TRIP PLANNING FOR THE BARRON CANYON, THE CASCADES, HIGH FALLS

BARRON CANYON DAY TRIP:

A fairly easy and spectacular day trip into the Barron Canyon can be done by driving to the small Brigham Lake parking lot, putting in, and following the Barron River downstream into the Barron Canyon.  If you paddle just the length of the canyon and then return, it is about four hours. If you make it to Cache Rapids (worth seeing) the round trip can be six or seven hours. Add in a hike of the Barron Canyon trail, and you have a solid day.

THE CASCADES / HIGH FALLS DAY TRIP:
A nice one day up the cascades to high falls starts by parking at the Brigham Lake lot, and putting in but going upstream along 'The Cascades'. Four portages will get you to High Falls lake, which is beautiful, and after paddling the length of the lake, you can explore the main portage along the river to St. Andrews Lake, or the side trail to check out High Falls.  If you hit the water by nine in the morning, you can lunch at the take out at High Falls, and get back to your car by three or four in the afternoon.

SINGLE NIGHT TRIP:

Book a campsite on Opalescent Lake, put in at Brigham Lake, paddling to your campsite and setting up camp,  return to the Barron River light, and spend the rest of the day exploring the canyon, at least to Cache Rapids, then return to Opalescent for the night.

The next morning, leave opalescent lake light, and head for High Falls via Ooze Lake and High Falls Lake. once you have checked out the falls, return to Opalescent via the cascades and Brigham lake, break your camp, and then head back to your car at the Brigham Lake lot

HIGH FALLS, ALGONQUIN PARK - AUGUST 2017

The last of our two visits to the cottage this summer was without Rudi, who had a one week session at Camp Oochageas near Huntsville.  We left Tavistock before lunch on Sunday, driving across country via Arthur and Creemore to arrive at the camp for the three pm drop off time, then drove to the cottage via Highway 60, the West and East gates of the park Park, and Whitney and Madawaska, arriving in time for dinner with John and Susan.

I had decided sometime during our week at the cottage to take Alexander on a day trip into Algonquin, and rather than the Barron Canyon, which is always spectacular, I felt that finding High Falls would be a great in and out trip for an enjoyable day.  Two summers earlier, Rudi and I along with uncle John and his friend Chris did an overnight into Achray and Barron, and on the second day we went upstream on the Barron river, eventually seeing a series of waterfalls draining into High Falls lake, but only on returning home and checking maps did I determine we did not find High Falls themselves, but an imposter on an adjacent arm of the river.

So later in the week, with the canoe already topped on the van the night before, Alexander and I left the cottage bright and early at 7:30, arrived at Sand Lake Access at 8:45, and after buying out permit, driving to the small lot at Brigham Lake, were on the water before 9:30 AM.

Canoeing up "The Cascades", a series of small lakes separated by short stretches of the Barron River with low cascades and rapids and small waterfalls... There are four portages from the Brigham Lake put in to High Falls Lake

Looking west along the north shore of High Falls Lake, it appears a small swath of the forest ahead of the bow is suffering from disease, likely a bark borer.

The river inlet into High Falls Lake.  This is the easiest to locate, as it is very open and plain to see, and near the take out for the portage to St. Andrews Lake.  About three hundred metres to the right of the canoe, however, is a second inlet, that drains Stratton Lake via High Falls.

After leaving the canoe near the put in, we located the unmarked and unofficial trail that leads along this second river (that drains Stratton Lake) and to High Falls, pictured above... Well it probably is one of three decent waterfalls that could be called High Falls.

Another view of what is likely High Falls, the lower of three waterfalls on the Barron River draining Stratton Lake into High Falls Lake.

A small water slide that drains a small amount of the flow of the one arm of the Barron River from St. Andrews Lake into the other arm from Stratton Lake. Alexander jumped in to provide some scale, the slide was about twenty feet in height.

These are not High Falls, but are one of the falls on the Barron River draining St. Andrews Lake into High Falls lake. My bowman Alex for scale, this step of the staircase is about fifteen feet tall.

BARRON CANYON - JULY 2013 (Part 3)

About two kilometers past the end of the canyon, the river widened considerably into a marshy lake, and we pulled the boats up to a campsite to have a swim. Rudi 11 facing away tying up his shorts, AJ 12 looking over his shoulder at Alexander 5. This is after a seven hour day of paddling and hauling canoes over portages. Tough little kids!

A short while later, we put out again, and found the portage around Squirrel Rapids, a half kilometer trek over bouldery ground, and after three trips with backpacks, paddles, and canoes, we put in again for the last kilometer of river to the take out at the pit in an parking lot, very close to the road and bridge over the Barron River, and just down from the Sand Lake access gate.

Rudi, AJ, and Alex taking a dip in the deep cool water of the Barron river after a hard day of paddling through the canyon.

Alexander looking back upstream after our last portage, our final take out at Squirrel Rapids is downstream to the left.

Some low rock walls with the take out at Squirrel rapids just coming into view ahead of the canoes.

BARRON CANYON - JULY 2013 (Part 2)

We paddled further down the canyon, past the highest point, and the lookout trail above. The Canyon has a curve to it, and from either end the north face marches away like silent soldiers in a never ending file. Of course, paddling the canoe well and getting an ideal photograph are mutually exclusive endeavors, so one must just do a little imagining.

I decided to continue the entire length of the Canyon, and exit at the Squirrel Rapids parking lot, even though that meant having to find a way back to the van at Brigham Lake. Squirrel Rapids is just about a kilometre from the Sand Lake access gate, and I was pretty confident I could leave the boys with the boats for a bit, make the gate, and get a lift back to the van.

With that considered, we continued paddling east, passing a group of girls heading in the opposite direction in three large canoes, and finally exited the canyon, continuing on toward the final portage upstream of Squirrel Rapids.

Looking back to the west, Rudi and AJ in the jaws of the canyon.  The walls above are about two hundred feet high.

Looking east, with the camera lens zoomed out all the way to a mid - telephoto, 105mm focal length

This picture was taken within seconds of the photograph above, with the lens zoomed back in to a fairly wide angle, 28mm

Again, this photo is within ten seconds of the previous, after turning the boat around and looking to the west.

East again, the canyon walls simply disappear from view from the river, folding away into hills on either side.

BARRON CANYON - JULY 2013 (Part 1)

After a season generally away from canoeing for a number of reasons, including cataract surgery on my left eye last summer, Rudi, Alexander and I got back into it in grand style shortly after leaving for our first visit to the cottage over the summer holidays.

This year, we invited AJ, a friend of Rudi's from cubs, up for four days or so of paddling, and possibly an overnight trip in some fantastic country in Eastern Ontario. The canoes this year were a Swift Kipawa kevlar, and an older plastic on aluminum frame Coleman, borrowed from two of Katherine's friends. I am hoping to acquire one or two H20 Composites by the end of the summer, of course...

My bowman, Alexander this time, as we head downstrem on the Barron River from Brigham Lake

Rudi and AJ learning the finer points of steering a canoe down the channel.

The Barron Canyon opens up.

A view of the scale of the size of the Canyon. AJ and Rudi are in the red canoe in the distance, looking from our boat back upstream.

THE BARRON CANYON (PART 4)

THE BARRON CANYON AS WE EXPERIENCED IT

TYPE: Day Trip, half-day minimum to full day. Our trip including two portages, at an easy pace was 4.5 hours, plus an extra half hour for the hike.

LOCATION: East side Algonquin Park, Sand Lake Access Gate.

DRIVING DISTANCE: Two hours from Ottawa, six hours from Toronto.

COST: Vehicle Day Permit, $13 at the gate.

RESERVATIONS: Generally not necessary, first come first served.

SUITABLE FOR: Canoeists or Kayakers of any level of Experience.

FITNESS LEVEL REQUIRED: A moderate level of fitness is necessary due to the one or two portages, (depending on direction, about 500m long).

EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: Beginner to intermediate, with the ability to handle the canoe if a wind comes up the canyon.

REASONS TO GO: Incredible scenery, lack of crowds, bonus hiking trail to the top of the Canyon.


OVERALL RATING: 9.0/10



Dont drown needlessly, wear a PFD!

THE BARRON CANYON (PART 3)

Well, seeing as I have five thousand words worth of pictures here, I will let them tell the story, click on any of them to enlarge (try to find the other canoe hidden in one of the photos - first correct answer posted gets a free nights stay at the Field House Bed and Breakfast in beautiful Tavistock Ontario!):

THE BARRON CANYON (PART 2)

After hiking the trail above the Barron Canyon, Rudi and I got back to the van and drove to the Brigham Lake parking lot, about 5km further up the road. Within a few minutes the canoe was offloaded, and we were heading down a fairly steep little trail toward the water, Rudi carrying the backpack and paddles, and me the canoe. We arrived at the put in, just below a small rapid, where a couple were relaxing, their canoe tucked just out of the way. By the time we loaded up and got in the water (and I returned to the van for my camera!) they were also getting ready to go. What then followed was a low speed canoe chase, which Rudi and I eventually lost! The first picture is a view looking East, downstream toward the canyon, with the couple who just passed us about fifty yards ahead. Here the canyon walls rise about 200 feet, but are well back from the river, and are simply steep, tree covered slopes. This small river section is about 1km long, and empties into Brigham lake, which is quite small, the far end of which is the first portage. The second photograph is a view looking back to the West, and Brigham Lake, where we had just landed at the take out for the first portage. The portage was only a hundred metres, and led us past some rapids, into a very small lake, which we crossed to find the takeout for the second portage. We paddled across the front of the outlet of this little lake, taking a peek over the steep set of rapids that led to Brigham falls. This portage was 440m in length, and It was a fair bit of effort raising the canoe, as it was the Fibreglass Prospector, and weighed just under 60lbs. The third photograph was taken with the canoe on my shoulders (look carefully at the strange dark part of the top of the photo, it is the inside of the canoe.) and is looking down Brigham chute, again toward the East. After this final portage, it was just some easy flatwater canoeing right into the heart of the Canyon.

THE BARRON CANYON (PART 1)

On Tuesday, Rudi and I headed for the Barron Canyon in Algonquin Park. I was thinking of a not too difficult or long day trip, maybe four hours or so of canoeing including portages, and this trip fit the bill perfectly. We were also able to get in a short hike to the top of the Canyon for a simply spectacular view.

We started early, dropping Alexander off at my Sister's house in Barry's Bay just after 8 in the morning, and drove to the Sand Lake Access gate, using Station Hill Road out of Alice as a shortcut. We arrived at the gate to buy our Day Pass ($13) just after 10am, and talking with the Park Employee, determined that putting in at the Brigham lake access provided a shorter paddle (8km round trip, versus 14km) than going upstream from Squirrel Rapids. It also enabled us to check out the short hiking loop that takes one to the lookout at the top of the Canyon.

The loop is a short, fairly easy 1.5km trail that takes you from the parking lot just off the access road, up a steep hillside to the clifftop over the canyon, giving a spectacular view in both directions. The canyon here is roughly 350' deep, and has nothing to stop one from falling over the edge... Apparently, this does happen occasionally, as a person fell and died just a few years ago.