The Vitals
The Trip
The two of us are soon to be the three of us so this summer we needed to find a good camping trip suitable for someone who is 6 months pregnant. We found it in the Sayward Forest Canoe Route midway up Vancouver Island.
We headed to the island after work on a Thursday and camped at Kin Beach campground in Comox. It seems to have nice ocean views but we arrived after dark and packed up early in the morning to pick up our canoe rental from Comox Valley Kayaks. The rental fee seemed steep but 1) they were really organized and easy to deal with and 2) the route is pretty tough on the canoes themselves. We also elected to get a canoe cart (1/4 of the total cost) but it would be foolish to skip it on this route given the relatively buff portage routes with lengths up to 2.3 km. You can also call to book which saves a substantial 6% online booking fee.
The drive to Morton Lake Provincial Park was straightforward on well-graded forest roads once we left the highway north of Campbell River. There is a large unloading area and canoe launch and it seems like ample free long-term parking across from the camp host’s site so it also felt pretty safe.
For some reason, 10:30 am was rush hour at the boat launch as we were unloading next to a few other groups of canoes and SUPs. We were the first ones out in the lake and we paddled north on glassy water with some nice views of some larger mountains to the south.
The first portage is 1.6 km and is the first obstacle in one of the toughest sections of the entire route, especially with fairly low water levels. At this point we were not yet a well-oiled machine so there were some difficulties securing the canoe well and we also had the heaviest loads we would have all trip. Eventually we reached the next swampy lake with a muddy shore. This is really a glorified pond before the next portage followed by a few beaver dams and more swamp.
Our shoes were at risk of being swallowed forever in the thigh-deep mud and for a while we were paddling through a channel cut into the swamp while drawing an inch or two of mud. Hard work to paddle but preferable to attempting to trudge through the mud. This led to another small lake (Twin Lake) where we stopped for lunch.
Another 900 meter portage with quite a steep hill to descend with the heavy canoe pushing me along brought us to Amor Lake and the end of the difficulties. We paddled west, gliding over the crystal-clear water, until we reach Sterling Island and found a private single-site space with a positively bursting toilet box (like an outhouse but without walls). We made our camp here despite being unsure if there would be clearance from our bums to the top of the pile (there was) and had some swims and naps for the remainder of the afternoon.
In the morning we set off fairly early and passed many loons out on the lake as we embarked on what would be the only long day. We made quick work of the 100 m portage to Surprise Lake (floating dead bat) and also had a reasonably smooth trip along the 2.3 km portage to Brewster Lake (and another beaver dam). It was still early enough as we paddled the length of Brewster Lake that there was no wind and no other boats out on the lake. Brewster is one of the larger lakes with just one significant island near the north end.
From Brewster there is supposed to be only a 300 m portage but low water meant we spent some time in and out of the boat on our way to Gray Lake. This was tiring and got to be a little annoying but at least there were few bugs despite the general swampy nature.
We had lunch on Gray Lake as the daily winds began to pick up and we were entertained by a flotilla of friends having a great time out on the water. Somewhere in this section I attempted to step out of the canoe into a foot of water but it turns out the bottom was just silt that tried to swallow me whole. I was holding on to the canoe but I was over waist-deep in the mud and had a tough time hauling myself back into the boat.
A few more portages and paddles in small bodies of water (e.g. Whymper Lake) and we reached Fry Lake. We didn’t know ahead of time, but it’s obvious that Fry Lake and Campbell Lake (connected by a narrows, not another portage) are dammed as there are abundant submerged trees. Some rise above the surface but many more are lurking just under the surface threatening your boat’s soft tummy.
One particular tree rises high above the water in the center of Fry narrows and has ladder rungs nailed to it. We watched someone jump from 2/3 height and I did the same before we watched a sprightly older gent leap from the swaying tippy top. Brittany remarked, “You can tell he’s had a brave life.” and I couldn’t disagree.
The wind had really whipped up on Campbell lake but here the low water was a blessing as it meant the entire shore of this very large lake was beach and we easily found a great, private place to camp. The day’s travel was about 8 hours but the portages were significant and quite physical so I was happy to be done.
We spent another evening swimming and working on a cryptic crossword before a snooze on our self-made tent pad (it was almost flat) while surrounded by the “spider” stumps left behind on the shore (see top photo).
We set off early again and were enjoying a nice tailwind when something living moved in the bottom of the boat. We had a stowaway frog so we had to make a detour to land to let it off a long way from its old home.
Campbell Lake has the most boat traffic of all the lakes but our start time meant it was quite quiet still when we made it to the portage to start heading back north to the start of the circuit. This portage is 1.1 km and on a road but it has a fairly significant hill that was not trivial to pull the canoe up while wearing flip flops.
By this time, the wind seems to have shifted from the north so our progress was a bit slower on Gosling Lake. The rest of the way to Mohun lake was just more short portages and small lakes. The portage between Higgins Lake and Lawier Lake was said to be difficult but by this time we were very good at maneuvering our canoe cart and it didn’t pose us much trouble at all.
By 1:00 we had found excellent camping on Mohun island and we were glad to be off the water as the wind was now very strong. I think it was an unusually windy day based on how many small branches and needles were falling off the creaking trees above our tent.
The temperature had also gone up quite a bit so we were in and out of the water all afternoon. The swimming all along the circuit was absolutely perfect. Refreshing and clear, the frequent swims were the perfect antidote to hot portages.
By evening, all the other people who had started at the same time as us on Friday were now also camped with us on Mohun island and there were no more free tent pads. Evidently, this is a popular final night only about 5 km from the end. The last pair showed up around 8:00 with their heavily laden boat. They had a large cooler, fishing gear, a hammer, and a chainsaw. They were tired and maybe regretted the packing a little bit but also proudly showed us pictures of the table they had made with their chainsaw at one of the sites on Amor Lake. Mostly they just seemed like two guys having a good time.
The final morning continued the theme of our boat being the first out on the water. The wind had not abated at night and was still blowing strongly from the north so we took our time tracing the western shore, taking breaks at every sheltered point along the way. Our last stop was at a small island offshore from the boat launch at Morton Lake Park where we took a selfie before coasting into the finish about an hour and a half after we started.
The average physical output on the trip was low with most of the paddling being easy and short travel days, but the peak output was high when navigating the portages with the heavy canoe or when hauling the boat over beaver dams in deep mud. We had a fantastic time but I am glad my partner was an adult. I think some sections of portaging and paddling into headwinds were made a lot easier by having two strong people. This is definitely a trip a lot of people can complete but packing lists and experience means perceived difficulty will run the gamut from pleasure cruise to once-in-a-lifetime accomplishment.
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