Spooky Gonk, Algonquin (2 Days / 27km)

We love a Halloween canoe trip. It's tradition!

The Cover:

My favourite shots that are 'cover-worthy' for this little story.

Rating:

Another canoe trip in Algonquin Provincial Park? No surprises there! This is one of our many stomping grounds, after all. Always a reliable place to go if you're looking for a paddle, especially in the off-season when the crowds really settle down. This is the third year we've planned a Halloween expedition? Yes, not technically on Halloween, but the closest we could get, okay?

I Want to Live Here Rating: 3/5

People-Meter: 1/5

Anxiety Scale: 1/5

Pain Train: 1/5

10/10 Recommend: 4/5

The Prologue:

Algonquin Provincial Park is characterized by its forested hills, rocky ridges, and thousands of lakes, bogs, swamps, and rivers. To see its true beauty one must explore by paddle or foot. Algonquin is truly one of Ontario's crown jewels - this Province is fortunate to have access to such a wide range of hiking trails, canoe routes, wildlife and photography opportunities, and year-round activities like skiing, snowshoeing, and winter camping. I will repeat - there is truly something for everyone!

Ah, a canoe trip? In November?! We promise that we weren't the only crazies out there on the water. Our goal is to paddle as long as we can in the shoulder season (safely, of course)!

Here's our trip report!

The Story:

Day Zero:

Cambridge to Rock Lake

A drive that feels like a million hours, especially in the on-and-off rain that sprinkled down constantly from above. It was kind of funny, actually. For a second year in a row, we were cursed with a day that started with sunshine, and ended in rain. Did I say that this was an annual trip? I grumpily sat in the passenger seat, praying that at the very least, we would be spared from rain the following day. Honestly, there's nothing worse than rain on a November trip. The cold and wet combined? Not a fan, friends. Not a fan.

Ah, did I say that there was nothing worse than rain on a November trip? Ha, ha, ha - how about snow?

Right as we entered into Algonquin after about 4 hours (it always seems to be 4 hours), rather than rain we were greeted with the ungodly sight of snow. I repeat, snow. ON A CANOE TRIP. I very quickly started screaming in despair, much to Isaac's amusement. It was just coming in waves, making us feel like we were cruising at light speed in our little Honda Fit. As I write this (in the cold and dark months of February), I'm very pleased with the amount of snow we have. Compared to last year, we actually have winter, which is great given the number of sports we participate in during this season.

Snow in November, though? Yes, I know that this is relatively normal, but when you have a canoe strapped to the top of the car, it just feels wrong. So horribly wrong! I suppose I was just in denial as well, but that's a whole different problem.

We rolled into the parking lot at Rock Lake at approximately 10PM. Sarah, Gavin, and Rej were supposed to meet us, but they had yet to arrive, so we sat in the car, had some snacks (Isaac was nibbling on apples), and debated what route to take for our trip. While we were staying on Rock Lake for the night, we had yet to decide what route to take to get into Pen Lake (our destination for the following evening). Fortunately, we weren't too concerned - there were many reasonable options, and we figured that once the entire crew arrived, we could make a decision together.

It probably took about twenty minutes for the remainder of our crew to roll in? The snow stopped for a little while and we were blessed with clear, starry skies. At this point it was quite dark outside. There was no moonlight to guide us, so headlamps, a trusty map, and experience it was! We shuffled some gear around into various packs before loading the canoes and paddling away.

Our evening paddle was only supposed to be 40 minutes, but it felt like it took a century as a result of the inclement weather that decided to blow in. The first ten minutes of the trip were a breeze - we enjoyed clear skies and flat water. Truly ideal canoe conditions despite the darkness. That didn't last long, however. In a flash the cursed snow returned, and let me tell you, there's nothing worse than paddling in the middle of a lake while snow is blowing in your face. We couldn't use our headlamps on the water because again, it looked like we were travelling at light speed. It was nearly impossible to see anything and we had to rely on our knowledge of the lake to find our campsite.

Honestly, I've never felt more vulnerable on the water. It's eerie just floating out there with no sense of direction. You know that everything is going to be okay, but it's like you're in a sense deprivation tank or something. Up, down, left, and right - everything just feels meaningless.

A big no from me.

Fortunately, we got to our site all safe and sound. We spent a very brief time collecting firewood, knowing that the following morning was going to be a chilly one (we'd want a campfire). Afterwards, we set up our tents and very quickly went to bed.

Now this was something I was pretty excited about. Why, you may ask? Finally, after an entire year, we were being reunited with our Polar Rangers, the best sleeping bags ever!

Day One:

Rock Lake to Pen Lake

Ah, you'd think a weekend would mean a relaxing morning wake-up, but you'd be wrong. In typical fashion Isaac had us up at 7AM. It was a cold morning, which meant that we'd take longer than normal to make breakfast, eat, and pack up our gear. To add to the chaos, we wanted to get a campfire running in the background, offering heat when needed. That was also going to take a bit of time, so the early hour was necessary.

We ended up eating breakfast, packing, and dealing with the fire at the same time. Oh, and deciding on a canoe route to get to Pen Lake. Given our late and snowy arrival to camp the night before, it made more sense to discuss our options in the daylight. We settled on the following path:

• 100 metre portage from Rock Lake to Galeairy Lake.

• 80 metre portage from Galeairy Lake to Night Lake.

• 1690 metre portage from Night Lake to Pen Lake.

A fairly chill weekend trip, overall. We wanted to ease our friend Rej into the world of canoeing, not toss him into the deep-end and create a sink or swim situation. We have to make room for fun - always!

With our gear packed and sorted yet again, we hit the water with smiles on our faces and Galeairy Lake in mind. Now, believe it or not, I'm very capable of paddling at the back of a canoe. I just don't do it very often as a result of an irritating wrist injury. Usually when the water is calm, it's my time to shine. Fortunately, this was one of those days! I very happily slung my gear into the back of the canoe and battled with Gavin to lead the pack to our first portage of the day. Of course, Isaac made fun of me. As my husband it's basically a requirement, right?

The water was calm and there was very little evidence of snow. It just looked like a typical shoulder season day out there on the water (i.e., stick season at its finest). It didn't take very long to reach the portage into Galeairy Lake. Our campsite the night before was maybe a couple of kilometres away? The portage is a very short one since the only obstacle is a dam (and quite a sizable dam, at that). We spent a moment watching the water, Rej did a little happy dance with some paddles, and Sarah told me to hurry up and stop taking pictures (she was getting cold).

I relinquished my control over the rear of the canoe (back to Isaac, of course) and we continued on our merry way. We didn't spot any other paddlers or campers out there on the lake. It appeared as though we were all alone out there on the water. We sung a few songs, had a bit of a race (can't really say if anyone won - we're pretty evenly matched), and floated our way to Forest Bay where our 80 meter portage was waiting.

As far as portages go, it wasn't particularly notable. It was more or less flat, and then seemed to immediately end (it was, after all, a pretty short one). Pretty much right into the honker of a portage between Night Lake and Pen Lake. This one was a touch up and down. There were boardwalk components, a few little muddy sections, lots and lots of roots to trample over (or slip over - man, are those things slick with a layer of leaves). I like to think of portages as hefty hikes, which means that if I can get my camera out to play, I'm winning.

I think that I won! I found a bunch of fun leaves, bits of snow, sneaky greenery that had yet to be snuffed out by the recent snow fall, and a trail of mushrooms climbing up a tree (it gave fairy woodland energy). I was thoroughly distracted and managed to entertain myself all the way to Pen Lake.

The paddle to our campsite for the night was pretty short. Typically we go 'shopping' for an ideal site (a flat tent pad takes high priority), but we struck gold on our first shot. There is a campsite on a peninsula in the middle of the lake that is just stellar. One side of the site is an entire beach, and a sandy one too. We pulled our canoes up on shore and climbed the ridge over the peninsula. Past the red and white pines, you're greeted with a shaded and sheltered campsite with no more sand to be seen. Our thoughts:

• There are several sufficient tent pads on this site. If you're adventurous, and enjoy getting sand all over your gear, you could also pitch a tent in the sand, however, I wouldn't recommend this. To each their own, though!
  

• No complaints about the canoe landing spot. As I said above, you have the option of pulling everything up on the sand. You could also unload where the more traditional tent pads are located. There looked to be a spot you could pull in, but it didn't look as nice or as convenient as the sandy area.
  

• We didn't go swimming on this trip (would prefer to not get hypothermia), but if you visited this site in the summer months you'd have a whole beach to enjoy.
  

• The thunderbox is in decent shape. It is a bit close to the tent pads though, so expect a bit of a show if you expect to be facing in the wrong direction.
  

• Lots and lots of views from the campsite! You can pretty much see both ends of the lake depending on whether your vantage point is the beach, peninsula, or the traditional tent pad area. 10/10 recommend!
  

• In terms of sunshine, this site gets the best of both worlds - morning and afternoon sun. You just have to hang around the side of the peninsula with the light that you prefer. Pretty ideal!

We made quick time unpacking before heading out to the beach to enjoy lunch. Sarah managed to squeeze in a nap - she was dealing with a cold and needed the extra shut eye for healing purposes. The remainder of our afternoon mainly consisted of lounging around in the sunshine and simply chatting. Quality time with friends, you know?

We started to pull together dinner as golden hour hit (not before taking a bunch of photos, of course). Firewood had been collected sometime before lunch, so we enjoyed a beautiful campfire and enjoyed a sky full of stars. Was kind of hoping for a visit from the northern lights, but that wasn't meant to be.

Day Two:

Pen Lake to Cambridge

Sort of slept in? Maybe? I heard Isaac and Gavin roll out of their sleeping bags once the sun crept over the horizon, so I was mostly awake already. I was also keen to see what the lake looked like in the morning - sometimes the light is just right, you know? Just soft and perfect.

Now, while I didn't exactly have the right lens for the shots I envisioned, the light didn't disappoint. Even if I couldn't get the shots I wanted, it was simply a pleasure to witness it all. There was this thick fog that was hanging low over Pen Lake. As the sun rose higher and higher in the sky, it slowly burnt away, creating this unique contrast between fall and the soon-to-arrive winter season. Ice and snow was creeping in the shadows, making for a really pretty scene. Granted it was cold as heck, but still very, very enjoyable.

I returned to the tent after most of the fog had faded away to pack things up before breakfast (plus it's good to keep moving around in mornings like this). Overall, the morning went by pretty quickly. Nothing like colder weather to get you moving and grooving!

The paddling plan today was very simple - get back to the put-in. Our route:

• 380 metre portage from Pen Lake to Rock Lake.

A very short day to say the least, but there were a few stops to be made along the way! The fog had fully dispersed by the time we hit the water. It was like paddling on glass - not a ripple to be seen. The sun was out in full force though, so there was definitely an immediate need for sunglasses. We made quick work of our paddle down Pen Lake and made it to our first portage in good time. The plan was to lug our gear to the end of the portage and check out both the waterfall and petroglyphs littered along the way.

Spoiler alert - we were not successful.

To start, I had an epic wipe-out just before the conclusion of our first and only portage. Didn't I say that those darn boardwalks were ridiculously slippery? One step in the wrong place, and BAM! I flew off and landed like a turtle to protect my precious camera. Needless to say, it hurt.

Then, of course, we found the waterfall (the sun was blinding at this point), and tried to find the petroglyphs, but majestically failed. Do you know how many boulders are near that set of falls? I think we managed to find just about every single one, but no epic carvings, just layer upon layer of moss. A mystery to unfold next time we manage to paddle out this way? We did stop by Picto Bay to check out the pictographs that are in this area. Now we were able to find those without much difficulty! We were also happy to see that there were other paddlers out there on the water. There were several canoes floating about, enjoying the early November morning. It was great to see!

Just like that our paddle was complete. We rolled back into the put-in just after noon. Without the cover of darkness, it was a much easier task unloading and packing up all of our gear. We were a bit sad to bid farewell to Sarah, Gavin, and Rej, but all adventures have to come to an end - gotta make room for the next ones, of course!

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