Portage Hogs.

[troutbreath]

I guess I have been lucky. I have never really run into a portage hog – but I have heard the stories. What is your worst experience with a portage hog? Where were you, what time of year, what time of day and what did you do?


TIA,

TB

[Bearsfan]

I must be pretty lucky too. Nothing sticks out in my mind as worthy of mention. I have had people going the opposite way help out with my stuff when they would otherwise be going back empty-handed on a double portage.

Now that you mentioned this, you probably jinxed both of us.

[CanoePam]

The funniest one was, I'm sure, unintential and just a funny newbie mistake. We were on the last portage between Lake Two and Lake One, on our way home. We had a group just clearing the portage in front of us and waited for them. Just as we pull close to unload, we see a group of very nicely dressed (read: not traditional outdoor clothes!, no gear) women carrying a canoe. There were two women carrying the canoe suitcase style, two more carrying a paddle, and 2 just walking with the others. They put the canoe right down in the middle of the portage and turned around, all of them. We knew it was a short portage and backed away from the portage to wait for them to finish. They took probably 10 minutes to come back(!) with the same setup (2 with canoe, 2 with paddle, 2 with empty hands!) When they put that canoe down and left again (all of them), we took a deep breath and pulled out a big snack. There was no way we could get on the portage with their boats half floating in the water right in the way. Finally they all came back (same 2 by 2 by 2 setup), finally got in the canoe, and left. My kids were smiling seeing how they got in the canoes, and they seemed somewhat embarassed.

The way I figured it they walked the portage at least 5 times, all 6 of them. As busy as that portage usually is, it's a good thing nobody was behind them. Luckily it was late in the day and most people had already headed in.

Poor folks, they probably never went portaging again because it was so hard!

Pam

[bogwlkr]

We took the portage into Eddy Lake. As we reached the far end with our first load of gear there is a group of nine having lunch. Their gear was strewn over the whole portage leaving no room to place our gear. There canoes took up the entire landing as they were already in the water. As I arrived and the kids had done their best storing our gear, I asked if they could organize their gear on one side so we had some room and they basically refused and said there was plenty of room in the woods! Seeing they were obviously not being helpful and were enjoying their lunch along with their beer in cans, we decided to finish the portage and move on as quick as possible. As I got back with the second load we placed one canoe in the water in the only spot available and loaded canoes as stuff came across. We made the first campsite, landed and readjusted our loads so we could travel safely. I was never so mad in my life-not only were the portage hogs, but they were rude and obviously felt the park was there for only them.

[TimA]

I have encountered the like several times, but attribute it more to ignorance than rudeness.

I am on the other end of the spectrum of portaging for the most part--quick and get it over. I cannot count the times on Lake 1 to 2 portages we have come up to a group having lunch or otherwise blocking the portage.

I can remember this group of college or high school aged guys with their girlfriends blocking the portage from Lake 1 to 2. We were coming from 2 to 1 and they were going the opposite way. As the boys were standing there at the beginning of the portage my brother came ahead of me (I had the canoe and our camp pack) and asked if they could move their gear/canoes. It wasn't like they were unwilling, they just didn't know what to do. So here I am with a canoe and a pack just standing there---stuck---no place to put anything down---so then my brother leads me through the maze of canoes (luckily it was shallow enough) so I wade out into the water and lay down the canoe, throw my pack in--then my brother throws his in and we are gone---as I we are just about out of earshot we here the girlfriends complain about the efforts of their boyfriends---"why can't you do that" My brother had a big smile on his face after that.

I attribute portage hogs to ignorance/inexperience more thananything else.

Tim

[troutbreath]

TimA said:

....I can remember this group of college or high school aged guys with their girlfriends blocking the portage from Lake 1 to 2. ..... so I wade out into the water and lay down the canoe, throw my pack in--then my brother throws his in and we are gone---as I we are just about out of earshot we here the girlfriends complain about the efforts of their boyfriends---"why can't you do that" My brother had a big smile on his face after that.

I attribute portage hogs to ignorance/inexperience more thananything else.

Tim

Kinda makes you feel like you know what you are doing when this happens. Nothing like showing how it is done to encourage others.

TB

[VoyageurNorth]

I remember having to wait on the portage between Lake Three to get into Lake Two.

It was in early fall and I was paddling back (with a girl who had worked in our packroom).

We had seen 2 canoes in front of us as we had paddled across Lake Three, holding their bent shaft paddles backwards. I was going to try to politely let them know that they were holding them backwards when we met up with them on the portage.

However, they spread out all over and sat down with their snack and gear everywhere. And when we kept a bit back in the water we heard them chuckling and making definitely derogatory comments about women paddlers, so I didn't say anthing.

Finally, about 20 minutes later, after they got stuff back together, we finally got to land.

We were both fuming a bit, but that turned to grins and inward laughing as we heard someone at the Lake One landing ask how long their trip had been (they replied 5 days) and the person at the landing asked, "and did you use those paddles backwards the whole way?".

[Kawishiway]

VoyageurNorth said:

I remember having to wait on the portage between Lake Three to get into Lake Two.

Lynn. Lynn, Lynn... You know as well as I there is no portage between Lake Two and Three. Just one heck of alot of wind rounding the bend. You must be refering to the pond area between One and Two.

Can I say this for you?

Oooops.

k