Paddler's Guide to Happy Camping

Kopka River Part 4 - Portaging (Cliff Climbing) Around the Seven Sisters

• Posted on May 30, 2008 at 9:55 AM
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Next step is a doozy

Part 4

Day five of the trip was Father’s Day and before breakfast Andy and I opened gifts packed away by our families. Andy received Tim Horton’s gift certificates for us to use on our way home and I got some fishing lures, plus a lovely card signed by my daughter Kyla and wife Alana. Apart from the gifts, we were all looking forward to this day of the trip. At the southeast end of Kanakskanis the river begins to drop dramatically. This area is where the true character of the Kopka River begins, an absolute paradise with one massive cascade after another – seven in total, hence the name Seven Sisters. Our map indicated a trail on the right of the first drop, titled Mink Portage. It’s an historical route that avoided the entire stretch of falls and rapids and was used by the crew traveling with Edward Umfreeville in 1784, working as a writer for the Hudson Bay Company who at the time were looking for an alternative route west due to the political problems associated with the Grand Portage. It wasn’t. We spent twenty or so minutes looking for any sign of a take out but there wasn’t anything. Not that we wanted to make use of the trail (other portages had later been cut around each specific drop) and the portage itself measured a good distance. What we did find, however, was an obvious take-out to a portage on the left bank. It was a relatively flat trial, measuring about 700 meters, but it definitely wasn’t easy. Mid-way along we had to balance on top a giant boulder garden. The entire area looked as if someone had pricked a hole in their colossal bag of marbles and let the contents spill out over the forest floor. Thank goodness it wasn’t raining at the time or one of us would have broken a leg or twisted an ankle for sure. We all hated carrying across but Bill cursed the portage more then the rest of us. He had paddled the river before I thought for sure he had navigated this stretch of rapids. At least he didn’t recall ever walking the boulder garden, so it’s pretty likely he did run the rapids rather then portage. Problem was, however, the high water made the set unmanagable. And to proof the point, we found a Grumman canoe, from Cozy Corner rental, wrecked at the base of it. Not far downstream was another drop; this one more significant then the previous one. The take-out, found on the right, was uncomfortably close to the brink of the cascade but at least the trail (300 meters) was a clearer path. The ending was a little insane though. The trail made its way down an incredibly steep embankment resembling more of a mountain goat trail rather then an actual portage. And to make things even more interesting, a large wasp nest was nestled under one of the rock overhangs, the same one everyone had to grab onto while making their way down the rock slope. Surprisingly, we all managed to float away without getting stung. The put-in was situated in a small bay and the next portage (a short 50 meter) was easily located at the exit of the small inlet, to the right. Noticing the falls upstream, however, we all couldn’t resist wanting to get a closer look. A well planned upstream ferry just above the rapid, and a few strong paddle strokes upstream got us to the base of the falls. There were a few anxious moments but to float at the base of this giant waterfall, feeling the spray of the flood water crashing into the pool below, was far worth the trepidation of the event. Again, almost immediately after the next portage was another drop, a falls larger then the previous one. And it was complete with another difficult portage, found to the right. The distance wasn’t the issue. It only measured 175 meters. But the put-in spot was again insanely steep. You had two choices. The first, which happened to be the original, was straight down a moderate cliff face and to the very base of the falls. We opted out of that, and took the second. The trail forked to the right, went through a mucky bog and then directly up a mound of granite, which we could only manage to scramble up after Andy made a make-shift ladder out of a fallen birch tree. The good news was that a picture perfect campsite was waiting for us at the end of the portage. It was such a nice site actually we ended up staying for two days. The first day was spent recuperating and the second was had taking an excursion to an unnamed lake directly north of our site. No portage existed to it but we were used to making our own at this point, And the fishing wasn’t what we thought it would be (we caught more off the campsite). But the cliffs that lined the top half of the lake were impressive enough to make the journey far worth the effort. It was raining the morning we left our site and in retrospect we should have hunkered down to stay one more night. The next portage, and the last around the falls section, was the steepest, rockiest, most insane portage I’ve ever done in my life. Having the rain greasing up the rocks for us made it even worst. The trail is to the left of the falls, and you only have to walk 60 or 70 meters before you get to the “downward” section. It’s down a sheer cliff. Seriously, a cliff! A cliff that you need climbing ropes and harness’ to get yourself and gear safety down to the bottom. Bill and Anne had warned us about this part but both Andy and I thought they were exaggerating somewhat. They weren’t. I haven’t a clue how you could complete this carry, and not get injured, without at least a rope. There is an alternative trail that Ontario Park’s staff cut the previous year, found on the right shoreline. It doesn’t have a cliff but I personally think it’s more dangerous. The entire route is clogged with giant boulders and you’d definitely have a tougher time dragging you and your gear to the other side. With Bill and Anne’s climbing experience we all managed to reach the bottom without major injury, and after a butt-load of photos taken of the falls we just climbed down beside our crew took on the 440 meter portage to the left of the swift water existing the base of the cascade.

...to be continued