Murdock River Paddling Route

Every summer we spend a week at a wonderful Bed and Breakfast in Northern Ontario called Whispering Pines on the Bay. We cannot describe it any better than our wonderful hosts do on their website.

Welcome to a little piece of Heaven on Earth. We invite you to join us to hear the peaceful call of the loon, the relaxing sound of waves lapping against a rocky shore, and the beauty of Northern Ontario. Bob and Peggy Fera invite you to join us for friendly hospitality, bountiful food, and a home away from home.

This is not an arrive late, leave right after breakfast kind of place but a real "home away from home" where you are always assured of meeting interesting people from all over the world.

Whispering Pines on the Bay is surrounded by wilderness, located approximately halfway between the City of Sudbury and Killarney Provincial Park and close to the French River.

It is located on Kakakiwaganda Lake, also known as Rock Lake, with fishing, boating and paddling opportunities. There are also old logging roads and ATV trails in the area suitable for mountain biking.

The Murdock River flows from Kakakiwaganda Lake to the French River and that is what this post is about.

I have been thinking of undertaking that paddling route with my kayak. We have paddled part way a few times but never undertaken the complete 32 km distance (as measured on the map) which includes several portages. I understand the number and difficulty of the portages depends on the water levels which do vary from time to time. But it is a navigable route.

So with that in mind I have put together a collection of maps of the route using the Canadian Topographic Maps, as well as LandSat satellite images. I also created a GPS track of the route from the map, so please note that the GPS route is not a track of an actual paddling excursion.

What follows are the maps I created. If you wish a copy of the GPS track (GPX format) or a PDF version of the maps suitable for printing at 8 1/2 by 14 inches (legal size) please email me at: richardw.woodley@gmail.com.

Click on Map Images to Enlarge Them
Garmin MapSource Map of GPS Track
Canadian Topographic Maps Combined
Canadian Topographic Map 1
Canadian Topographic Map 2
Canadian Topographic Map 3
LandSat Combined Views
LandSat View 1
LandSat View 2
LandSat View 3

Spring Has Sprung

In one weekend we seem to have gone from winter temperatures to summer temperatures and the first flower of the year has bloomed in our yard. The pathways are finally clear for biking, but we have no idea when the forest trails will be dry enough to ride. Next weekend is the Upper Jock River Canoe Race and the Tour Nortel is the weekend after that.

(click photos to enlarge)

Is Kayaking Better Than Canoeing

As a long time canoeist who has just got into kayaking I have had to reluctantly face this question. To me kayaking was a second choice but I am finding that it has many advantages over canoeing.

When we had our kayaking lessons I learned how to lift my kayak up and dump the water out while in the water, after rolling the kayak and filling the sitting compartment with water. This is something I would never be able to do with a canoe, nor could I re-enter the canoe while in the water which I was able to do with a kayak.

Out on a very stormy day on the Ottawa River, I was thinking that I would be very nervous (scared silly) if I was out in a canoe, but the kayak just bounced around on the heavy waves and I was actually able to paddle into the waves and make much better progress than I would struggling against them in the canoe, all the time worrying about being swamped.

The kayak seems to move faster and easier and even require less water than a canoe. The paddle stroke is very intuitive and even seems more efficient than paddling a canoe. The kayak seems to be sinkproof, and so far I have not managed to dump mine unintentionally, except once when getting in. I even feel a lot more comfortable taking the camera out in the kayak, in a suitable waterproof container, knowing it will not end up on the bottom of the lake or river.

The only disadvantage seems to be the inability to just turn around and sit the other way to paddle out of a narrow stream.

So I guess I will have to admit to being converted, but I can still take solace in the fact that a kayak is considered to be a type of canoe.



Postscript: You will notice that it has become a challenge to keep up the blog posts during the summer with visitors, travel and outdoor activities, but I will try to do better.