Fri, Jan 18 2008 - Wolf Den Bunkhouse & Cabins (View Original Event Details)
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If you were thinking about signing up for this trip but didn’t then, oh boy, did you make a mistake. Yes, it was balmy and snowless in the GTA, and yes there had been some melting further north in the previous weeks. But I’m telling you, up in the woody environs of the Wolfden and Algonquin Park, it was winter full-on with snow silvering the ground and trees, crisp clean air and an azure sky…..
Making our way up on Friday night, the snow came gradually; first a little dusting in the fields barely visible as a shimmer in the fading light, then a few grains blowing towards the windshield and then, further on, light drifts across the road. By the time some of us had left Rondo’s (now the unofficial TOC clubhouse and eatery in Gravenhurst—try the hot beef sandwich, if you dare), conditions had altered even further. Snow squalls blowing down from the north made it hard to see, while the drifting snow and ice reduced the road to two narrow lanes. For the last few miles after Huntsville, the driving was tough as we all strained to see where we were going and not to miss the Wolfden sign at Oxtongue Lake.
A scant two hundred kilometers from Toronto and we were in a winter wonderland with close to a foot of snow all around us and a chill in the air that made one reach for the parka before leaving the warmth of the car. It was with some relief that we finally arrived at the ‘Den and got settled into the warm and homey atmosphere there—fireplace, sauna goodness, mmmm…... That first evening passed pleasantly with various games and lively conversation. One of the carpool groups seemed to get on particularly well with each other and their late night giggling prompted at least one rap on the wall separating their room from another.
Saturday dawned bright and cold—the outdoor thermometer read minus 14 in the morning but the skies were clear and the air calm. Perfect. After breakfast we rented equipment from Algonquin Outfitters and drove into the park itself. From there, we split up into two groups: skiers and snowshoers. The skiers tackled the 14 kilometre Fen Lake trail which had some wet bits but was, in general, in even better shape than last year for skiing—a foot or so of fresh powder and almost no-one else there—“almost” because we did run into one group of women who come out skiing there every year. In fact, Rob had met them the previous year at the trail’s single warming hut and had commented on the delectability of their lunch (panini-type bread with a filling of tapenade, cheese, ham, olive oil, etc., all warmed on the top of the wood stove). Recalling that remark now, the group gave him one of their freshly-warmed sandwiches (strangely called “muff”) upon his arrival at the hut (“yes, very tasty…now stop staring at me and eat your own lunch”). Among the skiers, Keren had perhaps the most purely Zen experience of us all as she became one with the snow over and over again; by the end of the day, her endless falling had turned her into Beira, the Queen of Winter—all white with icicles hanging from her eyebrows. The snowshoers, for their part, missed out on the muff but did cover a few of the trails in the park, had a great time, and returned to the Wolfden before the skiers. That night, although there was no official potluck dinner, it, well,. . . it kinda’ turned out that way—food started to appear around 6 P.M. and just kept coming. By the time Katherine got her lamb roast on the table at 7:30, it seemed like we were in the midst of an endless dinner . . . until the raspberry pie appeared, which was divied up into a dozen thin pieces topped by whipped cream. Suddenly, it was all over. Sigh.
Sunday morning was much colder, close to minus twenty in the early morning hours, warming somewhat as the day progressed. After a slow and lazy morning, we all decided to go snowshoeing (or YakTrakking in some cases) on the trails near the Wolfden. A few of us made it up to see Ragged Falls while others did the two and a half hour Beetle Lake trail (and some did both routes). By 3 PM or so, we were all packed up and heading out for the drive back to Toronto.
Did I get all of our agreed-upon words in here?
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.