"We got out of the water taxi at the North arm and our first portage was 1390. A good distance to get us going but really it was the only portage for the day. We travelled around Proulx Lake and into Crow River. I love paddling winding rivers and Crow was no different ... Into Little Crow and west to Big Crow we headed for the site on the South East shore of Big Crow. After setting up camp and having supper, cocktails and a round of cigars we decided to head over the tower." "

"Our first day had a total of 7 portages, on one portage I went to take a step down onto what I thought was just a muddy bank. Turns out it wasn't and I fell into the water, or at least partially as my back pack managed to anchor me to the shore. For the first few minutes the mud was thick enough that I actually couldn't get out. The guys were nice enough to leave me there, laughing and taking pictures." "

"When I got to the pool there was no one else around. I tied up to an old log and then sat and fished in the sun for about 3 hours. It was dead quiet sitting there, one of those golden moments that you get when you're off by yourself in the wilderness. One of those times that remind you why you go to all the effort to canoe or hike in somewhere that you can't get to by car. The fishing was good too, I caught six Specks over that 3 hours, including a keeper to take home to my son." "

"There is a short 420m portage between North Tea and Manitou Lake. It’s a gentle up and then down but this change in elevation makes for technical challenges that are new to me. It takes four people to haul the loaded komatik up the incline: one person stands between the traces, three others pull on a long thin rope that has especially attached to the front as a pulling tether. Looks like a chain gang! with the rope over a shoulder, everyone heaves on ‘three’. The komatik lurches out of semi frozen ruts and slowly moves up. It takes us 30 minutes to get 6 sleds up 40 meters."

" Here was where we found out the reasons why this portage was given the name "mother-in-law". To put it in layman’s terms IT BROKE US. The 3rd leg took three and a half hours to complete and the surprises along the way were .. crossing 3 streams, a huge mud puddle and endless hills. We finally got to Dickson Lake. We paddled to our island site near Cisco Bay and set up camp. By this time it was 5:30 p.m. and we took it easy after another grueling day."

"Clambering further up the hill gets you to the edge of a high cliff looking north up the length of Shirley Lake. This is the kind of pine-framed vista that sticks in your mind. Views like this are worth staying at one campsite, just to see the landscape through changing light from hour to hour and from day to day."