View topic - Larder River

I am searching for information on the Larder River. My latest road map shows this as a provincial park. I was in this area 20 years ago but I can only remember bits and pieces but from what I do remember it was fairly remote and scenic. Any information would be helpful.

I thought for sure someone would have a little information on this system. Maybe its not used at all and that we would have this river all to ourselves. I want to do this next spring if I can find out something.Any help would be appreciated.

Merlin,

Use the search field above, and type in Larder. It has some info from past messages.
Also, try google it will direct you to few sites. Good-luck

There is a movement afoot to have the Larder River become part of the De Troyes Waterway (a long story), and as a result Darlene and I ALMOST did the river this past summer. So I did some research ... let's see ... where's my mailbox ... ah!

I think Dave Oehring (daveoehr@ntl.sympatico.ca) would not mind if you asked him about the route. I believe both he and his brother Mark have both done the route.

John

Thanks John I will drop him a email tonight when I get home from work. Wink, wink.
Now that I think about it, a friend of mine that lives in Haileybury has probably done that trip and would probably have some info to. He use to work at Wilderness Dreams about 2 years ago or so. He taught me and my friend rock climbing.
Dan

Small world Merlin!! I work at Wilderness Dreams. Well, the Mid-Canada Fiberglass factory, actually.
You're probably thinking of Dallas Forget; he left here a couple years ago. Not sure where he is now.
John

Right you are John
Dallas is still in Hailibury. He has become a little more domestic. He got married about a year and a half ago, bought a house in town and has a little one on the way. We are suppose to get together with them next time I come through town. I usually get up there or thru there every 3 to 4 weeks. I think he is trying to set up a little business selling bikes on the side. Real nice people.
I think I'll email his tonight.
Ya talk about the out-doorsie type he was into most of it.
Dan
I

Dredging up an old thread Merlin, did you ever go on the trip? I have a friend at work who has done Larder to Wendigo many times when he was younger. He has me a little interested in doing it with him, or maybe suggesting it to my paddling partners as a possible trip next summer.

Donny
No we did not do that trip yet. I'm not sure but I think that trip could be done in 2 days easily.
Shuttling vehicles would be easy as the road basically parallels the route.
Its still on my list of trips to do.
I did a portion of this trip from Wendigo upstream many years ago. My dad and I were moose hunting in that area. While sitting up on the high ridge that also parallels the route but on the east side we saw a moose swim across the river directly in front of our campsite. By the time we got back to the tent he was probably 2 miles away.

I don't mean to but in but... I am new to this forum having checked in to find information on a future canoe trip.
A few years back I lived outside the gates of the Larder River Wilderness Park, and tried to make a trip down from Raven Lake (outside of Virginia Town) down into Wendigo Lake every year. It is a great trip, best at the end of June or later up to the end of September.
I am looking for some information on the Albany River to see if it would be good for the next expedition.

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K Peters

What can you tell us about this trip. Its not a long trip from what I can see. Could this be done in a weekend. What about campsites. I seem to remember there are some fairly nice ones?

It is a great trip. The first time I did it was a May 24 long weekend. We started at about noon one day and arrived at the Wendigo Landing at noon the next day. That was a lot of paddling, and we didn't enjoy it because of the high water levels due to the spring run off. Thats why I would recommend June or later. There are a few campsites on the route but they are not well marked. You can watch the shores see where others have camped. There are some good spots. I was able to get a MNR map of the Route at the Esker Lake Provincial Park Between Kirkland Lake and Virgina Town. I don't know if they make them anymore though.

There are 9 portages and the longest is less than 200 meters and the shortest only 15 meters. The trip is called the Larder River Chain because it goes from Raven Lake into Ward Lake, into the Larder River, into Skead Lake, into Upper Wendigo Lake and finally into Wendigo Lake.

The best trip I have taken on the chain was about 4 days long. Plenty of time for site seeing, and some fishing. There are some old power generation stations along the way, reminents of past days when there was a demand for power from the gold mines in the area. You will have fun.

KWP

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K Peters

This is a pretty standard trip for the Englehart folk who have cottages on Windigo and you are corrct in 2 days as a guess for the time to run it. Lots of campsites along the way and easy portages. I remember Dale Peever and someone ??? did the whole run from Raven to Windigo in 6 hours.

Lot's of good pickerel (Walleye) fishing along the way as well.

You enter at the road into Mont Cheminis and continue into Raven from There. Have someone pick you up at Windigo or if you want a lot more work carry on through the 5 portages (waterfalls) and into the Blanche and up to the train or car bridge in Englehart.

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Let's see what's over the next hill.

Thread started in 2002. I was looking for information myself in 2004. Now it's 2006 and I'm finally doing the trip. Merlin, maybe I should have mentioned it earlier, you could have made plans to do it with us, sorry. Heading out on Monday morning (Aug, 14th)

On a scouting trip in July I came up with the original park map from MNR. It has all the portages and campsites marked. I'm going to try to verify as much info as I can from the map and update it. And of course put a route discription on the Routes Section.

Donny, unfortunately I wouldn't have been able to make it anyway. Heading down to the Golden Valley area, not canoeing though.
Keep me informed on the route. Its still on my to-do list.
Thanks anyway Donny
Dan