A concealed gem along the Ingraham Trail, Hidden Lake is known for its crystal-clear teal waters and takes three portages to get to – hence hidden. Despite the challenge in accessing the lake, any paddlers who make the trip are rewarded with a taste of the untamed north.
The lake is an irregular shape with different compartments and many nooks and crannies. In the times I’ve camped there, I’ve only ever explored the first compartment of the lake. But if you were to continue northeast, the lake opens up into a large compartment with beaches, beautiful water, and the abandoned, but remediated, Ragged Ass Minesite.
I decided to take my Mom, who was visiting from Ontario, to Hidden Lake for a weekend in early September. The brisk northern autumn air was abound and the forecast was a mix of overcast and clear skies. We rented a 15 ft canoe from Jackpine Paddle and drove out to the Powder Point Day Use Area. It’s about a 50-minute drive from Yellowknife along the Ingraham Trail – one of two highways that leave the city. The Day Use Area consists of a small parking lot where typically many trucks attached to their empty boat trailers are parked somewhat haphazardly. There’s also an outhouse here which sits on a precarious slant with a door that doesn’t fully close.
We unloaded our canoe and packed it with all our camping gear. With the first portage already in view from where we stood on the parking lot’s shoreline, we were ready to set off on our little adventure.
We paddled 430m across the eastern-most arm of Prelude Lake to the first portage which was situated to the right of a rocky waterfall. With almost having spent more time unloading and packing the canoe than making this first crossing, this stretch of paddling felt like a mere tease for what was still to come.
We unloaded everything, and I carried the canoe by its yoke resting on my shoulders up and over the side of the waterfall on a well-trodden 200m path. I almost slipped on the squelching mud of the next lake’s shoreline. The shore is shallow with many reeds and deep, sticky mud. The mud would’ve stolen my sandals straight off my feet had I not triumphed in my brief war with it.
We paddled northeast for 500m across a small lake which is part of the outflow of Cameron Falls not far upstream. We unloaded the canoe and I carried it over this second portage which was a little longer than the first at 290m. The route gently slopes upwards through a stand of mosquito-infested Jackpine trees.
The canoe was re-packed, and off we went over the third lake. We paddled 500m north across the lake, staying left of a little island. The shore on the other end of the lake was shallower and muddier than the first with plenty of reeds and algae. Upon stepping out of the boat and into the lake to walk the canoe to shore for the last few meters, my foot was betrayed by the water’s apparent depth and sank an additional 30 cm deeper into the squishy mud.
Then began the trudge over the 500m third portage which is the longest and toughest of the three. It starts as a relatively steep vertical ascent up a bunch of steps and rocks. At the top, I traversed the uneven terrain of the bedrock slabs, meanwhile preventing the canoe from hitting any of the neighbouring trees. The bedrock then opens out into a bog. There are a series of logs that have been lain across the trail to create a boardwalk. Over some more bedrock and after carefully maneuvering the canoe through a thicket of trees, brings Hidden Lake into view at last. The water level was lower than usual, so we had to walk out onto the bedrock shore quite a ways before reaching a section of unobstructed water.
We re-packed the canoe for the final time after having made several trips back-and-forth over the portage route to grab all our gear. Needless to say, we had a good cardio workout!
We set off paddling over the teal lake, its water so clear we could see the sand and rocks down below. It was beautiful. There were some reeds and lily pads near the edges of the lake but further from the shoreline was nothing but crystal-clear water.
We paddled past the many little alluring islands that make up the entrance of the lake, with most of them already having been claimed by other campers. We took our time paddling east. We couldn’t have asked for better weather; there was only a slight breeze and the clouds from earlier in the day had disappeared into clustered specks on the horizon and were replaced by jovial blue sky and sun.
We found a sheltered spot on a relatively flat stretch of bedrock. It was in a little cove, along a rocky shore surrounded by shrubs that bordered the forest’s edge.
We set up camp and made a fire. I found a few large rocks that made for good weights to keep down the corners of the tent, since stakes were useless on the hard rock. The great thing about backcountry camping in territorial parks, as opposed to Canada’s provincial or national parks, is that there’s no reservation system – you just go and camp wherever you want.
It was a serene evening. The setting sun was replaced by the milky way’s beckoning constellations. Eventually faint, green hues stretched across the sky. They could’ve been mistaken for weird clouds had it not been for my camera’s slow shutter speed revealing that they were indeed northern lights. Early September was at the beginning of the aurora borealis season.
In the morning I made some orange baked muffins for breakfast by hollowing-out oranges and replacing the insides with a watered muffin mix. Wrapped in tinfoil and over the fire for 20 mins had them steaming hot and ready to eat.
Several loons came by to visit. They swam around in the vicinity of our campsite, observing us with what could’ve been curiosity. I love loons for their unique appearance and their haunting calls that echo out within the landscape of the Canadian Shield.
We spent the day paddling around and exploring the nearby islands.
By late afternoon, some wildfire smoke had rolled in, dampening the sun to a muted grey.
At one point two float planes landed and dropped off a few people, mountains of gear, and a canoe on a neighbouring island.
After lunch on the second day, we decided to pack up camp and head back to civilization. We took our time paddling back, savouring the fresh pine-needled air and the feel of our paddles striding through the water. We conquered the portages faster than on the way in, as is usually the case. The weekend was a great getaway into a corner of Canada’s beautiful nature.
