I make the joke often enough “Portaging is french for torture” and the uninitiated usually reply with a strange uncomfortable laugh and a quick flash of uncertainty in their eyes.

Just to make sure we’re all on the same page, portaging is simply carrying your canoe and kit between waterways via an overland trail. Sounds reasonable, right? Well, there are many variables which can impact your fun meter, such as the weight of your canoe or the number of roots which endeavour to entangle your feet. Also, a portage can be referred to as a carry.

It’s safe to assume most folks close to me wouldn’t label me a social butterfly during the off-season— hermit may be more appropriate. My wintertime existence is probably some ad hoc tactic to strike balance with the overload of social stimulus I enjoy during the warmer months. But I do enjoy the connectedness while I’m in it. This is especially so if I’m shuttling our guests throughout the Park, when there’s a chance for longer conversation.

The Southern Lakes region of Kejimkujik remains my favourite place for canoe tripping in the park. While the rocky shores and quick portages of the Park’s northern Frozen Ocean loop are hallmarks of other folk’s favourite trip, the solitude, glacial erratics and sandy beaches draw me to the south.

Going into this three day canoe trip, I did not know what to expect; this was my first time camping in the backcountry. As my dad and I met our group and Cody, our guide, and ate our final meal before entering the wilderness …

The sun is finally out and the water levels are flowing high, not to mention the black flies haven’t yet delivered their vanguard. It’s finally the start of canoe tripping season!

Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site is a little known paddling mecca. The tradition of navigating the waterways in this area spans millennia, beginning with the Mi’kmaq people and their bark canoes. Some of the portage trails used within the park follow the carries originally established by the Mi’kmaq- which is certainly interesting to ponder while shouldering your load between waterways.