After waking to a still and quiet morning deep in the French River backcountry, I set out determined to find a new way out of the lake—anything but returning through the brutal creek I’d fought my way up. After some searching, I discovered an unmarked portage that led me back toward the French River itself. […]
canoe camping
Finally Reaching the Lakes | Solo Canoe Trip on the French River (Part 3)
After the brutal beaver-creek grind of Part 2, Part 3 finally delivers the moment I’d been pushing toward: reaching the first lake in the chain that inspired this entire trip. The shift from tight, tangled creek to open water feels like stepping into another world. I take time to explore a small, secluded beaver pond—likely […]
Solo Canoe Trip on the French River – Part 2: Beaver Creek Beat Me Up
Part 2 of my solo French River journey turned out to be the most physically and mentally demanding stretch of the entire loop. I entered a narrow beaver creek believing there was just a single pullover between me and the next lake, but what followed was hours of dragging, lifting, climbing over dams, bushwhacking through […]
Solo Canoe Trip on the French River — Part 1: I Thought This Would Be Easy
In early October, I headed out on what I believed would be a quick overnight solo canoe trip on the French River. I had looked at the map, planned my route, and convinced myself this would be straightforward: paddle 6.7 km, one portage, one pullover, find the lake I’d been wanting to explore for a […]