Killarney – Autumn 2008 – Part 3: The Crack

Jay and I had tried to get to the Crack from the east a few days previously, but hadn’t made it. We discussed the idea of taking a shorter route from the south end of Killarney Lake, accessing it from a portage, and connecting with the LaCloche Trail.

(photo by Jason Irwin)

The earlier hike had given us a taste of the terrain, and we knew that despite the fact it wasn’t easy going, the pay off would be some really incredible views.

We parked the canoe, stripped our gear down, stashed what we wouldn’t need and set off.

Kakakise Lake. We stocked up on water here.

(photo by Jason Irwin)

(photo by Jason Irwin)

The trek up.

First glimpse of the actual “Crack”.

There’s a great big boulder field that one has to negotiate in order to get up through the Crack. Some of them are huge.

And this was the view that greeted us when we got up to the top. Looking west. 

The haze in the background was a very localized and very short in duration rain shower. The only rain we got the whole week we were there. Not even worth the bother to put rain gear on for. Looking southwest towards Manitoulin Island.

But the rain did give us this. Looking east towards the French River area.

Kidney Lake. Looking in a southerly direction. The direction we had come from.

Standing just in front of the actual “Crack.” Georgian Bay and Manitoulin Island in the distance.

The area between the rock in the foreground and the rock beyond it is what is known as “the Crack.” Essentially just a geologic fault line.

Hang with a view.

Definitely the most scenic spot I’ve ever hung so far.

Hidden hammock.

Nestled among the boulders. Spots to hang were very limited here.  It may have been a scenic spot to hang, but not a comfortable spot. I was suspended over two boulders, and could feel them all night. Best I could do.

Jay’s hammock. Looking north.

Looking west towards O.S.A. Lake

Jay photographing the sunset.

Me admiring the view. (photo by Jason Irwin)

Just before last light a guy appeared. Turns out he was a photographer from Toronto, named Justin. He hung out with us for a while, snapped some photos, and discussed photography and gear. According to Jay who is much more camera savvy than I am, he had a small fortune of exceptional gear with him. He then announced he was going to go back to his site on Sealey’s Lake and come back before dawn to photograph. We asked why he didn’t just stay, that we had food and enough stuff to keep him warm and dry for the night, but no, he was going to go and come back in the morning.  I found going through that terrain in broad day light, and especially climbing through that boulder field, pretty tricky. I couldn’t imagine climbing up it at dusk, let alone going down in the dark. And then to negotiate that terrain in the dark again. Eek. Off he went. We never did see him in the morning though.

Dawn. Looking to the south east.

Peering down into the crack.

Jay looking for something to photograph.

Jay having found something to photograph.

Kidney Lake.

Creamy! Looking west. The larger body of water you see in the foreground is Killarney Lake, and beyond that is O.S.A. Lake.

Chilly morning. (photo by Jason Irwin)

Me high atop the Crack at the crack of dawn.

While we were eating our breakfast a German man came up, a bit of a mad professor type. He was carrying camera cases in his hands (again, I found coming up through the Crack with everything on my back and my hands free a challenge. Trying to do it with stuff in his hands couldn’t have been fun.) He told us he was going around Canada taking photos. Not sure he was properly prepared for this particular spot, but it was pretty neat seeing the stuff he was using. All antiquated large frame cameras.

Taking a deep breath before heading back down through the Crack. (photo by Jason Irwin)

The descent. Gives a good sense of the scale of the Crack and the size of some of the boulders to be clambered over and around. (photo by Jason Irwin)

(photo by Jason Irwin)

Going up this was a chore...

...going down even more so. Like I said, I can’t imagine doing it in the dark or with hands full.

Met up with a man doing an ultralight speed hike of the LaCloche Silhouette Trail. Had a neat conversation with him. A while later we met up with a Swedish couple, and a while after that met up with a German couple. Both sets seemed more prepared for a stroll in a city park than what they were dealing with.  The Swedes seemed particularly surprised when we told them that there were some honking big boulders coming up that they were going to have to clamber over.

Some shroomage we found on the portage trail back to the canoe.

Kifaru Scout in the stern.

Kifaru EMR & XTL in bow. That’s my paddle. I love my paddle. At the portage from Freeland Lake into George Lake. Very windy, so we just sat and waited for a while.

All in all, AWESOME trip. I will happily go back here in a heart beat. The scenery is phenomenal, with those dramatic quartzite hills, and blue, blue lakes. The warm autumn colours were just the icing on the cake. I can see why the Group of Seven loved this place so much.

Great spot, great weather, great pal, great food, great gear, great vehicle, great trip.