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Dear Wabakimi paddlers, Thinking of planning a trip to Wabakimi Provincial Park in 2023? The Friends of Wabakimi (FOW) is working towards updating our maps and information about routes in the park. We are a volunteer, non-profit organization, so this could take a while on our own, but with your help, it might happen sooner! How can you help? By planning a self-guided reconnaissance trip and reporting your findings to us! Consider using the New Trip Journal Form to report on your trip. You can upload this to the website trip report forum or send directly to us at info@wabakimi.org Consider a route that falls within these areas: 1. Hwy 599 (Mile marker 42 - 42 mi north of Savant Lake): Hamilton Lake - Pashkokogan River - Fitchie Lake - Never Freeze Lake - Elmwood Lake - Savant Lake - Savant River – Jabel Lake - McCrea Creek - McCrea Lake - Pashkokogan River - Hamilton Lake (W – NW) Ken Babinchak suggests an alternate to the above. Starting on Hamilton at the same place, mile marker 42, then through to Savant lake (including Seldom Lake before Elwood Lake, not Elmwood), up the north arm and along the Savant River passing through Jabel Lake (also marked as Jabez Lake on the Canada Topos), then continuing on the Savant River , past Savant Falls into Velos Lake. Out the top northwest corner of Velos Lake to McRae Lake, across McCrea and northwest to Pashkokogan Lake, then south to Hamilton Lake and mile marker 42. --- This route is about 3-4 days longer and has some bigger water than the McCrea Creek route, which IMHO would be a bit of a struggle in lower water. --- Adde features are Savant Falls, and some big eskers on Hamilton/McCrea Lakes. Check out the area on this site using both the Canadian Toporama ( which shows greater detail every time you zoom in) and the ESRI Aerial Newer view of the same area. 2. Waweig - Spangle - Inspiration - Machine Gun - Mackenzie - McLaurin How can FOW help you? We have a team of "consultants" (experienced paddlers to Wabakimi) who can provide answers to your questions as you plan. Email your questions to info@wabakimi.org. We can also provide information through webinars and events and maps sold. We hope you'll consider a self-guided reconnaissance trip to Wabakimi in 2023! Please drop us a note about your trip plans to info@wabakimi.org Mary Jean Blaisdell, Expedition Committee Chair Vision & Objective Our Vision for the Wabakimi Area is that it will be “an exceptional destination for wilderness recreation activities for the benefit of present and future generations of visitors”. One of our objectives is to “produce printed and electric literature, maps and other materials to help visitors’ safety plan and execute self-propelled recreational activities..." Wabakimi Canoe Routes Guide -- by Laurence Mills, Wabakimi paddler and map maker Our Wabakimi Canoe Routes guidebook is the first comprehensive guidebook for the Wabakimi Area. The Guide's primary purpose is to help you choose your route in this enormous area. You'll still need detailed route maps. Laurence Mills, an experienced Wabakimi paddler and map maker is our lead author using his experience and our collective knowledge to describe a variety of routes within the park and surrounding Crown Lands. Self-Guided Reconnaissance Expeditions If you plan to take a trip into Wabakimi or adjacent Crown Lands in 2021, you can help Laurence and FOW document and confirm guidebook routes. Please note this is a self-guided trip and is not yet an “official” FOW sponsored trip. First, we need you to document your trip by filling out our new Trip Journal Form. It requests that you assess portages and document the current status of the route. We would like as much detail as you have time to provide. Second, we need photos from your trip. Hopefully, you can capture important features like waterfalls, cliffs and rapids. We also want photos of people and wildlife. Third, if you’re willing and able, some portages may need improvement. Please note, you can only use hand saws within the provincial park boundaries. Finally, we would like a summary of your trip for our newsletter and our Trip Report Forum. Communications We need to know what you are doing. Mary Jean Blaisdell (FOW Board member, (mjblais@indytel.com) chairs our Expedition Committee. Also we can be reached at info@wabakimi.org What FOW can do: We may have trip reports we can share or specific knowledge. If you need a folded planning map and any route maps necessary for your trip, let us know. (Most folks have our planning or route maps, if you don't....) We're happy to share any information we’re able to gather specific to your route plan. Participants will be recognized and we'll share narrative trip reports (assuming that's OK with everyone). Potential Routes Below is a list of potential routes. However, any route is fair game because it could be included in a future issue of the Wabakimi Canoe Route guidebook. This is a listing for discussion purposes. There are numerous options and variations on these routes. -Allanwater River, with many options -Flindt River -Nemo River -Lookout River -Boiling Sand River -Albany River -Kopka River -Brightsand River -Kawaweogama/Brightsand loop -Pashkokogan/Rockliff Lake loop -Little Caribou/Berg/Whitewater loop Armstrong Forest Routes: -Little Caribou to McKinley Road -Caribou/Linklater Lake loop -Big Lake/Big River east to Gort Lake -Vale Creek route (Dave’s route guide is included in his trip report) -Collins River |
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