Trip Log: Haliburton Water Trails - Red Pine Lake, October 6-7, 2018

After the noise and crowds we experienced last year for our Thanksgiving trip to Algonquin, we decided we were not going to stay in a campground this year.  We still wanted to do Algonquin, but we planned to avoid anything on the Highway 60 corridor.  The last several years we saw the insane line up of cars waiting to get into the West Gate and wanted nothing to do with it.  Also, after our earlier trip to Opeongo this summer, we wanted a smaller lake where we could go out for a paddle and not have to worry about wind.

So I had my sights set on the Rain Lake Access.  It was a smaller lake, with a few other lakes we could get to with short portages, also, we could access the Western Uplands Backpacking Trail if we wanted to go for a bit of a hike.  Since the weather for Thanksgiving weekends in the past have ranged from so hot you want to swim all day, to cold and rainy where we hid in the heated trailer most of the time, I didn't book the trip, decided to hold off and see how the weather would play out.

Then, a week before Thanksgiving, I was showing Mum some sites in the Frost Centre and we decided to stay on Red Pine Lake, then do a day trip to Nunikani Lake.  This little change wasn't too upsetting, in fact I thought it would be pretty cool to check out an area of the Frost Centre we hadn't been to before.  Mum had been through Red Pine Lake during a trip in High School where they stayed on Nunikani and wanted to see it again.

The more annoying change to our original plan involved the school board.  For some reason, they decided not to have a PA day on the Friday of the Thanksgiving weekend, and so we had to shorten the trip to two nights, go in Saturday and come home Monday.

I booked a site on Wednesday because the weather report said it would be 21 degrees during the day and 15 at night with minimal chances of rain on the Monday.  The next day when I checked the weather again, it had changed to 10-15mm of rain all three days, and not quite so warm.  I held out hope the forecast would change again (and it did, but not too much) since I knew Dad wouldn't want to go if it was going to be raining and cold.

As we left the house on Saturday, it was still calling for rain, but we didn't really get any.  Mum and Dad decided to come up the next day for Thanksgiving Dinner, and then see if they wanted to stay. (Spoiler alert, they didn't stay.)

Exploring around Red Pine Lake

It's a short paddle of about 2 km from the Kennisis Lake Dam, and the current is going with you.  It took about half an hour.   The river is very shallow in spots but very pretty to paddle down.  There are cottages along the way, and a handful on Red Pine Lake itself, but from our campsite we couldn't see any because of the island in front of us.  After paddling to the island and getting out at the wrong campsite, we got our bearings and found our home for the night.

The site we had chosen has a nice sandy beach, not that we would be swimming, it was far too cold for that.  The plan had been that it would be easier for my parents dog to get down to get a drink.  When we went to Opeongo, our site had a pretty good hill to climb up from the water, which was hard on him.  It was also kinda annoying for those of us sent to fetch water.

We spent a few minutes exploring the site, found the thunder box (which was in good shape, not disgusting, and even had a toilet seat!) and to make sure there weren't hidden caches of garbage people had left behind.  We did find several pairs of underwear, as well as a partially burned cross made out of branches and rope.  The kids were a little freaked out that the site was haunted and people had made it to ward off demons, but I assured them it wasn't likely.  They were still a little gun shy after Opeongo where they swore the site was haunted.

Since they felt like we'd given them the worst tent spot on our last trip, we let the kids choose where they would set up this time.  We put a tarp up over the kitchen area first (there was a table of sorts attached between two trees) and then went about setting up the tents.  The kids set their chairs up and Chris went to try and find fire wood while I got dinner started.  Dinner was spaghetti, already cooked, in the sauce, and dehydrated.  It had turned out well on our last trip, so we had it again.  I had made a HUGE batch, but since Mum and Dad weren't going to be there for the first night, I left half of it at home.

It began to drizzle as we waited for the spaghetti to rehydrate.  It looked like fog on the lake, and was quite pretty.  Thankfully there was no wind to speak of, or we would have all been chilled.

We ate dinner but since all the wood nearby was sopping wet from all the rain we'd had the past week, Chris couldn't get a fire going.  This meant we couldn't cook the garlic bread, but since there was so much spaghetti, it wasn't a big deal.  We cleaned up and went to bed since it was now dark and still drizzling.  It was 7:30.

At around 11:30 the wind picked up.  I tried to check my phone to see if there was a storm coming but there wasn't enough signal.  The waves began to lap at the shore so fast it sounded like a motor boat had gone by a bunch of times to stir them up. I kept hearing odd popping sounds that sounded like large branches breaking, but I think it was just the waves hitting logs and clumps of rocks.  Still it was unnerving because it sounded like a large animal was close by.

Squatch was the first person up, which was unusual.  I got up with him and we went to explore.  The forecast had said it would be sporadically sunny but chilly.  We didn't end up seeing any sun all day, but for the most part it wasn't too cold.  We walked around on the beach for a bit, and Squatch slipped off a log and soaked one of his shoes.  The water was pretty cold and none of us had brought extra shoes, so this was kind of a bummer.  He ended up sitting at the fire, in a pair of my socks while his shoes dried.  I made coffee, oatmeal and hot chocolate while Chris hunted for more firewood.  We didn't end up having a decent fire until later, when Mum and Dad got there since we had asked them to pick up a bag of wood on their way.

I don't like instant oatmeal so I brought the reflector oven and a store bought muffin mix, along with ground flax to replace the egg required.  I was so excited and I never got to eat it.  Because the fire never really got going very well, it ended up cooking for three hours and was still mushy inside.  Also, it is really hard to use a reflector oven with the steel fire pit rings.  You can't really fit it inside, and the fire has to be really big to make it work by setting it up at the ring's edge.  Since that was my breakfast, I was seriously bummed out.

Mum and Dad arrived at the put in fairly early, and we kept watch for them to paddle into the mouth of the river.  Squatch and I went down to the beach and walked out on the now mostly dry marsh, and eventually saw them, but they headed behind an island and went the wrong way.  I tried calling out, waving and even texted them, but they didn't turn back.  I ended up phoning them, which wasn't ideal as there was one bar and even that was intermittent.  I gave them directions but because their perspective was different from, they went back into the river and headed back almost out of sight.  All of us were waving whatever bright clothes we could find but it was still hard to see us.  I tried calling again, and couldn't get through.  Just when I thought Chris and Squatch would have to go out in the canoe, they saw us and came around to camp.

Thanksgiving dinner at Red Pine Lake

We got a better fire going with the dry wood they brought and sat around visiting, then got down to the business of preparing for thanksgiving dinner.  We had potatoes, carrots, turnip, brussels sprouts, stuffing, creamed corn, rolls and apple crisp.  It was super filling and yummy.  During the process of making the food, I fell in the lake and soaked both my shoes while trying to wash potatoes.  Squatches shoes were still wet, and Chris and Bubbie's shoes were damp from tromping around all day.  We were all a little chilled, and the temperature was dropping as the wind picked up.




We ended up deciding to pack up and leave a day early.  Mum and Dad helped pack up the tents and gear, then we all headed out.

Battling the current and wind, the paddle back to the put in took a bit longer, but it wasn't too bad.  We got loaded up and headed out.  It ended up raining a lot that night so nobody felt bad that we'd left.  Since it pretty much rained every day for a few weeks after that, we wouldn't have been able to set up the tents to dry them out for quite a while either.

All in all, it was a nice, relaxing Thanksgiving, much better than being squeezed in on all sides by big trailers and listening to other campers get gradually louder as the night and their alcohol consumption increases.

Trip Log: Algonquin Provincial Park: Source Lake to Raven Lake - July 18-19, 2018

Since the kids wanted to visit with my parents for a few days, Chris and I decided to take advantage of our alone time and do a night of canoe camping.  The advantage (besides the obvious) is that Chris only has to portage one canoe, so we can try and get to lakes with longer portages.

We had considered trying to get into Welcome Lake as it was showing as completely empty on the online reservation service, but I was down with a summer cold, and thought maybe treking over two kilometres with a 60 lb pack wasn't the best idea.  Also, timing wise, we would have gotten to Welcome Lake pretty late, given the time to paddle Rock Lake as well as Pen Lake, then do a portage over 2km long.  We decided on putting in at Source Lake, and doing two portages into Raven Lake.

We had to make a quick stop at Algonquin Outfitters for sunscreen and fuel for the stove.  We'd tried Canadian Tire before we left home, but they told us the brand they sold had been recalled for that type of fuel.

I'm not sure what time we arrived, probably around 1pm, got our permit at the Canoe Lake office and headed down the road.  The parks staff were doing some work on the Source Lake Road on the way in, I'm assuming to even out wash board spots.

We quickly loaded the canoe and set off.

Did you know loons have black feet?

Crossing Source Lake wasn't a long paddle.  I'd read some reports that said it could get very windy and wavy but we didn't have any problems.  The wind did pick up as we got close to the little bay where the portage was, but the waves stayed manageable.

It's here I should mention that I made one of my classic mistakes.  We were half way through the drive north when I realized I hadn't remembered to change into my Keen sport sandals.  In fact, I was wearing $5 flip flops.  So not only were we going to be doing the longest portage we had yet attempted, but I was going to be doing it without proper footwear.

The initial hill of the portage wasn't too steep, but the pack was heavy, and my feet were wet.  If you've never tried to walk up a hill in wet flip flops, let me tell you...it's not fun.  My feet kept sliding out of my shoes, I was huffing and puffing so bad I thought my chest might explode and my shoulders were killing me.  I got about 50 meters in and almost started crying, thinking there was no way I could do this portage, let alone the 920m still ahead of us.

Thankfully the trail levelled out for the most part, and even though it sucked, and my shoulders were screaming, we made it to Bruce Lake without mishap.  I did have a bit of an issue dropping the pack. It has this strap you can use that goes from the back, over top of the roll top and then clips down at the front.  We hadn't bothered to clip it on, and it got tangled around my arm.  I had that arm out of the normal carry strap, and with the extra strap hooked around my upper arm, I couldn't get the pack to shift enough to get the other arm out of it's carry strap...I had  to wait for Chris to drop the canoe and come help me, and ended up with a bruise on my arm because of it.  Did I learn my lesson and clip that extra strap into it's place?  No, but I was careful not to let it get looped onto my arm again.

Mostly, we were distracted by the fact that we could see the next portage across the lake...and it didn't look like the paddle was going to give us much of a break.

The landing at our site

We were right.  Long before we felt ready for it, we were landing the canoe and hauling our crap up another hill.  This portage was a bit more undulating, but after the initial rise on either end, it's fairly flat.  We stopped at the midway point where Chris was able to rest the canoe on a fallen tree, then we headed off again.  There were lots of big toads along the trail, and I almost stepped on a garter snake. It didn't even move, and I had to stop and make sure it wasn't actually dead.

By the time we made it to Raven Lake, my calves were cramping up and my shoulders on fire.  I think the straps need to be tightened because it felt like the pack was hanging more than sitting.  Something to look into next time.

We pushed off and went to the first campsite to check it out.  I'd read it was very steep and not very good, but we got out of the canoe and checked it out anyway.  It wasn't a horrible site, but the steep rise from the water would have been a pain for loading and unloading, as well as pumping water.  Chris liked it because he figured it would be good for swimming, but agreed we should check out the other site.  It was still pretty early in the day and I was pretty sure there wouldn't be anyone else staying on Raven Lake that night.

The sandy shallow water at the second site's put in won me over.  I'm not a dive-into-deep-water type of swimmer.  I'm a sit-in-4-inches-of-water kind of gal. (I grew up working at my grandparent's bait shop, where the customers used to like freaking me out with stories of giant muskie and trout that bit their toes off.)  The second site also had more open ground for tent site options so we decided to make it home for the night.  We set up the tent in front of the fire pit so we would have a good view.  There was a fire ban anyway, so it wasn't like we would have to worry about sparks from the fire landing on the tent.

Once the tent was up, Chris went for a swim, wading far out to find deeper water, while I sat in the sandy shallows.  He came and joined me and we spent a relaxing hour or so enjoying the quiet.  Biscuit fetched his ball a few times and smacked me with his wet tail.  All in all, a nice time.

Potatoes, stuffing, veggie burger and gravy

Dinner was a completely unhealthy but easy and cheap mix of store bought foods since I still hadn't had much time to dehydrate anything.  A package of instant mashed potatoes, half a box of Stove Top, a packet of gravy and two frozen veggie burgers.  It was filling, and tasted all right...I think.  Did I mention I was suffering with a summer cold?  I couldn't taste much of anything, but Chris and Biscuit seemed to like it.

There was a garter snake living in the alders along the shore.   It kept coming out but would take off when we came close.  After we cleaned up, we hung the food bag and went out for a paddle and he was on the sand, maybe looking for a frog for his dinner.

We paddled along the shore of the entire lake, finding a few spots that looked like maybe they used to be campsites.  There was one spot, near the other campsite, but not so close that it looked like part of the other site, where it looked like a trail.  It was wide and very distinct and we wondered if there used to be an old portage trail leading to Burnt Island Lake.  We didn't get out and investigate, the sun was setting and we decided to head back to camp.

Once back at our site, we tucked away any gear that was laying around and decided to crawl into the tent.  Since we couldn't have a fire, and the site didn't have anywhere to sit near the water, there wasn't much else to do.  I was a bit chilled, and somehow my butt had gotten wet while we were paddling around.  I realized afterwards it was because Biscuit was biting at the little whirlpools created with each of my paddle strokes, and every time he lifted his head, water would dribble out of his mouth and onto my seat.

Biscuit preparing for Chris for a wakeup call

It was a quiet night.  A few loons, a few owls and lots of bull frogs.  I was awake most of the night blowing my nose, and every time I did, Biscuit would get up and bunt me in the face.

When it started to get light out, he wanted out of the tent so I got up, grabbed the camera and wandered around the site.  There was some nice fog on the water, and the morning light was beautiful.  I really wish there had been a place to sit, or that we had brought chairs.  After taking a few pictures, I went back to bed for another hour or so.

We got up around 7:30.  It was time for coffee and pancakes...well one pancake each.  The frying pan that comes with our pot set is great for one big pancake, but not so great for a few little ones.  Chris did the cooking this time, and soon enough we were eating and cleaning up so we could head down the portage trail to Owl Lake to check it out.

The trail was pretty flat, but littered with rocks and roots that made it a slow hike (for me in my wet flip flops.  Chris was fine.)  We didn't portage the canoe over,  just walked the trail, took a few pictures and headed back.  Chris had found a trail at our site that he had followed during his initial explorations and it went pretty far, so when we got back to camp, he decided to follow it while I made use of the thunder box. (Note to anyone thinking of camping on this site...the thunder box is in plain view of the rest of the campsite, so if you aren't comfortable with your companions seeing your bare butt, maybe try the other site...)

Morning mist on Raven Lake

Turned out, the trail he followed went all the way to Owl Lake, and from the end, he could see the campsite that had been just around shore from the portage.  It was also a much easier trail, minus the few blow downs he had to bypass, and followed a creek for a bit.  It had to have been a portage at one point, but why would the park discontinue it's use and create one that was so riddled with rocks when this path was so clear and pretty?  I guess the fact it passed along the back of the campsite might be a good reason.  I watched him go by as I was preparing to use the facilities, so I guess campers might not be thrilled to have a group of camp kids go through while they were in a vulnerable state.

We spent some time watching four loons that were swimming just off shore, puttered around a bit, then decided there was no point in delaying the inevitable.

Biscuit waits patiently for pancakes

It didn't take us long to pack up and head back out onto the water.  Neither of us was looking forward to the portage and it was way hotter than it had been on our way in the day before.  We landed and I got a head start while Chris lashed the paddles to the yoke.  By the time I made it to the midway point, I was breathing so hard and I just wanted the pack off.  I ended up standing there, bent at the waist, just to ease some of the weight on my shoulders, though that wasn't doing my back any favours.  Chris came along then and says he's just going to keep going.  It should be said that the only way I could get the pack onto my shoulders was for him to lift it and then I'd slide my arms in.  If he wasn't stopping, I wasn't getting the pack onto my back again.  He took five steps then came back for a rest, thankfully, or I might have mutinied.

Once we made it to Bruce Lake, we decided to check out the campsite.  There's only one on the lake, and we couldn't see it on the way in.  It sits up on some nice rock, has a bit of a challenging climb to get your gear up, but it's a nice site, has a great bench and a nice view.  The tent pads are a bit away from the fire pit, following a little trail.  We sat on the bench and decided we would come back to it with the kids some time.

After a brief rest, we headed back out and landed at the portage back into Source Lake.  Chris had said the 540m would feel like nothing after the 920m, but he was wrong.  It still kinda sucked.   I'm pretty sure someone threw a few good sized rocks in the bottom of the pack or something.

The paddle back to the access point was nice.  It felt like we hadn't done much paddling on this trip.  I had joked about how it would be great to do more portaging and less paddling because Biscuit is not a fun dog to paddle with.  He has lots of fun...but his constant biting of the water makes it a jerky, sketchy ride for us.  Of course, as much as he loves the canoe, he loves the car more, and as soon as we got close to shore, he jumped out before we could grab his leash, and bolted.  Thankfully there were no other people around.  Chris was able to get his shoes on and go let him in, then drove down to pick up the gear and strap the canoe to the roof.

After a quick detour to Lake of Two River's Store for some snacks, we headed back south to pick the kids up and head home.

stuff left behind by previous campers

I've thought a lot about whether Raven Lake was worth the portages.  It's a small lake, and while it was pretty enough, it wasn't a super scenic spot.  It was quiet though.  We only saw a group of 3 canoes (kids from the camp on Source Lake maybe) come through, so in that respect, it was great.  I like that we did some longer portages, and while they weren't fun (are they supposed to be?) they weren't as bad as I had thought.  Some reorganizing of gear might be in order.  We take a four person tent because of the dog, but maybe if it had been just the two of us, we would have taken our little 2 person tent and saved a few pounds.

All in all, it was a good trip.  We had fun, enjoyed a quiet lake to our selves, and since we spent a good part of the drive home discussing where we might go next, I'd have to say it was a success.

Trip Log: Big East Lake, July 25-26, 2017

We had planned to do two nights on Big East Lake, but Chris had worked a crazy number of hours on the weekend and was quite content to spend the Monday relaxing.  I wasn't too upset by this.  My own work hours on the weekend had been long, though not as long as his.

Biscuit at the put in to Big East Lake

We had purchased two sit in kayaks the previous week.  After watching several videos of people using kayaks to go interior camping, we thought it might be easier for the kids.  We found two inexpensive ones that were designed with space and access to the front and back, and were pleased to find the kids 55L packs fit into the space behind the seat with a little wiggling.    Getting a canoe and two kayaks on the roof proved to be a bit of a dilemma, but Chris eventually came up with a system that worked.  Unfortunately, since we couldn't afford the higher end kayaks with built in metal loops for securing to a car, we had to improvise.

We arrived around 3pm and began unloading and carrying things down to the lake.  I'd forgotten how steep the trail down to the water was.  I carried the first kayak down, then went back for more.  Chris ended up bringing down 4 loads, including the second kayak, the canoe and the biggest pack.  We got underway, and the kids started out really well in the kayaks, but half way there, Squatch began to struggle.  He was zigzagging all over the place, and lagging behind.  Bubbie had no trouble, though she was tired when we got to the site.

We completely missed the easy spot to land the boats and went around the corner and pulled up on the sloping rock instead.  It wasn't hard to land there, but carrying the packs and stuff up the hill, with wet shoes, was a little sketchy.  After a brief explore, Bubbie and I set off to find the thunder box.  We followed a few trails, all of which led up the steepest part of the hill behind the site, and then petered out into nothing.  We came back, and Squatch points to a trail that went down hill a bit and says "It's right there, you can see it from here."

It was pretty buggy once we got into the thicker forest, but the thunder box was pretty new looking and in good shape.

Next order of business was setting up the tents.  Bubbie insisted on setting up their tent on her own, so we let her be and Chris and I set up ours while Squatch lounged on the stone couch around the fire pit.  She also set up the air mattresses, pillows and sleeping bags.

Bubbie taking a break in the kayak

After getting set up, Chris and Squatch went for a swim, playing with one of the Gopros while Bubbie and I headed out in the kayaks to pump some water and explore a few other sites close by.

Macaroni and tomatoes...I'm so ashamed

Once we got back it was time to start making dinner.  Because the kids are picky (and I'd given up trying to find things they both like that Chris and I aren't sick to death of) I ended up having to make 2 meals.  For the kids, macaroni and tomatoes which I had made at home and dehydrated.  I wasn't sure if it would work out, but it did and now I know I can do that for other trips where Chris and I want a dinner thats more interesting.  Chris and I had a package of Knorr Thai Sweet Chili Noodles with dehydrated stir fry veggies added in.  I'm not going to lie, the veggies look pretty sad when they rehydrate.  The mushrooms especially looked scary, but it tasted okay.  Next time, I might try just adding in broccoli and carrots as those two held up the best.

We ate out on the rock shelf over looking the lake.  It was pretty awesome.   The sun was getting low, the lake was calm and it was just a beautiful night.  The kids spent some time playing with their cameras while I cleaned up and Chris got a fire going.  Squatch got a little saw and we tried to get him to help process firewood but his twiggy little arms need a bit of work.  I also tried and it was not easy.  The wood was a bit punky making it more of a challenge.

Dinner with an awesome view

Bubbie's job was to hang the rope for the food bag.  It took her a few tries, but she got it and was pretty proud of herself.

The next morning, I got up and took some pictures of the fog on the lake.  It was a beautiful morning.   I made oatmeal with all sorts of dried fruits in it and of course the kids had instant oats.  

For the paddle back, I took the kayak and Squatch went in the canoe with Chris.  Bubbie and I got a head start so that Biscuit wouldn't be so crazy for them.  He seems to be a bit calmer in the canoe if he can't see the second canoe or the kayaks.  I also realized the problem Squatch had had the day before.  With the pack behind the seat, it puts a fair bit of weight at the back of the kayak.  Next time we will try dividing the gear in dry bags or putting more weight in the front.  

We all loved this trip, and the site.  Big East Lake used to be really busy before the municipality began charging money to camp there and requiring permits.  I know a lot of people were probably upset but the truth is, we used to go there for day trips and the sites were often pretty messy.  Anything that keeps the area clean and protected for future campers is okay in my books.

Trip Log: Algonquin Provincial Park: Magnetwan to Ralph Bice Lake - July 5-7, 2017

Already exhausted and a little crabby, we pulled out of the Margaret Lake Access for the Frost Centre at just after 1pm.  We were starving and super thirsty.  Luckily, we weren't far down the road from Dorset, so we stopped at Robinsons for snacks and drinks, then continued our journey north to Huntsville where we topped up the car's gas and got onto Highway 11.

Finding the Kearney Community centre, and the permit office was easy, then we soon found ourselves on dirt roads reminiscent of the road into Achray.  To say the kids were less than pleased was an understatement.  I'm sure if they could have, they would have left me on the side of the road and went home.  Every time Chris saw water, he assumed we were there and told the kids this...and I, having the Jeff's Map for Algonquin on an app on my phone, had to tell them, no, we weren't there yet.

After about thirty minutes (I didn't keep super close track, so it might have been more) we arrived at the access point and everyone jumped out to stretch their legs.  Everyone was pleased to not have a lot of bugs swarming us at the parking area and this trend continued for the portages all the way to Ralph Bice.  There were mosquitoes and black flies, but not anywhere near as bad as they had been on the portage into Three Island Lake.

It didn't take us long to haul all our gear down the short trail to the launch.  We made quick use of the compost toilets before setting off and after a brief moment where I doubted my navigating skills, we rounded the corner for the first portage.

It should be noted that we switched up canoe partners for this trip.  Chris and Squatch took the Scott canoe because it's more stable with Biscuit bouncing around in it, and Bubbie and I took the Swift.

The 135m trail into Hambone Lake was a bit mucky, especially at the other end, but it was easy enough and the kids were in good spirits, running back for a second load of small items like paddles and lifejackets.  We didn't met some people but Biscuit barely paid them any attention until they spoke to him, then he got a bit skittish and hid behind Chris's legs.

Soon enough we were pushing off onto Hambone Lake.  Again, I had a few moments of doubt regarding the direction we were to go.    It was a bit windy, and I had a harder time taking a break from paddling to study the map closely without knowing Chris was there to keep us going at a good pace.

We found the next portage and quickly finished that one as well.  Once we got to the end, before we got into the canoes, I made Chris look at the map.  Ralph Bice is a big lake, and the lady at the permit office warned me it was often very windy, so we should stick to the shore.  I explained to everyone about the sites I'd seen pictures of online, and how if we kept to the right after the put in, we'd come to the beach sites, but that they were further away, and could be more likely to be full.

Chris decided we would stay to the left shore, and everything started out great.  The lake wasn't very wavy, there was a bit of wind but nothing major.  The first few sites were taken, and when Bubbie and I went to check out the next one (it was empty but didn't look very appealing) we turned around and Chris and Squatch were heading across the lake to the far shore.  We weren't sure if we should follow them, or keep going.  Also, because they didn't have a map, they were actually heading back towards the portage instead of on an angle that would get them closer to the campsites.

Furious and a little nervous, we kept going, but all the sites were either taken or very small and dark looking (which may have just been because the sun was sinking low behind that side of the lake, casting the sites into shadow.)  We came around the round island which had one site on it (site was taken) and were immediately in trouble.  The waves were crazy, the windy was throwing us around and I couldn't stop paddling long enough to look at the map and come up with a plan.  We couldn't even see the other canoe across the lake, so we had no idea if the dog had caused them to capsize or if they were sitting on an amazing campsite waiting for us to find them.  To make it even more frustrating, Bubbie had four stable flies biting her ankles and her arms and shoulders were cramping up.

We were close to the big island and the narrow channel.  I figured we could get to a site we saw was empty on the island and at least take a break, even though it meant crossing the lake.  I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned that I haven't ever learned how to stern paddle.  Chris knows how and so we jut paddle with him in stern in me in the bow.  Bubbie has taken her level 1 and 2 canoe certification and knows how to stern paddle as well, unfortunately she's had no experience in strong wind and big waves.

We made it halfway across to the island when Chris came around the corner, with just Biscuit in the canoe (my heart stopped for a moment, I'm not afraid to admit) and he told us that Squatch was at a great campsite waiting for us.  The next several minutes were dicy but we eventually made it to our home for two nights.  Bubbie was crying because her shoulders were so cramped, I was furious and somehow, Chris made it sound like us getting separated was because I had misunderstood.

After everyone calmed down, we got the tents set up and set about doing camp chores.  Chris had an incident while trying to hang the bear rope for the food which ended up being an ordeal that lasted a few hours.  I had bought a small dry sack to use for our ropes with the intent that for hanging the food, he would put a rock or something into the bag and use it to through over the tree branch rather than trying to tie a rock or stick to the rope. Since there was a piece of rope already over a perfect branch, he figured he'd use that and didn't take our ropes out of the bag, and instead used them as weight.  The rope fell off the branch, so he tied it to the bag and threw it back over...but the bag got stuck in the fork of a smaller branch and wouldn't come loose.  Now we couldn't even use a different rope because all the rope we had brought had been in the bag and the mosquitoes were out in force.  After an hour or so of trying to shake the bag loose, I was looking for something in the pack and found a brand new rope, still in it's plastic packaging.  We ended up using it to hang the food, and then we could work on retrieving the bag the next day, when the bugs weren't so bad.

playing "rock darts" at Ralph Bice Lake

Dinner had been made while this was happening.  We had set up the Eureka VCS16 bug shelter for the first time and we all sat in there to eat.  The kids had ramen (I'd left the store bought, camping meal Bubbie had picked out on the dining room table) while Chris and I had a greek rice and vegetable pilaf I'd made as an experiment.  It turned out really well, but I have a few changes and additions to make then I'll post the recipe.

We cleaned up and sat around the fire until the bugs got too bad, then headed to bed.

The next morning we all slept in.  I got up at one point (I didn't have my watch and my phone was powered down so I don't know what time it was) to let Biscuit out to pee, then we went back to bed.

The shallow, sandy bay at our site

Once everyone was up, I got out the stove and put on water to boil for coffee and hot chocolate, then started to make oatmeal.  By the time we were finished, it was almost noon.  By  the time we were cleaned up, it was time for lunch, but none of us really wanted the naan bread and peanut butter, so we snacked on granola bars and trail mix.

Chris managed to unstick the bag of rope, and he used two of the pieces to make targets on the ground, then he and Squatch spent the majority of the day playing "rock darts."  We followed the trail along the shore and checked out the beach, and realized the bay at our site was a shallow sandy haven that was perfect for just sitting in the water.  We were also able to wade across and check out the next campsite.  It was a little rough looking, with lots of downed trees but there were a few spots with nice views and they had a more direct access to the beach.

Dinner that night was a chilli recipe I'd made a few times in the Instantpot.  The kids liked it so I made a batch and dehydrated it a week or so before hand.  I also pre-cooked and dried some brown rice and then mixed them together and rehydrated it.  The corn never seems to come back very well, but it was tasty, especially with some hot sauce.

The weather forecast was calling for rain for the following day, and the lake had been so windy all day we hadn't been able to do any paddling.  We decided we would go to bed early so we could get up and get on the water before it got really bad.  Actually, at that point we were just hoping the wind and waves calmed down enough over night that we wouldn't be paddling in conditions like we'd been seeing all day.

rehydrated chilli and rice

I don't know what time we all went to bed, just that it was super early (we were guessing about 7:30.)  We were tired anyway, so it wasn't a big deal.  We had slept the previous night with the vestibule open and just hanging loose against the tent, but since it might rain over night, we zipped it up this time.

We might have been in the tent for ten minutes before we heard a crash.  Thinking it was our food bag, I crawled back out and saw that, no, the food was still high in the air.  There was nothing nearby,  no fallen trees that we could see, or animals.  I went back to the tent and spent the next hour or so hyper aware of every sound.   Truth was, we couldn't hear much other than the wind and the sound of the waves pounding against the rocks on the shore.  Every few minutes we would hear a popping sound, which was the waves and the logs over at the beach doing some crazy stuff.

At about the exact moment the sun dipped below the horizon, the wind stopped and the waves settled into a gentle lapping sound. The night was blissfully quiet and I actually managed to sleep.

Biscuit enjoying a breeze on Ralph Bice Lake

I was up early with Biscuit pawing at my sleeping bag.  It had rained a little bit earlier in the morning, but it seemed to have stopped for a while.  I took Biscuit out then crawled back into the sleeping bag and powered up my phone so I could check the time.  It was 7:15.  The lake was still calm (not glassy by any means) and the wind only picked up every little while for a few seconds at a time.  I wanted to get everyone up and get going, worried the wind would start up and stay gusty, but I also didn't want everyone to be all cranky so I held off for a bit.

Chris got up not long after I went back into the tent, so we got the kids up and started packing up.  It didn't take as long as we'd thought and we were back on the water, all of us hungry but eager to enjoy bagels from Tim Horton's in Huntsville.  The paddle back down Ralph Bice was slow.  The wind and waves were just enough to make it frustrating.  Bubbie and I had left first, hoping to get a head start so Biscuit wouldn't be as much of a bother.  He is at his worst when the canoes are within a close distance.  He barks and paws at the water trying to get closer to the second canoe so he can jump back and forth.  Chris and Squatch caught up easily thought.  Bubbie's shoulders were still sore and at one point she asked if we could switch sides.  I realized then how utterly useless I am paddling on the left.  My arm started cramping in about 5 minutes and I had no power to my strokes at all.  Something to work on.

When we got to the portage to Hambone, we took a few pictures with the portage sign and continued on our way.  We met a couple heading in, and spent a few moments talking to them.  They were heading into Little Trout Lake for the weekend.  They had been there before and enjoyed it a lot.

We made quick work of the portage and then the quick paddle down Hambone.  As we approached the portage to Hambone we saw people at the put in and so decided to hold back until they were finished so we wouldn't have to worry about Biscuit.  As we got closer we saw it was an older couple and their daughter who was probably in her early twenties.  Their canoe was so packed full there was barely room for them to sit.  The daughter sat at the very front, on the floor, facing her mother who was in the bow seat.  The father had a bit of a struggle getting in, but finally they pushed off and we unloaded.

When I got to the other end of the 135m portage, I heard voices.  Since the portage is so close to the launch, I wasn't sure if they were just around the corner, about to land any second, or still at the dock, loading up.  I ran back to let Chris know, totally forgetting to take the dog's leash with me.  Thankfully, the group of canoes wandered off towards the other side of the lake, and didn't head towards the portage until we were loaded up and on the water.  I'm not sure if they were lost, or exploring a bit.

We got back to the car, tired, sore and dirty but in much better spirits than when we had arrived.    It was just after 11, so we made pretty good time.  Other than the little hiccup when we got separated on Ralph Bice, we had a relaxing and successful trip.  The kids enjoyed everything, we had a nice site, the experimental meals I'd brought turned out well.  The only issues we had with food was that I hadn't brought much for lunch (or anything, figuring we would just snack on granola bars and trail mix) but I had also planned for us to explore a bit on the second day, so being kind of wind bound through me off a bit.  Also, I need to come up with a breakfast that is quick and easy, but isn't oatmeal.  For one thing, I can't stand instant oats, the texture of them makes me gag.  Second, oatmeal is kind of a pain to clean up, especially out of the bowls that came with our pot set.

Our order at Timmies might have been a little shocking.  The poor girl on drive thru sounded a little panicked, but we were all hungry and poor Biscuit hadn't had Timbits in a few days!

Trip Log: Frost Centre: Margaret Lake to Three Island Lake, July 4-5, 2017 (aka The First Hellish Portage We Experienced)

I'm going to get blamed for this trip for years to come, I can tell.  We started out planning to put in at Canoe Lake in Algonquin and go into either Teepee Lake or Little Doe Lake for two nights, but then I got to thinking about how the first portage out of Canoe Lake is so busy.  Biscuit with a lot of strangers?  Hmmm maybe not such a good idea.  So I studied the maps and decided that we could put in at Magnetawan Access and portage in for a few nights on Ralph Bice Lake.  It looked nice, it had good number of available sites still, and I'd seen pictures of some of the sites and they looked like they had actual sand beaches.

I waffled back and forth between doing two nights on one lake or the first on Ralph Bice, then a second night on Little Trout Lake, but in the end, decided to just relax for the day.  When I went to book it, on the day before we intended to go, I was greeted with an error message saying the reservation didn't meet the required window?  I was confused, but a little digging into the regulations revealed that Algonquin's interior requires you book by 9pm two days before your intended arrival.  I'd had no idea!

So I had to regroup again.  We had thought we would go to the Frost Centre on the way back and do an easy night on a little lake, so Chris suggested we just flip it.  Do a night at the Frost centre, then head up to Magnetawan Access.  I went back to the maps, now actually kind of excited because doing it this way meant we were already part way up to the Algonquin Access which should give us a head start for getting to a good site.  Since we would book a Frost Centre site, based on a specific site rather than a lake, there was less rush to get out the door (which turned out to be a good thing, since we were still not fully packed, despite having the whole previous day to find and prepare things.)

I had picked out a few sites that were easy to get to.  No big lakes to cross, no long portages. I had originally thought about a couple of the sites right on St. Nora Lake, but Chris vetoed those, saying he wanted to get at least off the access lake.

The kids tent at Three Island Lake, Frost Centre

I showed him pictures and he really liked the little island site on Three Island Lake.  I warned him the portage was a bit longer than what we had done, but he said he'd be fine.  Since we were taking two canoes, he'd be portaging both while the plan was for me to take both the big packs, while the kids took their packs.

We didn't get much of an early start, but the paddle across Margaret Lake was quick and we pulled up to the portage ready to go.

The first issue was the mud.  After a short but easy climb we got to a section of the trail where the mud was thick, deep and swarming with mosquitoes.  We managed to bushwhack around without much trouble but the bugs followed us along the trail.  After another minute or two, we reached a logging road.  It was at this point that Chris set down the one canoe, in a clearing just off the road and went back to get the yellow pack.  (We quickly realized I couldn't even lift the bigger of our two packs...some rethinking on how we distribute items will have to be done.) Also, we met up with two men who were coming out of Three Island, and Chris wanted to make sure we hadn't blocked off the put in for them.

Shortly after we crossed the road, we came to a stand still.  With mosquitoes and black flies (and deer flies probably) like a cloud around us, the kids and I stared at a whole lot of recently downed trees.  So recent, in fact, the leaves hadn't even started to wilt.   The whole area looked like a tornado had gone through in the past, but there were a lot of really recent, really big trees blocking the trail.  We dropped our packs and scouted around for a sign of where others had went.  Finally, we scooted around a wall made by a trees roots, ducked under a fallen tree, and then climbed over a few...and we were home free...except then the trail went through more mud, a lot of raspberry bushes and a nice big patch of ferns, all of which were havens for even more mosquitoes.  As the lake came into view, the underbrush thinned out and we got a bit of breeze to keep them away but that only thinned them out a little.  Chris came back a minute later with the pack, then headed back for the canoe he'd brought part way in.  We ended up launching it with the kids gear and letting them paddle out onto the lake so they were at least out of the bugs while Chris and I went back for the last items (the second canoe and the food bag)

Biscuit contemplating a swim to escape the bugs

Chris was dripping sweat and blood by the time we got everything into the canoes on Three Island.  He was also cursing a bit.  Nobody was happy, knowing we would be enduring that portage again the next day.  Even the sight of the cute little island site we would be camping on, didn't cheered us up.

Chris and Squatch went for a swim.  Bubbie was going to but then we spotted a leech, so she changed her mind.  I got started on supper.  On a previous trip I had taken a box of Beef Taco hamburger helper and instead of adding hamburger, added peppers, beans, lentils and corn.  This time, I didn't even bother adding the seasoning packet since I'd dried a can of Chili spiced diced tomatoes.  I did add a few tablespoons of nutritional yeast to give it a cheesy texture, but don't tell them!  So basically I bought a box of Hamburger Helper...just for the pasta...might have to rethink that one for future trips...anyway the meal was really good...though there wasn't quite enough since I sort of spilled a little bit on the ground.

Early morning on Three Island Lake

When we arrived at the site, Chris was surprised to see a stack of firewood sitting beside the fire pit.  We got a fire going to help drive off the bugs, though they weren't as bad in the middle of the lake.  Since we hadn't gotten a very early start, the sun was getting low, and once it sank behind the trees, the bugs came out more aggressively, so we doused the fire and settled into bed.  None of us were looking forward to the next day.

I woke early.  I'm not sure what time exactly, but Biscuit figured it was time to get up, so I crawled out of the tent with him, taking along the cameras.  The lake was glass and there was a little bit of wispy fog dancing along it's surface.  I love mornings like this, and it kind of bums me out that everyone else sleeps through this beautiful time of day.  I'm pretty much always alone, waiting for everyone else to pop their heads out of the tents.

I watched a few loons circle the island, and a few birds flit around the trees above me.  It was relaxing, and yet  I was anxious too.  I knew once everyone else got up, we'd be heading back to that portage, and it was already getting hot.

This is the third island, where a campsite used to be

We opted not to make breakfast, though the option of granola bars was there for everyone.  Since we were heading to the Magnetawan Access in Algonquin for two nights, I wanted to get an early start and I knew if we waited until I made breakfast and cleaned up, we would be very late getting there.

So we packed up and headed back onto the water.  The trip back was just as miserable as the trip in had been.  Poor Chris had to make three trips, I made two.  After the first trip, I loaded the kids and a few of the packs into the canoe and told them to paddle out a bit like they had on the way in.  This kept them out of the bugs but it also left them sitting in the hot sun.  Chris had thought it would be a good idea to put one of the rain coats on, since the sleeves are elastic, and bugs wouldn't be crawling up his arms.  It worked, but by the time he got back with his third load, he was sweating so much it literally looked like he'd just poured a bottle of water down his shirt.  It was kind of scary and I was a bit worried about him.   We loaded up quickly and headed for the car where there were two bottles of sports drink (which were miraculously cold...)

We all agreed the site was cool but we wouldn't be coming back again until the portage was cleared and the bugs had died off.

The following week, Chris and I were driving back from Dorset and noticed a great deal of fresh blowdown in the area just north of Margaret Lake.  My parents had told us that a few days after this trip, they got a really bad storm, so we weren't sure when these trees feel, in the same storm that knocked trees across the portage, or the storm a few days later.  Either way, the area got hit pretty good with wind lately, so hopefully the people responsible for maintaining the routes will be out clearing the trails soon.

Trip Log: Algonquin Provincial Park: Cache Lake to Little Island Lake, August 24-25, 2016

I have to ask, are there any other campers out there who are as bad at planning a trip as us?  The morning of this trip, we had packed up our Boler from 2 nights at Oastler Lake Provincial Park, and then taken the kids to my parents house.  The plan (if you can call it that) was for Chris and I to head out for one or two nights of canoe camping.

Now, the problem with not planning ahead for a canoe trip in the summer in Algonquin is that you end up with very few lakes that you can get to with a late start, that still have sites available.  At first we'd thought maybe we'd put in at Canoe Lake and head up to Little Doe, but when we got to my parents to recheck availability, Little Doe was booked up.

So we set out, having decided to skip Algonquin and head to the Frost Centre.  It would be a shorter drive, and we could pick a site and be assured we were getting something decent (or as sure as you can be from the pictures on the reservations website.)

The whole drive up, I was reevaluating, and as we pulled into the office for the Haliburton Water Trails, I suddenly decided I'd much rather go to Algonquin.  My reasons were mostly due to our planned destination in the Frost Centre, Nunikani Lake.  My Mum had paddled there in high school as part of the school's outer's club, and had loved it.  It had always been on my list of places to go, but with Biscuit being so nutty in the canoe, and knowing we'd have to cross Big Hawk Lake, which was a pretty big lake but also well populated with cottages, the idea of struggling on a long paddle, on a windy day...with Biscuit...it didn't appeal to me at all.  We were already getting a late start, and forecast of rain, I think we made the right call.

So we settled on Little Island Lake, via Cache Lake.  We set out under gloomy skies, at about 5pm.

The paddle in was nice.  There was a bit of wind but nothing we couldn't handle.  I take the brunt of Biscuit's enthusiasm as he likes to put his front paws up on my seat and peer over my shoulder.  When the wind is in his face, it's like he's going for a ride in a really slow car.  Of course this hinders my paddling a bit, and when he bites at the water I end up with a soaked back, but we haven't been able to get him to just sit calmly in the canoe.  For a while, we thought if we took him out enough he'd get more calm but after 3 years of car rides, he still goes crazy every time, so I'm not holding out hope things will change on their own in the canoe either.

Paddling past the island campsite on Tanamakoon, we saw a father and three young girls fishing.  All the other sites on this end of the lake looked to be taken, but we were headed further in, and so kept on, past Camp Tanamakoon, through the narrows and around the corner to our first portage.  It was a short one, only 120m, and had a nice sandy landing with only a few rocks to watch out for.  There was a short hill then the rest of the trail was level.  Chris carried the canoe while I carried the lighter pack and all the loose items (paddles, camera stuff, solar panel) then he came back for the bigger pack.  I admit I felt bad about that.  The plan was for him to carry the canoe and the light pack while I carried the big one so we wouldn't have to do multiple trips.  I'll have to get into better shape over the winter, because I could barely lift the big pack out of the canoe!

At the end of the trail, Chris got a little concerned.  "This is the lake?"  I forget sometimes that he doesn't spend as much time looking over maps as I do.  Not only that, he was driving and listening to me rattle off possibilities and so it would be easy for him to jumble up all the "portage into this lake" stuff I was saying.

At the portage - Sheriff Pond to Little Island Lake

After I assured him that Sheriff Pond wasn't our destination for the night, we loaded up and headed out for the very short crossing.  The next portage was directly across the pond, and it was easy to find given the trail cut through lily pads.  Unfortunately the take out was not fun.  First you paddle around a fallen log, presenting you with two possible places to put the canoe, separated by another fallen log.  Both are riddled with rocks, and surrounded by black, stinky mud.  Biscuit tried to hop onto the log and ended up getting muddy right away.  As Chris and I were trying to figure out the best way to get to dry land without sinking to our knees in muck, Biscuit kept hopping in and out of the canoe and got absolutely everything we owned streaked with black.

Chris finally got him to shore and tied him to a tree, so we could unload the canoe.

The trail wasn't tougher than the first portage.  It wasn't bad, but it starts with a fairly steep hill, then keeps going at a lower grade.  For someone who isn't in great shape, it involved a fair few stops to catch my breath, where as Chris just powered through it without so much as a gasp.

Little Island Lake has two options for putting your canoe back in the water.  When the trail branches, if you go straight, you'll come to the official put in (where the sign is.)  This is a nice sandy beach, but there are several big rocks to watch for.  The unofficial put in, takes the short trail to the left and has a sandy area next to an old log jam.  The climb down is a little big steeper, but there are no rocks to contend with.

Being at our destination lake, with the sun quickly setting and the skies looking like they might open up at any minute, we were pretty eager to make camp.  The mainland site was taken, so we paddled around the island, knowing there should be at least 2 sites available.  From the put in we went to the right, and the first island site we came to was available but involved climbing up an incredibly steep hill.  I wouldn't even call it a hill, it was an almost perfectly vertical climb up a pine needle covered dirt wall.  We couldn't see the site itself very well, though it looked like there was a decent clearing.  We moved on, and saw that the next site looked nice, but was already taken.

The third site was empty, and we decided to take it.  It was a nice site, with a large open area and a few nice sheltered spots for the tent.  It even had a table which had seen better days.  If it had been better weather, we probably would have swam.  Chris did consider it but it was getting dark, and we had to get camp set up and start dinner.

We set up the tent beneath the cover of two big cedar trees.  Biscuit is getting better at not walking all over the tent as we try and set it up, but it still has a few muddy paw prints on it.  We were actually hoping it would rain a bit so we could see how well the new MEC Camper 4 holds up in bad weather.

Stew rehydrating

With darkness closing in, and not wanting to clean up in pitch black, I didn't let the food sit as long as it should have.  I'd made a stew with beans, butternut squash and corn, and it was still fine, but a few of the squash pieces were a little chewy.  I'll be honest though, I couldn't taste a darn thing.  As much as I really wanted to be canoe camping, there was a part of me that wished Chris had agreed to just set up at a campground for a night or two because I really felt like crap.  Summer colds are such a pain.

After cleaning up, Chris got a bear rope hung and secured our food and then scouted for wood  Surprisingly, for an island campsite, he was able to find a decent number of small branches on the ground and using 2 of my precious tissues as starter, we enjoyed a brief fire before turning in.

I didn't sleep much.  Part of this was because of my cold.  By the time we went to bed, I was down to 3 tissues and I was trying to conserve them.  The toilet paper we'd brought had been a small, partial roll, so it wouldn't last long either, and I didn't want to use it up incase we needed it for it's normal purpose.  So between not being able to breath, and listening for night life, I mostly tossed and turned all night.  On the plus side, Biscuit was refreshingly calm.  Usually he paces and sucks on our sleeping bags until they are a slobbery mess, but he slept quite well on the bed of clothes Chris made for him, though at some point he got up and flopped across our feet.

It was a warm night.  I spent most of it on top of my sleeping bag, especially once I had a furry foot warmer.

By morning, we hadn't had the expected rain or storms.  Part of me was grateful we weren't packing up a wet tent, and part of me was a little sad we hadn't really put the it more fully to the test.

Chris got up and retrieved the food bag.  Poor Biscuit went with him and ended up stepping on a sand wasp nest.  He got stung a few times and ran right back to the tent where he licked his wounds.  I put on water for coffee and we ended up eating just apples and some fig bars rather than making up oatmeal.  It didn't take us long to break camp and head back out on the water.

As we rounded the island, we decided to check out the last island site and were surprised it was empty.  It didn't look bad, but we liked ours better.  We could see people at both parts of the portage, and decided to hold back and let them get on the water before we got too close.  One group looked to be day trippers in three canoes, possibly from the lodge on Cache Lake.  The other was a family with two canoes and 3 or 4 little girls.

Before we left, I had decided to use the day pack I'd brought along to carry all the little items, leaving us with a much easy portage.  During our packing, we had thought we'd do two nights and spend a day exploring, so I'd brought my new little MEC day pack.  I stowed the goPro and the solar panel in it and that made a huge difference.  Now we had three packs, the paddles and a Pelican case.  I was able to carry the two smaller packs and the camera, Chris carried the big pack and then went back for the canoe where he'd lashed the paddles.  Not only was it much easier not having my hands full of little items, it meant less to worry about losing at the start or end of a portage.  Now if only we could get the weight of the big pack down...

We also got smart about loading and unloading the boat.  At the muddy end of the trail at Sheriff Pond, Chris got the canoe in place, then I brought him the packs.  Since Biscuit follows Chris like a shadow, he stayed in the canoe and didn't once jump out.  This made the process so much less stressful and we were quickly on our way again.

We didn't run into anyone on the way out, and after a brief tour of the back part of Tanamakoon, we headed back to the car. Both of us were tired and starving, and Chris really wanted to swim so we went east and stopped at the Two River's Store for snacks and cold drinks (which weren't really cold at all) and then to the Two River's Picnic Area to swim.

All in all, a good, albeit brief trip.  We learned a few things and came up with some ideas for lightening our load a bit more.  We'd brought our cold weather sleeping bags, which aren't any bigger than our normal bags, but they are a bit heavier.  I just didn't want to risk being wet and cold all night again like on our trip to Tanamakoon, and since it was calling for rain...

We plan to make a smaller mess kit for when it's just the two of us as well.  Also, we took far too much food, again because we had originally thought we'd be going for two nights.

Trip Log: Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Provincial Park: July 8-9, 2015

I'll admit, I was kind of dreading this trip.  The kids and Chris love the site we had before on Fishog Lake but the paddle across Head Lake can be a pain, and the portage is hard on the knees.  We were also terribly disorganized, it being our first canoe trip of the year, and I was already cranky before we left home after having so much trouble finding things.

Head Lake was calm and we made good time.  We didn't even get dive bombed by gulls.  We did, however, have an issue once we got onto the river.  Biscuit was surprisingly calm after the first few minutes, then all of a sudden Chris asks why the dog has a third testicle.  Before I could say what?  he yells that the dog has poop hanging from his butt that he's trying not to release.  Unfortunately, he couldn't quite hold it and ended up pooping a little in the canoe.  I could already tell it was going to be an interesting trip.

Just realized how this could look bad...

We didn't arrive on Fishog until probably 5pm, and saw quickly that the site across the lake from the one we wanted had a tent on it.  I also saw a canoe rounding the point and thought we were going to lose our site.  I was dreading dealing with the others being upset and getting blamed for it because it had taken so long to get ready.   The other canoe had moved on and our site was empty, much to everyone's relief.

As I was unloading the canoe, I heard a big splash and realized Chris had just jumped in the lake.  Squatch quickly followed.

Still kind of grumpy from earlier, I set about getting organized.  We were too late for the lunch I'd planned, we decided to snack and make dinner.   Bubbie and I went out in the canoe to pump water, and paddled to the next point where we saw a father and son setting up.  I  guessed that they were the canoe I saw rounding the point as we first arrived.

 I started cooking while Chris and Squatch set up the tent.  As I was cooking, I couldn't shake my bad mood.  I think it had to do with the fact we had another trip planned for right after we got back and then the kids would be at my parents for a week, while Chris and I stopped on the way home to do another canoe trip.  All I kept thinking about was all the stuff I had to get ready for the second trip, third trip and the kids stay, and Chris mentioning he'd rather work and us skip our night of camping alone.

I mentioned to Bubbie and she agreed us staying 2 nights here was going to mean a huge hassle and as we ate, spaghetti with Italian seasoned bannock, we talked Chris into cutting it to one night.  I felt a bit better after that.

As I was cleaning up, Chris went to hang the rope for the food barrel, and Squatch fished from shore.  He caught a good sized small mouth bass.  I didn't get a picture, unfortunately.  After that he kept snagging on rocks so Bubbie and I would have to go out and rescue his lure.  This happened about every 5 minutes so finally Chris took him and Bubbie and the dog out to fish in the canoe.  They didn't catch anything.

Biscuit doesn't like the water, but he loves the canoe. The kids kept throwing a tennis ball for him, just far enough into the water that he'd have to go to his belly to get it.  He managed it sometimes, but sometimes it went to far and he refused to get it.  But Bubbie took the canoe out once and he ran out to chest depth and jumped in with her.  At some point, Chris tried to toss Biscuit into water a little deeper than his chest and after that, if Chris went near the water, Biscuit hid under the little table where we were cooking.  He also tried to get under the tent fly like he had at Kingscote last year but the fly on the bigger tent wasn't really effective for him to use as cover.

Chris got a fire going, but there wasn't much wood around.  He found a few dead, fallen trees but they were punky and damp from all the rain we'd been getting.  The fire was just enough to roast  a few marshmallows then the bugs came out in swarms so we doused it and headed into the tent.  Squatch and I spent a while playing a game on my phone while we all listened to a loon, some bull frogs and a whipporwhil.

The mosquitoes buzzing around the outside of the tent was overwhelming, and I think we all felt a little trapped knowing if we went out we'd be attacked.  Biscuit wasn't happy at all, and paced most of the night.  After a while the buzzing faded and the night was very quiet.  The frogs, loon and whipporwil only made noise every little while, but there were no other night sounds, no crickets, no small animals rustling in the bushes.  It was a little unnerving.  I occasionally heard voices across the lake, but for the most part it reminded me of a horror movie where there's a terrifying monster and all the natural sounds of the forest stop because nature knows there is a dangerous predator near by.

As usual, the kids talked in their sleep and both managed to get themselves turned around in the tent.  At one point, Bubbie was sideways with her head near my butt.  I was just about to wake her up and get her back on her sleep pad when she nudged me then started punching my bum as hard as she could.  Between that and Squatch flopping around and smacking me with his arms, I didn't get much sleep.

Biscuit got me up shortly before sun rise so he could pee.  Then we all went back to sleep.  I finally got up around 9 and the kids and Chris soon followed.  Bubbie and I paddled out to pump some water and decided to go across the lake to see if there really was someone at the site there.  It had looked like the top of a tent was visible as we arrived the previous day but sometimes shadows can play tricks on you.  There was someone there, and from the other side of the point we could clearly see the tent, screen tent, canoe and a man sitting safe from the bugs drinking his morning coffee.

Sunset on Fishog Lake

We had oatmeal and coffee, cleaned up and went for a paddle to see the next lake in.  Biscuit again made a nuisance of himself, but settled down after a few minutes.  We crossed Fishog and went through a bit of marshy area before coming to the 40m portage into Round Lake.  The plan was to go to the campsite there and have a picnic lunch.  The site was dismal.  It was just a small clearing with a fire pit, I don't even know where you'd put a tent.  There were a half dozen or so fishing boats cached there, and a good pile of fish remains.  We sat at the dock, ate, checked out the waterfall, then headed back to pack up.

The kids enjoying the sunset

Chris started getting all the gear in the tent packed up while I made lunch.  I figured the more food we ate the lighter the barrel would be so the kids had Mr. Noodles with beef jerky and vegetables and I rehydrated some hummus to eat with crackers for Chris and I.  Somehow, the barrel ended up being just as full as it had been and just as heavy.

It was about 4:30 by the time we left and a bit of a breeze had picked up.  We pushed off from shore, hoping we wouldn't be dealing with a rough Head Lake.

Cottagers were out on Fishog, tubing and having a good time.  Its a nice area to have a cottage, the kind of area I'd want for a cottage.  Don't get me wrong, there are a lot more beautiful lakes but most of them are lined with cottage after cottage and the lakes can get noisy with all the boat traffic.  I'd much rather have a cottage on a quiet lake.

The paddle back across Head Lake was a little rough.  Not nearly as bad as last year's trip, but there were still some good sized waves to contend with.  We made it back in decent time and headed home to reorganize our gear for a car camping trip in Algonquin Park.