2000

Woodland Caribou Provincial Park in Ontario is located about 5 hours north of International Falls, MN, and borders Manitoba. It is a boreal forest, dominated by black spruce, moss and lichen, and is 1,150,00 acres in size. It has a herd of about 250 woodland caribou. Similar to the BWCA, it has a variety of canoe routes and has two major river systems, the Gammon and the Bloodvein, and it does allow motorized use on the larger lakes. Woodland Caribou is accessed in Ontario out of Ear Falls or Red Lake, or by air. There are also at least two entries on the Manitoba side. There is a daily camping fee of $10.00 Canadian per adult. Information about Woodland Caribou can be obtained by contacting the Ministry of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 5003, Red Lake, Ontario, POV 2MO. Telephone is 807-727-2253.

Our first two trips into Woodland Caribou Provincial Park were via the Leano Lake entrance through Ear Falls, Ontario. In 1998 we did a circle going south out of Leano to Kilburn, up to Paull, and back to Leano through Boot Jack. Our recollections of that trip include waist high tree falls on the portage out of Leano, moss a foot deep, and a parade of at least 9 loons early one morning in front of our camp site on Boot Jack. Loons kept flying in from other lakes and joined the single file column, while others left. It was amazing! We met only 1 other canoe party and 1 fisherman during the 6 day trip, but the downside of the route is that Kilburn is accessed by the fishing lodges on Sidney Lake to the south.

On our second trip in 1999 we went northwest out of Leano and set up a base camp near the portage between East Lunch and Lunch Lakes. The site was about 15 feet above a stream with a small waterfall, which we enjoyed using as a shower. Took a long day trip to Mexican Hat Lake, and were awed by the beauty of the rugged waterfall. We were also intrigued by the disappearing stream at the "fractured" waterfall between Lunch Lake and Jake Lake. A study in earthquakes, no doubt! The downside of this route is that it is the most popular one into the park! Met numerous parties going by the portage at our campsite.

In our attempt to avoid the 60 miles of gravel road at 35 mph from Ear Falls to Leano, we decided this year to enter through Manitoba. We chose to go in via the Wanipigow River, which flows out of Crystal Lake in Woodland Caribou and through Manitoba to Lake Winnipeg. It proved to be a challenging yet rewarding route. Our entry point was Wallace Lake, which is twenty minutes east of Bissett, Manitoba. It is about 2.5 hours from Winnipeg to Bisset, over either paved road or hard-packed gravel road that can be traveled at 55 mph. We left our car at Wallace Lake campground, in the caretaker’s back yard.

On the day we entered, we got a late start so decided to camp the first night at Siderock Lake, which is a 3/4 mile portage from Wallace. Got a good workout trying to keep on top of the waves as we canoed over to the eastern end of Wallace. But while the portage was long, it was gentle and we were entertained by a male spruce grouse that had staked out a claim in the middle of the portage path. Siderock is aptly named: it is bordered on the south by a long rocky range, which apparently extends well into Woodland Caribou. The southern shore looks as if it sustained a forest fire 15 to 20 years ago. We camped on the southeast corner of Siderock at a large well-used campsite. Apparently this site is well used by trippers on their way into the park. It is also used by hunters. We set up our tent on top of a large rock that had a commanding view of the southeastern shore of Siderock and heard a wolf calling periodically throughout the night.

Day two dawned sunny, warm, with a gentle breeze. Goal: Crystal Lake in Woodland Caribou. Canoed to the east side of Siderock and entered the Wanipigow River, which proved to be a winding stream choked with vegetation. Constant effort was needed to guide the canoe around the twists and turns, and pushing it over the matted surface. Water depth was about 1.5 feet. Pulled the canoe over several small beaver dams. Were on guard for the "split," which is where the route divides into the northerly channel to the Obukowin portage (which many canoeists take to reach the Bloodvein River system) and the eastern channel, which continues along the Wanipigow to Crystal Lake. We didn’t want to make a mistake and end up on the infamous Obukowin portage! It is purported to be a mile or two in length and wet!

Came to a dead end pool and our first portage, about a 25 m ascent around a high rocky rapid. Checked with the GPS: we were very close to the split. Indeed, shortly after the rapid was a small channel heading straight, and a bit larger channel heading through cattails to the right. Numerous yellow ribbons hanging in a conifer on the left was the clear indicator we were at the "split."

We were now heading into unknown territory. We had been unable to find out any information about the Wanipigow in the Manitoba portion of the route to Crystal Lake, except that it is a "rocky trench that is sometimes best to be waded," as author John Buchanan notes in his Canoeing Manitoba Rivers vol. 1. Renee, one of the caretakers at Wallace Lake campground, said it is navigable. According to the map, No. 52 L/14, the Garner Lake map, which doesn’t mark the portages, it was about 2.5 km along this stretch to a small, unnamed lake, which was 1 km in length, and then another 2 km to Crystal Lake, the last kilometer being in Ontario. The 2.5 km to the unnamed lake was on a stream so clogged with vegetation that we had to pole our way through it, except that there were two nice runs that had clear-running shallow water, which we had to wade to negotiate between the rocks, hence the "rocky trench." If only more of the route were like these runs! The second rocky stretch led into the unnamed lake, where we stopped for lunch. The call of a wolf greeted us.

Lunch finished, we proceeded straight down the lake to find the river access. We spotted a campsite on the north side of the lake about half way down and left the lake into the ugliest muck we had ever seen! Again we had to use our paddles like poles, but shortly into the stream the water level dropped and we were unable to canoe. We had to step out and pull the canoe through foot deep muck that sent up a foul odor with every step we took. The stretch was about 1/4 km long. We picked up several leeches along the way as well. Tevas were indispensable.

An approximate 100 m portage got us up out of the muck and into another shallow pool that we either had to pole or get out and walk. However the muck wasn’t quite as deep as the previous stretch. Another 1/4 km later we came to a short portage around a beaver dam. The portage was up and down on some rocks, and on the eastern end was marked on a post made out of a tree and carved by "Post 2," presumably a Boy Scout troop. Another small pool, at least navigable, led to another short portage at a rapid. Then we were treated to more swampy stream, but at least it was deep enough to paddle. We pulled the canoe over several small beaver dams.

Tired of muck, leeches, and poling the canoe, our spirits lifted when at the next portage we determined that we had reached the Ontario border! We knew by the orange tape hanging from a tree by the portage, and we also confirmed it with our GPS. Now at least we could follow a map that told us where the portages were, thanks to the Ministry of Natural Resources in Red Lake! We knew that we had 4 portages and a distance of a little better than 1 km before we reached Crystal Lake.
The first portage in Ontario was 100 meters along a grassy area and then up and over a hill. We could see the next portage as we loaded the canoe on the other side. We were still navigating through matted waterways, but at least we left the muck in Manitoba. The 30 meter portage led through a luxurious stand of five foot high Joe Pye weed, the lavender flowers attracting zillions of bees and butterflies. Again we could see the subsequent portage from the end of the second. The third portage was on the side of rocks at a beaver dam (which could be challenging if the rock was wet) and the last and longest portage bordered a long rapid, and went moderately up hill.

After 7.5 hours of strenuous and often unappealing work we entered a narrow channel that led into Crystal Lake. A short distance down the channel, on the right, a large "Welcome to Woodland Caribou Provincial Park" sign leaned against its post and advised us to call the Ministry in Red Lake for permits! We set up camp at the first site we saw, which was a short paddle out of the channel straight across to a peninsula. It turned out to be a wonderful campsite: it faced the west and the prevailing wind to keep away bugs, yet its east side bordered a small, sheltered cove, protected by rocky islands, into which spilled a gentle rapid. It was a short walk over rocks and moss to go from one side to the other, and the sheltered side proved its worth when the wind came up the next couple of days.

We camped three nights at Crystal Lake. Highlights of our stay included having an immature sharp-shinned hawk hunt in the cove on the east side of the peninsula , and seeing a family of wolves as we were rounding a bend south of Crystal Lake while we were doing a day trip. The wolves were moving along the opposite shore from the channel we were in. At first we didn’t know what kind of animals they were, because they were black, but bigger than beavers. Then they exited the water and climbed out on some rocks. There were three black half-grown wolves, and a full grown gray wolf! The young ones played with each other before they headed up a large rock and into the forest. Our first wolf sighting in the wilderness!

The return trip was unremarkable, although it took us only 6 hours to arrive at Siderock Lake, probably because we were going with the current, where we again spent a night. It rained all night, so we packed up wet. We were greeted again by the male spruce grouse on the portage to Wallace. He even ran ahead of us on the portage fanning his tail for a long distance before he left the trail. Fought a good head wind on the way back to Wallace Lake Campground. Then on to Winnipeg for a shower and relaxing.

We’re already planning a return trip to Woodland Caribou via the Wanipigow, but hope to introduce some other hearty folks to the muck and leeches, and plan on staying longer to go down Broken Arrow Lake south of Crystal Lake to look for caribou. The upside of this year’s trip: we were the only visitors!