Algonquin Park Access No. 3 - August, 2008
From OutdoorWiki
Pictures can be found at http://www.alginterior.blogspot.com/
An excellent time out with friends & colleagues from the Ottawa Valley Chapter of Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) during a trip we took to Algonquin Park's interior for 9 days and 8 nights!
We travelled approximately 50 kms with the majority being paddling through 8 bodies of water; 2 rivers; 14 portages totalling 6.6 km x 5 (3 carries, 2 empties) = a whopping 33 kms!
Weather was awesome - Sunny and warm most days except for an overcast and windy day midway through the trip and rain for a total of 10 minutes during the early morning hours on day 6.
Day 1: Departure 4:30 p.m. > Access # 3 Magnetawan Lake > P135 (my very first) > Hambone Lake > P295 > Ralph Bice Lake
3 hours behind schedule and a threatening thunderstorm behind us, we decided to make camp on Ralph Bice Lake instead of Little Trout Lake as previously planned. Karen prepared dinner - we had Backpacker's Pantry Kung Pao Chicken and Natural High Chocolate Fudge Mousse. Bedtime at sundown! Loon migration was underway, the wails and tremolo's were constant as the loons gathered on the lake.
Day 2: Ralph Bice Lake > P435 > Little Trout Lake > P175 > Queer Lake > P1330 > Tim River.
Before attempting the 1330 m portage to the Tim River, we decided to stop for lunch at the end of the portage into Queer Lake. Karen prepared lunch - an assortment of probiotic goat cheeses, onions, cucumbers, macaroni with sun dried tomatoes, and peanut butter sandwiches. We started onto the 1330 m portage around 3 p.m. and completed it by 6:30 p.m. I took my two lightest packs along with my paddle and PFD halfway through the portage and returned to get my heavier expedition pack (which weighed in around 30lbs) and took it to where I left my other two packs before heading back to pick up the canoe. We left the canoe at the halfway mark and continued on with the other half of the portage - two packs first, then the heavier pack then finally the canoe. This was going to be the routine for the remainder of the trip. Did you know that using a travel pillow around your neck to support the weight of the canoe on your shoulders doesn't work?
Two young guys packing a port-a-potty and a rather heavy Coleman canoe wizzed by us on this portage - they were heading to Big Trout Lake and were expected to be there by sunset - it was already 6 p.m. by this time and they would be travelling in the dark no doubt.
We made camp on the first site we came to on the Tim River, made a fire and prepared dinner. As the night before, bedtime was shortly after sundown. A pack of wolves serenaded a few of us that evening.
Day 3: Tim River > P1125 > Shah Lake.
Our original trip plan didn't include Shah Lake - Karen and Ian decided to give us newbies a break by going to Shah Lake to chill out for a few days as opposed to continuing on to Big Trout Lake further East at the end of the Tim River. The trip until this decision was made was very fast-paced, always on the go, tiring and ultimately broke me down to the core after 2 days. Being in almost total solitude had left me feeling vulnerable among other things that were bothering me at the time. I felt somewhat guilty about the sudden change in plans but I'm sure Ian and Karen understood which is why they decided it. Thank you!
The portage from the Tim River to Shah Lake was one of my favourite portages on this trip. Not only because the area seemed rich with life - spruce trees, mosses, many fruit bearing plants such as blueberry all around but because Ian taught me about new plant species such as Bunch berry and Wintergreen both being edible as well as showed me the seed pod of Clintonia and Trillium. Ian is a great person to be outdoors with and learning from him is always a treat.
When we started the portage, I noticed the heavy Coleman canoe parked in the woods and figured the two guys (from the evening before) had ditched their canoe here and walked into Shah Lake after sundown which as we thought was what had happened. Being dark on the winding Tim River, the guys figured they wouldn't reach Big Trout Lake and instead of portaging their canoe and equipment in the dark to Shah Lake, they would walk in their packs and come back for their canoe in the morning. They also cut Big Trout Lake out of their original plan and continued on their way through Shah, Pandion, Misty etc.
We arrived at our campsite on Shah lake around 3 p.m. We had the lake to ourselves for 2 days which was nice with the exception of paddlers' coming in from the Tim River and continuing on to Misty Lake. I finally managed to crack open the hammock and set it up between two trees on the very edge of our campsite which was on a point and chilled out for the next 2 days. I was hoping to hear the wolves again but figured that we were well beyond them at Shah Lake.
Day 4: R&R day @ Shah Lake
Nippy start to a great day, the mist over the lake made for a chilly night which was manageable providing I kept my head in my sleeping bag. For breakfast we had pea meal bacon, barley flakes with re hydrated apples and cranberries. At almost every meal we had morbid topics for discussion; Mr. H. would always start them and get the group involved - this morning it was about killing wolves and their protection. The topic then moved on to Logging in the park - a clear indication that our group belonged to CPAWS.
I did some exploring around Shah Lake in the morning - Shah is very shallow for the most part and lacks turtles but has many fish and frog species. I made lunch today - the menu was Mulligan Stew by Harvest Foodworks, beef jerky, goat's cheese and GORP. Everyone really enjoyed the stew!
Ian and I went for a nature walk up beyond the Thunder Box. I learned other interesting things from Ian such as Striped Maple or Moose Maple as Mr. H. refers to it as he says that the leaves of this maple were favoured by lumbermen back in the day as a substitute for TP because of it's softness. In the evening Ian, Karen, Mr. H. and I explored the 335 m portage to Pandion Pond for flora and to see the condition of the portage.
Karen is a great outdoor cook, she makes cooking outdoors look so easy. Dinner was re hydrated corn, beets, potatoes and salmon steaks.
Just before the sun sets, there is a constant humming noise which I've never heard before until doing this trip. I heard it hear on Shah, on Misty and on Daisy. It wasn't until we got to Misty that I asked what made that sound every evening - Ian said it was created by the mozzies - interesting!
Day 5: Shah Lake > P335 > Pandion Pond > P705 > Misty Lake
I was the first one up this morning and so I thought I'd start a fire. I struggled for a few minutes to get one going but nothing took and I was getting frustrated. I had to ask Mr. H. to help me start a fire which he did in a matter of minutes but only before going out and looking for some dry Hemlock branches and some birch bark. I was a little embarrassed that I couldn't start it on my own. Both Mr. H. and Ian told me that while I'm out in the woods and I happen to come across Birch bark on the trail to pocket it regardless if I was to use it or not - you never know when it could come in handy.
Breakfast was served - Oatmeal, Bran Bars and Freeze-Dried Fruit! We headed off towards the short portage into Pandion Pond, followed by a short 5 minute paddle across the pond. We saw a few loons as well as 3 river otters on the banks - we watched for a few minutes then they were gone.
We arrived at the portage that lead us to Misty Lake and saw why most people would want to paddle the small creek around to Misty Lake as opposed to doing this portage. To start, a huge climb (60m) atop a hill with our packs and canoe made for a tiresome start, then over 3 more hills before arriving at Misty. It was exhausting to say the least. Ask me why we didn't paddle the creek? Finally, we arrive at Misty Lake - pack up the canoe and head off to the west to find Mr. H. who was always the first to arrive at our destinations and chose our campsites.
Misty Lake is a nice lake - it is huge enough to offer some great exploration with lots of marshes, also Misty is a rocky lake!
Upon arriving at our campsite on Misty Lake, we had lunch before unpacking and setting up camp. Cheese, beef jerky, bread, PB, rice crispy squares and an assortment of nuts. Afterwards, I took the canoe out for a solo paddle in the afternoon - I saw a few loons as well as a few mergansers.
In the evening I started on dinner, we had Harvest Foodworks Tandoori Curry with Harvest Foodworks Mashed Potatoes which turned soupy and Harvest Foodworks No Bake Chocolate Cookies. I really enjoyed the Tandoori and Mashed Potatoes but I wouldn't recommend the no bake cookies unless you like coconut and oatmeal.
Mr. H. keeps wanting to tell me bear stories which Ian says to hold off until the very last day over breakfast. Yes I have a fear of bears and some people couldn't resist teasing me about it. For my trip, I purchased Bear Spray which during the trip was always left in my pack - perhaps I felt I didn't need it.
Day 6: R&R day @ Misty Lake
For breakfast we had oatmeal, hard boiled eggs, re hydrated apple slices and cranberries.
Another interesting thing I learned from Ian was when it is cloudy or overcast in the evening and considering it was a warm day that the heat created during day light hours would remain trapped between the earth and the clouds above. Whether or not that is true, it seemed to be a great night as opposed to previous nights where it grew cold and hovered around 7 Celcius.
Day 6 was a challenging day - I had been craving a bottle of coca-cola all day and I could have paddled from site to site looking to buy a bottle from someone if I were so desperate. Just as any craving, it soon past - sadly!
The loons have been quite vocal on this lake - I'd say roughly 8-12 loons can be observed on this lake. Wails mostly, some yodels and the familiar tremolo can be heard anytime - day and night. The young as well as the adults have gathered together in groups on this lake as with every other lake in the park in preparation for migration.
The leaves have begun to yellow and some have turned red - it's a matter of time (weeks) before fall colours abound. Last year it was the end of September.
I decided to explore Timber wolf Lake with Mr. H. while Ian and Karen continued on to McIntosh Lake, Ink Lake and Ink Creek where Karen has painted a few scenes onto canvas from that location in previous years.
Mr. H. is an excellent story teller - My favourite stories are the G.I. Joe fleeing across the Ottawa River and the bag of Barbie's Mr. H. happened upon in the woods. Other stories like the Bag of Beer that Karen found are too taboo to tell here. I'll never hear the other side of this story.
Other activities today were photography and a short walk.
Dinner today was Cream of Leek Soup with Hot Rods - it's all about protein out here. For dessert we had Strawberry Cheesecake.
As I was doing dishes this evening, I was greeted by a school of young trout come to get their share of leftovers. It was kind of neat to see them so close. This was a totally different perspective on doing dishes - it made my day!
Before the trip, I picked up a radio at the dollar store. The purpose of the radio was to check for weather updates on local news stations like in North Bay or Huntsville but the only station I could get I needed to stand up with one hand against a tree and the other on the metal hook of my hammock - screw that!
Day 7: R&R day @ Misty Lake
Looks like Karen didn't get to sleep in this morning as Ian forgot to close the tent door to a hungry crowd of mozzies. Clearly Karen was a little annoyed with Ian. :) Karen served breakfast this morning - porridge, apricots and hard boiled eggs. Around the breakfast log (table), Mr. H. started with a story of when he was a kid how he set his battery operated G.I. Joe figure to swim in the Ottawa River which instead of swimming parallel to shore, began to swim out across the Ottawa River. Panic-stricken little Mr. H. jumped into the cold river one November day to retrieve his beloved G.I. Joe figure. I howled with laughter when he was telling this story. The barbie's in a bag story followed as well but I will leave it out of this blog for now as it is a little odd and I wouldn't want to embarrass Mr. H.
It was a light day today. It was somewhat cloudy and windy and foggy and with the crying seagulls it reminded me of being on the West coast in British Columbia.
Sometime after breakfast, the group got together under the tarp to play boggle. I played a few games before feeling that my scrabble knowledge was unwelcome in the game. After a few games we decided to head out on our own activities such as walking the 200 m stretch between our camp and that of Mr. H's. A beautiful tree frog was found which resulted in some awesome macro shots. I took many pictures of mushrooms as well.
I wrote in my journal as I sat on the root of a great Hemlock tree that faced an outcrop of rocks covered in mosses and trees growing from them. The lake is directly behind me maybe 20 feet down the embankment. I can hear Ian whistling a tune as he heads towards me. I took a panoramic photo of the place I was at.
Mr. H. is returning from a paddle and noted to me that he'd seen some pretty interesting wildlife of which he could not talk about in my presence - bears!!! Of course he said Beavers - ya right! Now I'm a little edgy.
Other than taking pictures of mushrooms and frogs, it was an uneventful vegetative day.
Last night the wind picked up quite a bit - I was a little nervous in my tent as there is a "widow maker" just to the side of my tent which has snagged on another tree which could have become dislodged and come crashing down on me. It rained slightly but not very much and then it fell silent.
One thing I have noticed on this trip is that I wake up at intervals throughout the night to see what shade (time) my tent is. Usually 13 hours go by and its morning. I've been falling asleep as soon as I'm settled in my tent - except for tonight. Tonight I had one too many instant coffees and the result is practically an all-nighter.
After the sun set this evening, I went out for a paddle with to the east of Misty Lake where I came across what looked like a log jam. After a few moments I decided to howl out into the dark night to see if I could get a pack of wolves to respond. Shortly after I howled, 3 howls could be heard a ways out - obviously these were no howling wolves but a group of paddlers' howling back to a howling human.
About our campsite at Misty - It's mostly Hemlock with rocky outcrops, some cedar, yellow birch here and there and plenty of moose maple. We are on a peninsula - the west side bordered with coniferous while the east side deciduous. It's been a good 3 days at this location.
Day 8: Misty Lake > P935 > Little Misty Lake > Petawawa River > P450 (Rock Garden) > Petawawa River > P135 (Rock Garden) > Daisy Lake.
After an early start off Misty Lake this morning (9:10) we headed towards the first portage which was just under 1000 m - we did it in 2 hours. We paddled into Little Misty Lake and on into the beautiful Petawawa River which I should add is almost at the start of where this river is born. The mightier Petawawa River just past Lavielle Lake on the Park's east side is the same river. It was nice to see both ends. We did two shorter portages before finally arriving at our campsite on Daisy Lake at 4 p.m. - the last of the lakes on our trip.
There was a lot of traffic on all portages we hit today - a group of girls with 10 or so canoes, then another 10 canoes of intercity kids from Toronto - they just kept coming and coming. The long weekend was upon us and everyone is in Algonquin for their last trip of the year.
I went to bed shortly after sundown and woke up at midnight to check out the stars with another from the group - I was absolutely floored to see a trillion stars in the night sky without noise pollution from any of the cities and towns surrounding the park. It was an amazing end to an amazing trip. You could see the big dipper on the horizon in the eastern sky and if you looked over to the left, you could see Jupiter - the brightest star in the sky. I sat and looked up for several minutes before heading back to bed.
Day 9: Daisy Lake > P420 > Hambone Lake > P55 (we paddled through) > Hambone > P135 > Magnetawan Lake Access # 3.
Day 9 was going to be a short day, after a pancake breakfast, we packed up our equipment and one canoe at a time left off for Magnetawan Lake a few miles away. It was a perfect day to end this trip - the sky was clear, the sun was hot, the lake was calm - everything was perfect - well almost everything.
We got to our first of two portages which was 420 m which we completed in no time, then onto our second of 55 m which we managed to paddle through instead of portaging due to the higher than normal water levels we've experienced this year and on to paddle Hambone Lake to our final portage into Magnetawan Lake and back to Access # 3.
This trip was an amazing one that I soon won't forget. I will definitely do this again next year with what I've learned from myself as well as from Mr. H., Ian and Karen.
