Two4Adventure: Paddling Eels Creek- Two and a 1/2 for Adventure

Lets jump right into it shall we? Still running off a high from last weekends canoe trip on Long Lake in Kawartha Highlands P.P. and Wednesday being my first day off since that weekend, I had a paddling itch that needed to be scratched. With my sights set on Eels Creek for a day trip, I contacted Wayne to see if he wanted to tag along. It didn't take much persuading for the other half of Two4adventure to catch a bus to Peterborough and meet up for the trip. Of course what would an adventure be without my 3yr old Son Hiker in the mix as well (soon to be 4yrs old on June 18, yay!). Come to think of it we almost need to rename our duo to Two and a 1/2 for Adventure to accommodate the likes of Hiker. Not as catchy but I almost feel obligated as he is starting to attract a fan base ;)

Now normally the section of Eels Creek that we were canoeing on would be done from Haultain at highway #28 down to Stoney Lake at Northey`s Bay Rd. This would be a linear route that would require a shuttle to return us back to the van when finished. We only had access to one vehicle so this was not an option. Knowing that it is quite common to paddle up to High Falls from Northey`s Bay road that is what we opted for. Our intentions were to go up the creek beyond the falls into territory we have not explored before.

We rigged the canoe with one Go Pro Hero 2 and one Hero 3, and at times Wayne pulled out his hand held camcorder to document the trip. This is the first time Two4adventure has been out as a team since documenting last Falls hike into the same area. Winter had us doing other things and our commitment to our Two4adventure project fell short. Driven with a new found energy we set our sights back on to big and better things for our future and paddled on up stream to continue where we left off. Creativity with the cameras was at an all time high and we hope it shows in our upcoming video of the trip.

This year Hiker had shown more of an interest in fishing so this was a must while we were on the water. Armed with his new fishing pole, a bobber and wacky worm I cast it out for him and got to fishing myself. While focusing on my own little fishing moment I failed to realize that Hiker had reeled in and casted back out. Well in his mind it was suppose to be a cast. In reality what it turned out to be when I turned to look, was what seemed to be a birds nest with a shiny egg in it. The birds nest being the line and the shiny metallic egg being his reel inside. Needless to say the rods were set back down for a bit to be sorted out at a later time.

We continued our way up the creek taking in the sights and keeping our eyes peeled for wildlife. The bullfrogs sang us a tune as we made our way through the beautiful scenery. We continued with different camera angles as we made our way to the first portage and the first signs of complete disregard for nature.

After completing our first portage around some rapids we found a fire pit at the put in. There was garbage littering the bank of the creek. Knowing this is a regular occurrence in this area I had packed a couple garbage bags for these exact moments. Hiker and I took to picking up the garbage in the surrounding area. This would not be the last time we would see this on our trip.

Once the boat was back in the water it was a quick paddle over to our next portage which would be around High Falls. During our paddle across the body of water that is seen in the picture above we began to hear faint rumbling in the distance. This rumbling sounded like thunder and much more it turns out.

We make it to High Falls with the intentions of going beyond but Mother Nature had different plans. As well pull the canoe out of the water the distant thunder became not so distant. Looking into the sky it seemed as though the storm that was soon to be, was going to pass. Not the case. As we put our gear down above the Falls this was the sight over the tree line.

A cloud formation that Wayne nor myself had ever seen before.The storm blew in just before noon and the song "Should I stay or should I go" popped into my head. The choice was obvious to hunker down and ride it out.Paddling back to the vehicle was not a wise decision and besides, this is what makes the adventure. I scurried back to get the canoe from the beginning of the portage as it was our only option at this time for shelter. Just as I returned to Wayne and Hiker the rain began. We quickly propped up the canoe against a tree, bungee corded the paddles to the seats and tied it off to the tree.

Once everything was established we decided it would be a good time to have lunch. The storm pounded us for about an hour, giving us enough time to have lunch and then very nicely moved on allowing us to continue our trip. Before hitting the water again we explored the surrounding area and came across this cuddly creature.

We took the opportunity to capture some photos and videos of the little guy and carried on exploring other parts of the Falls. Not wanting to chance anymore increment weather we got our butts in gear and pushed on up the creek to areas we have not seen. At times we paddled in the rain but it was surprisingly very nice. We came to the next portage and decided this was the halfway point of our trip. We would now turn around and begin to make our way back to the vehicle. On our way back we encountered a couple paddling to the Falls, a gentleman solo canoeing and his partner in a kayak. We had a quick chat (more Hiker talking about his experience than anything) and we kept moving down stream. By this time another storm was on the horizon but it wouldn't be long until we were back to the vehicle and loading up safe from another onslaught.