My son Michael and I left Sept 1, 2020 for our annual “birthday” Algonquin backcountry trip. This time we launched at the Kiosk access point for a 5-night trip.
On night one we camped at a jump-off site on Kioshkokwi Lake (Kiosk campground) . After a very stormy night, the next morning we made our way through torrential downpours to Mouse Lake where we camped on night two.
The next day we braved back to back (to back) thunderstorms while we made our way to Erables Lake for night three. Then on to North Sylvia Lake for night four and finally some magnificent weather on Manitou Lake for night five.
The weather forecast promised mostly “gentle breezes” and “10% chance of precipitation” … what we really got was crazy strong headwinds, torrential downpours and back to back … to back thunderstorms which made for some super slippery, sloppy portages. 16 portages in all, and with our double carry added up to over 44kms of portaging. We didn’t see any deer, bear or moose but we were attacked by a hummingbird! We did find a few opportunities to use the sail which was a nice treat!
I would recommend this route however If we do it again, I would add a day or two to the trip so that we can have some time to relax a bit more. Oh and bring less stuff.
If you’re thinking of paddling this route, feel free to get in touch! I’d be happy to share my experience and help where I can!
Steve Blais – steve@steveblais.com