Date: 29-31 October 2020
Team: Simon & Amy; Ian-T; Adrian; Andy Johnson; Marion & Me
So, this is the last catch up instalment before we make an attempt to get back to "real-time" blogging!
Marion & Andy as we utilised a temporary raft for crossing one of the lochans
Even if someone was to read this specific article in 25 or maybe 50 years time there'd be no mistaking or forgetting that 2020 was "Pandemic Year", writing at the end of February 2021 there remain only the first green shoots of recovery as the vaccine roll out programme proceeds.
As such 2020 was very much a year with a difference, the early Spring canoe trip had been cancelled and although there was much time spent paddling, climbing and trekking in the high fells the whole shape of the year was very different. This was the backdrop to us trying to squeeze a late extended trip into the year. I'd long been looking at a few trip reports from the Galloway Forest area: descriptions such as "Little Canada" were intriguing and the travel distance from our North Cumbrian base is relatively short, indeed we had already ran numerous micro-expeditions on Loch Doon with school and Community Groups.
We arrived at Loch Doon castle car park late afternoon on the last Friday of October half term, Marion and I being the last to make it, as usual underestimating travel times when towing the canoe trailer! Our initial intention had been to make an evening start, however, torrential rain and gale force winds, which had been well forecast, forced a makeshift first night.
First night we ever camped in the new van
Saturday morning couldn't have been more of a contrast to the previous evening: a mirror calm Loch Doon; blue sky & sunshine! We set off from the castle car park heading back towards the dam in good spirits. It was good to welcome Simon & Amy on their first "Community Trip" - a father daughter combination with Amy being our youngest ever extended trip member!
Beautiful morning on Loch Doon
We fratched around for a while looking for the best place to start our first portage, which was just under 2km mainly on forestry track, up to Loch Finlas. We opted to do a short section on the single track road which runs down the side of Loch Doon in order to avoid a carry over rough ground and although crossing a few contour lines the uphill portage wasn't too demanding.
Various stages of the first portage
Loch Finlas was a beautiful place to be, there was a fresh breeze directly in our faces, manageable but in order to make things a little more comfortable for the solo paddler we used painters to make a temporary raft, its a very short portage across a short section of (Water Authority?) road on into Derlach Loch for another 1km paddle. The landing from this lochan and subsequent 1.7km generally uphill portage is a strange part of the trip, the various water works in the area both old and new don't sit well in an otherwise pleasant forested landscape.
Loch Finlas & "The Bit In-Between"
The late afternoon portage from Derlach Loch to Loch Bradon wasn't my favourite part of the day, in contrast though the arrival at Loch Bradon and subsequent crossing of it just above the dam was superlative. The bright sun, occasionally interrupted by passing cloud produced an incredible light the green forestry background producing a dark band between the shimmering lake & the at times azure blue sky. As if to add to the suggestions of "Little Canada" we were rewarded by the sight of a float plane landing & taking off next to us, none of us had ever been so close to such a spectacle!
Loch Bradon
Our selected exit point from Loch Bradon, was with hindsight an error, opting to cross some rough ground in order to access the forest track for the next portage was hard work! A better choice would have been to paddle across to the Forestry Commission car park and take a slightly longer portage down the track. It was hard work crossing the rough country, however, the trolley portage through the conifers under the light of a full moon was a first for me and a memorable experience.
Portage by moonlight
The conditions were still fine as we pitched our tents around a small leisure area in the middle of the forest just shy of Loch Riecawr - it was a comfortable night. However, we went to bed knowing that a weather system was forecast to be coming through with dubious timing. It was our hope, based on the forecasts, that it might come through late morning or even early afternoon. Sadly, the more pessimistic forecast proved to be correct and the wind speed was already well on its way towards the predicted 50mph by the time we had got up, it was accompanied by monsoon like rain! As such rather than our planned crossing of Loch Riecawr & descent of Carrick Lane (which we had hoped to paddle and line where necessary) we reluctantly went for the option of a 4km portage back to our vehicles.
Miserable final portage in the storm
The portage was a good call, the wind speed increased rapidly and a closer view of Loch Riecawr revealed it to be un-paddleable in the conditions, similarly Carrick Lane (the river flowing back into Loch Doon would have been a challenging prospect even with unloaded boats.
This is an interesting area to journey through by open canoe and there are several possible combinations for trips of varying duration. Being prepared to portage is essential and there will be too much portaging for many. I have read one or two accounts of folk not feeling entirely welcome in the area, we experienced no such problems although it should be said we didn't encounter many people. Given its proximity and diversity its definitely an area we will consider visiting further beyond simply paddling on Loch Doon
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