Crotch Lake Trip Report 2023
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- Created: Wednesday, 13 September 2023 21:54
Crotch Lake Trip Report 2023
Six paddlers in three canoes had a fabulous stay on Crotch Lake in North Frontenac Parklands. We arrived on September 6 and left on the 9th, 2023. Half of the group had never been in North Frontenac, while the other half, including our experienced trip leader, had many fond memories of previous trips in the park.
According to the website (https://www.northfrontenacparklands.com/) "...the North Frontenac Parklands offer the ultimate backcountry camping experience with 184 campsites interspersed around 11 pristine lakes." We stayed on campsite 38 at Crotch Lake, which is an easy 2 km paddle from the launch. The site is on an island with a sheltered sandy landing, great views of the main body of the lake, back-saving "kitchen counters", and lots of good spots for setting up tents.
The weather was fantastic - only one short rainfall - sunny with a lovely breeze and no mosquitoes. We split our time between exploring the lake and pleasant leisure with a view. We all went swimming. Newbies, curious about the lake, paddled past the Narrows, which lead to the north part of the lake, and also ventured into Gull Creek and Fawn Lake. Fawn Lake is very shallow, but the northeast end surprised us with towering cliffs. It was also the first time for some of us to see bald eagles close enough to admire their majestic beauty.
Stories were shared around the campfire, among them a colourful history of prospecting and mining in northern Ontario told beautifully from a very personal perspective.
We finished our trip with ice cream in Maberly. What a refreshing break from city life! We all plan to return to North Frontenac Parklands.
Written by Joanna
