The Golden Staircase, Part I

The portage from Livingstone to Bear Lake is about 320 meters (1,050 ft), plenty for this novice! All the maps show an additional short portage between Bear and Kimball, but a canoe should be able to easily navigate the quiet, shady channel between these two bodies during most seasons.

My first visit to Kimball Lake was a delight. It is at least as picturesque as the previous two lakes, much less populous, and considerably larger. At the east end, where we must look for the long portage, we encountered, surprisingly, a natural sand beach. Fine granite gravel hissed at the very edge of the water, hinting at the imperceptible process of sand formation in this peaceful retreat.

Dad and I found a cedar log, shaded from the warm July sun, where we could sit and eat the ham sandwiches Mom had packed for us. The trip had taken about two hours so far. We still faced the long and difficult hike to Rockaway Lake, last leg of our journey toward the edge of Algonquin Park.

Don't miss the second part of our adventure in next week's article!

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