About us
Welcome to Portage & Paddle Ontario, a canoe-camping group for those interested in moderate backcountry canoe trips.
Typical excursions will be the base-camp style of backcountry adventure vs multi-day tripping. Destinations may include Algonquin (of course), Killarney, QEW, the Kawarthas and so on. For those interested in venturing beyond the usual places, we could consider other sites such as Quetico, Lake Superior, the New York Adirondacks and more. Suggestions are welcome.
A typical trip will consist of paddling / portaging to a site, setting up for a 3 - 4
night stay, and spending the days hiking, exploring by canoe, relaxing or whatever floats-your-boat (bad pun intended)
Sure, we might not experience as much of the park as would happen in a multi-site
trip, but base-camps have several advantages:
No need to worry about quasi-military itineraries; no need to obsess over gear
weight (within reason), allowing better food & more comfortable gear; greater flexibility in the choice of day excursions, all the while still enjoying the peace and beauty the backcountry has to offer.
While this group is open to people above 19 years of age, an of any experience level, members MUST:
- Own, or have access to, good quality equipment and clothing suitable for the
conditions - Dollar-Store gear is a bad idea.
- Be aware of, and be prepared to deal with, bugs and bears
- Be able to afford up to $150-$200 in costs such as park fees, rentals, gas, food and
supplies.
- Be reasonably physically fit
- Know and follow the general rules of the parks, respect nature, wildlife and other park-goers, & abide by the Leave-No-Trace principles.
UPDATE Apr 2017: About pets - While I'm a fan of 4-legged furry friends, based on member feedback, many others are not. I'll post a mixture of dogs-allowed / not-allowed trips and see how things pan out.
Trips will be planned so the driving does not coincide with cottage or holiday traffic. As such, your work schedule should allow for sufficient time-off.
Thanks for reading, and hope to see you on the water soon!
Glenn
Upcoming events
24
Georgian Bay Explore Camping
Location not specified yetJoin for the long weekend, paddle camping and exploring new areas of Crown-land in the beauties of Georgian Bay.
Feel free to join Sat morning, as we will likely camp close by to the launch pointDifficulty; Intermediate
Since I've never been to this specific area, and distance is undetermined, and the waters of GB can get quite wavy and windy, experience with open water paddling is recommended. Beginners are allowed, but I am not responsible for you, and every risk is your own choice.Exploring trip;
I've never been here, or heard of anyone that has gone here, so this is an exploration trip. Plans are not certain and adaptability may be needed. I'm basing my plan only from online maps of crown land and satellite view. There are many uncertainties which may alter the plan as we go, such as; parking, launch point, water conditions, space for a camp site.Gear:
U will need to bring ur own boat + gear + food (unless u rent, or ask to share/ borrow ahead of time). I have some extra gear, so ask if u need.
-If you want to share a canoe or carpool, post a comment to see if any others.
-Dogs: I'll likely bring 1 friendly German Shepherd. More are welcomeCost
This is on crown land so camping is free and camp sites are undesignated. Possibility we will need to pay for parking.Plan (see map screenshot photos)
-Fri; Find somewhere a short distance from the launch point to camp on the mainland shoreline in Upper Shebeshekong Wetland Conservation Reserve
-Sat; pack up and paddle 2-8km to Hertzberg Island
-Sun; Decide as a group if we want to pack up and camp at a new spot, or leave camp setup and do a day trip exploring
-Mon; pack up and head back to the launch point whenever u wantLaunch point;
RSVP: By choosing to rsvp as going to this event, you acknowledge the agreement posted in the following link, stating the group and I do not hold any responsibility for any injuries/accidents etc.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eHmJu3JJVjeG01PBRBcyIE3V1T6N3koeuULeg8fc1WI/editI've done many trips like this, which is how I found all my favorite spots, so there may be uncertainties, but its worth it, and if u like exploring new places, join along!
4 attendees
Past events
67
Group links
Organizers
Members
1,319
