bottom: Route Options, Maps, Shuttles, Permits, and More

Image

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PostPosted: October 4th, 2021, 11:07 am 
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Thanks for your reply true_north. This is extremely helpful. I am going to explore this link.
You have many great resources on that site.
~Justin


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PostPosted: October 4th, 2021, 12:04 pm 
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@true_north: I had read your trip report before, but haven't seen the full Lady Evelyn page that you referenced above - it's a terrific resource! Wish it had a link somewhere on the Ottertooth home page.

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PostPosted: October 4th, 2021, 7:56 pm 
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@Eddy Turn; I agree. It is a fantastic site. It makes it much easier for me to plan this trip. I am wondering @true_north, is the South branch of the river quite deep where it joins the North Branch of Lady Evelyn? I am looking at google maps and some of the parts of the South branch look quite narrow. Was the water deep enough for a canoe all along on the Southern Branch?

I am thinking of bringing a light 3hp motor to carry along on the trip, so that when I reach the lakes, I will be able to use it. I will only have 7 - 8 days and I am thinking that it would be nice to travel all the way to Temagami, maybe Finlayson Point P.P. Any thoughts on that?


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PostPosted: October 5th, 2021, 11:47 am 
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South branch LER from the Florence river on to the Forks (where 2 branches come together) has plenty of water. To the best of my - motor boats are prohibited in the Lady Evelyn/Smoothwater park, with some exceptions (e.g. they are allowed on the Montreal river and Smoothwater lake and on the North Branch LER between Gamble lake and first rapids downstream of it - but not on the South Branch or Florence). The mere thought of waking up to a sound of a motor on Florence lake make my hair stand on end.

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PostPosted: October 5th, 2021, 7:41 pm 
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Justin, nice to hear you found my Lady Evelyn planning guide helpful. My brother jokes that I spend more time writing the various posts on our trips than we do on the actual trips! He's right!

You wrote in your original post - Also make any comments as you please. - I'll take you at your word and offer the following suggestions. Please feel free to disregard!

Given your time constraints, you might consider a shorter LE trip this time. It is not as if you won’t be going back again - hopefully with a few more days for a longer trip, maybe one that would take you down the South Branch from the Montreal River put-in. It sounds like this will be a solo trip; be aware that given the new fee structure, solo paddlers are heavily penalized!

The LE-North Branch route sounds like the one for you this time. Get shuttled to Beauty Lake or access one further down like Gamble Lake and start from there. Once you get to Katherine Lake, the North Channel may a better choice since it puts you closer to Lady Evelyn when you get to the bottom. From Sucker Gut to Mowat Landing would mean 35 km. less paddling than going all the way down to Lake Temagami to the townsite. You could get shuttled from Mowat Landing to the put-in and paddle back to your vehicle.

As well as freeing you from the time constraints pressure, a shorter trip would also mean that you could leave behind the 20 kg. that a 3-horsepower engine + fuel canister + fuel would weigh - and weigh you down as you did an extra carry at each of the portages, some of which are pretty tough. The motor would mostly be dead weight until you got to Sucker Gut Lake for the 30-km. distance to Mowat Landing. Not worth the carry.

Eddy - it was one of your posts or comments either on this site or at the Ottertooth forum about paddling down the LE's South Branch right to the Forks that got me thinking we should do it too. Some paddlers might be tempted by the so-called shortcut portages but we figured - why abandon the SB so close to the end, especially after having done the top section from Whitemud. The day we spent on the SB from Florence down to the Forks was a highlight of the trip. Definitely enough water in mid-September and even a bit of a current as we approached the Forks.

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PostPosted: October 8th, 2021, 6:43 pm 
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This is fantastic information @true_north and @Eddy Turn. It really takes the guesswork out of planning. I am very grateful.

So it sounds like a motor is out of the question, especially since it means I can use it only once outside of the park with a couple of exceptions. I do have an electric motor but then again, it is the issue of getting enough solar power to run it, and I have not heard that generating that much electricity is possible; unless it means getting one of those 4 foot roll-out panels. That is getting way too complicated. It really stems from the fact the I have a flat back sportspal that is pretty slow. On a 5 day trip this year, from Trout Lake to Deux-Rivieres, I averaged paddling 1.5 mph; it was great for portaging though since it was so light. I don't think that I am in the market for a new canoe, where the buying criteria are light, durable, affordable and fast. I will have to re-think using my sportpal for now.

I will be going with either 1 or 3 other people, depending if we can find 2 other compatible companions to go with us. For safety reasons, we thought it would be best to go with 2 canoes.

@true_north it sounds like our best bet is the NLE to Mowat Landing with a likely shuttle; that makes planning car travel much easier. In that case, my slower canoe will only be an issue for the last 35km. Also, is there much of a current or any dangerous rapids on the NLE between the put-in at Beauty Lake and Sucker Gut Lake?

You also mentioned the daily rates for the park. I believe that the link that you provided, shows more information on that, if I am not mistaken. Do you have a recommendation for the best location to buy a park pass?

Another thing that I noticed, is that you mentioned accessing the SLE branch through Florence Lake by means of entering at Solace Park; do you happen to have any information on parking location and canoe routes for Solace Park, in case I decided to enter the SLE from Solace; I am quite interested to go to those scenic lookouts that you reference with pictures on Florence Lake. I sounds like a beautiful location.

Do either of you know or have access to any gpx tracks for the routes that I could download?

My job is cut out for tonight as I will be updating my app to target Mowat Landing.

Cheers - have a great evening!


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PostPosted: October 9th, 2021, 3:14 pm 
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Parking at Gervais landing on the Sturgeon will get you within 2 hour paddling distance from the Solace park western boundary. Access route starts at Capreol, close to Sudbury, Ottertooth has a detailed road map (look for Ishpatina access). Parking at Chance or Gamble lakes is within an easy day from the north to Florence lake. Access through Rt. 11 (look for Gamble access map). But if you average 1.5mi/hr you'd need more time :).

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PostPosted: October 10th, 2021, 12:00 pm 
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Re: Mowat Landing Cottages shuttle. It is the least expensive and most convenient option if you want to end your trip below the Mattawapika Dam at Mowat Landing.

Re: dangerous rapids. Lots of rapids between Gamble and Katherine, which will have a different look depending on the time of year and water level. Also falls - Helen, Center, and Frank on the North Channel - where there is no question about what you will be doing!

Check out this Youtube video Paddling the Burnt lands uploaded by Leah and Brad Jennings (aka stajanleafs in this forum). The first 12 or 13 minutes take you from their Gamble Lake put-in down to Macpherson Lake. The video and comments will give you a good idea of what you will face.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHPM-gGQqAY

See also my Days 6 and 7 posts for maps and details on the rapids, falls, and portages from the Forks down to Katherine.

Re: camping fee. The more in your group, the cheaper it gets!

I got the permit online. https://reservations.ontarioparks.com

Choose the Backcountry Registration prompt on the right-hand side of the page and fill out the details.

Re: SLE via Solace. This would be an entirely different trip. I have not used that access route but E.T. gave you what you need to know. My question is - how do you plan to get back to your vehicle if you park at the spot Eddy mentions? You'd have to do some sort of loop...in the end, you have to make a choice and leave the other possibilities for the next trip and the one after that.

Temagami is definitely an area that gives you a reason to return!

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PostPosted: October 15th, 2021, 5:27 pm 
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Great resources! Once again, I am very appreciative.

That YouTube video was fantastic. You really get a good picture of the landscape by viewing that. That couple took those rough waters like troopers. Really fun to watch. I fear that I would be collecting scrap metal and desperately trying to get a phone signal if I attempted those in my sportspal . I may have to break down and search out a Kevlar pal.

I tried to search out the entrance on the west side of Solice. All I found so far was the Ishpatina Ridge trail parking entrance. In that case, it appears to suggest portaging up through those lakes from there. I could not trace a a complete water route to Florence. I will have to break down and revisit those Ottertooth maps.

BTW @true_north, I noticed your other post on Best Island and Wendell Beckwith. I watched the whole thing which says a lot for me. It really grabbed my attention. All of those interviewed were extremely lively and adventurous characters. It would make a great movie.

Well, will sign off for now. If you know anyone who has an old, yet durable and light canoe (preferably Swift), in reasonably good condition and at a reasonable price, send them my way.

“paddle onward, and keep the wind always at your back”


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PostPosted: October 17th, 2021, 12:26 pm 
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Justin, among options to get to Solace park: from north-west there is Hamlow to Regan to Solace lake route; from the west it's downstream on the Sturgeon river to Paul to Selkirk lake. You can access both routes from Gervais landing (http://www.ottertooth.com/Temagami/Maps/heartland03a.htm) or from Montreal river/Beauty road access (it would require 2 extra days of canoeing). For planning I found useful Friends of Temagami map that covers the whole Temagami area.

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PostPosted: October 21st, 2021, 7:12 pm 
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Cheers again folks!!

With your help and advice, I am inspired to map all the routes for the LER on my app. I will demarcate each route separately to be able to select one or the other.

Stay tuned. @Eddy or @true_north, are either of you planning any trips for next season or do you just play it by ear? BTW there is some discussion on one of the other posts that is kind of fun to read about the trusty ol’ sportspal. I never knew it was a ‘talked about’ watercraft. I joke about mine but I really like it.

“Paddle with determination”


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PostPosted: January 20th, 2022, 1:53 pm 
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@true_north; I would like to echo what others have said here. This is the best trip report I've ever seen. I am planning a trip to this area with my wife this summer and your report will allow us to make a very informed decision on the route, as well as providing a lot of details with respect to the history of the area.


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