Potter L - McCraney L

CanadaOntarioAlgonquin
Submitter & Author Information
Route submitted by: 
Admin
Trip Date : 
Route Author: 
Unknown
Additional Route Information
Distance: 
20 km
Duration: 
1 days
Loop Trip: 
No
Portage Information
No. of portages: 
11
Total Portage Distance: 
9240 m
Longest Portage: 
1410 m
Difficulty Ratings
River Travel: 
Not applicable
Lake Travel: 
Novice
Portaging: 
Moderate
Remoteness: 
Novice
Background Trip Info
Water Levels: 
Route Description
Technical Guide: 

August 2003, normal water levels, travelling east to west. Portages are in reasonably good shape overall. Most if not all portages have the yellow signs facing east, but several are missing facing west. One or two of the portages have extra carrying at the western end through open meadow to bypass mudflats, look for faint trails where others have gone before. At no point is it necessary to slog directly through deep mud or swamp. Other notes:

1. The two portages into Loft lake (1040,755) are somewhat overgrown and occasionally hard to follow, but no blowdowns. At one point along here, there is an obvious winter trail branching off to the left (south) into a beaver meadow, while the overgrown portage turns right (north) uphill.
2. At the south end of Loft lake, there is an obvious winter trail on the left (east), but the mildly overgrown portage is on the right (west).
3. There are only a handful of significant blowdown obstacles along this whole route including 2-3 along the portages into South Songbird and Susan.
4. The campsite at south Songbird is not obvious from the water, it is possibly overgrown. The lake is a bit weedy and not pleasant.
5. The campsites at Susan are not signed at water level but are good sites up on a cliff. The water here is murky so bring extra filters.
6. The campsite by the dam on Harry lake at the portage is pleasant.
6. The three portages west of Harry Lake are newly cleared. However, the 1415 and 135 into Floss lake are merged into a single portage.
7. The unnamed lake between Floss and Clara is about 75% dried up. It is possible to carry along a faint path on the north side of the "lake" all the way to a muddy put-in and paddle/pole another few metres. The 1986 park map shows that there was a 2060 metre continuous portage bypassing this lake altogether.

Comments

Post date: Sat, 01/01/2000 - 07:00

Comments: 

I have travelled this route on occasion and I am suprised to hear that someone has done this in one day. It must have been a very gruelling day.
Also I would differ with the opinion about the campsite on West Harry. While the dam is a pretty feature there is really very little campsite area. It is essentially a small grassy knoll at the beginning of the portage. No shelter. No trees. It is remote. West Harry is a very long lake and has only this one site.