Solo Canoe Trip to Clydegale Lake and the Galipo Lakes in Algonquin Park 4K

After a quick paddle from the Rock Lake access point on the Madawaska River I headed south into Rock Lake. Following the western shore I rounded a point and past a cliff that contains a few native pictographs. From the cliff I continued south into the southwest bay to the portage that took me to Pen Lake.
After the quick 375 metre portage I took a detour and headed east to Gem Lake via a 615 metre portage. The portage was mostly uphill but it is a gradual climb. Gem Lake is a small lake that contains brook trout.
After the side trek to Gem Lake I headed south down Pen all the way to its most southern tip where I found the 275 metre portage to Clydegale. I found the portage (despite the sound of the water) and Clydegale Lake to be eerily quiet. Despite this feeling I did find it to be a very beautiful lake with a great campsite on the southwest part of the lake.
The next morning I headed west to the 2035 metre portage to Little Canoe Lake. Halfway across the portage I came to the logging road. There, I decided to follow the road rather than finish the portage so I would not have to find the spot to bushwhack back up the the road at the other side of Little Canoe Lake. This added approximately 2000 metres to the 3160 metres of road I would have to portage. Despite the length and the mosquitos I did not find it to be too difficult of a carry.
After a few hours on this portage (which is not on the official Canoe Routes of Algonquin Park map) I saw East Galipo Lake through the trees. I bushwhacked my way down to the lake through 200 metres or so of bush.
Once on East Galipo Lake I headed west and through some narrows that brought me to Little Galipo Lake. After a quick paddle up the lake I came to the 215 metre portage to South Galipo Lake. Once on South Galipo Lake I noticed the air seemed very hazy. I paddled west through a small bay and head south to where I was scheduled to camp for the night on the lake. When I reached the campsite I found it to be burnt out with the ground still smouldering. After some time trying to drown these smoking areas I doused the trunks of the trees in the area that was still smouldering.
I resolved to paddle out to inform the Park staff of what I found. It was already 4pm at this point and I was exhausted still from the long portage I had just completed from Clydegale Lake. I headed west to the short 85 metre portage that passes through a campsite to West Galipo Lake.
West Galipo Lake is a long, beautiful lake. At the north end of the lake it narrows to a point where there is a beaver dam and a short 5 metre portage that brings you to Galipo River.
After the portage it is a short paddle before the river becomes too shallow to paddle and I had to lift and drag my kayak over the rocks for a couple hundred metres. After this point the river is deep enough to paddle but it was extremely narrow and my kayak paddle was almost too long for me to use.
I then reached a portage that took me past some more shallows. After this portage the river meanders for a piece before reaching the next short portage that I don’t think is on the map. There is more meandering of the river before reaching the next short 75 metre portage that is marked 165 metres and says it brings you to Rence Lake. I believe this sign was put up in the wrong spot.
After this portage the river opens up into a marsh. Here, I saw three moose grazing on water plants. At the north end of the marsh the river narrows again to a dam and gets very shallow. I was pretty tired and confused because I could not see a portage around this obstacle so I got out and dragged my kayak over this section. I believe this is where the 165 metre portage sign was supposed to go but was not put up.
After getting across the rocks the river was once again deep enough to paddle and sure enough, a short distance down I saw the portage sign around this section.
I paddled north through a meandering marsh and into Rence Lake. From here I decided I would continue north instead of east to Harry Lake and Welcome Lake. On the north east end of Rence Lake I paddled up the shallow creek to the 320 metre portage that brought me to Frank Lake. It was a quick paddle up Frank Lake to the narrows that then opens up to Florence Lake.
Once on Florence Lake I paddled east to the long 3455 metre portage to Pondweed Lake. The portage was not too difficult, just long. The portage comes to a logging road which I followed for a while before the trail breaks off and heads north just after Sitting Duck Lake.
It was dark by the time I reached Pondweed Lake but I could see the shores and tree-line in the dark.
Pondweed Lake narrows before opening up into Lake Louisa. I found the first campsite on Louisa to be unoccupied so I set up my tent and slept for the night.
I was up early the next morning and headed east down Louisa Lake to the long but relatively easy portage to Rock Lake. Once on Rock Lake I headed north to the access point.