Story and Photos by Kenneth Takabe Ken, a resident of Toronto, set himself the goal of climbing the highest point in every province and territory. Beginning with Ishpatina Ridge, the highest point in Ontario, in Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Park, he began his quest. He undertook the trek September 3 to 6, 2001, but he didn't get there by air or canoe. Nor did everything go according to plan. |
Top photo: Looking northeast along Ishpatina Ridge from the base of the fire tower.
BACKGROUND: |
or my first provincial high point, I decided to concentrate on my home province of Ontario. I figured that it should be an easy accomplishment... after all, Ishpatina Ridge was less than five hours away by car and was only 693 meters high - much lower than some of the ice climbs in the Canadian Rockies! My initial concern arose when some preliminary reports seemed to indicate that the ridge was inaccessible by foot. I immediately purchased a 1:50,000 topographical map, along with the book Not Won in a Day by Jack Bennett, and put those concerns to rest. Both of them indicated the possibility of doing the ridge from the south - a route which involved driving up 80 kilometers of logging roads, crossing the Sturgeon River and bushwhacking for six kilometers. But just to be safe, I decided to confirm this with the superintendent of Lady Evelyn Provincial Park. "How do you expect to get to the ridge without a canoe or kayak?" was his immediate response. I answered his question by telling him about my intentions of biking, hiking and bushwhacking when he basically laughed me off with the words "That is a serious outing. I wouldn't recommend it." I ended up leaving for the ridge on Monday morning and after five hours of driving along Highways 400 and 69, I finally reached the town of Capreol where I decided to get some gas. After topping up my tank, I asked the gas attendant if I was on the proper road to the logging area when he suddenly burst into an uncontrollable stint of laughter. "You're taking this car? You're crazy! I wouldn't take my rusty old Neon onto those roads!" was his response, as he walked away shaking his head in disbelief. |
Home Rupert Battle Rupert River Temagami Che-Mun Forum Crees Camps Canoes Keewaydin Way Search About Contact Us Maps and information herein are not intended for navigational use, and are not represented to be correct in every respect. All pages intended for reference use only, and all pages are subject to change with new information and without notice. The author/publisher accepts no responsibility or liability for use of the information on these pages. Wilderness travel and canoeing possess inherent risk. It is the sole responsibility of the paddler and outdoor traveler to determine whether he/she is qualified for these activities. Copyright © 2000-2014 Brian Back. All rights reserved. We do not endorse and are not responsible for the content of any linked document on an external site. |