There are more than a few ways to see the Chatterton Falls but this route is by far the most challenging and untravelled. Here is the best part:
- If you camp near the Chatterton falls you will have to portage to Chatterton lake (390 M)
- Finding the portage to Alice lake (220M) can take a while but is well worth the trip as Alice is a jewel of a lake. As you start to turn North, Alice transitions to a post fire environment that continues until the Sauvage portage
- The Bonhomme Portage (1200 M) runs through a recently burnt area with fireweed obscuring some of parts of the trail, causing us to stay together and slow down somewhat. We had lunch overlooking desolated forest.
- A short, but not easy to find, lift over / muddy bay slowed us quite a bit due to having four boats.
- The Sauvage portage is part is saved for the last! This end of the day portage packs a punch with a 30 Meter (32 yard) rise through a well marked trail 1370 Meter (1500 yards)
- Because we only saw a few bush sites on Alice and nothing until Fern lake, you should plan to go all the way to Fern lake. You might find a site on the Sauvage but it will be a rough bush site.
- Note that our group contained several teenagers and experienced paddlers. Our route was paddled in 5 days and four night.
- Total Distance: 52 Miles / 84 Kilometers
- Trip length is based on 16km (10 Miles) per day with no rest days.
- Total Time: 24 hours
Sauvage Portage Incline
- Park wardens advised us that the Bonhomme and especially the Sauvage portage are the toughest in the park. They were right!
Call Barry at (807) 929-2266