The canoe trip into Mantario is roughly 22km, traversing 6 portages (each less than 1km in length). The trip begins at Big Whiteshell Lake, ending at Mantario Lake, with the majority of the trip going through a non-motorized wilderness zone...just rocks, trees and water. The trip can take 5-8 hours, with the typical time being about 7 hours, including rest, swim and lunch breaks.
Preliminary Schedule:
Friday, August 12: Meet up and car-share to launch at Big Whiteshell Campground. Our canoe route will follow Big Whiteshell - Crowduck - Ritchey - One - Two - Three - Mantario. We will stop for breaks, but this will be the toughest day. Conditions pending, we should reach the Mantario Wilderness Education Centre by 6pm for supper and relaxation (with hopefully enough energy for a sauna before bed).
Saturday, August 13: We will get familiar with the island and swim, canoe, or just relax with a book. Alerry Lavitt will lead a beautiful restorative yoga practice to heal our sore muscles, we can hike in the afternoon, and relax in the sauna.
Sunday, August 14: Good breakfast and more of the same. Alerry will lead another restorative practice, and in the afternoon we'll have the option of exploring neighbouring lakes by canoe, hiking on the mainland, or swimming. Hopefully we can startgaze from the sauna dock at night!
Monday, August 15: We will aim to leave the cabin by 10am at the latest. There are a variety of cleaning chores to be done before we go. We will hopefully be back at the cars by 4:30pm and home by 8pm.
Katrina Froese: A full-time outdoor educator, Katrina loves to canoe and teach about the natural world. She has paddled throughout the Whiteshell, but originally fell in love with Mantario on cross-country ski trips she has led over the past five years.
Alerry Lavitt: A certified yoga teacher since 2002, Alerry co-led YogaCanoe and Women's Wilderness retreats for ten years, blending her passion for the outdoors with her deep love of yoga. She loves to create opportunities for students to practice outside the usual confines of the studio.