No. Although this is a canoe camping trip limited to current store employees, it’ll be led and organized by myself on my personal time.
We’ll all need to request time off from Sunday, June 22 to Wednesday, June 25.
I’m looking for 1 to 3 people. My 16′ canoe can carry one additional person, or maybe 2 if they’re small. If I have 3 people who want to join, we can rent an additional canoe since the start/end of the Brent Run is conveniently located beside Algonquin Outfitters.
Canoeing experience isn’t necessarily required but you’ll be expected to paddle for hours on end. On the other hand, experience in back country camping is essential. Especially when it comes to packing light.
Gear shouldn’t be a problem. I have enough lightweight gear in my closet to equip 4 people if needed. We can also borrow from the MEC EDP (Employee Demo Program) as well.
The park fees work out to around $40 a person. I’ll provide transportation and we’ll split the gas expenses. Depending on the number of people who join, you may have to split a canoe rental which costs around $250 for 4 days. If it’s a total of 3 people who can all fit in my canoe, it could be as little as $80 a person.
Compare that to a group like Wilderness Union which offers this trip to their members. Not only are they doing it in one direction only but they’re doing it over 5 days and will probably charge over $800. With me, you get twice the fun in less time for a fraction of that cost! Mind you, they will cook for you but I’d be more than happy to boil you water for your self supplied freeze dried meal.
Personally, I’m expecting this to be the toughest canoe camping trip I’ve done to date. Back in the fall of 2023, my partner and I covered 1/4 of the Brent Run as it happened to overlap with our route along the Big Trout Loop. We paddled it at a steady pace and it took us 2 full days to cover that distance. The thought of doing that same distance in half the time elicits both excitement and a little uncertainty.
Physically, it should be possible to cover 40km per day during the longest days of the year. Mentally, I expect it to be much more difficult. In fact, it might be easier to do this in one shot than it is to stretch the misery over 4 days.
I’m planning on getting up at 6am every morning so that we can start paddling at 7am. From there, we’ll continue to monitor our progress along with the weather but I expect us to be spending up to 12 hours on the move before setting up camp for the night.
And in case you’re wondering, this plan applies to Day 1 as well so we’ll be leaving Toronto as early as 1am on Sunday morning.
Unfortunately, the schedule is fixed since it was necessary to reserve a campsite for each night. If you’ve got a map of Algonquin in front of you, the first day will involve paddling from the Canoe Lake put-in to Big Trout Lake. The second day will be spent on Cedar Lake and then we do the exact opposite.
The good news is that the quicker we move, the more time we’ll have to rest and recuperate in the evening.
Speaking of reservations, I had to make them by speaking to a representative. The online system wouldn’t allow me to reserve my sites stating that it was unrealistic for someone to paddle that distance in one day.
I’m planning on at least two “warm up” canoe camping trips prior to the Brent Run. They won’t be nearly as extreme but they’ll give you an idea of what to expect.
Once we leave for the Brent Run, you need to be committed 100%. This is more than just a canoe camping trip. This is a test of determination, resilience and teamwork. We need to stay focused as we push and encourage each other forward.
I’m not going to sugar coat it – this will be a grueling experience. You’ll be getting in and out of a canoe over 100 times in thigh deep water so that you can carry it up and down over 20km of mud. You’ll be wet and miserable for 4 straight days. You’ll be wishing you were working at MEC instead. You’ll be cursing endlessly at the biting insects and at me for bringing you along. We may not share a word between us on the drive back.
But weeks after you return and reflect upon this trip, you will be forever grateful that you joined. I can almost guarantee that.
If you have any other questions or would like to join, you can reach out via email by clicking on the mail icon below. Of course you can also approach me on the camp floor anytime.
