Another year another trip report. We did #34 last year so this year decided to do a 4 day and picked #35. It was a long weekend so most routes were full, we were the last group allowed on #35.
Day 1: 16km, 3 hours to 35-12. Nice campsite with a big clearing overlooking the lake. We got there around 3pm, at around 5pm a group of 10 paddled by (they left 2 hours before us). I'm assuming they got pretty lost. They paddled south to I don't know where, I think they camped in the woods.. the next morning they showed up again and headed back to the start
Hard to believe they were planning on doing it in three days according to the lady at the desk, strange that no one in a group that large would know what they were doing. Anyways, great campsite, I don't like to paddle much on my first day. Lake Nichcotea is very busy, lots of motorboats. Drop off your stuff at Nichcotea, drive and park at Canimina and walk back to save yourself the double portage at the end of the circuit.
Day 2: 18km, 6.5hrs to 35-29. Probably the nicest campsite I've stayed at in La Verendrye. Huge peninsula beach, 5 sites, picnic table, 2 fire pits. Very nice. It took us 1.5hrs to get to the creek, then 3 hrs to Lac du Stimulus. It was very slow, lots of walking the canoe through rocks, portages, and winding creek at the end. The next half of the creek was beautiful though, took about an hour, deep water and not overly switchbacking so you could maintain a constant speed. From the end of the creek it was about an hour to the campsite, very windy on the big lake.
Day 3: 22km, 5.5hrs to 30-60. Another beautiful campsite, black flies were out in full force and this campsite is on a very windy peninsula. 5 sites, picnic table, and your choice of tent pads that are full exposed to the wind or tucked back in the woods. We got in around 2pm and the car was only another 20 minute paddle so it's an easy 3 day route but we decided to camp out another night and take it easy. No fun getting home at 9pm anyways. Canimina was -very- windy but a thunderstorm rolled in around 8pm so that may have had something to do with it. The next morning it was flat as a pancake.
All in all it was a great circuit, lake Nichcotea was pretty busy but otherwise the other lakes were empty, we never saw another boat after the 10 man gong show the first day. The first half of the creek is a little annoying because you end up doing very little paddling and it takes quite a while, but the rest of the creek was really nice. Campsites can make or break a circuit sometimes and this one has fantastic ones in all the right places! It can certainly be done in 3 days, but it would feel a bit rushed, if I only had 3 days I'd do 34 instead.
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