Fri, May 15 2009, Sat, May 16 2009, Sun, May 17 2009, Mon, May 18 2009 - Canoe Trip - Algonquin: Smoke Lake Loop (View Original Event Details)
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We started our trip with a 9am pickup at the Whitby GO station and drove up to Algonquin Outfitters to pick up our canoes for the trip. We registered and had a nice warm lunch at the Canoe Lake restaurant. A short drive to Smoke Lake and we were off on our spring canoe trip adventure. The staff told me the ice broke up on April 25 (about 3 weeks ago). It was an overcast day and the black flies were just starting, but were not biting yet. For our first day we headed south through Smoke Lake into Ragged Lake to Parkside Bay. Day 2 called for rain and it did. It was kind of a misty rain, off and on all day. Temperatures hovered around 10C. On our way from Ragged Lake to Big Porcupine Lake at the start of the 590m portage we saw a bald eagle at the base of the creek. The eagle caught a fish but it was too heavy for it to take off. A blue herring also stood by eyeing the eagles’ fish. As we drifted in the eagle took off and the fish flapped it’s way back into the creek. Traveling through Bonnechere Lake we made Camp #2 in Phipps Lake. Nobody around us now! The winds were starting to blow from the west and a cold front was moving in. The temperature dropped to +1C by the next morning. The good news was the black flies are all dead. Day 3 we continued eastward with a good tail breeze pushing us along to Head Lake. The morning was overcast and on the cool side (about 5C) but very comfortable paddling with hat and gloves on. We got to Camp#3 on the early side so I tried my hand at fishing. Caught a clam on one of my cast (see the photo album). No bites on the lake so I headed off to Head Creek (portage P250). There I found a picture perfect creek and fishing pool that I spent an hour exploring. The skies were clearing up. Still no bites! Well it’s back to camp for beef stew with mashed potatoes!. A nice sunset signaled a cold night coming. Day 4 morning and -1C motivated us to make a nice fire to warm everybody up for our 8:30am departure time. The longest portage of the trip awaits us (P1640). Up and over a few hills, muddy areas and a fallen tree and we survived it. Our return route took us through Cache Lake and pass the Bartlett Lodge and Tanamakoon Lake girls camp. Highlights of the trip: The bald eagle sighting. 51.5 km total distance with 14 portages(6300meters) All the portages were completed in one pass. We had 1 day of bugs. We had 1 day of rain. We had 1 day of corn snow. We had 1 day of blue skies. See you soon Gary
Have some photos from this event that you'd like to share in our photo album? Please forward them to Erik Sonstenes at photos@torontooutdoorclub.com. Please note that we prefer to receive the photos in approximately 640x480 or 750x500 pixels - do NOT send original high-res photos. If you have a LOT of photos, please submit up to twenty of your favorites (only) for a day event, or up to forty of your favourites for a multi-day event. Thank you.