MASSAWEPIE LAKE & SOUTH BRANCH GRASSE RIVER paddling & camping


Sep 25-27, 2016 - MASSAWEPIE MIRE - a large boreal peatland bog, or a "poor fen". Massawepie Boy Scouts Camp & Emporium Easement lands. Paddled counterclockwise 3.5 miles to Bayview (#10) campsite on Massawepie Lake passing some boy scout buildings & yurts along the way. The lake is fringed with red & white pines. The campsite is located at the tip of a peninsula at the end of an esker, a trail follows the high land. Short sunset paddle. Loons, bald eagle. No other campers on the lake - quite peaceful. Day 2 - Under a footbridge & down the outlet for 3 miles going over quite a few beaver dams. In the last mile, the stream was extremely narrow & twisty that my 15' canoe felt too long - the 12-footers had an easier time making the turns. Reached the S Br Grass River after 2.5 hours. Paddled under a bridge & went downstream on the S Br for 1.5 miles (3 or 4 beaver dams) & stopped for lunch just past Jocks Pond Outlet. Paddled upstream on the S Br for 7 miles passing 25'-high Burnt Rock - all beaver dams between the confluence with M outlet & a hunting camp (a stretch of ~4 miles) were breached & easy to get thru. In the last mile to the bridge below M Road we had some more challenging beaver dams to go over. Shuttle of 4.2 miles back to M Lake (we had spotted a vehicle the day before); paddled straight across ML & back to camp a little before sunset. ~13 miles of paddling on the day, 8.5 hours incl. shuttle time. Day 3 - Took a brisk swim & broke camp. Carried over to Long Pond for paddle & lunch - much boggy shoreline with cranberries. Drove to & hiked up to nearby Mt Arab fire tower for views.









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Sep 29, 2013 - SOUTH BRANCH GRASS RIVER from Rt.3.  0.4 mile carry around Balsam Pond.  Upstream wooded shores, carried around 2 logjams, limboed under 2 others, slid over another.  Steep carry around dam.  Cottage on N shore.  Grass River Flow is smaller than shown on maps, the stream winds thru open marsh but occasionally comes close to wooded upland on the S shore, under a good bridge (not shown on maps or mentioned in any of the guidebooks) to 25' high Burnt Rock.  Had to get out for only 2 beaver dams over a 4-mile stretch, saw otters, 2 tree stands on S shore.  Massawepie Mire is a grassy peatland. Paddled Balsam Pond on the way back.   Mostly conifers so not a lot of fall color.  Lovely area tho.  12 miles, 6.5 hours.    

Sep 28 - MASSAWEPIE LAKE & OUTLET.  Broke camp & drove over to Cranberry Lake State Campsite.  Paddled M Lake which has 7 miles of shoreline (mostly pine shores but some colorful hardwoods esp at N end, Mt Arab seen to SE & the near-perfect dome of Mt Matumbla to the ENE. otherwise the area is fairly flat) then down the well-hidden outlet toward the Grass River & Massawepie Mire.  Soon had to lift over a boardwalk bridge, pushed past some floating logs & leaving the reservation slid over 2 beaver dams & lifted over another.  Marshy grass/reed shores, bordered by tamaracks & spruce.  Passed a tree stand on the L & turned back at another beaver dam - the stream was not easily detectable below this one.  Short walk to Pine Pond.  Boy scouts in residence June 15 thru Aug 30 & public not allowed during that time.  2 loons (1 juvenile), gw teal, heard much grouse.  Very enjoyable.  4.3 hours. 

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