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Nanika-Kidprice Wilderness Canoe Trip
by Debi Smith
It's an adventure many outdoor enthusiasts start but not everyone completes. The fabled Nanika-Kidprice canoe trip begins at Lamprey Lake (southwest of Houston), and journeys across four spectacular bodies of water. Long beaches, glacier-fed drinking water, crashing water falls, clearly marked hiking trails and camping areas, it's worth all the hard work.

(map)
Reaching Lamprey Lake
We did the trip in a long weekend. I have since decided one should take a week to cover this journey because once you're there, after all the paddling on the lakes and portaging between them, after dragging all your gear up hillsides, while wondering why you had to bring the heavy cast iron frying pan and a full container of pancake syrup, you will find yourself in no rush to go back.

Fish here are begging for attention! The famed Nanika Falls and snow capped peaks of the Coastal Mountains are under-appreciated wonders of the North. And the longer you stay, better the chance that you will return with an empty pack to carry across those portages.

Paddling across Lamprey Lake
You begin by travelling the Morice-Lamprey Forest Service Road to Lamprey Lake - named for the eels that wander its waters. I looked hard and am happy to report the Lamprey Lake eels are "preferred middle-of-the- lake bottom feeders."

Our canoes are loaded with gear and we paddle straight ahead, me trying NOT to disturb the depths below, then off to our right. Within fifteen minutes, we see a large white, wooden triangle nailed to a tree. This is the dock site where we will unload and prepare for the first portage of the day.

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