Peek's been everywhere, man 
Across Algonquin's lakes, man
Drank the Nip's waters, man
Breathed the forest air, man
Travel he's had his share, man
Peek wins every WIA, man!

Hemlock Lake from portage to Blowdown?

Up/down the Nip and Tim Rivers would give reliable fishing opportunities virtually along their entire length.  The bigger the rivers and the rapids get, the bigger the specs might be.  Spring flows take most of the beaver dams out of the equation as well, although they are only minor annoyances in lower levels.  If fishing is driving the decision as a primary factor, I'd do the rivers.  Plus, the lakes you hit will give a nice change of scenery.

The only drawback is those rivers are long and tortuous...to the point of getting monotonous.  If you love working the pry and draw strokes, it will be a dream.  If you are easily annoyed and get bored, it will be a nightmare.

The second option isn't bad at all...I would just build a weather day into the trip in case you get delayed along the way.  Although I would build a weather day into any spring trip, so there.

Hi Uppa,

I've never used a GPS so I cannot comment on that from experience but I expect they are pretty darned fool proof to know where you are and see which direction you need to go.

Flagging tape - I think it's a very reasonable approach should you find the trail vanishing under your feet.  Only recommendation would be to recover the tape when you've reached your destination or found the trail again - that way it's not littering.

Hatchet - personally, I'm a collapsible saw guy and would expect that you generally walk around or over most obstacles.  Saws are lighter and nice for firewood (only cut about a third or halfway through a piece and then break it to save energy).  I understand the utility of a hatchet but when you consider that most folks have a stove it really negates the safety element of "i need it to get into the dry heartwood to make a fire".  I've never used a hatchet in AP and have always been able to get a good fire going.  Skills beat utensils.

The handful of low maintenance portages I've been on have been much like regular maintenance ones so I cannot offer specific advice but it is a roll of the dice from one year and one portage to the next.  I know from my time in the field hunting, hiking, camping, etc. that paying attention to the topography around you is helpful.  It's more challenging in central Ontario because you don't have as "predictable" topography to guide you many times, but by looking for hills, creeks, etc. it can assist in keeping your bearings.

I have no idea, but I love the geologic clues.  My interest is piqued as to what feature it might be that is unique to Algonquin!?

Agreed, MartinG, crossed my mind a number of times.

Weather dependent - solar weather (substantial solar flare activity) and earthly weather (limited cloud cover) are two predominant factors.  You should have a good 24-48 hour lead time for better likelihood of seeing anything.

The further north you go, the better your chances; any site with open viewing to the north would suffice.

Good predictions here:
http://www.aurora-service.org/aurora-forecast/

and here:
https://www.spaceweatherlive.com/
 

Some folks call him "Sneaky Peek"
Posting locations that we seek

North of the highway, most of the time
Until you assume, then he spins on a dime