JUST A BIT UNUSUAL by Ralph Bice

From Wednesday, August 31, 1977

Sometimes something happens to bring back something that has been sort of hidden in a spot of your memory. This happened in 1918. It was my second summer guiding in Algonquin Park. Most of the time the younger guides, who did not mind travelling, were sent on the canoe trips which most of the visitors then wanted. There were some who liked to stay at the hotel and go out on day trips. Only one meal to prepare and the hotel sent out good lunches. We still had to carry the canoe when we went to other lakes but only one trip was pretty soft when judged by what had to be portaged when on a camping trip.

There were two of us guides that particular day. We had been fishing on a small lake two portages from Cache Lake where the hotel, the Highland Inn, was located. The fishing had been good and we were returning in really good time. I was second canoe and in a small marsh there were a couple of deer which we tried to take pictures of. So when we got to the landing the other canoe and the people were gone. The trail was good, no hills, and even if it was a bit over a mile it was no bother.

I was more than half-way across when I met a lady. She was young, dressed more like she was going to a party than going on a canoe trip. She did not appear to want to talk so I barely stopped. In those days no respectful female would wear anything but a dress, and this one even was carrying a parasol. The colour of the parasol was the same as her dress.

Then some distance further along I met a man, also dressed in a different sort of garb that campers wore. But it looked so unusual I had to stop. I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw that he had a rope over his shoulder and was dragging the canoe. Then in the canoe were a few packs which no doubt were tent blankets and other camping gear.

The canoe he had was a board canoe. There were still many of that type of canoe in use then, the so called canvas covered canoe had only been in vogue for a decade, and many still stuck to their board canoes. I asked where he was going and he asked if I had seen a girl, his wife, further along the trail. He told me that they were going on a camping trip and she had gone on ahead.

It was not far to the end of the portage and the rest of the party was waiting. All had been amazed at seeing this man trying to drag his canoe along the trail and it is easily understood that we did a bit of chuckling. Then the other guide and myself, plus the two men who we were fishing with, retraced our steps and carried his canoe and equipment to the next lake. He was very profuse in his thanks, for he never would have made it. Then at our suggestion he put up his camp on that lake and did not attempt to travel. But such a start for a honeymoon.

What made me think of that long ago incident was something similar that happened this summer. There was a party fishing on Butt Lake. They had a large sized ‘Sports Pal’ canoe, and people who saw them wondered why they had such a large dog with them. But a party going in met them coming out on the trail to Hambone. The two campers were walking along with their fishing rods, and the big dog, with a good harness, was pulling the canoe along the portage. The sight amused the party so much it took them a bit of time to get over their mirth and get ready to fish. Such flimsy material on the bottom of that canoe but it seemed to make the trip in good shape.

 

Many times I had seen paint marks on the rocks on a portage made by persons dragging a canoe but this was the first time I ever heard of a dog pulling one over a portage.

Most canoeists work in the city that does not produce a lot of muscle. I have known of so many parties with travelling ideas but changed plans after a few portages.

Leaves seem to be turning earlier than usual. Not nice to realize that our summer is about gone.