Scouting report

Reservations are made, one night on Ragged Lake, May 1st and then 3 nights on Pig Pork. Here is the scouting report:

The area south of Highway 60 offers superb scenery and several good possibilities for canoe trips with relatively little portaging. While even the backcountry sections in this zone can be crowded in mid-summer we will be going in early spring so this should not be a problem.

Beautiful Smoke Lake is not considered hospitable to wilderness travelers as dozens of cottages line its shores, and motorboats of unlimited horsepower are permitted. However, the lake makes a good starting point for canoe travel south and so, is often also crowded with canoeists. The only strategy for dealing with this extreme case of cottage sprawl is to cross Smoke Lake as quickly as possible. Hopefully we can avoid the infamous Smoke Lake winds.

A steep but otherwise easy 240 m portage leads from Smoke Lake south to Ragged Lake. Although it has no cottages and powerboats are banned, the campsites on this lake are heavily used by canoeists, and in peak season it will probably be necessary to push further south to find a place to camp. Reporting indicates a nice island campsite on Archer Bay. Ragged Lake is a nice lake full of islands and bays and smallmouth bass.

The 590 m portage leading from Ragged Lake to Big Porcupine Lake has been called the "Devil's Staircase", and although it is steep, it poses no particular difficulty as the park has made it easier by constructing steps. The steps also aid in controlling the erosion of the trail. Big Porcupine is an attractive lake with many good campsites. A portage has been cut between the north and south arms of the lake, but it is easier to follow the shallow connecting channel.