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Killarney Boundary Loop, Day 10
OSA Lake
This is part 11 of 13 in the series Killarney Boundary Loop, 2016

Our second last day of the trip was a break day on O.S.A Lake. We watched a large flotilla of canoes paddle away at noon as the weekenders left. After that we had the entire lake to ourselves. It was nice not having to pack up and rush off immediately, but I was a bit restless and didn’t want to waste another opportunity for some exploring in Killarney, so we hiked up to the peak of the ridge behind our campsite.

There were two crater lakes high up behind us and I plotted a path towards the peak up the gulley carved by their runoff. The hill was pretty steep and we were mildly out of breath by the time we made it to an exposed slab of quartzite between the two lakes. Despite being directly adjacent they were surprisingly different in character. One lake was deep and surrounded by white cliffs, much like Topaz Lake. The other was shallow and marshy, filled with the corpses of dead trees. Both are very pretty.

Campsite Kitchen

We continued past the two lakes, following game trails and exposed ridges of rock until we reached the top of the hill. The view wasn’t nearly as good as the one we had two days before, but we could see O.S.A. Lake, Three Narrows Lake, and both Baie Fine and McGregor Bay. It was a pretty nice spot, particularly on a nice warm sunny day.

A few nights before it had been very cold, and I was worried that perhaps the warm weather was over for the season. But the last night of the trip was the warmest and I had to throw my sleeping bag off in the night. The temperature wasn’t the only reason I had a hard time sleeping. I guess I just don’t learn, but my sandals were on the ground beneath my hammock again, and the night critters were out again. At one point I heard some scrambling and then a quick thudding. I had visions of a weasel running off with one of my sandals so I leapt out of my hammock to chase it down. At first I couldn’t find them, but then I realized that they were still under the hammock. They had been dragged, just not very far.

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Killarney Boundary Loop, Day 11
OSA Lake — George Lake
This is part 12 of 13 in the series Killarney Boundary Loop, 2016

Our last day was grey and cloudy but the sun peeked out occasionally from between the clouds. I was reluctant to leave, and we had more than enough food to stay another few days, but our booking was done, and the responsibilities of the world beckoned. We were still pretty slow in packing up our site and it was one o’clock before got out on the water.

The paddle across O.S.A. Lake was easy. It can get a bit tough when the wind is up, but it was nice and calm today. The portage to Killarney Lake is nice and flat, and the food bag was now pretty light, so we decided to do a single carry. I took the canoe and the food bag while Xander took both of the other packs. This was our only single carry of the trip, and it was more just to say that we did one than to save any time or effort. That said, It was nice to be able to just drop the canoe in the lake and keep going at the other end.

Killarney Lake is very scenic, but it can also be a bit tricky to navigate. I had the map folded the wrong way so that I couldn’t see the relevant area and I was determined to find the portage without looking at the GPSr. The last time we were here I steered us into a dead end, but this time I managed it without mishap.

We saw one couple camped on Killarney Lake and there were several groups of people on the portage to Freeland. We’d been encountering more and more people as we got closer to George Lake, and we even encountered some day trippers when we reached the last portage from Freeland to George. Once we arrived at Freeland Lake we’d officially completed our loop, and we just had an easy paddle across George to return to my car.

I’d left a fresh change of clothes in my car for the trip home, but I’d neglected to bring a towel, and it never even occurred to me to pack some soap or shampoo in the car. I still availed myself of the showers at the George Lake campground. While the shower was refreshing and made the drive back to Sudbury more comfortable, it came with a pretty heavy price. I’m pretty sure that the infestation of athlete’s foot I came down with was thanks to this shower, and not something I contracted in the backcountry.

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Killarney Boundary Loop, Conclusion
This is part 13 of 13 in the series Killarney Boundary Loop, 2016

So is the boundary loop the “essence” of Killarney as promised by Kevin Callan? When we finished the trip it felt like we’d achieved something. It was a personal achievement however, not something you talk about to the uninitiated. Most people don’t even know what backcountry camping is, which makes it hard to appreciate the challenges of a trip such as this one. And there are much harder trips right here in Ontario. But other than adding a few detours it’s almost the longest trip that can be done in Killarney.

Killarney isn’t the biggest park in Ontario, but it is arguable one of the most spectacular. This trip visits almost every one of the most scenic lakes in the park. So in that way the Boundary Loop is the “essence” of the park. On the other hand, an essential part of Killarney for me is the wilderness. And while I’m tempted to point out that most of the route hugs the border of the park where encounters with cottagers, day trippers, and fishermen in motorboats are more likely, the point is a bit disingenuous, since even the lakes right in the heart of the park have the odd cottage. It’s difficult to find true unspoiled wilderness anywhere in Killarney. I would have liked to see fewer people, but I’m also glad that those we met all had the chance to explore and enjoy this spectacular place.

The boundary loop touches on many of the facets of this complicated park. It is a spectacular trip, and it definitely leaves one with a sense of achievement. But it isn’t the ultimate Killarney trip for me, because I know that I’ll be back for more.

Tips

  • There are multiple challenges on this trip including long portages and some areas that are difficult to navigate. It isn’t a trip for novice canoeists.
  • Some of the portages are long and quite steep. Distribute your gear wisely keeping the portages in mind. The perfect combination for us was two packs for gear (25lb each) and a third pack for food (almost 50lb, but we split out 15lb of this pack for portages early on in the trip to make it lighter). To finish off our load we had one ultralight canoe for two people.
  • This trip passes through some very popular areas, so make sure that you book early to get the sites that you want.
  • Consider your fitness level when planning the trip. If you aren’t fit at the beginning you will be by the end, but consider booking a break day early in the trip to give your muscles time to recover.
  • Leave time in the schedule to account for fluctuating water levels, but if possible avoid booking the less scenic northern lakes.
  • There will be some motorboat traffic on the northern border lakes, and many of the interior lakes will have cottages and some traffic as well. Even if Killarney truly becomes a wilderness park, the western portion of this route outside of the park through McGregor bay does pass by quite a few cottages.