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Shakwa Lakes. A 100-foot fire tower stands guard over Upper Shakwa Lake. Once a strategic outpost in the Ontario forest fire protection network, the tower, like many others across the province, was abandoned in the 1970s as aerial fire spotting and fire fighting crews took over. Today, the fire tower stands as a lone sentinel, standing guard over the rugged beauty of the Shakwa Lakes. Continuing northward, we canoed through a series of tiny


picturesque lakes before embarking on a lengthy paddle across the expansive and windy Mozhabong and Indian lakes. After a partial bushwhack portage over the watershed’s height of land, our journey soon had us paddling the Sinaminda Creek system. From its headwaters at Winnie Lake, the creek mean- dered through dense northern bogs before opening up in a chain of small lakes. Tumbling over shallow rapids and washing over remnant logging sluices, the creek shortly emptied into the vast- ness of Sinaminda Lake. Leaving Sinaminda Lake, we faced two route options; return


the way we had come via Shakwa to Rushbrook, or paddle the rarely traveled Agnes River and portage overland to Tee Lake and the Shakwa River. As far as we knew, this route hadn’t been attempted by any modern day adventurer, and probably for good reason. There were a couple of unknowns with the second option, namely the 3.8-kilometer portage was a series of aban- doned logging roads whose existence could not be verified and the water levels on the Agnes were a complete mystery. Further, the connecting section of the Shakwa existed only as a tiny blue line on our topographical maps and the condition of its water- course was a topic of pure speculation. Thus far, the majority of the established portion appeared as if it hadn’t been traversed in decades, with overgrown to non-existent portages and bush sites that hadn’t seen a tent in eons. So really, how much rougher could the unknown segment be? Feeling adventurous, and seeking the added thrill of a potential


whitewater run, we chose the exploratory option and soon found ourselves at the base of the Sinaminda Lake dam, where the An- ges River begins its southward descent towards the mighty Span- ish River. Almost immediately, we were greeted with a fast flow- ing stretch with just enough water to funnel our canoe through a narrow channel enclosed by a dense canopy of overhanging coni- fers. The experience was akin to paddling through a giant covered water slide. Ecstatic with the results of the initial set, we paddled on, eager


to meet what awaited us beyond the next bend. Unfortunately, we were only met with disappointment as the next set was in- credibly boney and the deepest channel was riddled with numer- ous strainers, sweepers and logjams. Picking our way along, we quickly concluded that the Agnes was a river of despair as the re- alization set in that the remaining 10 kilometers of travel would be an arduous slog. With the day wearing on, we still hadn’t come across the supposed logging road and our escape route from the Agnes’ torturous grasp. Grey skies turned to drizzle, and drizzle turned to rain as we pushed, pulled, waded and lined our way downstream. Finally, after what seemed to be the hundredth boney swift,


we spied an old bridge abutment and the location of the much sought after logging road portage! Loading up, we set off down the trail, eager to reach the Shakwa. Initially, the going was good, but after half a kilometre we encountered the first in a long series of blow downs. Jack pine as far as the eye could see lay scattered across the road, strewn like matchsticks from


a broken box. Pushing our way through the wall of green, we made slow progress as the now heavy rains pelted down. The deluge soaked us to the core and when we finally made it to the banks of the Shakwa we resembled a pair of drowned rats. Unfortunately for these soggy explorers, the logging road had led us to a boney rapid. Dismayed, we continued to portage in stream until we reached the shores of Tee Lake. By now a heavy fog had settled in, but we were relived the challenging sections were behind us. Or so we thought... This is where I found myself between a rock and a hard place


on the Shakwa. Leaving Tee Lake behind, we were certain only smooth paddling lay between our current location and the take- out at Rushbrook Lake. Instead, we found ourselves portaging in stream through a lengthy section of chutes and riffles. Now wedged in the river and slowly slipping, I took one fateful step and ended up tumbling into the river. The canoe, now free of my shoulders, slowly drifted downstream as I attempted to recover myself. Cursing at my misfortune, I shouldered a now sodden pack, retrieved the runaway canoe and soldiered on with the only injury being my bruised ego. By the time we eventually reached Rushbrook, the daylight


was quickly fading. In silence, we swiftly paddled across the foggy shroud that engulfed the lake. A 10-hour drive home still awaited but despite the struggles, both of us did not want to leave this magical wilderness. The breathtaking scenery, fantas- tic fishing, wildlife encounters, majestic stands of old growth and an incredible sense of solitude made every struggle worth it! Journeying through the wilds of the West Spanish Forest was a mesmerizing experience and you can be certain that we will return to once again explore its vast unknown. —Brad Jennings


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