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Rob came by at 06:00 and we drove to Arnprior for breakfast. Our usual spot, PJ's, was not open so we continued to
the town of Douglass where we found a little home cooking cafe. After a long drive further, we arrived in Kearney to
purchase our permit. A very rough gravel road followed and we finally showed
up at the trailhead about 12:00. A man was here
and directed us where to park. We saddled up and hit the trail. The first 8 km were on an old rail bed. Much of it
had been reclaimed by the forest and was single track. We stopped along one of the several old causeways and had lunch
overlooking the lake. We hiked on and encountered a couple eating lunch on the stone pillars of an old bridge. The
actual bridge was gone, so we had to climb down to the creek, make the crossing, and then climb back up the other side
to get back on the railbed. Shortly after, the trail left the railway
and began to wind through the forest. We passed a few
other hikers, most of them without any gear, so I assume that they were canoe campers off of Islet Lake doing a bit of
exploration. The trail was not too technical, but a couple of steep climbs kept things interesting. We arrived at
Brown Lake and found the first campsite occupied. The second was also occupied. The third, while small, was clear, so
we settled in. Another group arrived and were looking for a spot. It seems that this lake (2 official sites only) has
been overbooked as the couple we met earlier were also heading this way. Anyway, our site was too small to accomodate
more than one tent so they left and we had some downtime before supper. Rob made an excellent stir-fry which we
consumed, after which it started raining. A small fire and a bit of whiskey helped pass the evening in the rain.
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