The Happy Camper: Algonquin’s Ralph Bice Lake
Each spring, my regular canoe tripping buddies and I head out to the backcountry of Ontario’s Algonquin Provincial Park to hook into a trout or two, swat at some black flies, eat some good food and drag ourselves over some muddy portages. It’s an absolute blast.
My good friend Ashley (a.k.a. Speed Man) joined me in my canoe once again. Mike brought his son Dalton, who had taken a five-year hiatus, to go away to college and university for law and justice (and to become a park warden). Adding Dalton to the mix meant that Tim needed a new person in his canoe, so he invited Chris Rath, owner of Nova Craft Canoe. He’s a good friend and a great paddler.
Our route choice was similar to previous spring trips, where we chose a main lake to pitch our tents for the week and then did various side trips to other lakes and rivers to hunt down the elusive trout. Ralph Bice Lake, situated on the west side of the park, was this year’s chosen base camp.
Magentewan Lake access point three was our starting and ending point. It can be reached by taking Highway 518 from Emsdale to the town of Kearney. Pick up your park permit at the park office. From here, take the left fork and continue for 14.4 kilometres (8.9 miles) until you reach the gravelled Forestry Tower Road. Make a right here, following the rough road for 13 kilometres (8.1 miles) to the access point.
The first portage—135 metres between Magnetewan and Hambone Lakes—marks the divide between the Magnetewan and Petawawa River systems. It’s an easy, straightforward carry.
So is the next one—a 295-metre portage from Hambone to Ralph Bice Lake.
Ralph Bice Lake has changed names several times. First, it was named Eagle Lake because eagles had been known to nest on the south shore’s cliff face. Then it was renamed Butt Lake because it is situated in Butt Township, named after prominent Irish nationalist Sir Isaac Butt. In 1998, the Friends of Algonquin suggested it be renamed in honour of Ralph Bice. I never met Ralph Bice. For that matter, I never met Sir Isaac Butt either. I have read Ralph’s books cover to cover many times, soaking in his wisdom on what he liked to call bush sense. I think the lake is a fitting tribute to an accomplished man.
Bice was a trapper, a writer and the mayor of Kearney, Ontario, from 1939 to 1946. He was born in 1900 and passed away when he was 97. His most popular book is Along the Trail in Algonquin Park, a memoir published in 1980. He was also a columnist for the local Almaguin News for 30 years, and he received the Order of Canada in 1985. Sitting beside Pierre Elliot Trudeau during the awards ceremony, he told the prime minister, “You’re the luckiest fellow in the room.” When Trudeau asked why, Ralph replied, “because there is only one trapper in this room, and you’re sitting next to him.”
Alan Pope, former minister of natural resources, once wrote of the infamous Algonquin trapper, “Hunting guide, outdoorsman, trapper, writer and raconteur extraordinaire, Ralph Bice has come to symbolize the pioneering spirit of Algonquin.” Some of northern Ontario’s most colourful figures have been part of his life: Lumber King J.R. Booth, painter Tom Thomson and English renegade Archie Belaney—later he become known as Grey Owl and was the chosen guide to take the governor general and the Duke of Devonshire into Algonquin Park in 1918.
It took us under three hours to paddle and portage to Ralph Bice, where we chose a campsite on the northeastern shore, across from the main island. The island always looks like a good place to camp, but it’s not. The sites are too close to one another, and you’ll never be able to gather enough wood for a decent campfire.
Tim and Chris had to join us later due to some last-minute work commitments. It was odd not having us all meet at the access and go in together, but we managed, and the four of us made sure to tease them for not helping with the main camp set up.
Chris enjoyed joining in on our yearly camp cook-off contest. Ashley won with his venison spaghetti sauce, noodles and garlic bread. Tim came in second with a sun-dried tomato pesto dish with crushed walnuts and parmesan cheese. Chris came in third with sausage on a bun and fried peppers and onions. Poor Chris. He did, however, win first prize in catching the biggest fish—a 22 ¼-inch lake trout (an inch bigger than Mike’s trout).
Our side trips were to Little Trout Lake and then to David and Mubwayaka Lakes for some brook trout fishing. Not much luck on either, but the scenery was gorgeous.
All in all, it was a successful spring trip, typical of many we’ve had in the semi-wilds of Algonquin. It was good to hear the loons call once again, have hummingbirds try to suck nectar out of our brightly coloured hats, feel the tug of a trout on the end of our lines and sip good whisky through the fine mesh of our bug nets.
