Day 15 - Big Trout

Heart of the Park - Kiosk to Opeongo - Algonquin Park Canoe Trip Report

Burntroot to Big Trout

including an "interesting" trek to Longer Lake

Day 15 – AUGUST 24 - Burntroot to Longer to Big Trout

Approximately 8.8 km. 

75m, 40m into Longer

300m into Big Trout

click on any photo or map for full view

Big Trout Campsite

The beach landing at Big Trout Campsite

Campsite Rating:

• Water Access: great - sandy beach at south/east side of point
• Tent Sites: You could put up a couple of party tents 
• Fire Pit - good fire pit, lots of grates, some furniture
• Firewood:  dead wood found further back in the woods
• Kybo - satisfactory :)
• Swimming - sandy beach good for slow-entry swimming; nice deep water off the rock point but a bit hard to access
• Scenery - large lake, lots of loons, picturesque

Travelling to Longer Lake

Before I start talking about our Big Trout campsite (complete with towering Hemlock and White Pine) I want to revisit the portages from Burntroot to Longer Lake. 

This is a gorgeous paddle winding out of Burntroot through Red Pine Bay to a narrowing channel -- it was extremely picturesque, dotted with small elevated islands, lily bays and a rocky shoreline and large hills on both sides. As we neared the first portage the water became quite shallow. We had to unload about 30 feet from the portage, which although rocky, was easy enough. 

There were several Great Blue Herons flying in front of us, landing and taking off again as we approached. There were also ducks (wood ducks I think). It was a really peaceful and wild habitat.

Again we ran out of water approaching the 40 meter portage. Again we disembarked quite away from the beginning of the portage and we found the other side of this "lift over" even drier and rockier. I noticed someone had extended the portage about 10 meters through the trees and then back out to the water. It was in no way clear but we also crashed our way through the small alders and cedars to where we could set our boat down in a pool and the packs on large boulders. With some walking and lifting we were able to finally clear the portage and be on our way. 

It is amazing how much lighter the barrels were and how much more in control we were negotiating the hazards of these portages. We took our time, thought things through, implemented our strategy and made it past the rock field dry, unhurt and unscratched.

Note: the whole of the 40 meter portage is covered in poison ivy.

But we still had one more challenge to negotiate before the open water of Longer.  What looks like a small pond before the narrows into Longer was completely silted in. We had a tough time finding a channel through the shallows, bottoming out so many times I thought we would have to turn around and go back to Red Pine Bay. But, eventually we did find the channel, it just didn't have any water in spots. We humped our way through eventually making it out to Longer. 

Note: I wouldn't plan to take this route to Big Trout in a draught year. Check water levels.

Heading to Longer from Burntroot

Longer Lake is a wildlife paradise. The campsites we visited were horrible, but the wildlife habitat is truly amazing. Lily-filled bays everywhere, channels to ponds, and points of high rocky walls along the shore. There was a Golden Eagle on the lake, several Herons and while we didn't see moose or other critters, I know those ponds would be fine dining for them. This is a lake I would like to spend time on with my camera gear.

The 300 meter portage into Big Trout was flat complete with board walks and a nice sandy beach at both ends. Heart Attack Hill and those other wicked portages between Kiosk and Burntroot feel like a very distant memory.

Once on Big Trout we had planned to go to Ester Keyser's site (Paddle My Own Canoe), but we ended up on a point site south east of the portage. Ester's site would have been slightly out of the way. We knew Ester's site was gorgeous having stopped for lunch a few years ago, and I've always wanted to camp there. We'll just have to visit another time -- maybe when I get back to Longer with my good camera gear.

Our campsite was huge open concept with large trees and a wonderful rock point looking east.  A trail to the right of the the Kybo lead to the west side of the point where there was a sloped grassy open area and a couple of rock islands a few feet from shore. 

That night in the pitch black on this large lake we heard canoeists paddle past our campsite. It was 10:30 p.m. I couldn't believe it! They made their way east to an island campsite in the distance. They must have know the lake to have this kind of confidence in where they were going. It was a calm night and we could hear them unloading, sawing wood, and then all was quiet. 

There are no words to describe the stars. Large lake, big sky, no moon and a gazzillion stars. It was awe inspiring, breathtaking, magical. 

I got up very early the next morning. Quietly set up my chair and stove on the rocky point, made coffee and watched the sunrise. The Island dwellers left just as the sun crested the horizon. A few paddlers went by in the other direction and a large gathering of loons landed close by. It was a mystical start to my day.

Our story in photos!

Sunrise Point on Big Trout Campsite

Sunset Rock

Canoeists and Loons

One night on Big Trout - Lucky enough to witness another beautiful sunset.

This silhouette series of sunset photos are my favourite of the trip.