Dates Completed : August 24 to August 25, 2025
Total Distance Traveled: 19.3km Portages : 2 Total Portage Distance : 500m
Introduction
Ragged Lake has always held a special place for me. Back in the summer of 1999, I joined a group of about 10 friends and spent a few days at this very lake. It was my first recreational backcountry trip and one of the first times I had ever been in a canoe. My memories are vague and scattered: I remember doing my first portage, staying on an island, and using a thunderbox for the first time.
It would take 26 years before I returned to Ragged Lake. This time, I led three friends—my ex-colleague Cesar, and my current colleagues Judy and June. Ironically, not only was it June’s first trip into the backcountry, but it was also her very first time camping and canoeing!
Unlike my first trip decades ago, this one was just a short overnighter. That felt perfect since there was no guarantee June would enjoy this experience.
August 23, 2025
Day 1 – Smoke Lake (Access Point 6) to Ragged Lake
Distance Covered : 9.1km
Portages : 1 (250m)
Total Portage Distance : 250m
Total Time : 2:27hrs
After leaving Toronto at a brisk 7:30 a.m., June, Judy, and I quickly made it to our first stop in Gravenhurst by 9:40, where we met Cesar, who drove over from Wasaga Beach.
From there, the Smoke Lake access point in Algonquin was just an hour away. However, for this trip, we’d be renting one canoe from Algonquin Outfitters, and although our canoe would be waiting at Smoke Lake, we had to drive to Lake Opeongo to pick up our paddles. A strange procedure that defeated the purpose of a drop off at the access point. By the time we drove the extra 40 km, collected the paddles, and prepared the canoes, it was already past 2 p.m.
Compared to Canoe Lake, the busiest access point just 5 min away, Smoke Lake is roughly twice as large. The weather report indicated gusts of up to 15 km/h, but thankfully the waves weren’t too bad as we reached the southern end in just over an hour.
One 250 m portage later, we were on Ragged Lake looking for a campsite. Despite being late August, many of the ~20 campsites were vacant, probably because of the light rain in the forecast, but more likely because of the fire ban. After all, camping without a campfire just isn’t the same.
We eventually settled on a site at the far east side of the lake, close to the portage to Big Porcupine Lake. The access to drinking water wasn’t ideal due to the shallow, marshy shoreline, but it was spacious, had plenty of room for four tents, and had good exposure to the wind—which was great for keeping the bugs away.
Due to the fire ban, we had planned ahead to make up for the lack of a campfire with an extravagant meal. We went overboard and brought a butane stove, a hot pot, and a large variety of meats and vegetables. Cesar even hauled in a large Yeti cooler, which seemed excessive but in the end made for a great table for the hot pot.
By 8 p.m., we started cleaning up and tucked most of our gear under a tarp tent in anticipation of some light showers. The first of those showers started shortly after 9 p.m., which prompted us to retire early for the night.
As usual, Hana the portage puppy ignored her kibble and begged for human food instead. Luckily for her, we had far more than we could eat. She filled herself with rare beef and pork before passing out on Judy’s sleeping bag in her tent.
August 24, 2025
Day 2 – Ragged Lake to Smoke Lake (Access Point 6)
Distance Covered : 10.2km
Portages : 1 (250m)
Total Portage Distance : 250m
Total Time : 3:16hrs
The previous evening, I had suggested we try to leave camp by 10:00 a.m.—to the dismay of my friends. My reasoning was twofold: I wanted to avoid arriving in Toronto in the middle of rush hour, and I wanted to be back at the access point before the winds picked up on Smoke Lake.
As I rolled out of my sleeping bag at 7 a.m., it was obvious that the winds had strengthened overnight. Small waves were already forming on Ragged Lake, which meant they’d be a lot rougher on Smoke Lake. I didn’t want to sound too authoritative, so I simply packed up my tent and was ready by the time the first person emerged from theirs—at 8 a.m.
I thought Ieading by example might help, but it had absolutely no effect. They were motivated only by the promise of grilled cheese sandwiches with a slice of spam.
By the time we finished breakfast and broke camp, it was already past 11. The waves on Ragged were manageable thanks to the sheltered nature of the lake, and before long we were at the portage to Smoke. June promptly grabbed my H2O canoe and carried it across the portage as though she’d done this dozens of times in the past. It was 12:40 p.m. by the time we set off for the access point on the northern end of the lake.
The first half of the paddle was uneventful aside from some strong gusts. But once we were within sight of the access point, the winds picked up significantly—whitecaps forming on the water. At one point, the sustained wind and waves were so strong they caught the bow of our canoe and spun us around 180 degrees. The ride was bouncy and wild, but I kept everyone focused by telling them to think about the flavor of ice cream we’d have at Kawartha Dairy once we got back to the car.
By the time we pulled into the boat launch at Access Point 5, it had taken us nearly two hours to cross Smoke Lake—twice as long as the day before. But we made it back safely, and that made the ice cream at the end of the trip feel all the more worthwhile.
