PHOTOS
Top: Scene from my pretty Lake Kenakakaniss campsite (A).
Bottom: The Long Mean rapid leading into Lake Kenakakaniss.
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DAY 7
I got up and struck camp and carried the gear to the end of the portage where I had yesterday paddled the canoe. I would be heading generally east today until I got to Lake Kenakskaniss. There was supposedly a 36 ft waterfall indicated on my topo map 1/2 mi. downstream from camp but it turned out to be an easy Cl II run ! . . . go figure! My map was official Canadian government. They must have had a few Labbatt's Blue that day . . . but map is old . . . wonder if they've fixed that error.
In a couple of miles the river drops over a significant, wide 15 ft ledge, taking various channels . It's an easy 100 yd carry on river right. Nice campsite there, too. After that it's an easy few miles to the rapid entering Lake Kenakskaniss. Portage is on the left, 400 yd, and everyone is going to walk this one. This rapid is a 1/4 mile of hard technical Cl IV with a few deadfalls randomly tossed in. If it were in PA or NY it would be a "WW Mecca "site and all the hardcore OC1's and yakkers would come to play all day and get to know every rock. But this is the wilderness. Your first time down and Pizza Hut is a long way away, so you walk. Could you line it? Sure. But it would probably be riskier and take as long. Take the cannoli , leave the rapid.
Lake Kenakskaniss is long and for the first time I was heading south over distance so I was concerned about headwinds, but they were light and not a problem. There is a nice small campsite 2/3ds of the way down the lake on right, but if you're keen you can go to the south end of the lake and a couple of very nice larger sites are on the cliffs overlooking the lake. I chose the first small campsite, perfect for one or two tents.
Warm weather, another dip in the lake and I was (literally) a happy camper.
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