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Equipment » new head lite recommendations » 3/05/2024 6:49 am

scoutergriz
Replies: 11

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sorry, no recommendations for a new one- everything seems to need 600 different functions now and an engineering degree to work it, but I do have one suggestion though- pick up some electronic cleaner, pop the case apart, give it a good soaking, and let it dry- that's kept my "vintage" 30+ year old Petzl Tikka+ working fine.

Backcountry » Winter camping rules » 2/10/2024 7:56 am

scoutergriz
Replies: 19

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K. wrote:

AlgonquinLakes wrote:

Thanks all. Why the rule against camping close to the shoreline or on existing sites? Is it to allow regeneration?

.

It's simple really- what was explained to me was that there are 3 main reasons- 1) to prevent charcoal and unburned wood from being left all over summer sites because people couldn't find the existing pit under the often 1+ m of snow, 2) to prevent paper flowers (and worse) being left for the same reason, and most importantly 3) summer sites being completely denuded of both live and dead standing trees by winter campers that aren't always 100% sure that the tree is actually dead.
By forcing people to stay off the summer sites, trails and shorelines, they not only prevent heavy impact on those areas, they also disperse any impact more evenly across the forest floor away from summer corridors and where the environment is more able to recover

Catch-all Discussions » Merry Christmas » 12/25/2023 7:50 am

scoutergriz
Replies: 3

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Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays to all my friends here old and new, including those I've met and those I hope to meet...

Trip Planning » Gibson Lake » 12/25/2023 7:48 am

scoutergriz
Replies: 5

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For years on this site there has been concern about overfishing and invasive species, and there were in fact strict rules about posting "hot spots" or good lakes under a specific size. Over time it's become a type of etiquette to use the default "there's no fish here" to protect the fishery.
Many lakes, starting in the 1920's, were actually stocked (sometimes illegally) with bass or pike to provide an easy sport fishery for tourists, those invasives continue to spread throughout the watersheds to this day, displacing native populations.
It's not personal, most posters here just tend to keep those two facts in mind when posting and use an abundance of caution when discussing catches in the hopes of preserving the fishing for their kids or grandkids, I know I do...

Catch-all Discussions » Yuletide canoe » 12/14/2023 7:59 am

scoutergriz
Replies: 7

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MooseWhizzer Dave wrote:

When the needles fall it will be like the jelly of the month club. "Clark, that's the gift that keeps on giving the whole year long."

just think of all the bags of firestarter you'll have...
 

Trip Planning » Winter at Mew Lake Question » 10/21/2023 6:33 am

scoutergriz
Replies: 8

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if you preregister with your vehicle plate # that's all you need, no more paper permits required.
If you get a plowed site, there may be snowbanks between the trees making it hard to hang a hammock. Call ahead and explain that you'll be hammocking and make sure there's direct access to them or you could be shovelling for hours....

Equipment » Dutch Oven » 10/21/2023 6:28 am

scoutergriz
Replies: 9

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swedish pimple wrote:

great insight scoutergriz,,,     what do you cook in these dutch oven pots??  

anything you want- I've roasted hams, roasts, chickens, even turkey rolls, with or without potatoes and veggies, baked cakes, pies, and cinnamon buns, and used it on the stove as a large, deep pot for stews, soups, and just boiling dishwater (good way to loosen burnt grub), it's actually replaced my4l pot altogether for large groups.

Equipment » Dutch Oven » 10/20/2023 8:24 am

scoutergriz
Replies: 9

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Steve E, the gloves will work, but the handle on the lid is pretty small and it's extremely easy to burn your arm on the rim if it decides to tip as you lift it, the lifter moves your forearm out of that danger area as well as holding the lid in such as to keep it from tipping in the first place. It also is much easier because you don't need to move any coals out of the way.
For the rare time I deal with burned-on food, a good soak with hot, soapy water (unlike cast it won't rust in water) and judicious use of a white 3m nylon scrubber (coarser than the blue or green ones) will remove it fairly easily.
as for melting, neither mine or anyone else's that I know has ever warped or melted, and mine has been abused by probably in the range of 400 teens over a couple of decades, even after accidentally being left empty on the fire overnight.
I have a frybake too but rarely use it because, unlike a dutch oven, it holds and regulates very little heat.
The dutch oven can retain a constant heat for a considerable time if moved away from the heat source (20 min or more) because it has far more mass to hold that heat.

Equipment » Dutch Oven » 10/19/2023 6:26 am

scoutergriz
Replies: 9

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I love my GSI hard anodized oven, I've done everything from birthday cakes to a turkey dinner in it. I got mine about 20 years ago (first year it was out), and it's survived several dozen trips with youth groups from 11-18yrs old. Although it's not entirely stick proof, it does do a good job of it- burned on foods will still stick as will anything involving caramelized sugar.
While extremely tough, sharp metal tools WILL scratch it, so make sure not to use sharp metal implements (knives, forks, square shouldered flippers) and it really needs a proper lid lifter, the lid handle is too hard to grab with a gloved hand, and the bail handle doesn't lock so it can be tippy without holding the lid on tight to stabilize it.
the biggest plus is the 7lbs as opposed to a 20lb cast iron one....

Catch-all Discussions » Big Wind Lake Provincial Park » 6/23/2023 7:08 am

scoutergriz
Replies: 3

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with it's proximity and ease of access to Toronto, plus the extra roofed bookings, it could potentially take some pressure off the hwy 60 corridor, and in turn, the most heavily used access points. I like the idea that it could serve as a sort of kindergarten for new campers and trippers too and serve to teach them the basics before venturing farther afield
I have 2 major concerns though- this government's compulsion to make any venture a money-maker at all costs may see it turn into a massive tourist trap, and the possibility that it could cause the formation of a graduated system where it becomes a prerequisite to going farther into the wilds, forcing people to learn rather than encouraging and mentoring them.
I remember when John Winters first proposed the "learn to camp" program and the backlash it caused when some people believed it would become a forced certification program, stalling the launch for several years, and wouldn't want to see that happen again.
 

Trip Planning » Bug Report? » 6/23/2023 6:55 am

scoutergriz
Replies: 31

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just got back last night, mossies are out at dusk and dawn, but not a blackfly to be seen. Of course with the demise in the blackfly attack squadrons, mother nature has launched her heavy bombers- stable flies and deer flies have started their assaults, but they're not tooo baad yet.

Trip Planning » Portage Campsite Inventory » 5/06/2023 5:15 am

scoutergriz
Replies: 29

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rgcmce wrote:

Sorry, I was in a hurry and didn't fully read your comment before responding.  I didn't say that the water slide was not known, but it was not widely known.  It was certainly not known to us and I think we were pretty familiar with the available information of that time (but not inside information).  Indeed, I have learned subsequently (via the internet) that those ponds were a popular eel harvesting area 100 years ago.  (Interestingly, I learned that from the NHIC website before they restricted access to their databases in order to protect these special areas.  Unfortunately restricting that information is the proverbial locking of the barn door after the horse was stolen.)  Anyway, I don't know what your father's patrol map of 1956 was, but the available canoe route map of that era was Algonquin map 47a.  My copy is dated 1958 and doesn't  indicate the water slide -- indeed, it doesn't even include any campsites.  Even the 1985 map (~10 years before the internet) does not indicate the water slide even though some other points of interest are noted.

My bubble is intact.

those maps are the ones rangers carried on their patrols, and had many informal notations of possible choke points, points of interest, or places where there were issues, and had notations from other rangers added as required to help new rangers to the area. just because it wasn't printed on the "official" maps didn't mean they weren't well known.

Trip Planning » Portage Campsite Inventory » 5/04/2023 5:26 am

scoutergriz
Replies: 29

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rgcmce, I hate to burst your bubble, but Algonquin has never been true wilderness, it was developed to be a lumber preserve in the first place to protect the timber from farmer's clearcutting it for farmland, and has been managed since it's inception, and in fact, the waterslides (and dozens of other points of interest) are actually clearly marked on my father's patrol maps from 1956...

Trip Planning » Portage Campsite Inventory » 5/04/2023 5:20 am

scoutergriz
Replies: 29

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MartinG wrote:

I unintentionally opened a can of worms. I'm not against the PCI, or Cody's site, or Drew's site (love Drew's writing!). The campsite reviews just rarely offer much value to me. ScouterGriz, Marko, Gord, and SS... on the other hand find them useful. Those examples show what a great service it provides.  

If you don't like them, don't read them...
For others they offer another level of planning and safety, after all Algonquin is a managed, recreational park for ALL people, not just hardcore paddlers- that includes newbies, young families, disabled paddlers, and seniors- many of whom would be unable to experience backwoods paddling without resources like this. Removing information specifically to make it harder for others strikes me as elitism, and contrary to the goals of making Algonquin specifically, and OP in general, accessible to all. We already have enough bureaucratic stumbling blocks in park use, we shouldn't be adding more. 

Trip Planning » Portage Campsite Inventory » 5/03/2023 5:54 am

scoutergriz
Replies: 29

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MartinG wrote:

Why don't I like these things? I can't explain it. Rubs me the wrong way for some reason. On the other hand, I'm always ready for a recommendation. The other day I asked Peek for campsite recommendation on Louisa. He recommended a site. I was happy and grateful. A short while later he sent me a link to a detailed campsite review of the same site. I didn't read it. Not going to. Weird.

some people like the sense of exploration and adventure, some like the safety and security of having the most info possible, some (like me) like a little of both- in a small group of experienced paddlers, we like to wing it and find what's out there, but when taking a bunch of newbies, and even to some extent, solo, you can't beat having a decent knowledge about the size, quality, and location of sites so they have the best experience possible.
This is one of the few times you CAN have it both ways, you can research as much or as little as suits you for your particular trip.

Equipment » Best footwear for canoeing/portaging » 4/19/2023 8:17 am

scoutergriz
Replies: 16

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I use old Merrill water shoes, but more important than brand is that they fit well and stay on your feet.
When I was instructing we actually outlawed slip-on shoes after a couple of kids lost a shoe and had to borrow someone else's' spares or go barefoot on granite- laden portages.
 

Board footera

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