I Went There Too: 2012

While returning from Killarney, we arranged to visit Shay's Uncle George at the Sportsman's Lodge Wilderness Resort that he runs, just north of Sudbury, in Wahnipitae. But of course while traveling in the north and along the Trans-Canada HIghway, making an inukshuk at the side of the road is a right of passage.

We continued enroute from Killarney to Wahnipitae, and this is where I grip about Google Maps. If you are in Sudbury, which is where we stopped to freshen up, and you Google Map directions to the Lodge, it will tell you that the best route is to go up through Skead, toward Johnson Rd. There is NO road when you are in Skead that leads to Johnson. Do not attempt to take the dirt road that you come across either, as this is for ATV's and it will not go all the way through. As a kind local re-directed us back to the 17.

George said it happens all the time, and people fly into the Sudbury airport and think it's a 20 minute drive along this road. You have to go around Lake Wahnipitae, down the 17 and to Kukagami Lake Rd. Kukagami Jacks is on the corner.

If you do have time to stop in Sudbury, you should eat at "Respect Is Burning." It is only open for dinner, so we were mighty disappointed to have missed it this time, but definitely a tasty place to stop.

The Main Lodge

I was so mesmerized when we first visited this place, that it inspired me to write about it. Hopefully I will finish that book soon, should I ever stop spending all my free time traveling! The Sportsmans Lodge Wilderness Resort houses the tallest standing log structure. It is a cozy retreat nestled on Kukagami Lake. In the winter, George boasts that the lake gets as busy as the 401 with snowmobilers, and in the spring and fall it is ATV season. The summer months are usually popular for canoe trips, weddings and film making. Look for "A Little Bit Zombie" in a theatre near you!
Dinners and breakfasts are served in the main lodge, and the other Lodge, and Tower host dozens of rooms with private ensuite bathrooms. There are several cottages on the premises as well.

Visit the lodge: The Sportsmans Lodge Wilderness Resort

The Lodge

We had the lodge to ourselves, and nestled ourselves into "Mockingbird", a lovely room on the main floor facing the lake. For cooler months, a hot tub awaits you on this level, with two walls of windows that over look the lake.

George gave us free run of the place, lent us a canoe and gave us a map to paddle out to some key points along Kukagami Lake on our first day. We were never short of things to do!

The Tower

Park for kids to play

View from the Lodge over-lookng the lake

A relaxing view from the Muskoka Chairs that line the hilltop and deck at the Main Lodge.

On our first day, we packed a lunch and some drinks in a back pack, threw on our suits and headed out with the canoe. George and Michelle suggested that we visit Diving Rock and the falls. After confirming that the canoe will not go down the falls, we headed out on our way. I was on the look out for bears, deer and moose!

The lake was calm for us as we paddled out of the inlet. We met some loons along the way, who were not really cooperating with the camera. We did manage to get Daddy loon feeding Mommy loon. The water gets much rougher once you turn the corner and head out onto the open water. Some parts are very shallow. The locals seem to know exactly where to go to not tear up the bottom of their boats. It is about a 6km paddle to the falls, longer if you turn into some inlets unnecessarily.

We finally found the falls at the end of the dam. There is a clear path to walk out on, that leads down, and allows canoers to portage to the next put in. We explored the falls, which were more like little rapids, and ate some lunch. We took some pictures of wildlife, frogs, dragon flies, minnows, but nothing bigger. I saw an American Eagle on our paddle towards Diving Rock. Shay made fun of me and insisted that there were no Eagles in Canada. However, when we had dinner and told George that we had made it to the falls, he asked us if we saw the Eagle. Apparently it has a nest out that way and entertains any passersby. I got a kick out of the fact that you can tell George where you have been and he knows the local birds that you might encounter. We did see the King Fisher along Matagamasi Lake road (I think?) on the way to the lagoon.

We headed back towards the Lodge looking for Diving Rock. We didn't see it on the way in, but knew that it was behind some of the islands. We tucked in behind them with our eyes peeled for deep water, a large rock, and a ladder.

We paddled in and tied off our canoe on a tree. We both jumped into the water to brave the ladder and rope that led up the rock. Shay went first. THANK GOD! After he got to the top of the rock, the ladder twisted to the left and out came Aragog. I swear it was the size of my face.

There was no way I would climb up! Shay even opted for another way up, and scaled the large unwieldy rocks to the top. On his second attempt I took some pics of him coming down. The water was so deep it was green.

After some swimming in the deep waters, we got back in our canoe and started the long paddle back to the lodge. Our arms were already sore from all the Killarney paddling.

There was still a little energy reserved for jumping off the dock back at the lodge! Always time for jumping...as long as there are no spiders.

After dinner with George and Michelle, they all attempted to teach me how to play Eucher. After a few rounds, there was some success! Shay and I lost the first round, but won the second. We were exhausted by the end of the night, but Shay still thought it would be a good idea, to watch The Crazies. The last time we watched it was in a windblown tent on a cliff on a stormy night in PEI. A dark lodge...equally scary.

The next day George and Michelle took us out to a lagoon. I was extra excited, as the characters in my book visit a lagoon, and I had just made it up. Now I was learning it actually exists, and comes complete with a waterfall, just how I imagined it! I was pretty stoked. George thought Michelle was crazy for wanting to take us there in her Kia Soul, as the route is made more for ATV's, but Michelle got us there safely, and did not disappoint.

George looking for a good place to swim

The lagoon was cold, but was so refreshing and clean. We swam around, then climbed to the highest falls, before coming back down for another plunge. There was a lot of logging refuse blocking parts of the falls.

At the top of the falls was another lake. This had to be the stillest lake I had ever seen!

The top falls look like you can slide down them, but it's probably not a good idea.

George and Michelle continued to climb down another part of the falls that had dried up due to logging debris, while Shay and I made our way back to the lagoon for another swim!

We made it home safely, and after some much needed lunch, we were in need of a nap. When we came to join the gang for dinner, George's friend Mickey, and his mom had come up.

One of the best places to watch the sunset out here is at a lookout point that looks over Lake Wahnipitae. It is only reachable by ATV....so when in Rome.

Shay and Mickey suiting up

As you can see I am very excited for my first ever ride on a Quad

The goal was to get there before the sunset, and we were pretty close. We did get to watch the sun go down through the trees as we drove. Michelle told me to keep my eyes open for moose and deer. I was not so fortunate.

As we turned off of Lake Kukagami road, we took an ATV trail up. Halfway up the trail, two Americans had parked their car and left it there while they explored. Not cool. ATV trails are not meant for car traffic. These guys completely blocked the road and we all had to squeeze by in the brush. We saw them on the other side, and they were leisurely strolling back. These are probably the same type of people who throw their beer cans and bottles out their windows. Not cool.