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4/02/2017 6:48 pm  #1


New Trip Report Online! (TR20: TOURduPARK I (16-Day, 240km Solo))

Hello Algonquin Adventures Community!

What a beautiful weekend – I hope you were able to get out and about to enjoy the sun. I just returned from a few nights camped along the Oxtongue River in Algonquin Park – fantastic trip! There are still many places with 3+ feet of snow in the bush – but many bare spots as well. It wont be long now that’s for sure!

Anyway – on the to point of this thread…


I’ve published a new trip report on TOURduPARK today.

This is an exhaustive report of a 16-day, 240km solo trip through the north end of Algonquin Park, including a couple night stop-over at the Highview Cabin. I began at the western park border, just above Tim Lake and made my way down the Nipissing and across a few lakes to Cedar Lake. At Cedar, I re-supplied from a food cache in Brent with the help of Jake. I continued north and west back across to Kawawaymog.

The best part of this trip was the end (the last 3 days). Around day 12 I wasn’t ready for the adventure to end yet, so I got a little ahead of schedule and instead of finishing the trip at access 1 (K-mog Lake) I decided to take a few nights and bushwhack my way through the historic canoe route. I took Mary Jane, Denis and Twenty-Seven Lakes to the South River, taking it the entire way back to the town of South River where I was picked up at the old train station. A superb adventure that’s for sure – I loved every second of the trip.

Oh – and there was a fire-ban during my 16-day adventure too – just to throw a little extra fun in the mix. 

I hope you enjoy the read:

T20: TOURduPARK I (16-Day Solo)

Some preview images & full map of my route:







I’ve also introduced a new way to navigate through the pages of a trip report – each page now includes a ‘Go to next day’ link as well as a link to each day of that report.



Happy Paddling!

Last edited by Peek (4/02/2017 6:49 pm)

 

4/02/2017 7:57 pm  #2


Re: New Trip Report Online! (TR20: TOURduPARK I (16-Day, 240km Solo))

Hey Peek!,

Nice trip report!  Been looking forward to reading up on this!  Glad you made it to Spring camp!  My buddies and I are going to be checking out the other POW camp 10 later this summer...

Was great to read this report today as I just booked my first solo trip into the park (a little nervous lol)...  Between this read and this weekend's nice weather - Am very anxious to get out there!

As always a great read...  Thanks for sharing, and happy paddling!
=D

 

4/03/2017 11:03 am  #3


Re: New Trip Report Online! (TR20: TOURduPARK I (16-Day, 240km Solo))

Hey Ash!

Glad you enjoyed the report. Though I did make it to the spring camp (as we discussed last august or so - thanks again for the detailed info) this report is from a different 16 day solo (yeah.. something about me and 16 day solos.. I dunno) back in 2012. The trip in which I eventually found the spring camp was last Sept (however the route from Highview to Remona was identical in both trips).

I'm happy to hear you've booked your first solo - you will not regret it. Don't get inside your own head too much and you'll love every second. Travel far and keep busy! What is your route?

thanks again for the kind words!

     Thread Starter
 

4/03/2017 11:08 am  #4


Re: New Trip Report Online! (TR20: TOURduPARK I (16-Day, 240km Solo))

Awesome!!! Just. . . . . . . .  awesome!!!

 

4/03/2017 11:13 am  #5


Re: New Trip Report Online! (TR20: TOURduPARK I (16-Day, 240km Solo))

Great write up, thanks!
M

 

4/03/2017 1:40 pm  #6


Re: New Trip Report Online! (TR20: TOURduPARK I (16-Day, 240km Solo))

Peek wrote:

Hey Ash!

Glad you enjoyed the report. Though I did make it to the spring camp (as we discussed last august or so - thanks again for the detailed info) this report is from a different 16 day solo (yeah.. something about me and 16 day solos.. I dunno) back in 2012. The trip in which I eventually found the spring camp was last Sept (however the route from Highview to Remona was identical in both trips).

I'm happy to hear you've booked your first solo - you will not regret it. Don't get inside your own head too much and you'll love every second. Travel far and keep busy! What is your route?

thanks again for the kind words!

 

Ahh, I see...  Great report regardless :-).  The area is beautiful there, especially Whiskey Jack / Remona (well IMHO)...  We stayed on Remona when passing through, but definitely want to make my way back to Whiskey Jack at some point!

My solo route will be a three day into Phipps via Smoke  (have wanted to check out Phipps L for a while now).  Just a tiny trip as my second little one recently arrived, so time away from home (& sleep lol) is at a premium right now lol...  Plus already also have some time booked paddling the Trent Severn - Should soon have just over a third of the waterway completed!

In a couple years hope to have more time in the park when I can bring littles ones in aswell!

Have a great paddling season & all the best,
=D

PS, I may PM you at some point with a couple quick questions re other ruins around South R (if you don't mind of course :-)

 

4/03/2017 4:00 pm  #7


Re: New Trip Report Online! (TR20: TOURduPARK I (16-Day, 240km Solo))

Awesome report Peek. Just one question - sounds like you packed the perfect amount of food, but did you actually end up lugging your fishing gear for 16 days and not use it!?

 

4/03/2017 4:31 pm  #8


Re: New Trip Report Online! (TR20: TOURduPARK I (16-Day, 240km Solo))

OBS & Marko - thanks guys - I'm happy you enjoyed the report!

Ash - Yeah, the Nip is special. Remona is nice, but you'll be much happier on Whiskey Jack.. that lake is surreal. Camp there for a night and you'll know why. The two south shore sites (one on point and the other on mainland) are best.  Lol I know why you're going to Phipps! ;) I'm sure you'll love every second of it. I grew up between Lock 42 and Sparrow Lake - I think its awesome you're doing the Trent. It's on my bucket list... to take a canoe over Lock 44 would be too funny (but I highly doubt that would ever happen). PM or email is fine! brandon@tourdupark.com

Basil... Do I have to answer that? ;) I'll start with the positive then move to the negative. Postitve: The food planning was so damn precise I was actually surprised at the end of the trip. I came out with one dehydrated meal - which was exactly the plan.
Negative: Yes. I lugged a fishing rod and some tackle (not much, maybe a half-dozen treble hooks and some other odds & ends) and did zero fishing. For some reason it just wasn't a priority on this trip - I think I was too occupied with the travelling aspect, I never stopped to wet a line. No regrets tho - except lugging in an extra piece of equipment that went unused. Glad you enjoyed the report!

 

Last edited by Peek (4/03/2017 4:33 pm)

     Thread Starter
 

4/03/2017 9:13 pm  #9


Re: New Trip Report Online! (TR20: TOURduPARK I (16-Day, 240km Solo))

Enjoyable trip report. What dates did you go?

 

4/04/2017 6:26 am  #10


Re: New Trip Report Online! (TR20: TOURduPARK I (16-Day, 240km Solo))

Peek, I just started reading this this morning. I've only made it as far as day 5 so far, but I just wanted to say thank you for this! Truly epic and SOOOOO good for the soul right now. You are totally inspiring! I haven't read anything this engrossing since Mark in the Park's 16-day Aylen to Achray log. My only complaint is, like Jdbonney, I'm really curious about when you did this--which year, what exact dates?

 

4/04/2017 6:42 am  #11


Re: New Trip Report Online! (TR20: TOURduPARK I (16-Day, 240km Solo))

jdb - Thanks! I'm happy you like it!

Trillium - I'm really glad you're enjoying the immersion - this was a huge trip and a tedious task to get it all together. Your words make it worth it! I also enjoyed Aylen2Achray when it was first published - in fact, that report was released during the planning stages of this trip - so I found it very helpful and quite timely.

Trip Dates.. this is something I've been asked about before, I suppose people like to know the year/season/dates to put a little more perspective on the report. 

This trip took place in that crazy year of 2012... remember the record early ice out? the 20 day fire ban (16 of those days where this trip... sigh) the intense heat.. 2012 was crazy for Algonquin!

Saturday July 21 to Sunday August 5, 2012.

I am currently working on another very large report - a 21 day solo (my longest yet) but it's very time consuming, might be a couple months before it comes out - but its in production!

     Thread Starter
 

4/04/2017 8:15 am  #12


Re: New Trip Report Online! (TR20: TOURduPARK I (16-Day, 240km Solo))

Great report, but it's just killing me with anticipation as I've got a couple of nights booked at Highview this spring!

Thanks for such a good (and for me timely) read !!!



 

 

4/04/2017 8:26 am  #13


Re: New Trip Report Online! (TR20: TOURduPARK I (16-Day, 240km Solo))

Craig glad you like it man! Don't worry, you'll be at that cabin before you know it. I did some landscape improvements to the water access during my few night stay there last september - such a great spot in the park. You actually feel like you're in the middle of nowhere - and sometimes it's hard to get that feeling in Algonquin Park.

     Thread Starter
 

4/06/2017 6:04 am  #14


Re: New Trip Report Online! (TR20: TOURduPARK I (16-Day, 240km Solo))

Finally finished reading this last night -- took a long time as I was constantly checking your progress against the map and relating my own knowledge of the area. Again Peek, many thanks -- this has really inspired me on a couple fronts: 1) get planning this year's trips, including at least 1 decent length (like at least 7 days) solo; 2) take a stab at writing a trip report -- I've been pretty sluggish on that front.

There's something uniquely beautiful about the Nip, isn't there? Like something you just don't get anywhere else in the Park -- I'm not sure if it's the remoteness, the specific rhythm and tone of the river, or the flora of it; or maybe it's just how the river stays constant yet changes with every bend and seems to just keep going and going. You always know you'll find real solitude on the Nip where you can't really depend on that on most other routes. One of my absolute favourite memories is an early August morning at camp on the river at the Nod Lake portage. The funny thing is how crappy a campsite it really was, like more or less just a section of flattened meadow right next to the river. I don't even remember a firepit, and certainly there were no benches or any conveniences. But it was just one of the most incredible moments of my paddling life; the colours coming out as the cloudy overcast weather changed to sun. The hazy air, the sound of the water flowing gently past and of course, the birdsong. It was just incredible to stop and think how this was not a reward you could get any other way than by hard work paddling and portaging (and we had just completed three hard days). We passed by that site again 4 years ago and it looked nothing like I remember--evidence again of how alive the place is. Your account took me right back there, Peek. Amazing!

 

4/06/2017 7:42 am  #15


Re: New Trip Report Online! (TR20: TOURduPARK I (16-Day, 240km Solo))

I wish you hadn't mentioned you have another report you're working on....now I'll be checking for it all the time. My family and I have our eyes on the nipissing from big bob to cedar next summer. It's good to know it can be done even under the harshest July conditions of 2012. Hopefully it won't be quite so hot and the water not quite so low when we go. I was worried about water levels in planning this for July....now I'm worried about spiders! The only downside to the nipissing is the lack of swimming. Again, thanks for posting it was a really great read. 

 

4/06/2017 8:22 am  #16


Re: New Trip Report Online! (TR20: TOURduPARK I (16-Day, 240km Solo))

I'm still working through the report (job + baby = zero free time) and am enjoying it thoroughly. I have two questions, however:

When did you write this? It seems this trip happened years ago, but the level of detail doesn't sound like you wrote this recently. Have you been sitting on this TR for years or just have a terrific memory?

Secondly, can you share your whiskey sour recipe? ;)

Last edited by Uppa (4/06/2017 8:22 am)

 

4/06/2017 9:35 am  #17


Re: New Trip Report Online! (TR20: TOURduPARK I (16-Day, 240km Solo))

Hey Trillium – thanks for sticking it out through the whole report – It’s definitely a long one. I’m glad its been a spark for new ideas – honestly the longer a trip is, the more ‘in-rhythm’ you are out there. Being out for a week or longer puts you in a routine – an awesome routine. I would definitely like to see pics and a report of your trip.
You nailed it. The Nip is so special its hard to express or convey its beauty to others – you must actually see and experience it to understand and appreciate it – including the spider-covered branches. It’s bad but its not that bad. I traversed the Nod portage for the first-time last September and I remember the site you are talking about – if it makes you feel better, it’s still a terrible site – but you’d probably think nothing of it if there was a repeat of your experience. Given the way you just described your morning on the Nip, I could envision it clearly – nicely composed detail – I ‘d wager you’d write an awesome TR.
Thanks for the words on the trip report – it was a ton of work, I’m glad its being enjoyed.
 
 
JBD, lol maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned it – it’s in production but if I had to guess it won’t come out until January (it’ll be a good read for the middle of winter), however my goal is to have a shorter report every other week, or more likely three weeks during the paddling season – there will be two more reports released in April.
You plan for the Nip is a solid one - from start to finish the Nip is sooooo different (like Trillium said) its impossible to get bored. It’s an insane hotspot for moose throughout the entire course of the river. There are ruins, rapids, cabins, falls, caves, foundations, POW’s camp – so much to see, it’s not just paddling a river. The lack of swimming does suck, and the water is very tough on the filter – but it’s a small price to pay – there are a few rapids you can safely play in if the water levels aren’t insane. Glad you enjoyed the report!
 
Uppa, I’m happy you like the report so far.
Your question has a two-fold answer. Detailed notes were recorded daily while on the trip, then the bulk of the report was written over time – a day here, there – but there is a process behind keeping the details in tact. The last three days of this report were written in 2012 as a separate report (you’ll see why when you get there) then re-configured to include more detail for this report. I have an o-k memory, but it wouldn’t be enough the rely on alone - so here is how I produce a report

1 - Go on a canoe trip through Algonquin Park – a GPS is very important (not for navigation, explained later).
2 - At the end of each day, or every other day, I record (usually on paper, but I have used the notepad app in my phone before) the main events of the day. Things like encounters with people, animal sightings, trail conditions, bugs, findings, impressions, thoughts – just the details that you normally wouldn’t capture in a photo (You wouldn’t photograph people you talk to, sometimes a rare animal is spotted but gone before you can photograph it, if you’re staggering up or down a rough or long trail, its unlikely you’ll be taking photos except for the beginning and end or things that happen in the rain – you probably wouldn’t risk the camera for a photo). This can be done in point form, but I’ve also writing a near-full report while out there.
3 - Take a lot of photos – good ones, bad ones, whatever – it’s digital, delete the crap at home. This is probably the most important thing about the writing process. The photos will awaken my memory later on.Once those three steps are completed, it does not matter how much time passes between the trip and writing about it. Of course, if you write immediately following the trip you could probably produce it faster, but you can achieve the same detail quality even if you wait.

When I pick a trip that I want to write about, I load a map of Algonquin, the trip photos folder and Garmin Basecamp. I grab my trip notes and also refer to my trip planning document to confirm the meals that weren’t photographed. As I scroll through the photos, it triggers things about the day. I match the timestamp on the photo to the time on my GPS track and I can always verify where a photo was taken. I also use the GPS tracks to view the specific route I took (lake travel, not canoe route) which also helps to jog my memory – it shows me all the places I stopped to check out, where and how many breaks along portages – and allows me to know what time everything happened. So as you read ‘It was 1:20pm when I ……’ that’s not arbitrary, that’s the actual time, not estimated. I don’t really care what time it is while out there – in fact I usually try and forget unless I gotta go far, but that data is indispensable when reviewed later at home.
 
So really, I just couple the photos (and photo data) with the GPS data and hand-written notes to create a trip report. I guess I could have just said that instead of the above eh?
 
Whiskey Sour – you’ll love it and it could not be any easier to make. Pour a shot or two in a cup, grab a Mio Lemonade and give it a couple squirts then add water. You’ll be pleasantly surprised – and Mio’s don’t weigh much compared to the benefit of a decent drink.

Last edited by Peek (4/06/2017 9:36 am)

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