Page Updated:
July 16, 2006

In the earlier days of Haliburton Scout Reserve, it was common for troops to take off from the reserve on one of two “Canoe Trips”. The two routes were known as “Haliburton” and “Wilberforce”. The Haliburton trip involved putting canoes in at the Barrows and dragging and portaging most of the way to Drag Lake and camping at site on East Bay. The highlight was paddling down Drag Lake and making your way into town for a milk shake at the Kozy Korner. 

In contrast the Wilberforce trip involved paddling to the Trapper’s Cabin, portaging to the Beaver pond for a 2 minute paddle, portaging to Yankton Lake for a 10 minute paddle and then wading through the infamous mud portage to Grace Lake and through to Pussey Lake. Significantly, the campsite of choice in the ‘60’s was on the old I. B. & O. (Irondale Bancroft & Ottawa) railway line across Pussey Lake from Wilberforce. (In the 50’s, there were still trains running on it.) The highlight was paddling across Pussey Lake to the public wharf and into town for a milkshake.

You may notice a number of common themes in these trips:

1. The carrying to paddling ratio was kinda high.
2. Once you got there, you had to come back and enjoy the same carrying experience in reverse.
3. Despite the thrill of freeze dried or dehydrated food prepared over a campfire or cook stove, there was something real special about having someone else prepare a real treat for you, like a milkshake.

The next morning we attempted a compass bearing portage from Esson Lake to Miskwabi and hit swamp (obviously because we failed to do the magnetic north correction) and wandered around various abandoned lumber roads until we found the lake. From there it was clear sailing down Miskwabi Lake, Long Lake and then a quick carry to Portage Lake (I hope you are all following this on your Natural Resources Canada Wilberforce topographical map - There will be a test later). 

Anyway, from Portage Lake we portaged to Two Islands Lake and then to Drag Lake, from which point we could have returned to camp by way of the Haliburton Canoe Trip route to the Narrows. However we decided to paddle down Drag Lake to the river and paddle through town, stopping for a milk shake, of course. We were picked up by the camp truck the afternoon of the second day from Head Lake in Haliburton.

We had discovered that it was possible to canoe in a circle route around the camp, provided you didn’t object to carrying canoes along roads and through the bush, most of the time. Needless to say, one Composite Camp older boys period attempted this before better sense prevailed.

Now I wrote earlier about the significance of understanding that some of the highlights of canoe trips have little to do with paddling and carrying canoes. However, in keeping with the overall railway theme of this particular issue, I did notice when I returned to the Haliburton Area and the Reserve during the 1990’s, that the old Victoria Rail bed running from Lindsay to Haliburton had become a recreational trail. Not only that, but the Drag/Burnt River system sort of ran parallel to it. Factor three was that my former neighbour and bass playing buddy had moved to property between South Lake and Canning Lake and had extra bedrooms, flush toilets and a flair for cooking interesting curry. 

So early one morning, I loaded up three mountain bikes in my van and drove to Gelert and found a spot in the bush where the recreational trail and the river are real close. I hid the bikes and returned to South Lake. My friend took the canoe and the three of us, myself, my wife Beth and my son Dave, who was 11 at the time, in his pickup and unloaded us on Kashagawigamog Lake. 

We paddled down the lake and started down the Drag River and promptly dumped in the first swift current. Oh well, it was a warm day. The river has a lot of interesting eddies and currents and three sets of navigable (by an amateur like me) rapids. Anyway, by mid afternoon, we reached Gelert, stashed the canoe, found the bikes and rode along the Victoria rail bed to Lochlin and from there to the South Lake Road. The evening was curry and beer and fresh sheets. 

The next morning we rode our bikes back to Gelert and hid them. We picked up the canoe and continued to Kinmount, stopping to play in this really neat rapid for a fair length of time along the way. Once at Kinmount, we called our host who arrived with pick up truck. He drove us and the canoe to Gelert, where we picked up the bikes and returned to South Lake. 

It was a really neat experience. I have subsequently returned and cycled the portion of the Victoria Rail bed between Kinmount and Gelert. 

For more information about this trail look for: “Pioneer Cycle Guide Haliburton to Lake Ontario” by Donna McNeil and published by This-Is-Not-A-Race Outdoor Books.

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